NSTA Learning Center Professional Development Tools

Student Reactions to Just-in-Time Teaching's Reading Assignments

3/5/3009 12:00:00 AM

This article describes how the Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) warm-up exercises were successfully adopted into a college-level physics course as a teaching tool. Students were found to be more engaged in lectures after completing the warm-up assignments. The results from anonymous student surveys showed their overwhelming appreciation for the exercises. The survey results also demonstrated that male and female students differed significantly on whether they felt the assignments were helpful in their understanding of the course material. In addition, student exam scores have improved since the warm-up exercises were adopted.

Editor's Corner: Let Us Now Praise Science Teachers

9/22/3008 12:00:00 AM

The science teacher is called upon to be scientist, educator, equipment manager, safety inspector, lecturer, child-care provider, coach, writing editor, mathematician, historian, counselor, and stand-up comedian-all at once. Given all this, we should have the highest admiration for those who choose science teaching and become successful. So, next time you run into a science teacher, give him or her a pat on the back for choosing such a challenging, but rewarding, life's work. If you are a science teacher, give yourself a pat on the back as well.

Teaching Through Trade Books: Discover Reading

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

We often gloss over the history of science-the women and men who have made advancements in the area of scientific discovery. These notable individuals are the backbone of our field. This month, we honor these scientists by encouraging children to read about their stories and make their own discoveries.

The Early Years: A Reason to Write

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Children love seeing their work and photos of themselves at work. Make this an opportunity for an early literacy experience by creating a book about a classroom investigation. Document each step of the process with photographs and student drawings. With help, your children can add further explanation, describing their actions or thoughts in writing. Lessons on buoyancy work well as explorations to document and are part of the National Science Education Content Standards A: science as inquiry and B: physical science, properties of objects and materials.

Reinventing the Wheel

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

"The Wheel of Scientific Investigation and Reasoning" (Kramer 1987; Paul and Binker 1992) is a graphic representation of the scientific investigative process. The scientific process is depicted in a wheel rather than in a list because "the process of scientific inquiry can begin from any stage, and that stage may be revisited as often as the particular inquiry requires" (Robinson 2004, p. 791). For the life science unit discussed in this article, the authors used this platform to help students develop a systematic set of inquiry, analytical, and argumentation skills in science.

Natural Resources: Digging Soil

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

It's not hard to captivate children with the world of soil-many of them already love "dirt." Plus, exploring soil requires no special equipment or field trips. Soil is everywhere, with only a shovel or trowel required. You just might need some help deciphering what you are looking at. So, get your hands messy with these resources. Most include activities that will help you explore the mechanics of soils and the myriad of organisms living in it. Soon the "eeews" will be "oohs" and "aahs."

Methods and Strategies: Connecting Science and Literacy Through Talk

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

When students are motivated, engaged, and have opportunities to practice and develop discussion skills taught during literacy time, they can deepen their understanding of science concepts. Communication is an important tool for the development of scientific knowledge; group discussions such as the one portrayed in this article are critical to the development of student understanding of concepts and of the nature of scientific inquiry. They not only help students communicate, they help students become proficient in science.

Science 101: How can wind cause a bridge to collapse?

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

First, you might need evidence that wind can cause a bridge to collapse. To see the evidence, put "Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse" into any internet search engine. Using this example from 1940 and a series of hands-on activities that demonstrate flexibility, the author explains how the role of special frequencies known as resonances or normal modes of vibration can impact a suspension bridge.

Editor's Note: Arguing Versus Scientific Argumentation

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Scientific argumentation is a valid and effective way to involve students in voicing their opinions based on evidence. It helps in the development of scientific thinking and provides opportunities for students to ask more questions. But, just turning students loose and allowing them to argue is not a valid path to deeper understanding. A scientific argument must persuade others that the information (data) and arguments are strong enough to support the theory, model, or proposed action. This month our authors show you how to create classroom environments for assuring valuable argumentation, beginning with very young children.

Every Day Science: November 2009

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Bringing Back Books

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

How can you connect, supplement, and extend students' firsthand investigations? Look toward your bookshelves for a clue. Books and other textual materials can serve the following roles in support of scientific inquiry: providing context, modeling, supporting firsthand inquiry, supporting secondhand inquiry, and delivering content. Each of these roles are described in this article, and examples that demonstrate how trade books can support students' (a) involvement in inquiry experienced, (b) grasp of science concepts, and (c) understanding of the nature of science.

More Than One "Right" Answer

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this article, the authors present a sequence of activities from a curriculum about light for third and fourth graders that supports students in learning to disagree like scientists. This sequence of activities helps students discuss reasons for the discrepancies in their data, use the language of argumentation in classroom discourse, and get a more accurate picture of science as a way of understanding the world, rather than just a collection of right answers (Driver, Newton, and Osborne 2000).

Editor's Roundtable: Weaving a web of learning

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Teachers of all content areas, the arts included, must collaboratively plan meaningful instructional units around themes, issues, or problems that can be investigated and assessed using a cohesive, interdisciplinary approach. Instruction should actively engage students in their learning, and present lessons that are woven around a central core but span the entire curriculum, so that students no longer see concepts as belonging in isolated, discipline-specific boxes.

Guest Editorial: Physics or stamp collecting? Pitfalls of the hierarchy of disciplines

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

In science and in academia, there is often a de facto hierarchy of disciplines with the so-called "hard" sciences (physics, chemistry) at the top, and the "soft" sciences (psychology, sociology) at the bottom (Tudge 2001; Feynman 1988). As science educators, we may find ourselves consciously or unconsciously communicating this to our students, sending messages that certain scientific disciplines are more difficult or more important than others. In doing so, we may unconsciously be erecting barriers to some of our students and interfering with our goal of scientific literacy for all.

Speed Kills! (Or Does It?)

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Students can't ask for much more fun than skateboarding during class time. With some additional concept learning, that kind of fun can be incorporated into a debate that encourages students to practice scientific argumentation. With a debate comes the opportunity to include a social or moral dilemma and have students use argumentation techniques as well as science to justify a position. This engaging hands-on activity with a skateboard introduces the scientific knowledge that will be used for a later debate about speed limits.

Dare to Disagree, as Scientists

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

As argumentation is weaved into classroom lessons, students know what to ask, how to analyze the given information before forming a conclusion, and are able to support their reasoning with solid evidence. They will hold firm to their conclusions until proven wrong. Whether it's a discussion about whether air is matter or how speed and friction are related, students will dare to disagree, in a scientific way. In this article, the author highlights the effective methods she has used to guide her students in the process of questioning, researching, and inquiry.

The Art of Argumentation

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Argumentation in science involves offering and responding to claims, providing and asking for evidence or justifications, and analyzing those claims to formulate a decision (Gross 1990). The authors' experience with students, including those who are English learners, suggests that many young science students benefit from language frames to scaffold the use of academic language and vocabulary to formulate arguments and counterclaims. Language frames are partially constructed cloze statements that highlight the academic language and syntax required to communicate in argumentation. This article describes how teachers can model the use of language frames in the science classroom.

Scope on the Skies: Living with a star

11/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Currently, our Sun is a content, middle-aged main sequence star steadily fusing hydrogen atoms into helium atoms and releasing radiation in many of the wavelengths making up the electromagnetic spectrum. So what happens between now and when the Sun runs out of hydrogen? And what happens after that? Before we can answer these questions, we need to take a look at what goes on within a star's hot interior and how that energy reaches the surface of the Sun and then onward out into the surrounding space.

Tech Trek: Podcasts and blogs

11/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Millennials are the generation born from 1982-2002, and they are in your middle school classroom today. Some people have referred to them as the iGeneration and the Net Generation, due to their being weaned on technology. They have also been called Generation Y because they are born after Gen X (1961-1981). Whatever we call them, these students love using technology to learn and feel very much at home in a digital environment. Accordingly, the authors share with you in this column two technology applications that will have great appeal to your students-podcasting and blogs.

Scope on Safety: Signs of safer science

11/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Can you imagine trying to put out a fire and finding the fire extinguisher? Experiencing a short circuit and having to search for the master electrical shutoff? Having a hazardous chemical splash and not being able to locate the eyewash station? These are examples of why regulatory agencies require specific signage in school laboratories. Signage alerts employees and students to the location of engineering controls, as well as dangers in the workplace.

Everyday Engineering: Time's up, turkey-Pop-up thermometers

11/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Meat thermometers can be awkward to use in terms of placement and avoidance of bones. Because of these problems, each year 30 million Thanksgiving turkeys have a built-in thermometer that pops up when the turkey is properly cooked. Turkey timers are an example of how engineering solved a common, everyday problem. The following 5E learning cycle activity, as with all of the activities in the Everyday Engineering series, integrates this engineering concept with science content, in this case, to investigate the development of the disposable pop-up cooking thermometer.

Search for the Golden Moon Bear: Using Reader's Theater to Teach Science

11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Reader's theater is an activity in which students, while reading directly from scripts, are able to tell a story in its most entertaining form. Typically, teachers create or purchase premade scripts of stories, and students focus on reading those scripts in a fluent and expressive manner. However, in the lesson presented here, students turn the book, Search for the Golden Bear Moon: Science and Adventure in the Asian Tropics by Sy Montgomery into a reader's theater script themselves. This article describes how students act out this genetics-based story to strengthen their language skills and reinforce science concepts in the process.

Cell Towers and Songbirds

11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article describes how our common addiction to cell phones was used to launch a discussion about their use, impacts on the environment, and connections to issues of civic concern. By encouraging middle school science students to adopt the perspectives of special-interest groups debating communication tower restrictions designed to protect migratory songbird populations in a role play, they were connected to language arts and social studies in a meaningful way while their attention was focused on the larger impacts of cell phone use.

Amber: Using "Tree Tears Turned to Stone" to Teach Biology, Ecology, and More!

11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Amber is a fossil by itself, and can also contain plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Some of these perfectly preserved specimens give scientists a convenient window to past environments, including the biology, ecology, geology, and chemistry of Earth's past. By using an interdisciplinary approach, we can demonstrate to students a more accurate representation of the scientific community, which does not work in isolation.

Science Sampler: Global Warming Project

11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

To address the issue of global warming locally, the author developed an inquiry-based project to examine the impact of the school's traffic situation on climate change. In this project, students collected data in the parking lot/driveway, researched greenhouse gas emissions of vehicles, and developed solutions to the traffic problem. Their solutions, if implemented, will reduce their school's carbon footprint. Completing this project made other students in the school aware of the severity of the global climate change problem.

Science Sampler: The great divide-How mathematics is perceived by students in math and science classrooms

11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Often the differences students see in science and mathematics classrooms are in perspective, approach, or application. Understanding those differences can help teachers to present a unified picture of mathematics and science to their students. In this article, the science teacher is given a glimpse of the treatment of topics shared by both disciplines as they are represented in mathematics texts, with suggestions for better transfer between disciplines.

Solving the Mystery of Mock Mummies: Using Scientific Inquiry Skills in an Integrated Lesson

11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

When the nature of science (NOS) is reinforced, middle school students will be able to appreciate scientific inquiry processes and communication, as outlined in the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996). To this end, the authors developed a mummy-making and dissection activity to help sixth- and seventh-grade students learn more about anthropological research and reinforce NOS. Students become scientists who ask questions, collect data in a methodical and objective manner, make inferences, and form conclusions that are supported with evidence.

Science Shorts: Solar Pizza Friday

11/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

In an effort to bridge the gap between science and technology and its effects on everyday life, this lesson engages students in a study of solar energy and technological design. Students make real world connections and develop their skills in scientific inquiry in the process. Read on to find out how to set up a pizza box solar cooker, and get cooking with homegrown or purchased ingredients.

Safer Science: Sun Safety-The Stats

10/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science teachers can help protect themselves and their students by providing information on skin cancer, its causes, and prevention strategies. This is not just a summer issue, but one that affects us year-round! This month's column provides prevention strategies that should be periodically reviewed with students and supported by teachers.

Idea Bank: Extra! Extra! Read All About the Universe!

10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

This year we are celebrating the International Year of Astronomy (IYA). The IYA commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observations of the cosmos through a telescope. He never could have imagined how our view of the universe would continue to change over the years-up to the present day. To highlight this idea, the authors developed a set of curriculum support materials called Cosmic Times. These materials teach students about the process of science and help them to develop science literacy skills.

Health Wise: November 2009

10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Many students have recently asked about the "swine flu." How is it different than the seasonal flu, what are the symptoms, and what can we do to avoid it?

The Prepared Practitioner: Data, Data Everywhere

10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

We are awash in tables, charts, and graphs. Newspapers display data in every section-from economic information to sports statistics to weather reports. Even the entertainment section features data on television and movie viewing. Using empirical data to make conclusions separates science from other ways of understanding the world, and interpreting this data requires understanding its graphical display. As a result, scientific literacy is absolutely dependent on people being able to create and-more importantly-understand the meaning behind all of these data displays.

Editor's Corner: Where's the Evidence?

10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

"What evidence do you have for that idea?" It is a simple question, but one asked far less than it should be. Too often, we hear justifications such as, "Everybody knows that ...," "It's what I've heard," or "It's just what I believe." But formulating explanations based on evidence is a distinguishing characteristic of scientific inquiry. If our students routinely make decisions without searching for and evaluating evidence, how can they reject the charlatans of pseudoscience and learn to critically evaluate the important questions that they encounter daily, from global warming to personal health issues? "It's just what I believe" is simply not good enough.

Commentary: Seven Steps to Teaching With Inquiry

10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science is more than a collection of facts-it is a way of thinking and exploring our world that leads to understanding about what is happening around us. This month's Commentary presents seven steps that are designed to help science educators use inquiry in the classroom-and help students learn in the process.

Elk Habitat: A Case Study of Scientific Inquiry

10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

A case study is an excellent way to help students think like scientists as they work to solve a dilemma. This article describes a case study of elk in Yellowstone National Park. Students read short narratives, based on scientific research data, about the puzzling question of why some elk live substantially longer than others in certain areas of Yellowstone. Each successive narrative provides more clues to solving this puzzle. Students are encouraged to model scientists' approach by asking questions, examining evidence, and designing possible research studies to find answers to the question of elk mortality.

Examining Student Work

10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article presents a model of collaborative inquiry for groups of science teachers who want to systematically improve their practice through analyses of student work. The five-phase APEXST (Advancing High-Leverage Practices by Examining Student Thinking) model is appropriate for students of all achievement levels. It focuses on high-leverage practices (e.g., pressing for evidence-based explanations) and longitudinal learning for both students and teachers over the course of a year.

The Sound of Crickets

10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

With the range of conflicting ideas about issues such as climate change and global warming, it has never been more important to let our students outside-beyond the classroom door-to evaluate the validity of such claims by observing nature, collecting data, and providing evidence. The good news is that it has never been easier for students to gather and share data using the internet and programs such as Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE). This article presents one GLOBE scientist's investigation of cricket chirping and its relation to temperature-which demonstrates the importance of gathering data and interpreting evidence for ourselves.

A New Twist on "Mystery Boxes"

10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

In the activity described in this article, students learn about observation, interpretation, and argumentation. Students are led through several stages of observation and inference about an unknown object, during which they learn the value of representations and collaboration. They are then asked to construct an argument about the identity of the object and the process of its formation.

Argument-Driven Inquiry

10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) is an instructional model that enables science teachers to transform a traditional laboratory activity into a short integrated instructional unit. To illustrate how the ADI instructional model works, this article describes an ADI lesson developed for a 10th-grade chemistry class. This example lesson was designed to help students understand the nature of chemical reactions and develop the abilities needed to do scientific inquiry. The lesson also gives students an opportunity to improve their writing and verbal communication skills, their understanding of the writing process, and their ability to interpret evidence and reason in a scientific manner.

Editorial: Unintentional Verbosity

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

Writing hurts, even for individuals who do it professionally. Consequently, because the birth of an essay, an article, or a book is so painful, we come to have a special affection for our words. This is both natural and necessary, but it makes editing our own work agony at best. Editing work in which you've become entangled is often impossible. Therefore, in this month's column, the author discusses the importance of an editor, and offers some helpful suggestions for enlisting a capable colleague in another area of training.

Point of View: How Are We Reforming Teaching in Undergraduate Science Courses?

