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Perceptual Paradoxes: Multisensory Science and Measurement
Book Chapter |
Perceptual paradox activities challenge assumptions in ways that are both playful and mentally challenging and that point to the need for quantitative measurements. These activities also demonstrate that human meaning-…
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Optical Illusions: Seeing and Cognitive Construction
Book Chapter |
Optical illusions can be used as interactive, everyone-participates demonstrations to show teachers that the act of visual observation is not a passive, mindless, stimulus-response, camera-like operation. Optical…
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Utensil Music: Teaching Sound Science
Book Chapter |
“Sound science” is more than just a play on words—it is a powerful metaphor for the mind-opening and mind-expanding effect of integrated curriculum, instruction, and assessment. This simple, hands-on exploration…
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Identification Detectives: Sounds and Smells of Science
Book Chapter |
This simple, hands-on exploration can be used to emphasize the role of sensory perception as a necessary antecedent to mental conception, the nature of science, and the pedagogical value of a “fun phenomena first.”…
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Two-Balloon Balancing Act: Constructivist Teaching
Book Chapter |
This activity explores LaPlace’s law where membranes exert pressure on their contents that decrease as the membranes are stretched to larger sizes and their thickness decreases. The internal pressure of a spherical…
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Batteries and Bulbs: Teaching is More Than Telling
Book Chapter |
This activity features a simple, three-component system that can be used to explore a variety of concepts including closed versus open electrical circuits and conductors versus insulators. It also can initiate further…
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Comeback Cans: Potentially Energize “You CAN Do” Science Attitudes
Book Chapter |
Learners predict-observe-explain the rolling behavior of the two cans in terms of kinetic and potential energy conversions and friction. Two seemingly identical opaque cans are set against each other in a race on a flat…
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Follow That
Star: <i>National Science Education Standards</i> and True North
Book Chapter |
Earth’s magnetic field and its effect on compasses can help people find their bearings relative to a fixed target or direction. In this activity, many learners will have difficulty locating their compass bearings if…
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“Horsing Around”: Curriculum-Instruction-Assessment Problems
Book Chapter |
The nature of science (NOS) involves actively seeking (rather than avoiding) challenging problems that may require looking at situations differently and thinking outside of artificially imposed constraints. Science,…
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Magical Signs of Science: “Basic Indicators” for Student Inquiry
Book Chapter |
Advertisements capture consumers’ attention and motivate them to buy certain products. Similarly, teachers need to sell science to students by walking the talk of research-informed best practices. Magic signs with (dis)…
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Verifying Vexing Volumes: “Can Be as Easy as Pi” Mathematics
Book Chapter |
Mathematics is both a key to unlocking the secrets of nature and, for many students, a stumbling block to conceptual understanding in science. In this activity, two sheets of 8.5 in. × 11 in. paper are used to construct…
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Archimedes, the Syracuse (Sicily) Scientist: Science Rules Balance and Bathtub Basics
Book Chapter |
Learners, in this activity, are guided to discover simple, quantitative relationships that support their qualitative observations of playing on seesaws (with different-size children) and taking baths.
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Measurements and Molecules Matter: Less Is More and Curriculum "Survival of the Fittest"
Book Chapter |
Many famous scientific discoveries have been made when an experimenter noticed something unusual or a mistake and followed up on the serendipitous discrepancy rather than ignoring it as others had done. This free…
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Bottle Band Basics: A Pitch for Sound Science
Book Chapter |
In this activity, three identical-size glass soft drink bottles with varying amounts of water are used to make sounds of various pitches. Upon initial consideration, the pattern established when using the bottles as…
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Metric Measurements, Magnitudes, and Mathematics: Connections Matter in Science
Book Chapter |
This model-building activity helps learners visualize SI’s base-ten relationships; the connections between the meter, liter, and gram; the real-world relevance of mathematics to science; and the somewhat abstract…
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