Video-Based Labs for Introductory Physics Courses: Analyzing and Graphing Motion on Video

Journal Article | October 1999

Video-based labs are a powerful tool for improving student understanding of one of the most difficult and important topics in physics: graphs. This article describes common student graphing difficulties, the history of…

Scope on the Skies: September Skies (2009)

Journal Article | August 2009

There are many astronomy and space science resources that may be used to supplement or reinforce your teaching, or even as a stand-alone teaching tool. This month’s column brings together a collection of the author’s…

Assessing Performance Tasks: Guidelines for developing objective scoring rubrics

Journal Article | March 2003

As educators incorporate additional performance tasks into instruction, they are faced with the challenge of evaluating student achievement related to those tasks. The key to evaluation is developing student- and…

Integrating the Arts: Teaching About Color Mixing With Light

Journal Article | February 2012

This guided inquiry lesson is designed to help students develop conceptual understanding of the primary colors of light and differentiate between additive and subtractive color mixing.

Bird's the Word: By raising chicks, students study animals in the laboratory

Journal Article | April 2002

Raising chicks is effective and efficient because the experiment is applied science in action, and the animals are ethically disposed of when the experiment is finished. This experiment provides ample opportunity for…

Safer Science: Lifesaver Resources for Chemical Selection

Journal Article | February 2009

High school science teachers, supervisors, and chemical hygiene officers (CHO) can turn to a number of internet resources for help when making decisions about hazardous chemical use. Before considering these resources,…

Working Model Hearts

Journal Article | November 2009

Despite student interest, the heart is often a poorly understood topic in biology. To help students understand this vital organ’s physiology, the author created this investigation activity involving the mammalian heart…

Idea Bank: An Environmentally Responsible Physics Course

Journal Article | November 2011

The Idea Bank provides tips and techniques for creative teaching, in about 1,000 words. This month’s Idea Bank discusses emphasizing energy in an introductory physics course.

Evaluating College Science and Mathematics Instruction

Journal Article | February 2002

This paper reports evaluative data on five courses that have taken part in a curriculum reform effort called the Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers. Primarily through summer faculty…

Science Sampler: Radio-wave inquiry with web-controlled receivers

Journal Article | March 2007

This article describes a web-enhanced investigation of radio waves suitable for upper middle school science students that correlates with the National Science Education Standards. In this engaging lesson, students are…

Teacher’s Toolkit: Facilitating an inquiry-based science classroom

Journal Article | December 2007

Despite recommendations from the National Science Education Standards and best practices for teaching science through inquiry-based methods, many teachers continue with traditional teaching methods citing management…

Moon Phase as a Context for Teaching Scale Factor

Journal Article | November 2007

The Sun and the Moon are our most visible neighbors in space, yet their distance and size relative to the Earth are often misunderstood. Science textbooks fuel this misconception because they regularly depict linear…

Idea Bank: A Forgotten Resource

Journal Article | October 2002

The Idea Bank provides tips and techniques for creative teaching, in about 1,000 words. This month’s Idea Bank focuses on the one educational resource often overlooked—guest speakers. They can offer an excellent insight…

Creative Exercises in General Chemistry: A Student-Centered Assessment

Journal Article | August 2010

Creative exercises (CEs) are a form of assessment in which students are given a prompt and asked to write down as many distinct, correct, and relevant facts about the prompt as they can. Students receive credit for each…

Constructing Flying Discs

Journal Article | April 1999

In this activity, students create unique, colorful flying discs and their interest in science soars! Once the discs are finished, they are tested for flight distance and the students return to the classroom to do the…