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

A study of a national population of 103 higher education institutions is addressing the question: What criteria can be used to identify the level of implementation of reform in an undergraduate science course? Results of a survey characterizing the institutions and a review of literature initially suggest reform course characteristics.

Society for College Science Teachers: "it sais i have a D how that be"

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

We've all gotten them-the student emails that make you question your decision to get into this profession. The title of this column says it all. If we want students to meet our expectations, we must give them instruction on what we expect. Technology should be used to help us meet our academic goals, not just to cater to students' love of sound-bite-length information bursts and 24/7 access. Neither should we resist the use of technology out of fear of being inept. There is a middle ground in which we can help students become better thinkers on both our terms. The trick is going to be finding ways to match the technology and skill sets of both faculty and students. And to at least get students to us a spell checker …

Favorite Demonstration: Structure-Function Lab in a Bag

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

This hands-on activity stimulates students to consider the close relationship between structure and function. This inquiry-type lab can be done as a group or cooperative learning experience using simple kitchen tools. The activity provides a fun ice-breaker activity for the first day of class, helps introduce students to the concept of science as a process, and demonstrates one aspect of evolution: evolution by mutation and descent with modification.

Case Study: The Wisdom of Groups

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

What is it about small groups that make them so powerful? The answer is straightforward: Groups tend to solve problems better than even the brightest individuals because "many hands make light work," and "two heads are better than one." This is especially true when the groups are diverse and individuals act somewhat independently. In this month's column, the author espouses the wisdom of group instruction and how it lends itself nicely to the case study method.

Research and Teaching: Scientist - Science Educator Collaborations-Do They Improve Student's Understanding of the Nature of Science

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article describes a research study in which a biologist and his research on Antarctic seabirds became part of an integrated science course for prospective elementary teachers. Students used the scientist's database on seabird chick growth rates for an experimental design investigation while the "regular" classes had a single science educator as their instructor and did not use the database but completed an investigation of their own choosing. Understandings of the nature of science before and after the course, and between classes that experienced the scientist - science educator collaboration and those that did not, were assessed using the Nature of Scientific Knowledge Survey. An attitude scale and interviews with students who used the seabird database were also used to collect data. Interviews revealed scientific habits of mind that could not be quantified with a questionnaire as well as understandings of aspects of the nature of science that have not been discussed in prior research.

What is the Value of Course-Specific Learning Goals?

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

The authors examined student and faculty opinions regarding the use of detailed learning goals in three courses. Students reported the use of learning goals to be positive, aiding them with studying, in lectures, and in determining the important material to learn. Likewise, faculty indicated that using learning goals was a positive experience, especially for communicating course material to students and other faculty and for creating course assessments.

A Versatile Module to Improve Understanding of Scientific Literature Through Peer Instruction

10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM

Using primary literature in undergraduate science classes helps teach students both scientific information and process. However, students' lack of understanding of scientific techniques can hinder their understanding of the papers. This article describes a "technique module" that uses peer teaching and active learning to facilitate integration of primary scientific literature into undergraduate courses.

Bridging the Gap Between Real-World Polar Science and the Classroom

10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM

The International Polar Year-Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM) program was designed to increase minority participation in polar science by immersing participants in an academic program that included a trip to Antarctica. The IPY-ROAM program was focused on increasing public understanding of the polar regions and stimulating a new interest in polar science. This effort was coordinated by faculty from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and was implemented to positively contribute to the intense, internationally coordinated IPY scientific campaign. Through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a team of UTEP researchers developed a unique and life-changing opportunity for university students and high school teachers to travel to Antarctica. The goal of the program was for participating students and teachers to learn more about the polar regions and to acquire firsthand experience in field-based research and Antarctic system science.

Application of the K-W-L Teaching and Learning Method to an Introductory Physics Course

10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM

The K-W-L method of teaching is a simple method that actively engages students in their own learning. It has been used with kindergarten and elementary grades to teach other subjects. The authors have successfully used it to teach physics at the college level. In their introductory physics labs, the K-W-L method helped students think about what they know about a topic and started the students questioning their own ideas about physics. After gathering data in class, the students were ready to talk about what they learned from the laboratory information.

Attitudes and Interests Among University Students in Introductory Nonmajor Science Courses: Does Gender Matter?

10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM

Attitudes toward science may develop as early as middle school and often differ between genders. Do these gender-based differences in attitude persist into the college years? In a survey of 376 university students, male students reported a stronger self-concept, more motivation, and more enjoyment of science than did female students, and female students reported more anxiety toward science than did male students.

Web-Based Learning Enhancements: Video Lectures Through Voice-Over PowerPoint in a Majors-Level Biology Course

10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM

This study is an experimental introduction of web-based lecture delivery into a majors-level introductory biology course. Web-based delivery, achieved through the use of prerecorded Voice-Over PowerPoint video lectures, was introduced on a limited basis to an experimental section while a control group, with the same instructor, received standard in-class lecture delivery. Select lectures were delivered to the experimental section via videos, replacing in-class attendance of live lectures. Through the course of the semester, a detailed analysis reveals that internet-delivered video lectures prepared students for exams as effectively as live in-class lectures. This indicates that students can learn complicated biology course material through prerecorded, web-delivered lectures much as they do through in-class attendance of those same lectures. Although further careful study is needed, these results warrant further experimentation in web-based teaching methods in the sciences.

Everyday Engineering: What makes a squirt gun squirt?

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

You may not think of engineering and squirt guns in the same sentence. However, like many examples of engineering design, the squirt gun pump mechanism is uncomplicated, yet elegant, and very inexpensive to manufacture. The design is widely used because of its simplicity and low cost. With only a few moving parts, it is able to deliver a stream of water, a spray of cleanser, or a squirt of liquid soap. In this article, the authors will examine how these simple, everyday pumps operate. In addition, a lesson is included, which follows the 5E Learning Cycle Model.

Editor's Roundtable: Chemistry beyond the chemicals

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

Middle level teachers need to show students that chemistry is not just about blowing things up or memorizing the periodic table of elements. We should help them see that chemistry involves living organisms as well as nonliving objects and is much more than a school subject or the industrial production of materials. We must lead students to realize that since all matter is made of elements, the components of the human body, the foods we eat, the things we touch, smell and see around us could all be classified as "chemicals" as easily as anything listed on a product label or created in a laboratory.

Science Sampler: Enhancing student understanding of physical and chemical changes

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

Students within the Findlay, Ohio, City School District, as well as students across the country, struggle with understanding physical and chemical changes. Therefore, in this article, the authors suggest some standards-based activities to clarify misconceptions and provide formative assessments to measure your students' progress as they determine the difference between chemical and physical changes.

Science Sampler: The Element Walk

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

"The Element Walk" lesson is effective at teaching students the elements that exist in common substances encountered every day. Students walk away from the lesson with a set of general rules that help them to easily identify the elements around them. They also end up with a greater appreciation of the elemental compositions of living, once-living, and nonliving objects, and the connections among the three categories.

Tried and True: Inquiry-based dissolving

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

This project highlights a dissolving unit that was part of an eighth-grade, semester-long investigation into matter. During the dissolving unit, students explored the concepts of mixture, solution, dissolving, saturation, and conservation of mass. Dissolving is an advanced concept that involves the atomic structure of matter and the nature of chemical bonds. However, dissolving is also a common experience in students' lives (e.g., when they mix sugar in lemonade). The unit allowed students to explore everyday materials in new ways, address common misconceptions, and pursue scientific discovery.

Scope on Safety: Science storage requirements

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

Middle school science teachers need to address two issues concerning storage. First, if it is insufficient, they need to work with administrators to secure additional storage area(s). Second, whether sufficient or not, good housekeeping practices are in order for safety and liability reasons. This month's column outlines some safe storage and housekeeping hints for the science classroom.

Scope on the Skies: October Skies (2009)

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

Our Sun is an incredible fusion machine that has been churning out energy for approximately five billion years. In another five billion years, when the internal temperature of the star begins to change, the balance between the thermal pressure pushing outward and the force of gravity pushing inward will become imbalanced, and the Sun will move on to the next stage of its life. But that is a topic for a future column. Let's turn back the clock, instead, and look at the early life of our star. Also included in this month's column is an outline of celestial events during the month of October.

That Is Not Where That Element Goes … Ah, the Nature of Science

9/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

Learning how the periodic table has developed over time can provide an important foundation for students' future science learning, as they begin to explore the explanatory power of other models in science. In this activity, students are given the opportunity to investigate the generation of the modern periodic table, through a process of creating their own plausible periodic tables. In addition, students learn about Mendeleev's contribution and the nature of science through inquiry-based instruction.

Science Sampler: Chemistry in action-Triple delight

9/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

Melt away the winter blues with this series of chemistry investigations. Here the author describes how she capitalizes on students' love for snow days, bubble gum, and ice cream to reinforce what they have learned about percentage concentration of solutions and the effects of a solute on the solution. To do this, students perform three different 45-minute inquiry-based labs on these topics.

Watching the Pot to Improve Inquiry Skills

9/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

The International Boiling Point Project is an online, collaborative project for students in grades 6-12 in which they investigate the impact of four factors (room temperature, elevation, volume of water and heating device) on the boiling point of water. A detailed procedure is provided for students in order to limit the number of variables involved, so students can make valid comparisons of the data submitted by classes from around the world. An overview of the experiment is provided here with an emphasis on the data-collection and analysis aspects of the project.

No More Leaks: A Process-Oriented Lesson Exploring the Invention and Chemistry of Disposable Diapers

9/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

High school chemistry can be intimidating to some students, so it is critical that we engage students in nonthreatening preparatory investigations during middle school. Based on the learning cycle model (Bybee and Landes 1990), this lesson invites students to investigate disposable diapers. As they explore the properties of sodium polyarcylate, a super-absorbent polymer exposed to water and simulated urine (colored salt water), students practice many inquiry skills: observation, measurement, graphing, and data analysis.

Korean Kimchi Chemistry

9/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

Connecting science with different cultures is one way to interest students in science, to relate science to their lives, and at the same time to broaden their horizons in a variety of ways. In the lesson described here, students make kimchi, a delicious and popular Korean dish that can be used to explore many important chemistry concepts, including fermentation, chemical reactions, and acidity and alkalinity. During this activity, students use scientific techniques and methods to explore the nature of kimchi, they learn to measure the pH of a food using a variety of techniques, and they come to understand the ways that food can be preserved.

Editor's Note: Creating Problem Solvers

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

You'll see that even young children are able to raise questions about the world around them and are willing to seek answers while making careful observations. Although there is no prescription for how to problem solve, the author provides some suggestions that are adapted from Study Guides and Strategies (see Internet Resource).

Every Day Science: October 2009

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Teaching through Trade Books: Secrets of Flight

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

The date was December 17, 1903. The place was a windswept beach near Kitty hawk, North Carolina. With Orville Wright at the controls and his brother Wilbur running alongside, the plane took off. This event lasted only 12 seconds, but it made history as the first successful sustained flight by a human-powered aircraft. The Wright brothers had uncovered the secrets of flight. In this month's column, students explore the history of flight and use problem-solving skills to improve the flight distances and flight times of paper gliders.

The Early Years: Safe Smelling

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Using the sense of smell, animals find food or a mate and detect the presence of predators; their survival depends on this. In a discussion on using our sense of smell to keep use safe, some children may relate experiences of smelling something burning. Identifying the five senses and corresponding sense organs is part of national science content standards for science as inquiry and life science (NRC 1996). The objective of this month's lesson is to experience using our sense of smell and notice the variety in favorite smell choices.

Natural Resources: For the Birds

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

More than ticking off a checklist (though that is fun, too), birding fosters an appreciation for nature. The following citizen science opportunities connect children to the scientific community. The websites listed here include tips on feeding and observing birds and links to bird identification resources.

Methods and Strategies: Literacy in the Learning Cycle

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Trade books can be used in all phases of the learning cycle to support effective teaching and learning. Romance and Vitale (1992) found that texts and other nonfiction science books can be effective tools for teaching reading, as the science activities give learners a purpose for their reading. In this article, the authors share ways to effectively use trade books within the 5E learning cycle inquiry teaching/learning model. They also provide examples of trade books appropriate for each phase and identify ways to incorporate their use.

Science Shorts: Astronomies of Scale

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Astronomical scale is a difficult concept for elementary students to grasp when they begin studying the solar system. A school yard solar system model gives students a tangible experience of astronomical distances. After determining the distances between planets and the Sun, students decode a mystery that requires them to travel from planet to planet. The physical component of this gives students a real appreciation for how "close" the inner planets are compared with the cold and distant outer ones.

Science 101: How do you ask effective questions in science class, and how do you analyze the responses?

9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

To summarize the author's answer to this question, effective questions are those that lead, eventually, to answers that indicate the student understands what's going on beyond a terse answer that might just be memorized. In assessing the answers, it's simply a matter of ensuring that the terse answer isn't all the student knows. Often, that means you ask more questions, including how and why we know what we know. Last, avoid making assumptions about a student's understanding. Get explicit answers that indicate understanding.

Deer Tracks in the City?

9/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

"Why would a deer print be in the city?" wondered a student. She had noticed the track near a grocery store that morning with her mother. She was familiar with deer and had noticed their prints on a trip to a local museum; however, she had never seen a deer in the city before this experience. As she retold the story to her classmates, her question became the inspiration for a problem-based lesson during a unit on animal habitats, weather, and human involvement in the environment. Throughout the unit, students participated in hands-on-inquiry activities that focused on scientific process skills such as making observations, inferring, and collecting data.

Problem Solving by Design

9/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

In a unique school-university partnership, methods students collaborated with fifth graders to use the engineering design process to build their problem-solving skills. By placing the problem in the context of a client having particular needs, the problem took on a real-world appeal that students found intriguing and inviting.

Wind Solvers

9/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Measuring real weather provides a nice opportunity for data collection and problem-solving when students work to create a procedure before they gather data. It is also a powerful way to get students to notice the weather. In this lesson, the data collection process is changed from a "cookbook lab" where the teachers tell the students how to collect the data into a collaborative effort to choose how to best perform data collection. This was accomplished by building on students' own experiences through questioning, journaling, and problem-solving.

Making Sense of Data

9/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Providing opportunities for students to grapple with collecting and organizing data, struggle with how to represent and communicate ideas emerging from the data, and consider the alignment of these ideas with the science content being learned is reflective of authentic inquiry and supports the development of scientific understanding. The interdisciplinary examples described in this article illustrate how students can learn powerful ways of documenting inquiry while at the same time make use of this documentation to support the development of key scientific understandings.

Today's Authors, Tomorrow's Scientists

9/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Although not all teachers can invite scientists into classrooms on a regular basis, they can invite them into their students' worlds through literature. Here the author shares how she used the nonfiction selection, Science to the Rescue (Markle 1994), as an opportunity for students to investigate socially significant problems and empower them to take an active role in their learning. The lesson that follows examines the oral and written responses of sixth graders when a constructivist approach to problem solving was supported through an engaging interactive read aloud.

CSI for Trees

9/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

The circles and patterns in a tree's stem tell a story, but that story can be a mystery. Interpreting the story of tree rings provides a way to heighten the natural curiosity of students and help them gain insight into the interaction of elements in the environment. It also represents a wonderful opportunity to incorporate the nature of science. In this activity, appropriate for grades 3-6, students make connections with the work of a scientist as they solve a mini-mystery using tree-ring evidence.

Addressing Misconceptions

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

The law of conservation of mass can be counterintuitive for most students because they often think the mass of a substance is related to its physical state. As a result, students may hold a number of alternative conceptions related to this concept, including, for example, the believe that gas has no mass, that solids have greater mass than fluids, or that matter (like salt) is destroyed when it dissolves (Driver et al. 1994). Given these issues, the authors developed a lesson that can be used by teachers to help students understand the law of conservation of mass and use it to make sense of new observations.

Career of the Month: An Interview With Science Writer Tina Saey

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

The term science writer describes a range of careers. Some science writers author books. Others work for colleges, universities, or businesses and communicate research underway at those institutions. Some help scientists compose grant applications for research money or write newsletters to keep doctors up-to-date about important discoveries and new procedures. Tina Saey is a science journalist at Science News, where she unearths news about groundbreaking findings in science and shares the information with the public.

Health Wise: October 2009

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Labels such as "low-fat" and "trans-fat free" are seen on food products everywhere, and yet most of my students do not know what these terms really mean. Can you help me?

