Research and Teaching: Statistics Across the Curriculum Using an Iterative, Interactive Approach in an Inquiry-Based Lab Sequence

Journal Article | October 2014

The authors describe four instructional modules with the goals of increasing student confidence, appreciation, and performance in both experimental design and data analysis.

Research and Teaching: Midterm and First-Exam Grades Predict Final Grades in Biology Courses

Journal Article | October 2014

This article describes a study in which the authors analyzed the extent to which two standard forms of feedback, midterm and first-exam grades, correlated with final grades in several biology courses.

Research and Teaching: Undergraduate Science Learners Show Comparable Outcomes Whether Taught by Undergraduate or Graduate Teaching Assistants

Journal Article | October 2014

This article describes a a comparison of student performance in a series of two introductory biology classes and one third-year class shows that students with graduate teaching assistant and undergraduate teaching…

Idea Bank: Start the Year Off Green!

Journal Article | June 2010

With summer upon us, now is a good time to think about incorporating green practices in the year ahead. This Idea Bank presents a few tips to help decrease your classroom waste, increase recycling, and make students…

Science Sampler: Nanoscale in perspective

Journal Article | March 2008

Nanoscale science is a growing field, and to appreciate the work of scientists in this field, it is important for students to understand the scale of work being done. This activity, designed to bring nanoscale into the…

Research and Teaching: Two-Dimensional, Implicit Confidence Tests as a Tool for Recognizing Student Misconceptions

Journal Article | October 2006

The misconceptions that students bring with them, or that arise during instruction, are a critical barrier to learning. Implicit-confidence tests, a simple modification of the multiple-choice test, can be used as a…

This Land is Your Land

Journal Article | November 2006

Soil is all around us, in fact there is so much of it that we often don’t think of it as a valuable natural resource, and we might even take it for granted! We rely on its productivity for our food and fiber and its…

Ask the Experts

Journal Article | March 2003

This article contains the answers to these questions. Why does Venus rotate 'backwards' and slowly? How does the Coriolis effect explain toilets flushing in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere?

Tried and True: Springing Into Linear Models

Journal Article | August 2012

This column provides classic demonstrations and experiments with a new twist. This month’s issue presents an activity that links forces and linear relationships by having students measure the distance a spring stretches…

A Community Controls Loosestrife: It takes a village to keep nonnative plant populatins in check

Journal Article | April 2001

Purple loosestrife is a gorgeous, flowering, invasive, European plant. Environmental science students from Walled Lake Central High School in Michigan entered into an exciting partnership with the citizens of the…

Commentary: The Courage of His Convictions

Journal Article | April 2000

An opinion piece about the 75th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey Trial."

Attitudes and Interests Among University Students in Introductory Nonmajor Science Courses: Does Gender Matter?

Journal Article | October 2009

Attitudes toward science may develop as early as middle school and often differ between genders. Do these gender-based differences in attitude persist into the college years? In a survey of 376 university students, male…

Science Sampler: Word wall connections

Journal Article | December 2006

A word wall has many uses in the middle school science classroom. It is ideal for reinforcing vocabulary and connections between concepts. In this article, the author describes an interactive way to use the word wall to…

Favorite Demonstration: One Hot Demonstration -- The Urban Heat Island Effect

Journal Article | June 2006

Demonstrations are most successful as a teaching tool when they can link a scientific principle to a real-life application of the knowledge. When posed as an inquiry activity, classroom demonstrations reinforce factual…

Idea Bank: Classroom Newsletter

Journal Article | January 2005

Have you ever struggled with trying to motivate your students to learn science? If your answer is a resounding "yes!"-- the implementation of a class newsletter may be the solution. A class newsletter project can…