Integrating Pharmacology into the Organic Chemistry Course

Journal Article | April 2001

Many nonchemistry majors are unaware of the unity between chemistry and biology and tend to separate the two disciplines conceptually. In a course designed to emphasize health-related issues using a pharmacological…

Editorial: The Interrupted Case Method

Journal Article | September 2005

There are many ways to tell a tale. This issue of the journal demonstrates that point as it devotes itself once again entirely to case studies. One particularly useful type of case study is the Interrupted Case Method…

Perspectives: A (Mis)Understanding of Astronomical Proportions?

Journal Article | August 2008

Misconceptions are ideas formulated by children as they try to make sense of the world. By focusing on students’ ideas, using the strategies suggested in this article, teachers can help students move toward more…

A Bad Day for Sandy Dayton

Journal Article | August 2000

Designed to help nonscience majors learn about motion, forces, and kinetic energy, students reconstruct a rear-end car accident that takes place in an intersection outside their classroom. They then explore the…

Using <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i> Television Episodes to Teach Science—Investigating Scientific Topics through the Medium of Television

Journal Article | February 1998

For over a decade, we have used science fiction films to build interest in and awareness of real science at both the college and precollege levels. Star Trek: The Next Generation series discusses many scientific topics…

Lights, Camera, Action . . . It’s <em>Science Friday</em>!

Journal Article | August 2010

Science Friday’s motto “Making Science User-Friendly” was the authors’ inspiration, as was its format for a segment on the morning broadcast at Forest View Elementary School. Patterned after National Public Radio’s…

Dig Into Mining Reclamation during Earth Science Week

Journal Article | September 1999

Mining reclamation is defined as the process of returning mined land to productive and beneficial use. How this is accomplished depends on the type of mine, its location, and the degree to which the land was disrupted…

Cell Organelles and Silk Batik: A Model for Integrating Art and Science

Journal Article | September 2012

This activity integrates science and art concepts around the theme of cell organelles using the exciting and somewhat unusual medium of painted silk batik.

The Case of the Missing Music

Journal Article | December 2007

From Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew to the countless other detectives that fill children’s bookshelves and television programs, it is clear that children are fascinated with solving crimes. As a result, a chemistry professor…

Sharpening the Craft of Scientific Writing: A Peer-Review Strategy to Improve Student Writing

Journal Article | October 1997

Writing is vital to the success of a scientist. Incorporating peer review into courses is an excellent way to enhance the scientific writing experience. Students find that the process of reviewing the work of peers and…

Science Sampler: A first energy grant—Pinwheel electrical generation

Journal Article | September 2007

This is an interdisciplinary activity—with art, science, and math classes involved—where students design their own pinwheels, and then attach their design to a DC generator (motor). Prior to testing their designs,…

Idea Bank: Monitoring the Oceans from the Classroom

Journal Article | August 2006

Major disasters such as the tsunami of 2004 and hurricanes of 2005 have emphasized the need for an organized global network of ocean observing systems. As a result, Observing System Education has been identified as one…

Multi-Resource Learning: How to effectively use multiple resources and cooperative groups in the classroom

Journal Article | January 2001

Students are enthusiastic with the multi-resource learning environment in which multiple resources, such as the Internet, science posters, magazines, books, CD-ROMs, and inquiry labs are used in the learning process.…

Idea Bank: The Lunar “Space Weather” Action Center

Journal Article | March 2010

The Lunar “Space Weather” Action Center (LSWAC) provides an opportunity to use knowledge about the Sun’s stormy “weather” and understandings about the lunar environment to forecast “space weather” on the Moon and…

Science Sampler: The DEP saves the beans—A Performance assessment task for acid rain

Journal Article | March 2007

Using performance assessment tasks allows students to demonstrate conceptual understanding of the important ideas of science, use scientific tools and processes, apply understanding of ideas to solve new, draw on what…