Commentary: Why Societal Issues Belong in Science Class

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Young people face a future filled with important issues that should be informed by science-such as climate change, genetic manipulation, and the management of pandemics. To meet these challenges, students need an understanding of scientific concepts and the ability to analyze the many claims they encounter through popular media. They must be able to make decisions based on evidence, ethical considerations, and reasoned judgment. When students learn how to more clearly think about and articulate their positions on socioscientific issues, they are better prepared to make decisions about scientific developments that affect their own lives and their broader communities.

The Prepared Practitioner: Historical Perspectives

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

In the June 2009 issue of Phi Delta Kappan, author Noah Feinstein argues that a discrepancy exists between society's stated goal-that science education prepare all citizens for the future-and the reality, which is oriented toward creating a scientifically and technically skilled workforce. To Feinstein, everyday science is where science and society meet-much like this issue's theme-and is philosophically centered on a science, technology, and society (STS) viewpoint. This month's column provides a historical perspective on the extent to which social issues have been integrated into the typical science curricula.

Idea Bank: Earth Systems in Silence

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

The "Earth Systems in Silence" activity is designed to help high school students make personal connections to the people and the science involved in natural disasters. It is used as a culminating project in a semester-long required course, open to 10th through 12th graders. It pulls together science concepts and social issues, illustrating the "why" of what is learned in the classroom throughout the semester.

Editor's Corner: Science in Society

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

There are many important reasons for students to learn science. It prepares them, as the next generation of workers, for careers in the ever-expanding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It also enables them to understand scientific articles in a newspaper, make informed decisions about public policy, evaluate claims made in the media, and talk to their doctors. The most compelling reason of all may be because science has important implications for human society and the future of our nation and planet.

"New Science" and Societal Issues

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

As a "new science," nanotechnology has brought many nanoscale-based applications to the forefront of society. This article describes one such application-a nanosensor that can precisely detect a variety of chemical stimuli in the environment-and presents the science behind it as an interdisciplinary science topic. This article also provides scenarios that can be used in the classroom to discuss the unique ethical concerns associated with nanosensors.

EcoTipping Points

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Contrary to what we often hear and teach, there is good news to be found on the environmental front. Environmental success stories show us not only that sustainability is possible, but also how people have made it happen. We can make these stories and their lessons accessible to students with help from the EcoTipping Points Project, which has collected environmental success stories from around the world.

Safer Science: Chemical Storage

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Using chemicals safely requires a number of things, including current inventory control, appropriate labeling and storage segregation, ongoing inspections, and more. How can a science teacher find the appropriate storage information? Read on. This month's Safer Science column has the answers you seek.

Using Issues-Based Science in the Classroom

9/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

Every day we are confronted with issues of varying degrees of complexity and importance. Which bags are better for the environment-paper, plastic, or neither? What precautions should be taken to reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus? Are there risks involved in eating genetically modified fruits and vegetables? What impact will the use of alternative sources of energy have on global climate change? Questions such as these present unique opportunities to incorporate personal, societal, and global issues into the science curriculum. This article provides some helpful resources for planning and using this type of instruction in the classroom.

Hurricane Katrina: A Teachable Moment

9/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article presents suggestions for integrating the phenomenon of hurricanes into the teaching of high school fluid mechanics. Students come to understand core science concepts in the context of their impact upon both the environment and human populations. Suggestions for using information about hurricanes, particularly Hurricane Katrina, in a physics class are provided, as are examples of ways to modify standard physics problems.

Socratic Seminars in Science Class

9/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

Discussions are important classroom tools-and those that focus on science in society have the potential to interest and engage students. However, a conversation can quickly veer out of control if expectations are not clearly set by the teacher and if the discussion is not structured appropriately. This article describes the use of Socratic Seminars, which provide a constructive format for discussion and help facilitate a spirit of shared inquiry among students as they discover meaning in a given text.

Editor's Roundtable: Nurturing Scientific Habits of Mind

8/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science process skills and content knowledge are not enough to produce the scientists and scientifically literate citizens we need in the 21st century. Shared values and dispositions within the science community such as curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism must also be nurtured, modeled, and practiced continuously in science classrooms at all levels until they become deeply entrenched and respected "habits of mind." This issue of Science Scope has a collection of articles to help you develop some of the scientific habits of mind specifically recommended in Benchmarks for Science Literacy. These articles are highlighted in this month's column.

Tried and True: Looking for Questions

8/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

During the first day of school, eighth-grade students often receive hour after hour of specific rules and classroom procedures. However, the author takes a different approach in science class. Here she describes an activity that is designed to engage students in generating questions. The objective of this lesson is for students to learn that a scientific investigation begins with a question and that questions can come from many places.

Scope on Safety: Rethinking the Use of Hand Sanitizers

8/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

Recent concerns about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and swine flu have prompted many parents to demand that hand sanitizers be made available in schools to protect their kids. In response, schools began installing alcohol-based hand-sanitizing stations in school cafeterias, classrooms, and even biology labs. But is this approach the best way to prevent the transfer of microbes from one person to another? Should we believe the commercials promising that hand sanitizers kill up to 99.9% on contact? Let's see what the experts have to say.

Scope on the Skies: September Skies (2009)

8/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

There are many astronomy and space science resources that may be used to supplement or reinforce your teaching, or even as a stand-alone teaching tool. This month's column brings together a collection of the author's favorite, free online resources to put into your teaching toolbox.

Science Sampler: How do we know what we know? A look at schemas

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

A schema is like a file folder in the mind, a knowledge structure that holds all of a learner's experiences with a given topic. Schemas are thought to be organized, hierarchical representations of information that can help an individual to adapt to new experiences and to learn new information (Anderson and Pearson 1984). Teaching students to use schemas as they reflect upon how they acquire and connect knowledge will help them to become better thinkers and learners. This article describes how to utilize schemas as a powerful tool for students to understand their own thinking and take charge of their own learning.

Science Sampler: Helping students write scientific explanations

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Constructing explanations is an important scientific practice that brings meaning to all that scientists do. But just because it's important to scientists doesn't mean it's going to be important to students. However, getting students to engage in meaningful conversations to make sense of data by applying science ideas is an essential goal for middle school science (AAAS 2008; NRC 1996). This article describes an instructional framework to assist students in developing scientific explanations. It consists of three components: claim, evidence, and reasoning.

Embracing Learner's Ideas About Diffusion and Osmosis: A Coupled-Inquiry Approach

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Learning about osmosis and diffusion is often a challenging task for middle school students. Here the authors present a lesson that was converted from a "cookbook" lab (McLaughlin and Thompson 2007) into a more inquiry-oriented lab that uses inquiry teaching strategies and hands-on investigations to teach middle-grade students about osmosis and diffusion.

Science Sampler: Getting into the habit of persistence

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Habits of mind are the behaviors commonly exhibited by successful people when the solution to a problem is not immediately evident (Costa and Kallick 1992). In a science classroom, persistent students stop and think about a problem they encounter before running up to ask the teacher or raising their hand. Instead of asking the teacher what to do, they might describe the steps they've tried and then request guidance. In this article, the author shares some methods and activities to help her students to persist over the course of the school year.

Science Sampler: Ecosystem Jenga!

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

To give students a tangible model of an ecosystem and have them experience what could happen if a component of that ecosystem were removed; the authors developed a hands-on, inquiry-based activity that visually demonstrates the concept of a delicately balanced ecosystem through a modification of the popular game Jenga. This activity can be modified to fit classrooms in other regions by focusing on a locally endangered plant or animal, which can be determined by contacting local governmental agencies.

Green Science: Building for the Future

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

This first Green Science column will focus on the environmental features of NSTA's new headquarters, the John Glenn Center for Science Education. The new building, which is currently being designed, will be constructed next door to NSTA's current location in Arlington, Virginia, and will be approximately 66,000 square feet, with six stories. The design of the new building will incorporate environmental features throughout, and construction will minimize waste and use recycled or renewable materials whenever possible. This article will outline some of the planned features of the new building.

Teacher's Toolkit: Promoting and supporting scientific argumentation in the classroom-The evaluate-alternatives instructional model

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article describes an instructional model that science teachers can use to promote and support student engagement in scientific argumentation. This model is called the evaluate-alternatives instructional model and it is grounded in current research on argumentation in science education (e.g., Berland and Reiser 2009; McNeill and Krajcik 2006; Osborne, Erduran, and Simon 2004; Sampson and Clark 2009; Sandoval and Reiser 2004). To illustrate how this model works inside the classroom, a lesson that was developed for an eighth-grade integrated science course is described. This lesson was designed to help students understand the transfer of energy and develop the abilities to do scientific inquiry.

Teaching Students to Create Undiscovered Ideas

8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science curricula often guide us to teach students just the facts, but our students need to be prepared for life in the 21st century. Since technology is developing rapidly, we do not know what new technologies, resources, and information our students will be working with when they complete school. If we want our students to be truly prepared for life in the 21st century, we need to prepare them to approach the world with creative scientific skills. This article discusses the importance of creative thinking in science and includes activities that can be structured to support the development of your students' creative scientific skills both in and out of the classroom.

Going Bananas Over Fruit: Using Habits of Mind to Foster Nutritional Literacy

8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science literacy for all students is an education goal in the United States, as well as in many other parts of the world. Habits of mind are the skills and attitudes that students need to develop in order to understand science as a way of thinking. In this standards-based era, habits of mind can be readily incorporated to teach multiple content areas, in the natural sciences as well as in integrated settings. The authors' purpose in designing this unit was to develop habits of mind in middle school learners. Throughout this unit, habits of mind standards are stressed as a way to increase science literacy, specifically, nutritional literacy, in middle school learners.

Using Web Logs in the Science Classroom

8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

As educators we must ask ourselves if we are meeting the needs of today's students. The science world is adapting to our ever-changing society; are the methodology and philosophy of our educational system keeping up? In this article, you'll learn why web logs (also called blogs) are an important Web 2.0 tool in your science classroom and how they can be created and used to increase science literacy by engaging students in writing, problem solving, and collaboration. These tools will effectively prepare students to work in today's social, interactive, online world.

Editor's Note: Classroom Windows

8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Little did Linda Froschauer know that she would one day find herself in the position of editor of the very journal that helped in the formation of her teaching… the journal that inspired her teaching and affected her students. She viewed Science and Children as her window into the classroom of her peers throughout the teaching community. Here she encourages you to open your classroom window and share your lessons that bring the "ah-ha" moments, the lessons you tell others about when you talk about science teaching, and the lessons all of us could benefit from learning about. You'll never know how many people you touch, but you'll know the joy of sharing.

Natural Resources: If You Build It…

8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

They will come! Wildlife, that is, when you create the right conditions. A wildlife habitat can provide you with an outdoor classroom for studying the needs of organisms. It also provides a place to learn about soil, weather, and plants. If you want to get your students outside in nature, a designated habitat is a great place to start, with endless possibilities.

The Early Years: Planting Before Winter

8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Planting flower bulbs is a wonderful activity for many reasons: learning about the life cycle of a plant bulb teaches children about seasonal changes and the environmental needs of plants, and children can observe and measure plant growth over time and see the results of their work in the spring. Conversation about where to plant can build awareness of how the outdoor space is used by other people and animals, where the Sun shines on the ground, where the rain falls, and draws attention to soil as a resource. It is also an inexpensive way to have a beautiful garden the children will be proud of and relates to National Science Education Standard C, Life Science.

Science 101: How do plants move?

8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Just as with any organism, simple growth causes plants to move, but we're going to focus on movements that are unique to plants and, in some cases, pretty creepy. Sorry for the pun. Here the author describes a bunch of plant movements and then explains the mechanism for a few of them.

Every Day Science: September 2009

8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Methods and Strategies: Role-Play in the Science Classroom

8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

The activity shared here is an animal role-playing lesson developed, field-tested, and refined for Nature's Neighborhood, a newly designed children's education facility at the Toledo Zoo. The activity is targeted at students in kindergarten through second grade, but it can be adapted for use in grades three and four as well. Through students' interactions with others during the role-play and discussions afterward, the understanding that animals need, among other things, food, water, and shelter to survive is reinforced.

Science Shorts: Gourd-ous Decomposition

8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

While pumpkins are an iconic symbol in the classroom that represent fall, harvest time, and Halloween, they are also an ideal subject for teaching elementary students the fundamentals of scientific inquiry and plant decomposition. In a second-grade classroom in New York, the mold, mush, and blackening flesh of a decomposing pumpkin creatively demonstrated decomposition for the Halloween hungry, jack-o-lantern obsessed children. Here the authors describe lessons that were developed as part of a unit on the life cycle of plants.

What Grows There?

8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Even though students see plants all around them, they tend to ignore them. Animal studies usually get all the "press." As a naturalist, children's book author, and coordinator for an educational science website for teachers, the author knows from personal experience that observing and charting plant growth can be as intriguing as observing animals. Here she shares a simple but thought-provoking activity that teachers can use with fifth- and sixth-grades students: plant research plots. As students monitor the plant growth in one-meter plots over a period of six weeks, they practice science-process skills while learning about plant life cycles and how plants compete with each other.

Growing Seeds and Scientists

8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

How do young children develop their ideas about science and scientists' work in their first year of school? How do we teach them to believe they are real scientists? In this article, the authors-a university science educator, a kindergarten teacher, and a Penn State University teaching intern-share their inquiry into these questions in a kindergarten classroom during an exciting, six-week unit on seeds.

Teaching through Trade Books: A Habitat Is a Home

8/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

We all have our own habitats, and this month students spend time thinking about what other organisms need to survive, what types of habitats they live in, and how to set up a habitat for a classroom animal.

Becoming Wildlife Investigators

8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

Students love learning outdoors, but how do you ensure they are absorbing the science and gaining skills as they do so? The authors found a way-a fourth-grade classroom teacher, a gifted/science resource teacher, and a group of fourth graders-embarked on a yearlong study of birds and the plants they depend on. They used their school yard as the backdrop and incorporated community resources into numerous hands-on experiences that transformed students into eager wildlife investigators and stewards of their local environment. Here they share their inspiring story.

Forest or Field?

8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

An open field-with its wildflowers, grasses, and vole tunnels-became an instant classroom. Students' senses were awakened there, and upon entering a nearby forest, they immediately detected a difference: less light and cooler air. "Why are there no grasses in the forest? Why aren't there ferns in the field?" These and other questions emerged as fifth-grade students collected and compared data from both a field and forest at a local Audubon Society wildlife refuge.

Thirsty Plants in Arid Places

8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

In order to demonstrate how plants remove water from the soil and release it to the atmosphere, students compared open- and closed-growing systems using drought-tolerant and higher water requirement plants. Then, students designed a drought-tolerant garden demonstrating what they had learned. Through this experience, students not only learned about evaporation and transpiration in a concrete way, but they also learned about their own local ecosystem and factors affecting it.

The Gift of the Tree

8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

A piece of children's literature can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning science; however, it takes more than reading about a topic to qualify as "doing science." Inspired by the book, The Gift of the Tree, the author developed an in-depth interdisciplinary lesson for her sixth-grade students without diluting the science. Through this lesson, students read and experience the concepts in the story in two ways-through a macro lens to see how these plants and animals are interconnected, and through a micro lens to learn specific hands-on science skills, such as making inexpensive nonglass slides, looking through the microscope, and observing and recording parts of the tree and other plants.

Health Wise: September 2009

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

What causes diabetes, and how does it affect a person's health?

Teaching With Crystal Structures

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Classifying a particle requires an understanding of the type of bonding that exists within and among the particles, which requires an understanding of atomic structure and electron configurations, which requires an understanding of the elements of periodic properties, and so on. Rather than getting tangled up in all of these concepts at the start of the year, the author has found it quicker and simpler to use three-dimensional (3-D), computerized visualizations of crystal structures to teach the classification of particles. This article describes how to use these visualizations in a chemistry lesson and how other teachers can incorporate them into their practice as well.

Editor's Corner: The Central Science

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Of all the subjects, chemistry should arguably be the most enjoyable; it is filled with things that bubble, change color, burst into flame, and otherwise provide visual and intellectual intrigue. As the paradigmatic laboratory science, it may also be the discipline best suited for student inquiry, offering countless opportunities for students to design their own experiments. Why is chemistry such an important and engaging science? In this month's column, the author will count the ways.

