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Journal Article
Science of the Maya: Teaching ethnoscience in the classroom
Ethnoscience is empirical knowledge of the world held by indigenous people, reflecting their thought processes, values, concepts, and experiences. Drawing on the work of Heinberg (1994), five premises may be identified in Mayan ethnoscience: (1) ever...
Journal Article
Idea Bank: Tips and techniques for creative teaching
The Idea Bank provides tips and techniques for creative teaching, in about 1,000 words. In this month’s Idea Bank, learn about the periodic table card trick using a half-deck of cards, fun and games science, and integrating technology....
Journal Article
Inclusive Classrooms: Multicultural look at the National Science Education Standards
Five Standards-based strategies for successful inclusion of special-needs students in the secondary science classroom are described in this article. Use a multisensory approach; encourage collaboration among students; provide specific expectations an...
Journal Article
A teachable moment presented itself when a fallen bird was discovered in the snowy woods of Alaska by a couple of kindergarten students. As a result of this experience, the children had grown in their abilities to take part in a group, to actively li...
Journal Article
A New Way of Looking at the World
The Global 200 represents a new science-based approach to setting priorities for conservation. At its core is a simple concept: If we conserve the broadest variety of the world’s habitats, we can conserve the broadest variety of the world’s speci...
Journal Article
Understanding the Elements: The physics and symmetry of the periodic table of the elements
The Periodic Table of the Elements, or the Mendeleev Chart, is the starting point for chemistry and critical for learning physics as well. This article is an effort to explain, from fundamentals, how the periodic table became the way it is, and in do...
Journal Article
Analyzing Scientific Literature Using a Jigsaw Group Activity
After gathering into groups to read papers with different viewpoints on a scientific topic, students form into new groups to share the diverse viewpoints expressed by the scientist-authors of their papers. This modified jigsaw activity encourages stu...
Journal Article
The Learning-Style Teaching Model
The recent surge of interest in science education reform is welcome news for teachers who are eager to engage students in active science learning. However, along with these positive steps in science education reform come increasing pressure to improv...
Journal Article
When playing outside during recess, a group of first-grade students noticed a lizard in the grass. They observed it for a while but it was very hard to see. This experience led the author to conduct a series of activities to teach her students the im...
Journal Article
From Petroleum to Tomatoes: An integrated approach to educating scientifically literate students
While tomatoes grow abundantly in Israel, it is necessary to control the climate in which they are grown. This article deals with the issue of maintaining suitable growing conditions for tomatoes in Israel. Learning this integrated module, students d...
Journal Article
Debate is one methodology that encompasses the nature of science, science and technology in society, and the history of science and has been shown to enhance critical thinking (Hammerich, 1998). The ability to look at and analyze all evidence, then d...
Journal Article
Infrared Investigations: Using simple equipment to compare infrared radiation with visible light
This article features a series of simple and nontraditional experiments that enable students to discover the properties of infrared radiation (IR) by studying propagation, reflection, diffusion, and refraction of IR. These experiments rely on the use...
Journal Article
Science and Children’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....
Journal Article
Favorite Demonstration: The Roles of Different Mobile Phases in Liquid Chromatography
The activity described in this article will demonstrate the role of mobile phase polarity on the separation of dyes having different solubilities in polar and nonpolar solutions. A paper chromatography system is used in this demonstration for simplic...
Journal Article
After the Bell: Where do we go next?
As teachers, we need to connect students’ informal mapping skills to formal mapping concepts that they can learn in school. An important way that school districts or teachers themselves can solve this dilemma is to integrate concepts of mapping int...
Journal Article
A Research-Based Molecular Biology Laboratory
In an apprenticeship-style course that mimics experiences in research laboratories and better reflects trends in educational reform, students perform team projects through collaboration with corporate research institutions. This research-based, stude...
Journal Article
The Science Teacher’s editor shares thoughts on the current issue....
Journal Article
Scope on the Skies: Exploring the Red Planet
The launch of the Mars Odyssey 2001 signaled the beginning of a revised plan for the robotic exploration of Mars, the Red Planet. NASA detailed an exploration plan that will span the next two decades. Using new and developing technologies, these inve...
Journal Article
Genetics of Sesame Street<sup>TM</sup> Characters
By enlisting the of Elmo, Zoe, Grover, and friends, the author brought a genetics unit to life. In this week-long unit, the students (1) create a gene map for a particular Sesame Street character, (2) move the resulting chromosomes through the steps ...