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  • Learning by Doing: Teaching the Process of Inquiry

    Journal Article |

    Through this "blind" observation exercise, you can bring science alive using inquiry to link the needs, interest, and experiences of your students. The authors provide a general model for inquiry lessons as well as…

  • Scope on the Skies: Comet Watch

    Journal Article |

    This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue discusses comets.

  • Grassroots Environmentalism: Promoting inquiry-based learning through an outdoor education program

    Journal Article |

    Students of the Riverside Military Academy (RMA) came up with the idea of starting a grassroots environmental club and within a year had 50 members. This article explains how they began their focus and misson by…

  • Scope on the Skies: March Mars Madness

    Journal Article |

    This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue discusses myths surrounding Mars and how it appears in the sky when it reaches opposition.

  • Powering the Future

    Journal Article |

    This activity introduces students to the pros and cons of a renewable energy source, allowing them to experience how energy can change form from mechanical to electrical. Pairs of students are challenged to build a set…

  • Science Sampler: Torricelli, Pascal, and PVC pipe

    Journal Article |

    Two giants of science who led the way to our understanding of atmospheric pressure and fluids were Evangelista Torricelli and Blaise Pascal. By conducting experiments inspired by those of Torricelli and Pascal using…

  • Editor's Corner: Liquid Gold

    Journal Article |

    As prices soar to over $3 a gallon, “it” has become a hotly contested political issue. Wars and other international conflicts have erupted over access to “it,” and pumping “it” out of the ground has become more and more…

  • The Case Study: The Wolf, the Moose, and the Fir Tree

    Journal Article |

    This analysis case study is based on an article that appeared in Science entitled “Wolves, Moose, and Tree Rings on Isle Royal,” by B. E. McLaren and R. O. Peterson (1994). Although developed for a sophomore ecology…

  • Idea Bank: Asking Authentic Questions with Tangible Consequences

    Journal Article |

    For physics teachers, it seems irresponsible to teach energy without asking students hard, relevant questions such as, “What will we do when oil becomes prohibitively expensive?” Therefore, in the fall of 2005, the…

  • A Winning Competition

    Journal Article |

    The author incorporated the ExploraVision competition into the energy unit of her school's physics curriculum with the help of a media specialist.

  • Intelligent Teaching: Using the theory of multiple intelligences in the inquiry classroom

    Journal Article |

    Incorporating the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) into the science classroom can create a better learning environment for all students. In this article the authors discuss the MI theory and offer suggestions for…

  • Model-Based Inquiry

    Journal Article |

    Model-Based Inquiry (MBI) is an emergent instructional strategy that is gaining acceptance among science educators. This approach to learning realistically mirrors the work of scientists, who develop and test hypotheses…

  • Idea Bank: Pipe Cleaner DNA

    Journal Article |

    The pipe cleaner DNA model uses simple materials, but offers limitless opportunities for realistic manipulation, including DNA replication, mutation, and protein synthesis. The activity is also appropriate for students…

  • Teaching Through Trade Books: Earthquakes!

    Journal Article |

    This column includes activities inspired by children’s literature. This month’s issue covers two books that deal with earthquakes.

  • Teaching Through Trade Books: Roller Coasters!

    Journal Article |

    Students of all ages are fascinated by the ups, downs, loops, and twists of roller coaster rides! What they may not realize is that there is a lot of science involved in making a roller coaster work. This month’s column…

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