The Prepared Practitioner: Alternative Conceptions in Chemistry

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Despite its importance, chemistry can be difficult for some students to learn. Many concepts are abstract, and students cannot always relate the ideas in this subject to their own experiences. Researchers examining learning in chemistry often reference student understanding of chemical concepts at three levels: macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic. This month's Prepared Practitioner column describes these levels of understanding and identifies how they can overlap to contribute to students' misconceptions in chemistry.

Safer Science: EMS(s)-Pulling the Plug!

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Over the past decade, many headlines have noted the potential dangers of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field (EMFs) exposures-especially for children and young adults. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on EMF(s) and their long-term effects. However, while research continues, follow the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations outlined in this month's Safer Science column to ensure the safety of your students.

Idea Bank: Wiffle Ball Physics

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Projectile motion, a cornerstone topic of introductory physics, is usually a student's first exposure to the problem-solving techniques used in this subject. Often, this is an inactive learning experience-students work with pencil and paper to read and solve projectile motion problems (e.g., diagrams and descriptions of balls being hit, kicked, and launched). In the activity described in this Idea Bank, however, students create their own problems by applying their abstract knowledge of projectile motion to something familiar: a Wiffle ball. This activity-which can be done in one 45-minute class period-aligns with National Science Education Standards for force and motion (NRC 1996).

Career of the Month: An Interview with Industrial Hygienist Mark Nicas

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

As Mark Nicas was inspecting an aluminum recycling plant, he observed loads of oily scrap aluminum being dumped into furnaces to melt. Sparks shot out and clouds of black smoke billowed into the room as the scrap collided with molten metal. Chlorine leaks in the piping spewed green gas onto the floor. The scene unfolding looked more like the Hades of Greek mythology than a recycling plant. Not to mention, the plant's employees were at serious risk of exposure to cancer-causing substances. As an industrial hygienist, Nicas was able to reduce the release of these toxic chemicals into the air. He and others in his field are committed to protecting the health and safety of people in the workplace and the community.

Investigating Membranes

8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

While not organic in nature, quick-"growing" artificial membranes can be a profound visual aid when teaching students about cellular processes and the chemical nature of membranes. Students are often intrigued when they see biological and chemical concepts come to life before their eyes. In this article, the authors share their approach to growing artificial membranes in the classroom, discuss their similarities to and differences from cellular membranes, and explain the related processes and principles they demonstrate for students.

The Science Behind Nanosunscreens

8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this article, the authors provide a brief overview of the emerging field of nanoscience and why it is an important area of education. They next explain the science behind the new nanoparticulate sunscreens, describe the different elements of the unit, and reflect on some of the opportunities and challenges of teaching nanoscience at the high school level.

Shrinking Our Footprints

8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this unit, each student calculates his or her own ecological footprint as the basis for becoming more environmentally friendly. Over two weeks, students analyze their own lifestyles and use their understanding of environmental chemistry to synthesize, implement, and disseminate plans to reduce their footprints. Ultimately, by writing newspaper articles that are shared with the community, students apply what they have learned to raise public awareness about sustainability. This article describes the environmental chemistry unit and provides suggestions for implementation based on the authors' experience in the high school chemistry classroom.

What Happens to Cemetery Headstones?

8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

A group of high school students and chaperones boarded a bus for historic Oakland Cemetery located in downtown Atlanta. Students explored the site and made observations of the gravestones, many of which were old and run-down. Upon leaving the cemetery, students-based on their interests-developed various chemistry investigations aimed at answering the same driving question: "What is causing the deterioration of Oakland Cemetery headstones?" To engage students in the concept of acids and bases, the project-based chemistry lesson described in this article incorporates the 5E learning cycle and "funds of knowledge."

Teacher Research: Challenging Our Assumptions

8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

Teacher research-often called "action research"-is an intentional and systematic inquiry into one's own classroom practice with the goal of improved student learning (Cochran-Smith and Lytle 1993). In this article, the authors present a teacher research project undertaken to improve student understanding of the gas laws in a high school chemistry class. It addresses both the product of this teacher research project-insights into the teaching of gas laws-and the process and potential power of this approach.

Society for College Science Teachers: Farewell to a Colleague

8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

Earlier this month, the author attended the memorial service for her good friend and colleague, Dr. Jerry Waldvogel. The service was held in the lovely Carillon Garden on Clemson's campus where Jerry was-as it became obvious during the service and on posts to the memorial website-a well-respected and beloved professor of biological sciences. Here she shares some fond memories of her dear friend and presents an inspiring tribute to his legacy.

Editorial: Deficit Thinking

8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

We always have a choice when we consider another person. We can see their strengths, or we can focus on their deficits. What we choose to view in our assessment-and assessments are inevitable-will color how we perceive that person for the rest of our relationship. We are choosing to view one another-present and future-by a distinct deficit model. Do we wish to be known to one another as the "professor who just can't (fill in the blank) very well"? Is this in the best interests of our schools and our students? The answers to these questions are addressed in this month's column.

Point of View: The Nuclear Road Ahead-A Science, Technology, and Society Issue

8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

Many undergraduates can often be motivated by the opportunity to explore issues requiring them to develop at least a modest understanding of the underlying science. For many students, "just in time" science makes good sense. There are many issues that we can use for this purpose involving almost all scientific disciplines. Environment, health and medicine, energy, and climate change are just a few areas generating issues that require an understanding of the science involved and that have been described by JCST authors. Recent developments in national security and international relations coupled with positions advanced by the new U.S. administration and endorsed by the United Nations make nuclear weapon policy a prime issue that can be used for this purpose.

Favorite Demonstration: Demonstrating Emergent Properties in Dynamic Systems

8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

This demonstration was developed for an introduction to a soil science class to show how emergent properties are an essential behavior endemic to dynamic systems; explanations for their existence are not dependent on external forces. Emergent properties are new structures or behaviors exhibited by a system in response to external changes in its environment (Corning 2002). This demonstration would be suitable for other Earth-system sciences, biology, and general systems and chaos theory.

Point of View: Saving Energy in the Chemistry-Teaching Process and Improving Student Learning

8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

Somewhere between high school chemistry and first-year college chemistry courses, there is a disconnect. Whatever the reason, most students are not prepared for college chemistry. As a beginning chemistry educator, the author found this to be frustrating. Feeling exhausted and discouraged, he began to think about what he could do to increase student performance while at the same time keeping his sanity. Here he shares how he found a renewed desire to teach by actively engaging students in the learning process.

Research and Teaching: Assessment of the Impact of Case Studies on Student Learning Gains in an Introductory Biology Course

8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

Student performance in lecture-based versus case study-based instruction was compared in this study. Case-based teaching that emphasized problem solving and discussion significantly improved student performance on exams throughout the semester and enhanced students' abilities to correctly answer application- and analysis-type questions.

News Media Databases for Content Selection and Relevance in Introductory Geoscience Courses

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

A systematic assessment of media-based coverage of geoscience topics relative to those found in textbooks is presented here. The specific question addressed is to what extent fully indexed media and print news sources can provide a useful model for course development. Whereas the improvement of students' scientific literacy cannot be achieved through this approach alone, the authors believe that it is a useful initial step toward this goal.

Case Study: The Mystery of the Blue Death-A Case Study in Epidemiology and the History of Science

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

This case study introduces students to John Snow, considered to be one of the founders of both epidemiology and anesthesiology, and a remarkable figure in the history of science. Although historical case studies are often less popular with students than contemporary issues (Herreid 1998), a number of aspects of this case make it attractive to students. First, students find the "detective stories" about important medical discoveries to be inherently appealing. Second, the questions and methods that Snow used to demonstrate the causes of cholera outbreaks are the basis for those used in contemporary epidemiological investigations. Third, although the case study is built around a historical event, there are contemporary cholera outbreaks with some parallels to those studied by Snow (e.g., WHO 2008).

Incorporating Authentic Scientific Research in an Introductory General-Education Course for Nonmajors

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

Nonscience majors enrolling in introductory science courses may not have a chance to conduct authentic scientific research and therefore may develop a distorted view of science. This article describes how authentic research activities were incorporated in an introductory geoscience course. Pairs of students investigated research questions related to volcanoes using online earthquake data and ArcMap 9.x software, and then presented their results in a public session. Such activities can be effectively used in a variety of science courses.

Taking Science Online: Evaluating Presence and Immersion Through a Laboratory Experience in a Virtual Learning Environment for Entomology Students

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

A 3-D virtual field trip was integrated into an online college entomology course and developed as a trial for the possible incorporation of future virtual environments to supplement online higher education laboratories. This article provides an explanation of the rationale behind creating the virtual experience, the Bug Farm; the method and rationale for assessing virtual presence within this virtual environment; the results from those measures; and discussion on how similar technologies may be applied to enhance additional online and traditional science courses.

Developing Patterns for Learning in Science Through Reflection

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

The process of the development of critical thinking and knowledge application requires more than rote memorization and the ability to get correct answers on lab reports or on a multiple-choice test. Purposeful, guided reflection may be an opportunity for you to gain insight into what your students are thinking and learning about science content. This article describes some effective strategies that are aligned with the National Science Education Standards (NSES) to develop patterns for learning in science through reflection.

Fostering Preservice Teachers' "Nature of Science" Understandings in a Physics Course

8/11/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this paper, the authors examine an algebra-based physics course designed for preservice teachers and explore how the course integrated two pedagogical strategies to bridge the gap between inquiry-learning experiences and the teachers' nature of science (NOS) understandings. The results of this research show that the explicit, reflective process allowed participants to examine their NOS understandings, which thereby fostered changes in their understanding.

Editorial: Bewilderment Disorder

6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

Once upon a time in a land far from here, there lived a farmer's son. Stu was a hard-working and pleasant lad, always willing to put his shoulder against any project. He was cheerful, friendly, strong, and obedient, happy to do as he was asked by his parents, and by the benign (and sometimes bumbling) village elders. Stu was a young man of great promise, and everyone told him so… This cautionary tale illustrates a classic example of how students come to the university with "great expectations" but often find themselves unprepared and bewildered in the end. Read on to ensure that your students fare better than "Stu" and live happily ever after.

Current Research: Summer Reading Suggestions

6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

To supplement your summer reading, NSTA's affiliates would like to suggest some recent articles on education research. These articles cover a variety of topics that include diversity, technology, and science teacher retention. The abstracts of these important articles are listed below.

And the Winners Are… Award-Winning Science Books of 2008

6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

Most people are probably familiar with major literary awards such as the Nobel Prize for Literature, Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, Booker Prizes, and the Caldecott and Newbery awards for children's literature. Unfortunately, few of the books that are even considered for these awards are science topics. Even when a general non-fiction category is available, science writers are rarely recognized. There are several prestigious and valuable awards entirely focused on science writing, however. This short review highlights the most recent winners of the major English language awards for outstanding science writing directed toward a public audience.

Favorite Demonstration: Scaffolding the Unbelievable-Understanding Light and Vision

6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this article, the author describes how to challenge students with three intriguing questions and scaffolding techniques to help them develop a deeper understanding of light and vision. Through these surprising empirical experiences, students gain a much richer and more useful understanding of light and vision, which is very different from "understanding" the law of reflection and the principle of vision as isolated pieces of knowledge that cannot be applied to real-world contexts (Duckworth 1991).

Research and Teaching: Creating Hybrid Communities Using Inquiry as Professional Development for College Science Faculty

6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

The research reported here documents scientists' changing practices and attitudes concerning college teaching. Graduate students and postdoctoral scientists participated in long-term, inquiry-based teaching professional development while maintaining an ongoing commitment to research science. Data analysis focused on digital recording and transcription of semi-structured interviews of a representative sample of scientists, as well as ethnographic notes, collected over a period of five years. Interview data were analyzed using a newly developed rubric (Practice, Identity, Community Analysis Tool), which allowed the authors to represent qualitative data quantitatively, and, when combined with scientists' in-depth reflections both in the moment and over time, informed the development of a proposed trajectory of change. They posit that scientists co-constructed a hybrid community of practice within which participants moved easily between university research and inquiry science teaching practices.

Society for College Science Teachers: Wearing Too Many Hats

6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

How do you determine if an incoming freshman is ready for your class? How much responsibility do we bear in helping students make this critical transition? Do students today really process information differently than we did? How well do remedial courses work toward preparing students for college course work? Since educators tend to wear "too many hats" both inside and outside of the classroom, these are just a few of the questions the new president of the Society for College Science Teachers will try to answer over the next few columns-in the meantime, hang on to your hats!

Point of View: A Curious Thing Happened On The Way To Constructivism…

6/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this article, the author makes a case for including interpersonal-skill development into the instructional preparation for future professors and other educators.

Introducing Scientific Writing to Students Early in Their Academic Careers

6/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

In a key activity of a scientific-writing program that has been incorporated into a 100-level chemistry course, students analyze a journal-style write-up of an experiment that requires little scientific background to understand-the baking of chocolate chip cookies.

Student-Centered Learning in an Earth Science, Preservice, Teacher-Education Course

6/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

In an effort to get elementary teachers to teach more science in the classroom, a required preservice science education course was designed to promote the use of hands-on teaching techniques. This paper describes course content and activities for an innovative, student-centered, Earth science class. However, any science-content course could be adapted in a similar manner to include more student-centered activities.

Case Study: Cats Have Nine Lives, But Only One Liver-The Effects of Acetaminophen

6/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

This case recounts the story of a student who gave her cat half of a Tylenol tablet not knowing its potential harmful effects. The cat survives, but the incident motivates the student to learn more about the reaction mechanism underlying the liver toxicity of acetaminophen. The case outlines three possible reaction schemes that would explain the liver toxicity of acetaminophen-containing products. Students are required to write a detailed mechanism for each of the proposed schemes. This provides students with practice in writing both ionic and radical mechanisms, the two fundamental types of mechanisms covered in undergraduate organic chemistry.

Connecting Mathematics and Science: A Learning Community That Helps Math-Phobic Students

6/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

Many undergraduate students admit to having a fear of math courses. To address this issue, the authors created a learning community that teaches math content in the context of science. This paper outlines the positive learning and dispositional results of freshman enrolled in this unique interdisciplinary course.

Taking Ownership of Learning in a Large Class: Group Projects and a Mini-Conference

6/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

Helping students take ownership of their learning is often a challenge in a large lecture course. In this article, the authors describe a nature of science-oriented group project in a chemistry course in which students gave presentations in concurrent conference sessions as well as its impact on student learning as evidenced through multiple data sources. Finally, they describe how they plan to improve this project in the future and how it can be adapted to other science courses.

Research and Teaching: Student Learning in a Project-Based Molecular Biology Course

6/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

Inquiry-based learning was used to enhance an undergraduate molecular biology course. The goal was to use a long-term, in-class project in a studio class setting to enable students to acquire the knowledge and confidence to problem solve. Mixed-methods student-learning assessment over four semesters supported this pedagogical approach. Overall, the project-based curriculum succeeded in helping these students acquire the knowledge and skills that are necessary for independent scientific inquiry, and it provides a dynamic model for other institutions that wish to adopt a pedagogical approach that will help students become problem-solving, critical-thinking scholars.

Editor's Roundtable: Classroom management à la Goldilocks

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Classroom management is a difficult balancing act. Like Goldilocks, teachers should sample all the classroom management techniques available to them to find the ones that are "just right" for their classroom. Therefore, teachers must quickly establish a classroom management style that fits their personalities and their educational philosophies. This issue of Science Scope presents a variety of classroom management strategies that work for other middle level teachers. Many of these may resemble techniques you currently use in your classroom, but hopefully you will read about different approaches that may help you tackle trouble spots in your classroom or establish a more engaging practice.

Scope on Safety: Combating corrosion

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Corrosion is a broad term that applies when something is being broken down due to a chemical reaction. Rust or wet corrosion is a specific type of corrosion where iron or steel reacts with water. Science teachers often find that over time, laboratory equipment made of metal may tend to look dull and have symptoms of corrosion. In fact, in certain instances, such equipment may become unsafe to use and provide bogus data results on student experiments. There are several strategies that can be used to address corrosion of lab equipment. This article describes some approaches to combating corrosion.

Experimental Population Genetics in the Introductory Genetics Laboratory Using Drosophila as a Model Organism

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Hypotheses of population genetics are derived and tested by students in the introductory genetics laboratory classroom as they explore the effects of biotic variables (physical traits of fruit flies) and abiotic variables (island size and distance) on fruit fly populations. In addition to this hypothesis-driven experiment, the development of scientific writing skills is an integral part of this exercise.

