Methods and Strategies: Literacy in the Learning Cycle

Journal Article | September 2009

Trade books can be used in all phases of the learning cycle to support effective teaching and learning. Romance and Vitale (1992) found that texts and other nonfiction science books can be effective tools for teaching…

Taming the Testing/Grading Cycle in Lecture Classes Centered Around Open-Ended Assessment

Journal Article | February 2011

Testing strategies centered around open-ended assessments are generally thought to result in deeper learning compared with close-ended questioning. However, the time requirements involved in grading open-ended…

Action Research

Journal Article | June 2010

Defined as “any systemic inquiry conducted by teachers… for the purpose of gathering information about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how their students learn” (Mertler, 2009), action research…

Science Sampler: Connecte2d Teaching—A comprehensive resource for teaching science using earthquakes

Journal Article | February 2007

The Connecte2d Technology website is an all-inclusive web resource linking the study of earthquakes and engineering design to middle school science, mathematics, and technology. Through the use of interdisciplinary…

An Artful Forest

Journal Article | January 2007

A group of kindergarteners and fellow first graders turned one school hallway into a forest as they endeavored to learn about animals and science inquiry. Not just any mural, this culmination of a month-long project was…

Making Thinking Visible

Journal Article | October 2004

Writing, in conjunction with other activities such as reading and hands-on experiences, contributes to greater critical thinking, thoughtful consideration of ideas, and better concept learning. This article discusses a…

Engaging Students in the Scientific Practices of Explanation and Argumentation

Journal Article | March 2012

This article examines the sixth and seventh practices concerning explanation and argumentation, found in A Framework for K–12 Science Education.

Who Killed Myra Mains? Students investigate a mock crime scene in an integrated science unit

Journal Article | February 2002

Students become crime scene investigators as they investigate a mock crime scene in an integrated science unit. In this inquiry-based lab, students must formulate and revise scientific explanations, as well as…

Science in the Summer

Journal Article | December 2000

It happens every summer in Scott County, Virginia. Kids take time off from their summer vacation to return to the science classroom. They return to build bridges, make polymers, fill prescriptions, and work side by side…

Perspectives: Learning to Observe <em>and</em> Infer

Journal Article | January 2008

Researchers describe the need for students to have multiple opportunities and social interaction to learn about the differences between observation and inference and their role in developing scientific explanations (…

Ice Versus Rock

Journal Article | December 2004

Through a snow bank exploration activity students inquire about ice cave formations. Their icicle observations lead them to a discussion of stalactite formations. By incorporating the scientific process students were…

Looking Back to Move Ahead: How Students Learn Geologic Time by Predicting Future Environmental Impacts

Journal Article | December 2011

This Scholarship of Teaching and Learning project discusses the effectiveness of using distance metaphor-building activities along with a case study exam to help undergraduate nonscience majors understand and apply…

Guest Editorial: NSF Research Outreach Requirements—An Opportunity for <em> JCST </em> Readers

Journal Article | August 2007

A recent issue of the American Physical Society newsletter (2007) described the various reactions that research physicists have to the NSF requirement that grant applications seeking support for basic research include a…

Ask the Experts -- October 2005

Journal Article | September 2005

The Experts tackle the question, "What is the underlying natural phenomenon that causes the natural log function to show up so frequently in scientific equations? and "Why do some hairs on the human body grow…

Tried and True: Osmosis and Diffusion Through a Semipermeable Membrane

Journal Article | October 2011

This column provides classic demonstrations and experiments with a new twist. This month’s issue covers engaging ways to help students understand the concepts of osmosis and diffusion and semipermeable membranes in…