Science Sampler: Did the beanstalk really reach the sky? Using fairy tales to teach science

Journal Article | August 2007

Inquiry is the guiding philosophy in school science curriculum design in Singapore. Inquiry requires students to be able to use their existing scientific knowledge to formulate hypotheses and critique and evaluate…

The Case Study: I'm Looking Over a White Striped Clover: A Case of Natural Selection

Journal Article | June 2007

The case presented in this article is an exploration of the process of natural selection using white clover (Trifolium repens) as an example. In general, two forms of white clover can be found around the world in…

Society for College Science Teachers: PowerPoint Queens and Online Kings

Journal Article | December 2004

Technology provides potentially useful tools for colleges and universities. There is always one important ingredient that cannot be left out, however, and that is an effective professor. An effective professor provides…

Scope on the Skies: January in the skies

Journal Article | December 2004

Celestial events abound during the month of January, ranging from a potentially bright comet, visible planets in both the morning and evening skies, and the Huygens probe descent into the atmosphere of Saturn's moon,…

Issues in-depth: Are you what you eat? An inside look at high-tech food

Journal Article | March 2007

If we abide by the familiar saying “you are what you eat,” it is understandable that people may be concerned with the incredible advances in food science technology and their possible impacts on human health. For…

Science Sampler: Caution! Scientists in the making

Journal Article | August 2008

Equipping students with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind necessary to design investigative questions is an essential goal for any science teacher. Just as with anything new, when students begin to design…

Idea Bank: Mixing Proverbs and Chemistry

Journal Article | January 2004

Learning symbols for elements is a chore few students enjoy. Even though many students become confused along the way, this knowledge is essential in the study of chemistry. To help students with this learning process,…

The Science Behind Nanosunscreens

Journal Article | August 2009

In this article, the authors provide a brief overview of the emerging field of nanoscience and why it is an important area of education. They next explain the science behind the new nanoparticulate sunscreens, describe…

Teaching Through Trade Books: Differences and Diversity

Journal Article | October 2003

Diversity is not an unusual topic in classrooms studying biology. From the wondrous variety of animals and plants in the rain forest to the microcosm present in soil, most teachers have taught diversity through one…

Science Sampler: Beyond Yellowstone

Journal Article | March 2007

In 2001, Yellowstone National Parks’ education staff launched Windows Into Wonderland (WIW), a series of six internet-based, electronic field trips, or “eTrips,” designed especially for middle school students. Today 17…

Perspectives: Examining the Learning Cycle

Journal Article | December 2006

Cognitive scientists tell us that students need to relate new ideas to their experience and place new ideas into a framework for understanding (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking 2001). Thus exploring phenomena before…

Editor's Note: From Whimsy to Literacy

Journal Article | October 2011

Science and Children’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue.

Natural Cycles: Coming Full Circle—Using natural cycles to teach elementary science objectives

Journal Article | February 2000

Native Americans commonly use a circle in their art and stories to represent the fact that matter is conserved. From generation to generation, Native Americans passed on the idea that matter is conserved and used the…

Energy Underground: Studying matter and energy processes within caves

Journal Article | January 2003

Students observe underground caverns and discover that matter recycling occurs on many levels and is directly related to the amount of energy present during the exchange process. The author describes an integrated…

No Duck Left Behind

Journal Article | December 2010

Recently, a group of fourth graders joined Pintail Partners—a year-long collaborative research effort of scientists, students, classroom teachers, preservice teachers, museum educators, and university professors.…