Guest Editorial: Would you like to be a student in your classroom?

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Why do some teachers experience successful teaching in the middle level year after year, while others consider an eighth-grade teaching assignment equivalent to a sentence of hard labor? Why is it that some teachers and their students look forward to the time they spend together each day, while others dread the thought of even coming to school? Why do some teachers brag about what their students are doing and the extra things they are accomplishing, while others can't get students to complete a worksheet in class? The authors don't profess to have all the answers, but they would like to share some methods they've used successfully to create secure classroom environments that have led to more rewarding teaching experiences and more successful student accomplishments.

Science Sampler: No excuses

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Kyle Maynard's book entitled No Excuses is an inspirational story that shows how a positive attitude can lead to great achievements, even when against the odds. Here the author describes how she uses Maynard's "no excuses" philosophy as the one and only classroom rule for her seventh-grade students. When students enter her class for the first time, they see this printed in bold letters across the board. They recite this every day, until they know it well. They say it until they believe that they can do anything, because anything else is just an excuse.

Science Sampler: How to enjoy your students while your students enjoy science

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Every teacher's goal should be to create a classroom atmosphere where students know one another, feel safe both physically and emotionally, and enjoy interacting. By creating a good rapport with your students as well as a positive environment in which students can learn, you will enhance their potential for success and decrease the risk of their acting out to gain attention. This article describes some classroom management strategies to help foster a supportive classroom environment that benefits not only your students, but yourself in the process.

Tried and True: It's as simple as shuffling cards

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Holding students accountable for their work is always on the minds of teachers. Therefore, while attending a science-teaching symposium held by the California Science Project of Inland California, the author learned about the benefits of using playing cards to call on students-a strategy worth its weight in gold. Here she shares this treasured strategy.

Scope on the Skies: Summer Skies (2009)

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

This summer the planet parade shifts to the morning skies as most of the visible planets are arranged over the southeastern to southwestern horizons before the Sun rises. And only one planet, Saturn, graces the evening skies. All, with the exception of Mercury and Venus, will stay essentially in the same part of the sky throughout our summer months. Mercury and Venus, as the fastest-orbiting planets, will show a noticeable change in position during the coming three-month period. This month's column will enable you to chart your course through the summer skies with ease.

Managing Inquiry-Based Classrooms

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Though it may seem that classroom management comes naturally to some teachers, upon closer examination you'll probably discover that preparation and adaptation are more important than any innate ability when it comes to successful classroom management. Any experienced middle school science teacher can tell you that successful classroom management is an ongoing, evolving process-teachers need to modify their daily practices based on the observed behaviors and feedback of their students. This article describes some strategies to manage inquiry-based science classrooms effectively.

Classroom Management and Inquiry-Based Learning: Finding the Balance

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Inquiry practices often involve more student-centered activities where students interact more intensively with materials and with other students during investigations. In addition to monitoring the learning taking place, teachers in an inquiry classroom have to manage more movements of materials and equipment and the social dynamics among students. In this article, the authors share seven successful strategies one teacher used in managing a grade 6 class that gave her confidence in transitioning from a traditional classroom to a more inquiry-based classroom.

Under Summer Skies

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

There's no better way to celebrate 2009, the International Year of Astronomy, than by curling up with a good book under summer skies. To every civilization, in every age, the skies inspired imagination and scientific inquiry. There's no better place to start your summer reading than under their influence. Here are a few selections identified by NSTA Recommends' network of reviewers to help get you started.

Current Research: Summer Reading Suggestions

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Cartooning Your Way to Student Motivation

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Unmotivated, underachieving students pose a huge challenge for teachers. One way to motivate and stimulate student interest in a topic is to use humor. Humor can help students make new connections in learning and improves retention of information (Garner 2006). In this article, the authors describe how they integrated art and literature with science to encourage curiosity through the exploration of rocks, crystals, and fossils; to fuel interest with science trade books; and to translate newly acquired science information into funny cartoons. The cartoon-making activities engage students while they learn Earth science concepts and develop their abilities to visualize and combine ideas in new ways.

Classroom Management: Setting Up the Classroom for Learning

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Student learning is directly related to classroom control established the first week of school (Wong and Wong 2001)-what you do the first day counts, and what you do the first 10 minutes counts even more. This article shares the advanced planning aspects of classroom management that should be in place before students enter the classroom for the first time: the physical environment; routines, policies, and procedures; materials management; as well as a review process to extend what students learn.

Science Sampler: An introduction to water pressure

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

The difficulty in teaching about water pressure is how to represent differences in water pressure, changes that are not visible to the human eye. One way is to manipulate containers of water and to observe the flow of water in different settings at various pressures. The following lesson is one that the author has used over the years in teaching middle school students about water pressure.

Science Sampler: Teaching-A reflective process

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this article, the authors describe how they used formative assessments to ferret out possible misconceptions among middle-school students in a unit about weather-related concepts. Because they teach fifth- and eighth-grade science, this assessment also gives them a chance to see how student understanding develops over the years. This year they used the formative assessment probe "Wet Jeans" from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes (Keeley, Eberle, and Farrin 2005).

Science Sampler: Classroom management, rules, consequences, and rewards! Oh, my!

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Teachers must start with an organized classroom. Think through how you want your classroom arranged, how students will turn in work, and where supplies are located. Students should also be instructed how the classroom is set up and who should be retrieving supplies. Having numbered containers with supplies is a quick way to distribute materials and check that everything has been returned at the end of the period. This article outlines additional classroom management plans that will prepare new teachers for the first day of school and throughout the entire school year.

Safer Science: Overloading Science Labs

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

The current recession has brought about a wave of changes for all of us. In some school districts, boards of education are "renegotiating" areas of teachers' contracts, including class size maximums. Science laboratories that have typically accommodated a maximum of 24 students are being raised to 28 or more. This change far surpasses the legally established occupancy load and makes for unsafe lab work. So is the contract change legal? Before this issue can be addressed, it is important for teachers and administrators to know the correct legal terminology, which is discussed in this month's column.

The Prepared Practitioner: Ask Questions-and Listen!

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

As you enjoy your summer break, are you thinking about professional development-or spending time with friends and loved ones? How about combining the activities! Conversing with friends and family offers a chance to practice questioning techniques that can be used in the classroom. Your friends will appreciate the interest you are taking in them, their responses will give you more to talk about, and you will become a better teacher-all at the same time. So talk, listen, and enjoy your summer!

Career of the Month: An Interview With Biomedical Engineer William Ditto

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Biomedical engineers combine biology, physics, medicine, math, communication, and engineering to solve medical and health-related problems. Through their development of everything from pacemakers to artificial organs to computer software, these scientists work to make the world a healthier place. William Ditto loves his job-it combines cool science with the latest technology to help people lead better, longer lives.

PhUn Week: Understanding Physiology

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

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, and digestive systems, align with national and state life science education standards. Physiology Understanding Week (PhUn Week)-sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS)-is an annual outreach event in November that highlights the science of exercise and health. As part of this event, physiologists volunteer to collaborate with teachers in their local communities and visit classrooms to engage students in physiology-based activities.

Health Wise-Summer 2009

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

What are the health risks of sun exposure-are there any benefits? Also, are some sunscreens better than others?

Editor's Corner: Closing the Gap With Summer Reading

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Among the fascinating anecdotes Gladwell offers up in his recent book, Outliers (2008), is his description of research into the socioeconomic achievement gap-why children from underprivileged families traditionally lag behind in academics. His conclusion: "Virtually all of the advantage that wealthy students have over poor students is the result of differences in ways privileged kids learn while they are not in school" (p. 258). Looking at reading scores of elementary students, Gladwell notes that underprivileged children actually learn just as well during the academic school year as those from a higher socioeconomic status (SES). In fact, they "out-learn" the wealthiest students during the school year. But while summer learning loss is common among all students, it dramatically affects lower SES youth. This month's column focuses on closing the gap with summer reading.

Is the Inquiry Real?

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

When describing activities in today's K-12 science classrooms, the word inquiry often causes some confusion. As a result, many of us find ourselves asking the same questions: How do we know when inquiry is authentic? What should happen in an inquiry-centered science classroom? What is the teacher's role in an inquiry-centered class and what is the student's role? The authors have thought long and hard about these questions. Here they offer suggestions for determining whether your classroom activities are engaging all students in true inquiry. In addition, they present an example of how a common, tried-and-true activity can be modified to facilitate inquiry.

Talking Science

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science is a social process-one that involves particular ways of talking, reasoning, observing, analyzing, and writing, which often have meaning only when shared within the scientific community. Discussions are one of the best ways to help students learn to "talk science" and construct understanding in a social context. Since inquiry is an important strategy for teaching science (NRC 1996; AAAS 1993), teachers face the challenge of facilitating meaningful discussions in an inquiry- or project-based setting. This article presents three types of discussions that can be used in inquiry-based activities and provides an example of each in a sample investigation.

Helping New Science Teachers

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

The start of a new school year is a challenging and exciting time for any teacher-and a time when beginning teachers particularly need our support. Working with new science teachers in the New Science Teachers' Support Network (NSTSN) has shown the authors that veteran teachers have the greatest impact on beginning teacher's success. The NSTSN is a federal research study of 59 new science teachers employed full-time across 3 school districts and 35 schools. Based on the study's observation reports and survey responses-from new science teachers enrolled in NSTSN and the experienced teachers assigned to support them-they have arrived at the following suggestions to help experienced science teachers assist new teachers.

Idea Bank: Start a Classroom Library!

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

In today's classrooms-science and otherwise-all teachers are charged with helping students develop literacy skills. One effective method for supporting literacy is to create your own science classroom library. These collections can encourage students to read while also helping them to develop background and science-content knowledge. The collection should reflect your specific teaching area but also reach beyond it to provide students with a wide range of experiences in all of the sciences. In this month's Idea Bank, you'll discover how to start a classroom library of your own.

Current Research

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

To supplement your summer reading, NSTA's affiliates would like to suggest some recent articles on education research, covering such topics as diversity, technology, and science teacher retention. Start with The Science Teacher for interesting ideas on these topics, and explore the resources listed here for additional information and research. The best part is, you do not have to track these articles down-they are free for NSTA members.

A Virtual, Shoestring Vacation

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

If there is a discrepancy between the scope of your imagination and the depth of your bank account, this may be the ideal summer to stretch your horizons by diving into a good book. You can take a virtual vacation to almost any place or time by reading. You will not need to fill your gas tank or empty your pocketbook. Reading has a small carbon footprint and a big capacity for expanding your world. This article presents the NSTA Recommends "science stimulus plan." To help teachers explore on a budget this summer, we have tapped into our reviewers, who suggest investments in some outstanding choices for your downtime that are guaranteed to make your learning stock rise.

Reading Aloud: A Springboard to Inquiry

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

We may assume that high school students are too "old" to enjoy simple, juvenile reading. But reading these simple books with students not only captures their attention, but also allows them to focus on larger science concepts and can introduce them to new science content (Madrazo 1997; Cerullo 1997). Reading juvenile science books aloud can also serve as a springboard to inquiry and higher-level investigation and study. This article presents suggestions for incorporating juvenile trade books into instruction and for selecting appropriate books for each science class. The instructions for reading aloud are based on the author's own experience teaching high school biology students.

The Early Years: Adding Up the Rain

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Having your class measure and record the amount of precipitation that falls daily is a job young children can do as part of learning about measurement and weather. Summer is a good time to prepare to teach about recording precipitation so you can begin soon after school starts. The objective of this month's lesson is to measure and collect data about precipitation (rain, hail, and snow).

Guest Editorial: Elementary Science Education in the K-12 System

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Elementary science is a critical part of the K-12 science education system. Tragically, the enactment of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has greatly diminished the time spent on teaching science in many elementary schools. In some schools that have not attained adequate yearly progress (AYP) status, science is not taught at all, and teachers are told point blank not to teach science so they can spend more time on reading and mathematics. The good intentions of NCLB eroded the fundamental foundation for science in our K-12 education system. Here the author discusses the importance of taking a K-12 system approach to supporting high-quality elementary science education in every school district.

Editor's Note: Connecting With Technology

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

We are in a new age. It is an age in which children view technology as an extension of their senses. Children are growing up surrounded by technology and develop an intuition that often amazes those of us who grew up with slide rules. In this issue, we present two different approaches to technology. One is the inclusion of electronic technology to facilitate learning about science. The second approach teaches children about the connection between science and technology.

Teaching the Human Dimension of Science

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Teachers have the important responsibility of providing students with accurate and engaging science content while also helping them establish authentic views of scientists. Though there are numerous curriculum materials to assist in the teaching of science content, the authors have found that methods and materials to teach science as a human endeavor are practically nonexistent. With that lack in mind, here they offer some suggestions and strategies, which begin with first assessing students' range of impressions of science as a human endeavor and follow with the use of several teaching strategies that can help you enhance and broaden students' understandings of scientists.

Teaching Through Trade Books: Flower Power

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Summer is here and flowers are in bloom! Each flowering plant produces a unique bloom that provides opportunities for students to make observations about plants. By comparing and contrasting flowers, students can connect their learning to the larger picture that all organisms have different structures that help them to survive.

Every Day Science Calendar: August 2009

6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Methods and Strategies: Avoiding the Big Scare

6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Teaching environmental issues to K-12 students is an important part of a well-rounded science education. Teaching such issues isn't easy because some of these issues are inherently frightening. Humans certainly cause changes in their environment, and many of these changes have altered the ecosystem and now threaten the long-term survival of our species. But how do we teach such important issues without scaring children or making them feel hopeless? The following strategies can help as you consider how to teach important environmental concepts in your science program.

Science 101: How do windmills generate power?

6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

This is a timely question given that you can now buy your own windmill (or more correctly, wind turbine) for residential use. More on that later. Using windmills to generate electricity makes sense once you understand how we generate electricity. So let's figure that out after a brief history of windmills.

Perspectives: Finding a Place for Girls in Science

6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Because teacher expectations and classroom interactions often favor boys in science, teachers need to consider strategies to create gender-inclusive science classrooms, as suggested by researchers Brotman and Moore (2008) and Jones, Howe, and Rua (2000). This month's column provides some strategies that have the potential to make science approachable for all students and may help girls in your classroom find their place in science.

Science Shorts: Larger Than Life-Introducing Magnifiers

6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Even simple technologies can provide important support for the inquiry process. Hand lenses and other magnifiers are ubiquitous technologies in the science classroom. In the following activity, children learn how to use a simple hand lens. They draw what they can see with the naked eye and then what they see with a tool. By comparing representations, children may begin interpreting the differences in what they are able to see and begin to understand how that difference helps us make observations in science. In addition, the activity provides teachers with a basic assessment of children's ability to use the tool, represent the images, and make sense of what they are seeing.

Steppin' Out This Summer

6/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Ready to kick off your shoes and make tracks toward vacation? Whether you run to the nearest beach, or just prop your feet up and relax, there's no better path to renewal than one that runs through the pages of a good book. Again this year, the team at NSTA Recommends has volunteered to be your guide; reviewers have convened a virtual meeting in order to come up with some good ideas for your summer reading pleasures. Step right up and take your pick!

Designing Payloads

6/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Imagine soaring in the Earth's atmosphere to near the edge of space. Is there air to breathe? Is it dark? Are there clouds? What about air pressure? Fifth-grade students from Ferguson Elementary in Klamath Falls, Oregon, were wondering these questions as they participated in To the Edge of Space, an exciting, yearlong collaborative Earth science learning experience developed in partnership with Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) and Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium. The project culminates in a high-altitude balloon satellite launch at the university. This article describes the inquiry-based project that was developed using Toyota Tapestry grant monies.

YouTube in the Science Classroom

6/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

YouTube makes it possible for teachers to capitalize on children's insatiable appetite for visually stimulating learning. Some of these videos attain "viral" status, getting passed on from person to person and by links on other sites. Not only are these popular videos viral, but developing one's own content and posting it for the world's access is infectious, even for latecomers to the educational technology scene. Also, incorporating YouTube into science lessons can energize your teaching and motivate students, too. In this article, the author shares some experiences and ideas for using this dynamic tool in the science classroom.

