JoinAll Resources
Journal Article
Tech Trek: Underwater web work
Looking for ways to enhance your oceanography unit? "Dive" into the many online resources available to help you explore the mysteries of the deep. The following is a collection of sites appropriate for middle level classrooms that are aligned with th...
Journal Article
In this article, Mount Washington Observatory meteorologist Tim Markle shares the ins and outs of his daily weather-observing routine and offers insights on making weather observations at home or at school....
Journal Article
The experts address the following question in this month’s column: How does a proton exchange membrane work and what exactly is the “fuel” for this fuel cell?...
Journal Article
SAFEH<sub>2</sub>O: Student Advocates for Environmental Water
Through a partnership with a local business, a group of highly motivated high school students and their teacher created a not-for-profit business, Student Advocates for Environmental Water, to provide water-testing services for the local community....
Journal Article
“What’s in your pit?” is the common question students ask one another as they enthusiastically collect and analyze the contents of pitfall traps set 24 hours earlier. In a collaborative effort, these students designed and conducted pitfall trap...
Journal Article
Wherever you live, the weather provides a backdrop for studying science, and weather patterns play a critical role in our daily lives. They can determine everything from indoor recess to global economic patterns. This selection includes notes from ...
Journal Article
On the coldest day in the winter of 2000, a group of dedicated, excited high school students congregated at a research arboretum to meet Kevin Czajkowski, a geography professor from The University of Toledo. The professor had invited the class to par...
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Favorite Demonstration: Brown Bagging It
This simple and inexpensive technique was designed to catch the attention of introductory zoology students and complements any object-based demonstration, wakes students up, and draws their attention to what comes next. This effective strategy works ...
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Students who participate in community outreach programs develop a positive awareness for civic duty and observe applications of their learning (Waldstein and Reiher 2001). Teachers and students discover the most vivid benefits of service learning whe...
Journal Article
Scope on Safety: Plant the seeds of safety
Spring is in the air and many science classes take advantage of the good weather by conducting outdoor labs and taking field trips. Before venturing into the great outdoors with your class, review these plant safety tips....
Journal Article
Society for College Science Teachers: The Importance of Mathematics in Biology Courses
We do our students a great disservice if we do not involve them in the mathematical nature of biology. The lack of mathematics-based experiences in the sciences handicaps them and prevents them from being active in the scientific community. Even intr...
Journal Article
The Case Study: Can Case Studies Be Used to Teach Critical Thinking?
In this month’s column, case studies are touted as an effective means of promoting critical thinking skills. Most of them are discipline specific, certainly. But they all grapple with the essence of critical thinking—asking for evidence—develop...
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After a 2001 wildfire in the state of Wyoming, scientists were interested in learning what hydrophobic layers existed in the heavily burned areas and at what depth. In a collaborative, inquiry-based project, high school students collected soil chemis...
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The “Praise Acres Project,” which initiated from a letter written by a local resident, turned into a long-running, inquiry-based lesson benefiting high school students and the community. The resident expressed the desire to develop a wetlands and...
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Point of View: The Community College Funding Gap
In this month’s opinion piece, the author expresses her displeasure with President Bush’s commitment to provide more funding for community colleges, made in his third State of the Union address in January 2004. He proposed “increasing our suppo...
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Research and Teaching: Using Peer Teaching to Promote Learning in Biology
The author assessed the effectiveness of peer teaching in helping students learn biology concepts. Students performed the best on exam questions based on material they taught. Student test averages increased significantly after their teaching experie...
Journal Article
Inquiry-guided instruction (IGI) has the potential to greatly enhance the learning experience for both educators and students. Although studies show the benefits of IGI, implementation presents its challenges. Issues include the balance of content ma...
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Science 101: What happens in a thunderstorm?
A thunderstorm is a localized storm accompanied by lightning and thunder. It may also have gusty winds and often brings heavy rain. Some thunderstorms also bring tornadoes and/or hail. In this selection a meteorologist provides the basics behind s...
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These high-interest activities use humor to complement traditional classroom learning. For example, after completing a three-week unit of physics labs, middle school students watched several Three Stooges films and looked for examples of physics prin...
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Editor's Corner: On Being World Class...
In this month’s column, the field editor reflects on the educational reform bill, Goals 2000, which was drafted into law during the Clinton administration and specifically challenged U.S. science educators to produce graduates who are “the best i...
Journal Article
Idea Bank: The Area of an Irregular Object
Science teachers are often looking for ways to integrate more mathematics applications into laboratory situations. Quantifiable data can provide students with a greater understanding of scientific concepts. Direct application of these skills provides...