My Brother’s Keeper

Journal Article | September 2004

In this interrupted case, students read about the alarm-calling behavior of a certain type of ground squirrel and then work in groups to develop hypotheses to explain the behavior and describe data that might be used to…

Editor's Roundtable: Inroads to issues and tools for teachers

Journal Article | June 2005

Scientific literacy is the overriding goal of both AAAS Project 2061 and the National Science Education Standards (NSES). Both project 2061 and the Standards advocate that students, as early as middle level, be provided…

Science Sampler: Mastering metrics

Journal Article | August 2005

By the time students reach a middle school science course, they are expected to make measurements using the metric system. However, most students, and most U.S. residents for that matter, are not proficient with it. To…

Society for College Science Teachers: What Currency Should We Use?

Journal Article | December 2005

A colleague's favorite question when the issue of evaluationg teaching arises is to ask, "What's the currency?" In this article, we discover the various quandries involved in quantifying quality teaching.

The Effectiveness of a Case Study-Based First-Year Biology Class at a Black Women’s College

Journal Article | October 2010

The authors used a case study-based approach in the introductory biology course at Spelman College. The course taught to entering freshmen was divided into three modules—ecology, evolution, and biodiversity, each…

Lights, Camera, Reflection! Digital Movies: A Tool for Reflective Learning

Journal Article | June 2008

At the end of a biology course entitled Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics, students were asked to consider how their learning experience had changed their perception of either ecology or genetics. Students were asked to…

Editor's Roundtable: Taking the time

Journal Article | September 2005

Teachers can enrich students' lives by making outdoor experiences part of their curriculum. How many trips and how long each experience lasts is determined by individual sensibilities and influenced by administrative…

Science 101: What's the difference between frogs and toads?

Journal Article | March 2004

Frogs and toads belong to a group of Amphibians known as Anura (Latin for "without tail"). Though different on many levels, frogs and toads share some basic similarities. Here are the basic facts about these animal…

The Early Years: Recording Data With Young Children

Journal Article | December 2010

Young children collect data every day. They note who has pink sparkly shoes and find out who will share the ball on the playground. Children will be interested in collecting data if the topic is important to them, such…

Tried and True: Cubes and Raisins: A Student-Centered Lesson Designed to Teach Observations and Inferences

Journal Article | June 2012

This column provides classic demonstrations and experiments with a new twist. This month’s issue discusses making observations and inferences.

Favorite Demonstration: Floating Spinach Disks—An Uplifting Demonstration of Photosynthesis

Journal Article | November 1998

This exercise is ideal for studying the overall process of photosynthesis. It employs disks punched out of a spinach leaf with a hole-puncher. The flexible experimental design provides the opportunity for open-ended,…

Editor’s Roundtable: Cycles and connections

Journal Article | September 2010

Most middle level students are too young to recognize on their own the complex relationships among the natural cycles. They seldom connect one cycle with another nor do they see the relevance of the cycles to human…

Scope on Safety: Should we pull the plug on wireless computer networks?

Journal Article | February 2008

Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, is a type of wireless local area network (WLAN). Two or more computers form the network using radio frequency (RF) signals. The safety of these networks, however, has come under scrutiny in…

Crystal Clear Science

Journal Article | March 2005

Subjects like Earth Science often rely on "ready made" hands-on materials such as kits and modules to support understanding and science inquiry. However, sometimes the materials need adaptations to make sure they suit…

Flying through Genetics

Journal Article | October 1999

When teaching heredity and genetics, a problem-centered, open-ended approach allows students to feel like scientists solving real problems. This investigation of fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) gives students…