Science Shorts: Observation Versus Inference

Journal Article | January 2008

When you observe something, how do you know for sure what you are seeing, feeling, smelling, or hearing? Asking students to think critically about their encounters with the natural world will help to strengthen their…

Roadkill Data Analysis: Using Spreadsheets to Integrate Math and Science

Journal Article | February 2009

The process of inspiring students into framing authentic questions and then providing them structured support in answering the questions through scientific research is widely recognized as a key element, if not the…

Teaching Through Trade Books: Fascinating Fossil Finds

Journal Article | September 2004

This month’s Teaching Through Trade Books column engages students in “unearthing” fossils and exploring the processes scientists use in uncovering these fascinating finds and interpreting Earth’s past.

Taking Ownership of Learning in a Large Class: Group Projects and a Mini-Conference

Journal Article | June 2009

Helping students take ownership of their learning is often a challenge in a large lecture course. In this article, the authors describe a nature of science-oriented group project in a chemistry course in which students…

Skateboards or Wildlife? Kids Decide!

Journal Article | March 2004

Using the Internet to help solve real-life problems is a great way to make science learning relevant to today's students. In this project, students investigated "playas", temporary local wetlands, and surveyed their…

Inquiring Into The Digestive System

Journal Article | October 2007

Teaching science by means of inquiry-based projects has the potential to transform the science lab into a place of debate and discovery, but teachers run the risk of either leaving students to work too independently or…

A New Paradigm in Integrated Math and Science Courses

Journal Article | October 2000

This article describes an interdisciplinary curriculum designed by the authors that connects math, science, and technology with the lives of their students. Changing students’ understanding of science required building…

An Authentic Science Conference

Journal Article | February 2001

Students are interested in learning how science works, and an effective way to introduce elementary students to the nature of science is by explicitly incorporating it within the context of their regular science…

Science Sampler: NASA’s Dawn mission—Helping define planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids

Journal Article | June 2007

The decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 to redefine the term planet has caught the attention of the public and students from grade school to graduate school. The IAU’s decision has not…

Every Day Science: December 2009

Journal Article | November 2009

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Idea Bank: Practice Makes Perfect

Journal Article | August 2002

New science teachers face a daunting task. They must rapidly learn how to put together notes, find interesting demos, present challenging labs, provide appropriate homework, write tests and quizzes, stay organized, and…

Teaching Science to ELLs, Part I

Journal Article | February 2011

Since 1995, the population of English language learners (ELLs) in the United States has increased by an astonishing 57% (Maxwell 2009). Though ELLs come from many different backgrounds, they share the common challenge…

Movie Mitosis

Journal Article | November 2008

Mitosis and meiosis are essential for the growth, development, and reproduction of organisms. Because these processes are essential to life, both are emphasized in biology texts, state standards, and the National…

Harry Potter and the Dichotomous Key

Journal Article | September 2003

In this lesson, students use Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans—a “wild” candy written about in the Harry Potter books and now available in stores—to learn about classification and dichotomous keys. In these activities,…

Collaboratively Examining Student Work

Journal Article | January 2004

How do we get our students to meet science standards? What is impossible working alone is made possible by collaborating with colleagues. Through the Schools Around the World (SAW) program, teachers have the opportunity…