Linking Science and Writing With Two Bad Ants

6/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Two Bad Ants, a fictional story detailing the journey of "two bad ants" that stray from their colony and choose to stay in a container full of large, white, sweet-tasking crystals (sugar)-was the catalyst for an engaging five-day study with third-grade students. In this hands-on investigation with live ants, students are introduced to the process of scientific inquiry; in language arts, the story ushered in lessons about point of view, using sensory details, and developing the writing process. Through artwork and text, students observe human life from the perspective of two small insects.

Wonderful Wikis and Internet Forums

6/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Wikis are collaborative websites where visitors can edit anything they want, anytime they want. Essentially online "whiteboards," wikis allow groups of people to create documents and projects together. Internet forums, also known as message boards or discussion boards, are web applications that provide online discussions. Like wikis, your forum can be private, password protected, and monitored by you. But unlike wikis, the threads and posts cannot be edited by other participants. In this article, the author discusses how he was inspired to incorporate these technologies into the science classroom.

Every Day Science Calendar: July 2009

6/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Breezy Power: From Wind to Energy

6/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

This lesson combines the science concepts of renewable energy and producing electricity with the technology concepts of design, constraints, and technology's impact on the environment. Over five class periods, sixth-grade students "work" for a fictitious power company as they research wind as an alternative energy source and design and test a working model of a wind turbine, learning about energy and technology in the process.

Point of View: Approaches to Undergraduate Research and Their Practical Impact on Faculty Productivity in the Natural Sciences

4/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

The many and diverse demands on faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) are such that any research endeavors undertaken must be efficient and beneficial to both students and faculty. Sustaining faculty productivity into midcareer and beyond thus requires careful consideration of strategic approaches and processes. For this reason, faculty should be aware of the potential pitfalls associated with certain situations that any undergraduate project may succumb to and that lessen the likelihood that the research experience will be productive for both faculty and students. Some of these situations are examined in this article.

Research and Teaching: Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Attitudes toward Science and Technology

4/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Interest in science and technology is essential to good citizenship. By adapting items from other scales and writing new items, the authors developed the Attitudes Toward Science and Technology scale, containing 30 items. The norm group consisted of incoming freshman (N = 535) at a large four-year institution; a pilot study was conducted the previous year. Validity and reliability of the scale were examined using semantic analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and factor analyses. The overall reliability was high (0.806), and five factors emerged: (1) interest in gaining science and technology knowledge, (2) concern that science and technology are dangerous to humankind, (3) science and technology are beneficial to humankind, (4) appropriateness of science and technology for females, and (5) males and females have equal opportunity in science and technology. This scale may be used for the 17-21 age group to determine their attitudes toward science and technology.

Favorite Demonstration: Using Dice to Explore the Consequences of DNA Mutations

4/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Working collaboratively, students explore the effect of different types of DNA mutations using dice. The exercise provides students with a tangible way of visualizing how mutations may contribute to genetic diversity and the randomness with which they may occur. After the exercise, students comprehend better why some mutations may cause devastating phenotypic effects, while others have no effect on the resulting protein. It is an ideal exercise for instructors who are new or inexperienced in using group activities in their classes or by those who would like to expand their repertoire of biology exercises. This demonstration can easily be done in a large lecture hall or in a laboratory setting.

Society for College Science Teachers: A Reader's Response to SCST November/December 2008 and the Author's Response

4/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Thomas Lord in his column in the November/December issue of JCST claims that "The shift from academic merit to student consumerism is one of the two greatest reversals of direction in all the history of American Higher Education …" He goes on to say that this is driven by student evaluations of the faculty that punish any faculty for having high standards or require the students to work. This month's SCST column contains a reader's response to this argument. The author's response is also included.

Research and Teaching: What Do Help Sessions Accomplish in Introductory Science Courses?

4/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Students who attended every help session earned significantly higher scores on corresponding exams than students who attended no help sessions. Students who attended some help sessions earned intermediate exam scores, and their exam scores after attending a help session were not significantly different than their exam scores after skipping a help session. Students who more regularly attended help sessions also claimed that they spent more time studying for exams. These results indicate that traditional help sessions (1) are predominantly attended by students who are successful because of a suite of other positive academic behaviors and (2) do not have a significant impact on exam scores in introductory biology courses. On average, attendance at help sessions appears to identify, but not produce, students who earn high grades in introductory science courses.

Editorial: A Sporting Chance

4/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this month's column, the author admits that she didn't have a particularly positive image of student-athletes when she began teaching. She anticipated that the "student" part of that name was merely vestigial: a useless appendage not yet evolved away completely. Although admittedly arrogant, she felt that she had sufficient retrospective data to support her apprehensions. But then this teacher got a lesson-class after class, semester after semester-she had to develop an alternate hypothesis! It turned out that her student-athletes were often the best academic performers in her class. So here she discusses why student-athletes need a sporting chance at succeeding in science.

Case Study: Learning About the Nature of Science With Case Studies

4/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Case studies are an effective way to help students understand how science works, and perhaps even more importantly, how science knowledge is constructed. Yet often when we teach the content of science, we overlook the nature of science (NOS), and in particular, how knowledge claims of science are justified (Abd-El-Khalick, Bell, and Lederman 1998; Duschl 1990). The seven examples of case studies presented here attempt to contextualize NOS concepts focused on learning about how scientific knowledge is acquired.

Class Research Projects in Ecology Courses: Methods to "Un-can" the Experience

4/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Research-like experiences range from relatively "canned" labs that are highly controlled by the instructor (such as those described in Lord and Orkwiszewski 2006) to more individually designed projects (e.g., Switzer and Shriner 2000; Wyatt 2005). This article describes a laboratory approach that allows for many of the benefits of independent or small-group student research projects, such as allowing students to design experiments, generate and test hypotheses, conduct an experiment, and collect data. However, this approach also helps overcome some of the logistical difficulties of coordinating such "free-form" student projects when there are many students enrolled in the class and helps conquers some of the pedagogical problems of canned class projects, such as lack of student engagement in the investigative process.

Streamlining Assessment

4/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Assessment is an important component for quantifying learning in higher education. With the current trends at the state and federal level, what's now merely encouraged may soon become a mandate. This article contains concise guidelines with examples designed to help instructors develop a comprehensive assessment program that provides useful feedback for assessing student learning and understanding.

Enhancing Comprehension and Retention of Vocabulary Concepts through Small-group Discussion: Probing for Connections among Key Terms

4/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

The word sort is just 1 of 30 active-learning and critical-thinking strategies that was implemented into a community college nutrition course over an academic year (two semesters) during a mixed-design research study. The authors wanted to know if a content-heavy, text-driven science course could be effectively taught in a nontraditional manner that used active-learning and critical-thinking strategies rather than the traditional lecture style. They also wanted to determine which of the strategies were the most beneficial to student learning. Data were collected from many sources, both quantitative and qualitative, but for the purpose of this article, only data sources directly related to the word sort will be discussed.

College Students' Opinions of Engaging Approaches in a Physical Science Course

4/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

Physical science courses have historically been taught from a variety of perspectives or emphases. In many cases, the instructor decides on the perspective and textbook for nonscience majors, so students rarely have a voice in the decision. This top-down approach and a potential gap between what instructors and students expect from a general education physical science course partly explain why students tend to see this course as boring and not applicable to their daily lives. In this study, college students weigh in on what emphasis might be more interesting and engaging in a physical science course for nonmajors.

Learning Science While Constructing Learning Teams

4/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

Many science educators are proponents of cooperative learning, but struggle to find equitable and effective ways to build groups. In this article, the author describes her method for forming heterogeneous cooperative learning groups that is not only impartial, but also requires students to begin learning science on the first day of class.

Factors Influencing Undergraduate Student-Teacher Interactions

4/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

A survey was conducted with undergraduate students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, who are currently enrolled at Philadelphia University to identify variables affecting classroom interactions. Data were examined using a commercially available statistical package (Minitab for Windows) and comparisons were made using unpaired t-tests. This paper will provide data to suggest that differences exist in students' motivation for asking and answering questions that are related to both the number of years they have been at university, as well as their elected science major.

Teaching Through Trade Books: Sunrise, Sunset

4/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

The next time you watch the Sun rise; take a minute to think about what's really going on. You are standing on a giant ball of rock that is hurtling through space, and the spot where you are standing is rotating in the direction of a star 93 million miles away! It makes a beautiful sunrise seem even more amazing. In this month's trade book-inspired K-2 lesson, students observe the pattern the Sun follows as it appears to move across the sky, and in the 3-6 lesson, students model day and night and explore the need for different time zones on Earth.

Every Day Science Calendar (May 2009)

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Science 101: Why are oceans salty and lakes and rivers not?

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

For starters, lakes and rivers do contain salt, just not as much as the oceans. A large portion of those salts and minerals washes downstream into other rivers, or through the outlet stream or river of a lake, and eventually winds up in the oceans. So, the answer to why rivers and lakes are not as salty as the oceans is that salts and minerals that enter have an avenue for escape, which is a path to the oceans. Oceans don't have an outlet though. The primary way that water leaves the oceans is through evaporation, and that process leaves salts and minerals behind. No outlet means a buildup of those things, and a salty ocean. So, it appears that the oceans began as slightly salty, and the "fresh" water from rivers just continues to make them saltier.

Methods and Strategies: Keeping It Real

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

When teaching science, teachers must ensure that students have meaningful experiences outdoors where they use all their senses to better understand their local and easily observed environment and don't fall into the habit of relying on computers and media to replace these experiences. Efforts must be made to help children value experience with the natural world, for its own sake and for serving as a necessary foundation for deeply understanding science concepts. This article offers some ideas for fostering these foundational experiences with students.

Perspectives: Societal Issues in Science

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

When students investigate local issues in science class, they gain research and critical-thinking skills while improving their attitudes toward science. However, since many societal issues are controversial, it is important to create a safe and risk-free classroom climate where students can discuss their ideas, personal needs, experiences, and responsibilities. This article discribes some strategies that will help students to use science to make personal and societal decisions.

Science Shorts: Word Wall Work-Supporting Science Talk

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

One goal of classroom teachers is for students to develop the ability to recognize and understand the vocabulary of science. Classroom teachers also understand that students "need to keep expanding their understanding of scientific terminology so that they move from recognition of terms to full ownership of them" (McKee and Ogle 2005). In order for students to develop full ownership of the language of science, they must have frequent opportunities to use it. This lesson is designed to put a common classroom tool-the word wall-to new use giving teachers and students support for making scientific language a regular part of their classroom community.

Shake, Rattle, and Hopefully Not Fall

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Earthquakes occur across the globe, and their efforts can be felt by people regardless of location. However, a moderate earthquake in Pakistan or Turkey may cause much greater damage than a stronger earthquake in Tokyo. It is imperative to help students understand why this disparity exists-often due to both natural and human influences. Students often ask, "Why don't all the tall buildings fall down when there are earthquakes?" Through this activity, sixth-grade students began to understand the engineering challenges of building earthquake-resistant buildings and how scientists meet that challenge.

Integration With Big Ideas in Mind

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Integrating science lessons with lessons in other content areas can be an efficient use of limited time, but not every activity can be integrated productively. Teachers must consider several factors when making decisions about which lessons to integrate: time available, specific curricular requirements in other content areas, and the interests of particular students to name a few. In this article, the authors discuss using the big ideas-concepts that can be applied to explain a variety of phenomena across contexts-to guide choices about integrating science across the content areas. This approach can help students develop lasting understanding about important scientific ideas.

Inspiring Future Scientists

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

In an integrated science/language arts/technology unit called "How Scientists Learn," students researched famous scientists from the past and cutting-edge modern-day scientists. Using biography trade books and the internet, students collected and recorded data on charts, summarized important information, and inferred meaning from text. Then they compared their own methods of learning with those of scientists past and present. The results? The students discovered that anyone can be a scientist! Researching "how scientists learn" proved to be incredibly motivating to students and truly inspired them to consider science careers. This article describes their investigations during the six-day unit.

Editor's Note: Scientists at Work in Earth Science

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Working with outside resources almost always strengthens our classrooms. Whether it is taking a trip to a university lab or inviting scientists in, excitement builds as students experience the world of scientists. Whether partnering with scientists or not, we hope this issue helps you get your students motivated about science-hands-on or out in the field.

Every Day Science Calendar (April 2009)

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

The Early Years: Hear That?

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Like breathing, the ability to hear sound is often taken for granted unless it becomes impaired. Children may not wonder about how sound is generated or detected until introduced to an inquiry activity about sound. Therefore, to heighten students' appreciation of sound, this month's column features an activity in which they use their senses to understand this abstract concept. In addition, students construct a kazoo out of simple materials in order to feel vibrations that create sound.

The Artistic Oceanographer Program

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Artistic Oceanographer Program (AOP) was designed to engage elementary school students in ocean sciences and to illustrate basic fifth-grade science and art standards with ocean-based examples. The program combines short science lessons, hands-on observational science, and art, and focuses on phytoplankton, the tiny marine organisms that form the base of the marine food web. This article describes one of the AOP's multidisciplinary lessons that promotes ocean literacy while capturing students' interest.

Partners in Learning

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

What happens when children and scientists learn together? A partnership is formed, that's what! This article describes how a university scientist and a teacher teamed up with a local fourth-grade teacher to provide a unique opportunity for students to observe real scientists at work and enhance their knowledge of weather at the same time. The project was designed to raise profile of meteorology in the school curriculum and to demonstrate to students and teachers that physics and mathematics (via meteorology) have great practical importance. Their ultimate goal was to engage and inspire children and young adults in science. The experiences described here were part of that initiative.

Explaining Glaciers, Accurately

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

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 what! Here they share the glacial erosion lessons that grew out of the geologist's frustration at finding glacial erosion labs erroneously showing glaciers eroding by pushing rocks. Their goal was to find a way to show and explain glacial erosion more accurately and in a way that elementary age students could understand.

Volcanoes on the Beach?

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

How could a rock formed by volcanic activity get to this shoreline, surrounded by sedimentary rocks? That was the question a group of third-grade students asked-and answered-during an inquiry-based summer camp. Over a two week timeframe, the students practiced basic inquiry skills such as observing; measuring; describing and drawing; sharing tasks in a team; and applying physical principles to field observations along the Baltic Sea coast in northern Germany. Through this activity, common rocks in the children's environment obtained new meaning for them, and at the same time, scientific skills of observation and reasoning were strengthened.

Editor's Roundtable: International Year of Astronomy

3/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

2009 has been designated the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) because it marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescopic observations of the Moon and other bodies in the solar system, which challenged, and subsequently changed, the prevailing geocentric view of the universe. IYA organizers place a strong emphasis on education and the involvement of young people, for whom their goal is to provide "a year of rich astronomical experiences." This issue of Science Scope is dedicated to helping IYA achieve that purpose.

Guest Editorial: The universe: It's yours to discover-and to share

3/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

In 1609, Galileo turned his telescope to the sky and began a series of observations that would forever change our view of our place in the universe. This year, each and every one of us has an opportunity to follow in Galileo's footsteps by taking advantage of one of the many opportunities that the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) provides to discover the universe for ourselves, and by sharing the wonders of the universe with our students, colleagues, neighbors, friends, and families. Therefore, chart your course to the universe by using the ideas and resources highlighted in this article.

Science Sampler: Space moves-Adding movement to solar system lessons

3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

Earth and space science figure prominently in the National Science Education Standards for levels 5-8 (NRC 1996). The Earth in the Solar System standard focuses on students' ability to understand (1) the composition of the solar system (Earth, Moon, Sun, planets with their moons, and smaller objects like asteroids and comets) and (2) that gravitational force holds us to Earth and governs movement in the solar system. With a little creativity and thought, movement can be added to lessons addressing these abstract concepts. This article provides some examples found especially useful by students and teachers in the lower-middle-level grades.

Scope on Safety: Yes, you need a Chemical Hygiene Officer

3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Chemical Hygiene Officer's (CHO) role is absolutely critical in fostering and ensuring both chemical hygiene practices and the chemical hygiene plan. OSHA defines the Chemical Hygiene Officer as an "employee who is designated by the employer, and who is qualified by training or experience, to provide technical guidance in the development and implementation of the provisions of the Chemical Hygiene Plan." The CHO position is also essential in helping to facilitate the safeguards put in place as part of the chemical hygiene plan to protect both the teacher and students.

