Teaming Up for Science and Reading Success

Journal Article | April 2003

Intregrating science education with reading has become extremely important for elementary teachers. This article briefly discusses research results from three successful programs that integrated science and reading.…

Field Botany and Creative Writing: Where the Science of Writing Meets the Writing of Science

Journal Article | June 2006

Merging science and writing to enhance both subjects was the objective of a venture known as Plant Notes. At first, teacher-written notes served as the inspiration for this writing assignment. Later, eclectic student-…

Making Art With Microscopes

Journal Article | September 2011

This article describes a miniunit that supplements a unit on the study of cells and the use of microscopes, which introduces the fundamentals of cellular biology. The miniunit promoted an inquiry approach to learning…

The MORE Thinking Frame: Guiding Students' Thinking in the Laboratory

Journal Article | February 1999

The Model-Observe-Reflect-Explain (MORE) Thinking Frame is a laboratory-based instructional tool developed to address some of the weaknesses of undergraduate science programs. The tool was developed to engage students…

The Adventures of the Gray Whale: An Integrated Approach to Learning About the Long Migration

Journal Article | March 2010

Using migration as a springboard, students can begin to understand patterns of survival and interdependence that exist within nature, as well as humankind’s role in modifying these patterns. This mini-unit involves a…

Science 2.0: Introducing Science 2.0!

Journal Article | December 2009

The internet of the mid-to-late 1990s was defined by static web pages created by people with specialized technical skills. Today, that barrier has been all but eliminated with the emergence of easy-to-use online tools…

An Earth-system Approach to Understanding the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Journal Article | January 2011

The Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20, 2010, and the subsequent release of oil into the Gulf of Mexico created an ecological disaster of immense proportions. The estimates of the amounts of oil, whether for the…

Discovery Bottles

Journal Article | June 2008

Discover discovery bottles! These wide-mouth plastic containers of any size filled with objects of different kinds can be terrific tools for science explorations and a great way to cultivate science minds in a K—2…

Science Sampler: No stress science fair

Journal Article | February 2004

Teachers can combat two common pitfalls of science fairs—finding time and excessive parental involvement—by working the projects into the classroom curriculum. Students complete independent research projects early in…

Perspectives: Assessing and Addressing Student Science Ideas

Journal Article | February 2008

Our students are not blank slates. They come to school with a wide range of experiences that have shaped their science understandings—reading books, watching TV, and playing video games. From many years of research…

Editor's Corner: "Turn On" the Evolution Light Bulb

Journal Article | October 2003

The Science Teacher’s editor shares thoughts on the current issue about teaching evolution effectively.

Teaching through Trade Books: Mysteries of the Past

Journal Article | August 2010

Paleontologists, scientists who study the history of life on Earth, work in a dynamic area of science. Think of putting together a jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces missing—that’s what creating the fossil record is…

Note Sheets: A Reliable Predictor of Success?

Journal Article | October 2001

Students in a large introductory-level biology course brought one page of notes to their exams. The authors scored these note sheets for their format and content. Student performance on exams showed a very limited…

Enhancing Science Teaching by Doing MORE

Journal Article | September 2005

Students need guidance regarding how to think through the inquiry process but such scaffolding is often missing from secondary school laboratory programs. The Model-Observe-Reflect-Explain (MORE) Thinking Frame is an…

Science Sampler: An inquiry into the phases of matter

Journal Article | September 2010

The “What’s the matter With XOD” activity addresses students’ misconceptions and refines their ideas about phases of matter. This activity introduces the characteristics for solids, liquids, and gases, and begins a…