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Journal Article

The Tablecloth Trick, Take II

Through a pedagogical sequence, students learn the physics behind a popular magic trick. After students have the opportunity to try the sequence of activities the grand finale begins—pulling the tablecloth out from under a real set of dishes. ...

Journal Article

Alphatome—Enhancing Spatial Reasoning

Using refrigerator magnets, foam blocks, ink pads, and modeling clay, students manipulate the letters of the alphabet at multiple angles, reconstructing three-dimensional forms from two-dimensional data. This exercise increases students’ spatial re...

Journal Article

It's a Frog's Life

When a preschool teacher unexpectedly found tadpoles in the school's outdoor baby pool, she recognized an unusual opportunity for her students to study pond life up close. By following the tadpoles' development, students learned about frogs, life cyc...

Journal Article

Favorite Demonstration: A Bright Idea

The typical approach to teaching the scientific method entails presenting a series of steps meant to make the logic behind the scientific method more intelligible. Unfortunately, this alone does not fully instill an understanding of testable-hypothes...

Journal Article

Expanding the 5E Model: A proposed 7E model emphasizes "transfer of learning" and the importance of eliciting prior understanding

Research on how people learn and the incorporation of that research into lesson plans and curriculum demands that the highly successful 5E model be expanded to a 7E model. The 7E model proposes the addition of eliciting prior understanding and exten...

Journal Article

Career of the Month: An Interview with Volcanologist Jeffrey Byrnes

This column features interviews with professionals using science in the workplace. In this month’s issue, Jeff Byrnes shares how his education and career path inspired him to be a volcanologist....