Tech Trek: TeacherTube for Science

3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

Following in the footsteps of YouTube, TeacherTube is a website where teachers can access a trove of videos that can be used in the classroom to improve instruction. The inclusion of YouTube as a venue in the presidential debates of 2008 has brought a level of legitimacy and recognition to this kind of electronic meeting place, and TeacherTube is similarly being acknowledged as a rich web resource of particular interest to science teachers. This article describes how to you can utilize TeacherTube in your science classroom, and explains how you can contribute to the collection with a video of your own.

Tried and True: Solar System in the Hallway

3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

After studying phenomena related to the positions and motions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon, many students are familiar with the positional ordering of the planets, but their knowledge of the distances involved is vague. Scale models are one means of bringing extreme sizes into better focus, cutting them down to relative values that they can better comprehend. The Solar System in the Hallway activity consists of a scale model of the inter-planet distances set up in a hallway for students to explore. This article describes how to send your students on a trip to the Solar System via your school's hallway!

Scope on the Skies: Tracking the messenger

3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

During April and May, the innermost planet, Mercury, will have its greatest apparition (morning or evening viewing opportunity) for the year as it graces the evening skies over the western horizon after sunset. Considering that Mercury, the fastest-orbiting planet, is typically only visible for a couple of weeks at each apparition (morning or evening), what is it that determines that one will be better than another? The answer, as they say in the real estate business, is location, location, location. By regularly observing the planet's orbital motion, it becomes apparent why it is all about location.

Science Sampler: Eratosthenes visits middle school-Assessing the ability of students to work with models of the Earth

3/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

In the exciting, "out of this world" activity described here, students measure the Earth using meter sticks while measuring their shadows in two distant locations. To obtain the size of the Earth, students discover the connection between the measurements of the shadows and a model of the spherical Earth following the method developed by Eratosthenes. In the process, students learned about the history of science and the value of collaborating with students in an international setting, and appreciated the fact that a complex and large object such as our planet can be measured using simple geometric concepts.

Inquiry, Argumentation, and the Phases of the Moon: Helping Students Learn Important Concepts and Practices

3/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

An important goal of the current reform movement in science education is to promote scientific literacy in the United States, and scientific inquiry is at its heart. However, the National Science Education Standards clearly indicate that to promote inquiry, more emphasis should be placed on "science as argument and explanation" rather than on science as "explanation and argument." They also call for scientific argumentation to play a more central role in the teaching and learning of science (NRC 1996). To that end, this article describes a multiple-day, inquiry-based lesson about the phases of the Moon that engages students in scientific research and argumentation.

Solar Paths: An International and Integrated Look at the Sun and Seasons

3/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

Some of the most difficult concepts for students to understand in Earth science are the ideas and explanations related to the Sun and seasons. The daily rotation of the Earth causes day and night, and the differences of how it is observed at different locations on Earth is a concept that is a challenge for many middle-school-age students to grasp. This article describes how to present these ideas to students using an international perspective and integrated approach that includes myth, archaeology, culture, and science.

Everyday Engineering: What Makes a Bic Click?

3/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

The ballpoint pen is an ideal example of simple engineering that we use everyday. But is it really so simple? The ballpoint pen is a remarkable combination of technology and science. Its operation uses several scientific principles related to chemistry and physics, such as properties of liquids and simple machines. They represent significant advancement in the engineering development of writing instruments. This article describes how basic engineering ideas can be integrated with properties of matter using the 5-E Learning Cycle model of inquiry pedagogy (Moyer, Hackett, and Everett 2007).

Science Sampler: Happy science Mother's Day

3/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

It's almost May and review for final exams will soon be in full swing. Mother's Day is celebrated every second Sunday in May. Have students combine their use of science vocabulary and their love for Mom by creating scientific Mother's Day greeting cards.

Water You Engineering? An Activity to Develop Water-Quality Awareness

3/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

Water is one of our most precious resources. However, for many in the United States, having fresh, safe drinking water is taken for granted, and due to this perceived lack of relevance, students may not fully appreciate the luxury of having safe running water-in the home. One approach to resolving water-quality issues in the United States may reside in providing education that presents accurate information in a meaningful way. Accordingly, this article describes a unit designed to emphasize the importance of water-quality testing and purification and to introduce students to local water-quality issues. The engineering-based module of this eighth-grade science activity is particularly important due to the design-build-test component.

Career of the Month: An Interview With Ice Scientist Julienne Stroeve

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

While most of us may never see or feel Arctic sea ice ourselves, it directly influences the climate, wildlife, and people who live in the Arctic-and because of the link to global warming, the fate of sea ice affects the rest of us, too. As an ice scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Julienne Stroeve studies the changes in Arctic sea ice to piece together what its decline means for our planet.

Stories in Science

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Storytelling is not just something experienced at bedtime, in the movies, or with friends. Rather, it is a way that knowledge has been transferred for generations. Stories allow the listener to gain understanding in a natural way. A good story can capture the imagination of students, making them eager to learn more. This article describes the use of one science story, "FloJo: The Word's Fastest Woman," in the physics classroom. Students are engaged with the science content material through the personal frame of the story. In the activity described in this article, students study physics and kinetics while designing and running their own races.

The Prepared Practitioner: An Assessment Primer

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Although the title of this month's column may make your skin crawl-read on. Everyone should understand a few basics about the "A" word. Being able to distinguish formative from summative assessment and criterion-based from norm-referenced testing helps not only teachers, but also parents, the larger community, and students. In a school system awash in assessment data, helping others understand where the data comes from and how it is meant to be used becomes critical. Together, we can turn the "A" word from "awful" to "awesome" (or at least "all right")!

Editor's Corner: Outside the School Walls

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

This issue of The Science Teacher (TST) continues our tradition of devoting one issue each year to partnerships that connect students, teachers, and their communities. Science activities that take students outside school walls can combine the best aspects of community service, problem- and project-based learning, and lessons in good citizenship. Over the last five years, TST has published more than 50 articles describing community partnership programs. The model projects found in this issue add to TST's archive of successful community partnership projects.

Safer Science: Biosafety-Getting the Bugs Out

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Basic knowledge and adoption of biosafety guidelines, including disinfection and sterilization techniques, are a necessary component in high school biology laboratories. This is especially important if students or instructors are working with growing cultures or are involved in recombinant DNA activities. Also of concern is the growing presence of bloodborne pathogens, other potentially infectious materials (OPIMSs), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and immune-suppressed or compromised students and teachers. This month's Safer Science column addresses how these "bugs" can be kept under control.

Idea Bank: Vector, Vector-That's Our Cry!

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

There are all kinds of computer-based software programs and websites available to help students understand and manipulate vector quantities. But if you have the time and want to do something different, this Idea Bank describes an easy, low-tech, and fun activity for teaching the "head-to-tail" method of combining vectors and the difference between "distance" and "displacement." All you need for this activity are scissors, some envelopes, metersticks, and a football field.

Health Wise-April/May 2009

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

The number of MRSA cases per year is rising-especially during football season. Could you tell me more about MRSA and what is causing this rise?

EQUIPping Teachers

3/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

For many years, publications such as the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and The Science Teacher (TST) have encouraged teachers to focus science classes more heavily on inquiry-based instructional practice. One way to improve our teaching practice is to use a benchmark assessment to obtain a solid point of reference that honestly reflects what we do in the classroom, and then to design a developmental plan to raise the level of performance. The Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol (EQUIP) is helpful in providing both a benchmark and a guide to improving the quality of inquiry implemented in our classrooms.

A Glue From Slug Slime?

3/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

"Yuuuck!" "Gross!" "Cool!" The response to slugs is never indifference. These slimy creatures are perfect for captivating students' imagination and curiosity, and they are ideal subjects to introduce investigative science. This article describes a classroom activity in which students design a research investigation to answer the question: "Is slug slime a good glue?" Through a series of guided steps, students work in small groups to decide how to measure the success of an adhesive. Each research team invents a unique tool, the "Sticky-O-Meter," to quantify glue stickiness. Students compare results for slug slime with those from a commercial adhesive.

The Big Sky Inside

3/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

The University of Montana (UM)-Missoula has implemented a problem-based program in which students perform scientific research focused on indoor air pollution. The Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program (Jones et al. 2007; Adams et al. 2008; Ward et al. 2008) provides a community-based framework for understanding the complex relationship between poor air quality and respiratory health outcomes by teaching students chemical, physical, and health concepts in the classroom setting. In addition to designing controlled experiments, students are guided through the process for conducting independent research projects to explore a real-world issue in their communities.

Collaboration at the Nanoscale

3/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Maine ScienceCorps is a project sponsored by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12 ) program. Through this program, the University of Southern Maine's (USM) virology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) research group provides high school teachers and students in rural areas with access to the nanoscale world of viruses. This article illustrates how access to the university research community's advanced technological resources can enrich science learning in high school classrooms.

The State High Biodiesel Project

3/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

Through a collaborative project in Pennsylvania, high school students developed a method for converting batches of their cafeteria's waste fryer oil into biodiesel using a 190 L (50 gal) reactor. While the biodiesel is used to supplement the school district's heating and transportation energy needs, the byproduct-glycerol-is used to make hand soap to sell in the school store. Proceeds from both of these products are used to support the continuation of the project, in which students learn the science behind biodiesel and its relation to our environment. This article provides an overview of the State High Biodiesel Project with the hope of inspiring other school districts to develop their own programs.

Editorial: Au Courant Connections

3/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

In an effort to connect with college-level science instructors "beyond the classroom walls," the editor plans to start a blog. Blogs are the electronic equivalent of an open conversation at a relaxed conference. You get there through an internet site, and watch what's going on. Because it's a place for an ongoing discussion, you can chime in at any time just by typing a casual sentence. Entries by everyone are usually brief, frequently direct, and don't require more than a modicum of energy to overcome the natural inertia or shyness we all experience. So fire up your browser, copy this address into the appropriate spot-http://blogs.nsta.org/JCSTBlog, and hit "enter." We're all waiting!

Point of View: "Is a Bird an Animal?" The Necessity of Science Content Knowledge

3/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

Teachers often see science as an important subject to teach, but they are often reluctant to teach science because they feel inadequately prepared or are unsure of their abilities (Atwater, Gardener, and Knight 1991; Bybee 1991; Dickinson et al. 1997). While this is very discouraging, at least practicing teachers recognize that they have a deficiency in science content knowledge. This is a dilemma that is faced by many teacher-training programs. But, if it is our goal to develop citizens who understand basic science concepts, then should we not expect teachers to already have a good general science background? This article discusses the necessity of science content knowledge.

Research and Teaching: Are In-Class Peer Leaders Effective in the Peer-Led Team-Learning Approach?

3/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

Peer-led team learning (PLTL) has been widely adopted for enhanced learning in a variety of disciplines, mostly in introductory chemistry, but also in organic chemistry, as in this study (Tien, Roth, and Kampmeier 2002). This pedagogical approach forms student groups led by students who have previously done well in the course (standard peer leaders). This study shows that in-class peer leaders (students currently taking the class) can perform group leadership as effectively as standard peer leaders, enabling easier implementation of this pedagogy.

Society for College Science Teachers: "What? Professors Evaluating Themselves? Are You Out of Your Mind?" In Defense of Faculty Self-Evaluation

3/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

Self-assessment is a win-win evaluation system. Evaluees, not the department or university, control the process by selecting the evaluation criteria. Self-assessment also eliminates the uncomfortable and burdensome task of peer evaluation. Self-evaluation allows for a thoughtful assessment of yearly progress on objectives, and challenges to meeting those objectives. It is by far the fairest, least aggressive, and most reliable way to evaluate college faculty. Finally, unlike other forms of assessment, self-evaluation can never be performed without an investment from the professor being reviewed.

Developing and Implementing an Interdisciplinary Origins Course at a State University

3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

A truly interdisciplinary course was successfully developed and taught that presented an overview of the historical sciences with an emphasis on the nature of scientific inquiry and its relationship to other ways of knowing. The course included contributions from faculty in physics, biology, geology, philosophy, and English.

Favorite Demonstration: The Internet-Telephone Interview as a Classroom Teaching Tool

3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

The in-class telephone interview is discussed as a teaching tool that adds an additional active-learning dimension to a classroom environment. Students can actively engage in dialogue with the interviewee using high-speed internet and low-cost services such as Skype, the popular internet telephone service. The interviewee's picture and web page can also be used to enhance the dialogue.

MathBench Biology Modules: Web-Based Math for All Biology Undergraduates

3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Historically, biology has not been a heavily quantitative science, but this is changing rapidly (Ewing 2002; Gross 2000; Hastings and palmer 2003; Jungck 2005; Steen 2005). Quantitative approaches now constitute a key tool for modern biologists, yet undergraduate biology courses remain largely qualitative and descriptive. Although biology majors are often required to take a full year of calculus, these courses generally use examples unrelated to biology (Gross 1994) and ignore fields of mathematics that may be more relevant to biology, such as liner algebra or theoretical probability and statistics (NRC 2003). In this series of interactive, web-based modules, students are introduced to the mathematical underpinnings of introductory biology in an informal but powerful way.

Research and Teaching: Team-Based Learning Enhances Performance in Introductory Biology

3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Given the problems associated with the traditional lecture method, the constraints associated with large classes, and the effectiveness of active learning, continued development and testing of efficient student-centered learning approaches are needed. This study explores the effectiveness of team-based learning (TBL) in a large-enrollment introductory biology class.

Ecohydrology as an Undergraduate Degree: Challenges in Developing an Interdisciplinary Major

3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

In the new ecohydrology major at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), students learn about the relationships between hydrologic mechanisms and ecological patterns and processes in watersheds and aquatic systems. The curriculum provides students with the option of meeting the requirements for federal positions as a hydrologist (GS 1315) and is designed to provide physical scientists with a strong secondary emphasis in ecology. This paper describes the development of this novel undergraduate degree in ecohydrology and some of the challenges involved in its development and implementation.

Designing Peer Review for Pedagogical Success: What Can We Learn From Professional Science?

3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article compares peer review in professional versus education settings, summarizing key aspects of scientific peer review and reflecting on how these relate to the process as experienced by students. Consideration of professional peer review benefits educators in two ways. First, systems used for student peer review can employ some of the same tactics employed in professional science to minimize bias, optimize the impact of reviews, and maximize the quality of final manuscripts. In addition, explicit discussion of relevant aspects of professional peer review introduces students to important aspects of the nature of science.

On Clickers, Questions, and Learning

3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

The purpose of this paper is to review the procedures used to help students become learning victors. Specifically, this paper will discuss the process used to integrate classroom-response-system technology and question-driven instruction into an introductory anatomy and physiology course for pre-nursing/allied health students at a community college. Emphasis is placed on a systematic process for developing effective questions. Student reaction to this strategy is also discussed.

Tired and True: Message in a bottle-Analyzing reaction rates using gas pressure sensors

3/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

One of the many ways to engage students in science is by using probes or computerized devices that respond in real time to changes. In the following learning cycle lesson, an after-school science and mathematics club consisting of about 20 students uses a computerized pressure sensor to evaluate the rates at which effervescent tablets (such as Alka-Seltzer) dissolve. By using the data-collection devices, students were able to see, in real time, the variables that affected the pressure in the bottle. They were also able to apply the "message in the bottle" to effervescent rockets.

Teacher's Toolkit: Cracking the method

3/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

One problem we face as teachers of sixth-grade science is how to teach the process of inquiry to students who are still used to learning everything concretely. Indeed, even after walking students through an inquiry lab while modeling the lab-report-writing process and providing think-alouds along the way, we find that students still do not master experimental design. As a remedy to this problem, the authors have, in addition to immersing students in inquiry activities, incorporated short reading passages to give students extra practice in understanding specific parts of the process of inquiry. Their method is described in this month's column.

Editor's Roundtable: Essential data

3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Answering a question or proposing an explanation based on evidence gathered from observations and measurements is at the heart of scientific inquiry. To develop this ability, teachers should provide repeated opportunities for students to generate questions, figure out what data must be collected, decide what tools they must use to gather it, and determine the best way to organize and display it. The activities in this issue of Scope will show your students how to properly represent and analyze the data they collect firsthand and to examine and use existing databases and images to craft explanations and make important decisions.

