Methods and Strategies: Reaching English Language Learners

Journal Article | September 2004

The “hands-on” nature of science motivates and encourages students to interact with others, which can be especially good for English Language Learners (ELL). These basic strategies will benefit all students.

PhUn Week: Understanding Physiology

Journal Article | June 2009

Topics such as sports, exercise, health, and nutrition can make the science of physiology relevant and engaging for students. In addition, many lessons on these topics, such as those on the cardiovascular, respiratory,…

The Finches' Beaks: Introducing Evolutionary Concepts

Journal Article | February 2006

Many secondary students hold misconceptions about evolution, even after instruction, that are often inconsistent with what is accepted by evolutionary biologists. This activity is based on scientific evidence but many…

Tried and True: Energy Scavenger Hunt

Journal Article | November 2011

This column provides classic demonstrations and experiments with a new twist. This month’s issue describes an activity that was designed for our eighth-grade physics class to teach the concepts of how electricity is…

The Moon in Children's Literature

Journal Article | September 2005

The Moon's cycle of phases is one of the most familiar natural phenomena, yet also one of the most misunderstood. Research has found that a significant segment of the population, including students and teachers,…

Methods and Strategies: Need Money? Get a Grant!

Journal Article | June 2007

There is no one single place for grants—grants are everywhere, even places you might not think. The internet is one of the easiest ways to locate potential grants. Grants for specialized areas are also often sent…

Uncovering Student Thinking in Science Through CTS Action Research

Journal Article | August 2010

Curriculum top study (CTS) action research is a specific type of inquiry that combines curriculum topic study (Keeley 2005) with an examination of students’ thinking using formative assessment probes (Keeley, Eberle,…

Inquiry-Based Investigation on the Internet: Sound and the Human Ear

Journal Article | December 2005

This online exploration of sound energy and the human ear includes an activity where students formulate, justify, and evaluate a number of predictions about sound. The investigation, which is intended for two class…

How Deductive Are You?

Journal Article | August 2004

Students use deductive reasoning and their powers of observation to identify mystery items in a sealed, brown-paper bag. By using items such as bells, bags of water, coffee beans, and bags of frozen vegetables, teachers…

Explaining Glaciers, Accurately

Journal Article | March 2009

What happens when a geology graduate student and two fourth-grade teachers collaborate on lessons for the classroom? They discover interesting and practical ways to explore geology and other scientific concepts, that's…

Research and Teaching: Field Trips and Their Effect on Student Achievement and Attitudes -- A Comparison of Physical Versus Virtual Field Trips to the Indian River Lagoon

Journal Article | February 2005

This study examined the effect of physical and virtual field trips on undergraduate, nonscience majors. No significant differences were seen in achievement, attitudes, learning styles, interactions between field trip…

Crash into Meteorite Learning: An interdisciplinary study on craters makes a big impact

Journal Article | April 2000

“An asteroid the size of Texas is hurtling toward Earth!” Blockbuster films like Armageddon and Deep Impact have focused on catastrophic meteor impacts and captured public imagination. Why not capitalize on the…

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: Books Published in 2002

Journal Article | February 2003

These books were selected by members of a book review panel appointed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and assembled in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). NSTA and CBC have cooperated…

Using Video Games to Understand Thermoregulation

Journal Article | March 2007

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, a research project was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of video games as inquiry-based learning experiences for the science classroom. As a result, the video game,…

Intellectual Energy Flow

Journal Article | October 2005

Exploring New Environments, a half-day workshop developed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's DESTINY Traveling Science Learning Program, takes an interdisciplinary approach to teacher professional…