Teaching Teachers: STEPS into Learning

Journal Article | October 2000

Prospective elementary teachers explore the use of classroom technologies in a university setting. Bringing "real" elementary students to the science methods classes helped them see how technology can be used…

Seeds of Wonder and Discovery

Journal Article | March 2011

Establish the roots of a true scientific collaboration with PlantingScience, a unique website that engages students in hands-on plant investigations that allow them to work with peers and scientist mentors.

Science Sampler: Light in the media spotlight

Journal Article | June 2006

Movies, music, cartoons, comics, popular literature, and internet websites are all powerful resources for science teachers. Collectively, these media transform words from a textbook into reference points for…

Health Wise: October 2010

Journal Article | September 2010

Is organic food healthier?

Science 101: How can wind cause a bridge to collapse?

Journal Article | October 2009

First, you might need evidence that wind can cause a bridge to collapse. To see the evidence, put “Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse” into any internet search engine. Using this example from 1940 and a series of hands-on…

Science 2.0: Personalizing the PC for Accessibility

Journal Article | February 2011

Personalizing the PC for Accessibility. Students with disabilities need access to computers in the classroom—but this goes beyond the mere availability of a machine. This month's column describes some of the Apple and…

Career of the Month: An interview with Ear, Nose, Throat Doctor Scott Howard

Journal Article | November 2006

Ear, nose, and throat complaints, such as allergies, ear infections, sinusitis, and sore throats, are the number one reason people go to the doctor. Diseases and disorders of the head and neck, particularly the ear,…

MathBench Biology Modules: Web-Based Math for All Biology Undergraduates

Journal Article | February 2009

Historically, biology has not been a heavily quantitative science, but this is changing rapidly (Ewing 2002; Gross 2000; Hastings and palmer 2003; Jungck 2005; Steen 2005). Quantitative approaches now constitute a key…

E-Portfolios: Documenting Student Progress

Journal Article | April 2003

Electronic portfolios, digital collections of student work—are flexible, motivating, and extremely useful teacher tools that can address a range of needs from student assessment and professional development to creating…

Guest Editorial: The Need for More Schoolteachers in Science and Math—How Colleges Can Help

Journal Article | February 1999

An opinion piece about the need for more schoolteachers in science and math and how colleges can help. This article appeared in an issue of "The Chronicle of Higher Education," and reprinted here, with permission.

Ask the Experts

Journal Article | September 2003

Astronomers can use light from stars to determine the elements in a star, but how do they determine the quantity/amount of these elements within a specific star? Why do we always see the same side of the Moon from…

Learning from your Mistakes

Journal Article | October 2000

Using lamps directed at black, gray, and white cans to show the impact of color on heat absorption is a classic experiment, one that the author came to think of as a “sure thing.” So, imagine her surprise when this “…

Game Time!

Journal Article | October 2006

Sharks and fishes is both a classic playground game and a lighthearted model to introduce second- to fourth-grade students to the concept of predation, or the relationships between a predator and its prey. This game…

Undergraduate Biology Lab Courses: Comparing the Impact of Traditionally Based "Cookbook" and Authentic Research-Based Courses on Student Lab Experiences

Journal Article | February 2012

This study compares a cookbook-type laboratory course to a research-based undergraduate biology laboratory course at a Research 1 institution. The results indicate that students in the research-based lab had more…

Whoooo Knew?

Journal Article | June 2011

In this article the authors discuss several assessment strategies that you can use and adapt for inquiry-based science units, using the example of a weeklong fifth-grade unit about owls and owl pellets.