Case Study: Chimpanzee Droppings Lead Scientists to Evolutionary Discovery

3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

This case study explores the evolution of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) from SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) and how scientists approach problems. The goal is for students to get a sense of how questions are formulated and methods are employed in the field, to understand the contribution of basic and applied science toward fostering our understanding of the natural world, and to explore a case on viral evolution.

Scope on Safety: Safety in the Science Classroom-An online resource from NSTA

2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

NSTA's Science Safety Advisory Board has developed a new online resource for science teachers, Safety in the Science Classroom. The document introduces the Standards of Student Conduct in the laboratory and in the Field (SSCLF)-a list of behavioral expectations that should be in place for students to properly conduct themselves in the laboratory or field. This month's column provides examples of standards taken from the SSCLF that deal with personal protective equipment for the eyes and appropriate attire.

Scope on the Skies: Star light, star bright

2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

In astronomy, the brightness of a star is described in terms of a star's magnitude. Stellar magnitude is expressed two different ways, using the terms apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude. For both magnitudes, the numbering scale is the same, with negative numbers being brighter stars and positive numbers being dimmer stars. This month's column sheds light on the stars and how astronomers measure distances to these celestial objects.

Science Sampler: Plastics in our environment-A jigsaw learning activity

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this lesson, a ready-to-teach cooperative reading activity, students learn about the effects of plastics n our environment, specifically that certain petrochemicals act as artificial estrogens and impact hormonal activities. Much of the content in this lesson was synthesized from recent medical research about the impact of xenoestrogens and spun off from a curriculum project sponsored by the U.S. Army Research office.

Science Sampler: Laws of motion

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

What do you get when you cross an electronic whiteboard, online videos, and a room full of sixth graders? This may perhaps sound like an uncontrollable mix, but these simple ingredients create an interesting way to reinforce student understanding of Newton's laws of motion. This activity can be completed in one class period if each group of three students has access to a computer. If not enough computers are available, you may need additional time for all groups to complete the activity.

Science Sampler: Making connections in Earth science using local data

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

Examining data provides a unique opportunity to have students work actively with various technologies, such as computers or graphing calculators. Students can import data into spreadsheet software, execute mathematical calculations, create data graphs, and use this material in reports to present the results of their inquiry. Reinforcing the use of technology in a classroom environment, as well as generating reports to communicate information, is another goal of the National Science Education Standards. Defining these objectives reinforces the link between science and math and brings relevance to both topics. The following activity example details how students can explore and try to make sense of data.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Books published in 2008)

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

Today's classrooms have no real walls! Students explore the world on field trips, during virtual journeys on the world wide web, and through the books they read. These pathways help them fly to the ends of the universe to satisfy their scientific curiosity. Again this year, the professionals of the NSTA/CBC Review Panel for Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 have been pleased to serve as travel guides, identifying the best in trade books for student explorations. Not only are these books accurate, up-to-date, and attractive, but they also represent a new, creative path to inquiry. The journey begins here-come along!

What About Albert Einstein? Using Biographies to Promote Students' Scientific Thinking

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

Who hasn't heard of Einstein? Science educators everywhere are familiar with Einstein's genius and general theory of relativity. Students easily recognize Einstein's image by his white flyaway hair and bushy mustache. It is well known that Einstein was a brilliant physicist and an abstract thinker who often used his creativity and imagination in his scientific thought process (Parker 2003). Clearly, if students had opportunities to study Einstein and other scientists, it might increase their interest in science and encourage them to think more like scientists. To that end, this article describes how Einstein can be highlighted in a biography unit for the middle grades.

A Land-Use-Planning Simulation Using Google Earth

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

Google Earth (GE) is proving to be a valuable tool in the science classroom for understanding the environment and making responsible environmental decisions (Bodzin 2008). GE provides learners with a dynamic mapping experience using a simple interface with a limited range of functions. This interface makes geospatial analysis accessible and feasible for classroom use. Therefore, the authors developed a four week land-use-change curricular unit in which students use geospatial information technology tools including GE and other remotely sensed images to investigate modern-day land-use issues and land-use change over time.

Roadkill Data Analysis: Using Spreadsheets to Integrate Math and Science

2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

The process of inspiring students into framing authentic questions and then providing them structured support in answering the questions through scientific research is widely recognized as a key element, if not the heart and soul, of inquiry-based science education. Large online databases, when combined with appropriate data-manipulation tools and data-visualization tools, provide excellent tools for teaching an integrated curriculum that includes science process skills, science content, mathematics, and technology. This paper examines one tool for inspiring such questions and supporting their exploration: the Forestry Outreach Site (FORSITE) roadkill database.

Chow Down! Using Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to Explore Basic Nutrition Concepts

2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Madagascar hissing cockroach gromphadorhina portentosa) is one of the most exciting and enjoyable animals to incorporate into your science curriculum. Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHCs) do not bite, are easy to handle, produce little odor compared to many terrarium animals, have a fascinating social structure, are easy to breed, teach students how to properly care for animals, and are very cool looking! This article describes an inquiry-based MHC activity and further questions for your students to explore. The activity and questions address basic concepts of nutrition.

Big Macs and Healthy Teens? Exploring Fast Food as Part of a Healthy Adolescent Lifestyle

2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

In the set of activities, explorations, and discussions described here, students apply healthy eating information when they make nutrition choices both at home and when eating out. These lessons introduce considerations such as portion size and caloric nutrients, while also exploring tools and resources for understanding both nutritional guidelines and for evaluating the nutritional value of a food. This progression of data collection and analysis culminates with students applying their knowledge as they author position statements that answer the question, "Is it possible to include fast food as part of a healthy lifestyle?"

Teaching Through Trade Books: Pondering Popcorn

2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

When most people hear the word, popcorn, they think of a tasty treat enjoyed at the movies. In this month's column, popcorn takes center stage as students engage in investigations relating to observations and predictions, as well as conducting an experiment about the difference between yellow and white kernels of popcorn.

The Early Years: Does Light Go Through It?

2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Words give us the power to describe our world and how we experience it. Any time we classify something, we give it a name to distinguish it from all others of its kind. Like the buttons on a kitchen blender which says "mix" in five or six different ways, there is more than one word to describe if or how light travels through a material. Opaque, translucent, and transparent are appropriate for young children because they can be distinguished by observation and without measuring. In this following activity, children test the opacity of various materials and learn about light, part of National Science Education Content Standard B: Physical Science.

Science 101: What makes a curveball curve?

2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

Ah, springtime, and young people's thoughts turn to … baseball, of course. But this column is not about how to throw a curveball, so you'll have to look that up on your own. Here the focus is on the why of the curveball. There are two different things that cause a spinning ball to curve. One is known as the Bernoulli effect and the other is known as the Magnus effect. The Bernoulli effect is the easiest to understand, so we begin with that, even though the Magnus effect is the dominant one in causing a ball to curve.

Perspectives: Helping Students Understand the Nature of Science

2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

An important goal of science teaching is to help students understand the "nature of science"-what science is and how science works. The nature of science addresses the importance of creativity and imagination in scientific work; how scientists invent explanations for phenomena; the difference between observation and inference; how scientific ideas are subject to change; and how culture and society influence science. By focusing on not just what we know but how we know, teachers are providing students with a robust view of science. This article discusses how to help students understand the nature of science.

Every Day Science Calendar: March 2009

2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer.

Editor's Note: Classification Matters

2/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Classification skills, so foundational to science, must be taught. While children have a passion and drive to organize and categorize their experiences, sometimes the way they organize them doesn't lead to a worthwhile or accurate scientific understanding. Just as putting a pencil in the hands of a child doesn't automatically teach them to write, having a child sort rocks won't lead to an understanding of classification. The articles in this issue aim to help you teach students how to classify successfully and with purpose.

Methods and Strategies: The Home Connection

2/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Teachers can help students gain experience in the natural world by taking students outside, but such experiences usually have tight time constraints due to elementary students' very busy daily school schedules. Another important, yet often overlooked, resource for gaining experience in the natural world is caregivers and families. This article provides several strategies that can be used to help you optimize the role of families in your students' science education.

Science Shorts: About Form and Function

2/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Humans have been classifying organisms since before recorded history, cataloging flora and fauna for our own species' benefit. Recognition of particular forms-the bark of a tree, shape of a leaf, or color of a mushroom cap-could reveal important insight as to the organism's functions, such as providing food, fiber, or medicine. In the activity that follows, students will create lists of physical traits (forms) for objects, followed by lists of functions. Students will then look for similarities across objects and classify the objects based on shared forms and uses.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Books published in 2008)

2/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Libros de Ciencias en Español: A selection of recent science trade books in Spanish (March 2009)

2/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Simple, lively, and easy-to-understand science books in Spanish for the very young are the new reality in the publishing world. In contrast to previous years where there has been a wider selection of books for beginning, middle, and advanced readers, today publishers in the United States (with a few exceptions) seem to be concentrating on books for young readers. Nonetheless, there are still some excellent books for older readers-among them the attractively designed series about prey animals and nature and engaging books about health and nutrition that are highlighted here.

Classifying Classification

2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article describes the experience of a group of first-grade teachers as they tackled the science process of classification, a targeted learning objective for the first grade. While the two-year process was not easy and required teachers to teach in a new, ore investigation-oriented way, the benefits were great. The project helped teachers and students focus on "doing" science, developed teachers' formative assessment strategies, and showed teachers the value of allowing students different ways to share what they know or how they do things.

Gold Rush!

2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

An after-school science class on properties teaches students "all that glitters is not gold." Through this gold panning simulation, students analyze the properties of pyrite, or "Fool's Gold," and discover the importance of properties to early prospectors and themselves. This interdisciplinary activity is loosely based on the Nature Watch kit "Gold Diggins."

Sheltered Instruction Techniques for ELLs

2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

The suggestions described here to adapt instruction for English Language Learners (ELLs) are based on the concept of sheltered instruction, a model of language-support methods for instruction for ELLs derived primarily through the Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol (SIOP) developed by Jana Echevarria, Mary Ellen Vogt, and Deborah Short (2007). While the SIOP model can address various levels of English language proficiency, students at the highest level of English language proficiency, students at the highest level of proficiency will understand the objectives better than those at the earliest stages of English acquisition.

Shark Teeth Classification

2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

On a recent autumn afternoon at Harmony Leland Elementary in Mableton, Georgia, students in a fifth-grade science class investigated the essential process of classification-the act of putting things into groups according to some common characteristics or attributes. While they may have honed these skills earlier in the week by grouping their own shoes or school supplies, this class provided the unique opportunity to classify objects that are inherently fascinating to students-shark teeth fossils! This article describes how by using the teeth to estimate the length of ancient sharks, students got a classification activity they could really sink their teeth into.

Career of the Month: An Interview With Science Institute Program Director Laura Heisler

2/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Laura Heisler always wanted to apply her interest in science to help people and make a difference. As a science program director, she brings together scientists, members of the business community, and others for the benefit of both society and the scientists. A people person with a broad background in science and communication, Heisler bridges diverse groups to reach common scientific goals.

Safer Science: Lifesaver Resources for Chemical Selection

2/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

High school science teachers, supervisors, and chemical hygiene officers (CHO) can turn to a number of internet resources for help when making decisions about hazardous chemical use. Before considering these resources, it is important to research local Board of Education and government policies on hazardous chemicals. For instance, many boards now ban the use of mercury and mercury compounds. This article discusses two outstanding resources that are useful hazardous chemical "hit lists": The Banned Chemical List and Rehab the Lab.

Idea Bank: Astronomy for Students With Sensory Impairments

2/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Space Exploration and Experience (SEE) Project and Yerkes Astrophysics Academy for Young Scientists (YAAYS)-both at the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin-are designed to promote active learning in astronomy and physical science for all students, including those with vision or hearing impairments. Resources include the Hands-On Universe (HOU) facility and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Active Astronomy (AA) curriculum kits. This Idea Bank discusses these resources, which allow teachers to help all students-with and without sensory impairments-to participate in the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA) experience.

Editor's Corner: Our Patchwork Heritage

2/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Enriching the classroom experience for all learners will contribute fabric to the great patchwork heritage that is our nation's strength. Therefore, in recognition of the need to include all types of diverse learners, this issue of The Science Teacher (TST) is devoted to "Science for All." This theme serves as an umbrella for ideas and strategies to mitigate academic achievement gaps associated with ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, physical disabilities, limited English language proficiency, and learning differences. All of this is at the core of the NSTA mission: "to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all."

NSTA Learning Center Professional Development Tools

Student Reactions to Just-in-Time Teaching's Reading Assignments

Editor's Corner: Let Us Now Praise Science Teachers

Teaching Through Trade Books: Discover Reading

The Early Years: A Reason to Write

Reinventing the Wheel

Natural Resources: Digging Soil

Methods and Strategies: Connecting Science and Literacy Through Talk

Science 101: How can wind cause a bridge to collapse?

Editor's Note: Arguing Versus Scientific Argumentation

Every Day Science: November 2009

Bringing Back Books

More Than One "Right" Answer

Editor's Roundtable: Weaving a web of learning

Guest Editorial: Physics or stamp collecting? Pitfalls of the hierarchy of disciplines

Speed Kills! (Or Does It?)

Dare to Disagree, as Scientists

The Art of Argumentation

Scope on the Skies: Living with a star

Tech Trek: Podcasts and blogs

Scope on Safety: Signs of safer science

Everyday Engineering: Time's up, turkey-Pop-up thermometers

Search for the Golden Moon Bear: Using Reader's Theater to Teach Science

Cell Towers and Songbirds

Amber: Using "Tree Tears Turned to Stone" to Teach Biology, Ecology, and More!

Science Sampler: Global Warming Project

Science Sampler: The great divide-How mathematics is perceived by students in math and science classrooms

Solving the Mystery of Mock Mummies: Using Scientific Inquiry Skills in an Integrated Lesson

Science Shorts: Solar Pizza Friday

Safer Science: Sun Safety-The Stats

Idea Bank: Extra! Extra! Read All About the Universe!

Health Wise: November 2009

The Prepared Practitioner: Data, Data Everywhere

Editor's Corner: Where's the Evidence?

Commentary: Seven Steps to Teaching With Inquiry

Elk Habitat: A Case Study of Scientific Inquiry

Examining Student Work

The Sound of Crickets

A New Twist on "Mystery Boxes"

Argument-Driven Inquiry

Editorial: Unintentional Verbosity

Point of View: How Are We Reforming Teaching in Undergraduate Science Courses?

Society for College Science Teachers: "it sais i have a D how that be"

Favorite Demonstration: Structure-Function Lab in a Bag

Case Study: The Wisdom of Groups

Research and Teaching: Scientist - Science Educator Collaborations-Do They Improve Student's Understanding of the Nature of Science

What is the Value of Course-Specific Learning Goals?

A Versatile Module to Improve Understanding of Scientific Literature Through Peer Instruction

Bridging the Gap Between Real-World Polar Science and the Classroom

Application of the K-W-L Teaching and Learning Method to an Introductory Physics Course

Attitudes and Interests Among University Students in Introductory Nonmajor Science Courses: Does Gender Matter?

Web-Based Learning Enhancements: Video Lectures Through Voice-Over PowerPoint in a Majors-Level Biology Course

Everyday Engineering: What makes a squirt gun squirt?

Editor's Roundtable: Chemistry beyond the chemicals

Science Sampler: Enhancing student understanding of physical and chemical changes

Science Sampler: The Element Walk

Tried and True: Inquiry-based dissolving

Scope on Safety: Science storage requirements

Scope on the Skies: October Skies (2009)

That Is Not Where That Element Goes … Ah, the Nature of Science

Science Sampler: Chemistry in action-Triple delight

Watching the Pot to Improve Inquiry Skills

No More Leaks: A Process-Oriented Lesson Exploring the Invention and Chemistry of Disposable Diapers

Korean Kimchi Chemistry

Editor's Note: Creating Problem Solvers

Every Day Science: October 2009

Teaching through Trade Books: Secrets of Flight

The Early Years: Safe Smelling

Natural Resources: For the Birds

Methods and Strategies: Literacy in the Learning Cycle

Science Shorts: Astronomies of Scale

Science 101: How do you ask effective questions in science class, and how do you analyze the responses?

Deer Tracks in the City?

Problem Solving by Design

Wind Solvers

Making Sense of Data

Today's Authors, Tomorrow's Scientists

<em>CSI</em> for Trees

Addressing Misconceptions

Career of the Month: An Interview With Science Writer Tina Saey