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  • The Living Earth: Inviting Students into the World of Scientific Research through Seismology

    Journal Article |

    In an introductory geoscience course, various elements of seismology were combined -- such as seismographs, seismograms, simulation of earthquake processes, and data analysis -- with open-ended problem solving to…

  • Designing Assessments

    Journal Article |

    The authors share their experiences with free test items from National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests. These questions provide an excellent format for teachers to create new questions or modify existing…

  • The Diminishing Apple

    Journal Article |

    Upper elementary students cut apples to explore the Earth. The goal of the activity is to teach children about the relatively small proportions of actual drinkable water, habitable land, and productive areas on the…

  • The Case Study: An Open or Shut Case? Contrasting Approaches to Case Study Design

    Journal Article |

    The hallmark of an open-ended case study is the possibility of multiple outcomes to the problem at hand. This adds to its realism, provokes higher-order thought, and attracts many instructors to case analysis. Yet,…

  • Guest Editorial: Discovering life

    Journal Article |

    In this editorial piece, the author shares how he spent over 20 years as a corporate manager for a financial printing firm. He further explains how bringing a company public or coordinating a corporate merger were…

  • Research and Teaching: The Effectiveness of Portfolio Assessments in Science—Integrating an Alternative, Holistic Approach to Learning into the Classroom

    Journal Article |

    One of the most interesting and controversial debates in science education today involves testing and grading strategies. This article describes the results on the effectiveness of using student-created portfolios for…

  • Ask the Experts—November 2007

    Journal Article |

    In this month’s column, the experts address the following questions: If you are in a car traveling at the speed of light, what would you observe if you turned on the headlights? and Given that absolute zero is the lower…

  • Formative Assessment Probes: The Daytime Moon

    Journal Article |

    This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month’s issue discusses misconceptions about when you can see the moon.

  • Ask the Experts—April/May 2008

    Journal Article |

    In this month’s column, the experts address the following questions: • How does temperature regulate the gender of sea turtles (and other organisms) as they incubate? Also, how can XX females become male…

  • Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 (Books published in 2010)

    Journal Article |

    What makes an outstanding book for a young reader? Although it would be hard to create a rubric for every book, experienced teachers recognize them quickly. They fascinate and captivate with both their content and style…

  • The Green Room: Student Sustainability Conferences

    Journal Article |

    A day-long conference can be a perfect student-centered sustainability project. Not only is it a great way to get students together to discuss their ideas for sustainability in schools, but it also creates an…

  • Editor’s Roundtable: At the breaking point

    Journal Article |

    Sobering articles and alarming predictions about the environment appear in magazines, journals, and the media daily. These warnings should not be overlooked and are a call to action for educators. Our students must…

  • Linking the Classroom to the Community

    Journal Article |

    The Youth Network for Healthy Communities (YNHC) is a teacher-driven project in Washington State in which students research environmental health issues in their communities and present their findings to other students…

  • Build Your Own Motor

    Journal Article |

    Most students perceive household appliances as "black boxes" that simply work when plugged in. In order to understand the science of electrical devices, students build simple electric motors for a hands-on investigation…

  • Improving Science Reading Comprehension

    Journal Article |

    Lend your struggling readers a helping hand with strategies that will enhance their comprehension of science reading materials. This article offers a few easy-to-implement strategies that teachers can use before, during…

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