From the Editor’s Desk: Sparking the “Need to Know”

Journal Article | October 2017

Science Scope’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue.

Citizen Science: Where the Wildlife Are

Journal Article | October 2017

This column highlights formal and informal science research projects that students can join and contribute to by gathering and sharing data. See wildlife and do science with eMammal.

Disequilibrium: Exploring Buoyancy and Density with Cartesian Divers

Journal Article | October 2017

This column shows how to use discrepant events to confront misconceptions.In this month’s column, students design and test Cartesian divers.

Listserv Roundup: Technology tools for a paperless classroom

Journal Article | October 2017

This column shares recent conversations taken from the NSTA listserv community about current science education topics.This month shares how to create a paperless classroom.

Science For All: Planning and Preparing Your Students With Special Needs

Journal Article | October 2017

This column shares strategies for increasing student engagement. This issue presents a few suggestions to help your students with ADHD and autism benefit from a field trip.

Teacher To Teacher: Teaching With Learning Cycles and Storylines

Journal Article | October 2017

This column provides practical advice from your peers. This issue discusses how to frame the learning cycle around a storyline.

Scope on the Skies: Measuring the Universe

Journal Article | October 2017

This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue discusses how to measure how far away galaxies are.

Preparing Preservice K–8 Teachers for the Public School: Improving Evolution Attitudes, Misconceptions, and Legal Confusion

Journal Article | October 2017

The study in this article examines the effectiveness of a curriculum on preservice teachers’ attitudes and knowledge of evolution and legalities of teaching it.

Impact of a Robert Noyce Scholarship on STEM Teacher Recruitment

Journal Article | October 2017

Funding from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program supports the University of Portland Noyce Scholars and Interns Program (University of Portland Noyce Program). This study examined the first 3 years of the…

Using Clickers for Deliberate Practice in Five Large Science Courses

Journal Article | October 2017

Clickers are often used as an active learning tool in face-to-face classes to enhance student engagement and assess student learning. In this article the authors share the variety of ways they use clicker questions to…

Case Study: Assembling a Case Study Tool Kit: 10 Tools for Teaching With Cases

Journal Article | October 2017

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. The author shares the strategies and tools that teachers can use to…

Research and Teaching: What Determines Student Acceptance of Politically Controversial Scientific Conclusions?

Journal Article | October 2017

The authors use large-scale survey data to explore the nature, extent, and determinants of student resistance to scientific conclusions about evolution, anthropogenic climate change, and the importance of vaccination.

Research and Teaching: Show Me the Way: Future Faculty Prefer Directive Feedback When Trying Active Learning Approaches

Journal Article | October 2017

In this study, the authors incorporate feedback as a key component of a pedagogical course for future faculty who had never taught or were currently novice teaching assistants. They studied (a) how future faculty’s…

Research and Teaching: Introducing Engineering Design to a Science Teaching Methods Course Through Educational Robotics and Exploring Changes in Views of Preservice Elementary Teachers

Journal Article | October 2017

Preservice elementary teachers need to know how to integrate the engineering design process into their science teaching. In this article, the authors describe how they used the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Kit as part of a NGSS-…

Research and Teaching: Comparing Student Learning in the Team-Based Learning Classroom With Different Team Reporting Methods

Journal Article | October 2017

The increase in classroom technology has resulted in the use of clickers and other audience response systems (ARS) for simultaneous reporting of choices in the team-based learning (TBL) classroom. A variety of…