Recently added articles from The Science Teacher:
Learning science beyond the classroom.(The Prepared Practitioner)(science museums)
Jun 22, 2008; Colburn, Alan ... Have you ever learned science outside of school, free of fact-based standards and tests? Were you at a museum, national park, or maybe in front of a TV? Science educators refer to this kind of learning as free-choice learning or informal learning. The terms are often used when talking ...
Making adjustments for mobility impaired students.(Safer Science)
Jun 22, 2008; Roy, Ken ... In 1985, the year Halley's Comet last passed near Earth, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) initiated Project 2061. Science for All Americans, the project's cornerstone publication, was recognized as the first step in establishing national standards in science ...
Clumps and sickle cell.(Headline Science)
Jun 22, 2008 ... It has long been known that patients with sickle cell disease have malformed, "sickle-shaped" red blood cells--which are normally disc-shaped --that can cause sudden painful episodes when they block small blood vessels. Now, researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel ...
Leaving our mark.(Headline Science)(greenhouse gas emissions)
Jun 22, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Everyone who lives in the United States contributes more than twice as much greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as the global average, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) class has estimated. The class studied the carbon emissions of Americans in a ...
Sticky nanotubes.(Headline Science)(peeling nanotubes)(Brief article)
Jun 22, 2008 ... Researchers at Purdue University are the first to precisely measure the forces required to peel tiny nanotubes off of other materials, opening up the possibility for nano-manufacturing and harnessing a gecko's ability to walk up walls. So-called peel tests are used extensively ...
Hearing linked to cochlea shape.(Headline Science)
Jun 22, 2008 ... Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea--the snail shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers--which proves to be surprisingly important. A study published in the Proceedings of ...
Unisex brain in flies.(Headline Science)
Jun 22, 2008 ... Research by Yale University scientists shows that males and females have essentially unisex brains--at least in flies--according to a recent report designed to identify factors that are responsible for sex differences in behavior. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ...
Birds respond to human gaze.(Headline Science)
Jun 22, 2008 ... In humans, the eyes are said to be the "window to the soul," conveying much about a person's emotions and intentions. For the first time, new research demonstrates that birds also respond to a human's gaze. Predators tend to look at their prey when they attack, so direct ...
Nutcracker Man challenges human diet.(Headline Science)
Jun 22, 2008 ... Tiny marks on the teeth of an ancient human ancestor known as the "Nutcracker Man" may upset current evolutionary understanding of early hominid diet. Using high-powered microscopes, researchers looked at rough geometric shapes on the teeth of several Nutcracker Man specimens and ...
Some bacteria survive antibiotics.(Headline Science)
Jun 22, 2008 ... Researchers at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) have discovered how some bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment by turning on resistance mechanisms when exposed to the drugs. The findings, published in the journal Molecular Cell, could lead to more effective antibiotics to treat ...
New ocean current.(Headline Science)(Brief article)
Jun 22, 2008 ... Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have discovered a new climate pattern called the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation. This new pattern explains, for the first time, changes in the water that are important in helping commercial fishermen understand fluctuations ...
Take a voyage of discovery: NSTA Recommends reviewers share reading suggestions for teachers.(National Science Teachers Association)
Jun 22, 2008; Texley, Juliana ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On December 27, 1831, the H.M.S. Beagle left Plymouth Harbor for a round-the-world voyage. On board was would-be botanist Charles Darwin, the best tour guide biology has ever known. In 2009, we will celebrate Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th ...
The nature of science in popular nonfiction: popular science books encourage students' literacy skills and interest in science.
Jun 22, 2008; Austin, Barbara ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Why do we have to learn this?" The question has the power to strike fear in the heart of even the most seasoned science teacher. While planning a 10th-grade summer physical science course, we stumbled across a strategy to help put this question out of ...
Reading aloud: integrating science and literature for all students.
Jun 22, 2008; Delo, Lynda ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When students read literature that connects science to their everyday lives, the science becomes more interesting and relevant, and in turn, students are motivated to gain a better understanding of the subject matter. Many resources are available to ...
Structuring the level of inquiry in your classroom: a rubric helps teachers compare experiments and plan inquiry trajectories.
Jun 22, 2008; Fay, Michael E. ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the upcoming school year approaches, many science teachers may be looking for new ways to incorporate inquiry in their classrooms. Fortunately, teachers have an array of inquiry activities at their fingertips. The scientific literature, for example, ...
Realize your mentoring success: conceptions of mentoring help shape interactions between new science teachers and their mentors.(Report)
Jun 22, 2008; Koballa, Thomas, Jr. ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Your principal has asked you to mentor the new teacher joining your science faculty. This person may be a recent graduate from a college teacher-education program or an individual coming directly into teaching after years of working in the private sector ....
Using all available tools: effective strategies to teach English language learners in the science classroom.
Jun 22, 2008; Greathouse, Denise ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Schools in the United States are faced with an increasingly diverse student population and a dramatic increase in the number of English language learners (ELLs) in all grades. Currently, 12% of students in U.S. schools speak a language other than English, ...
Measuring the speed of sound.(Idea Bank)
Jun 22, 2008; Brown, Jeremy ... The following physics lab activities are new versions of old experiments for measuring the speed of sound--what makes them new is their use of electronic interfacing, which can be exciting for students. Experiment 1: The "echo tube" When I was setting up my new ...
Oyster wrangler.(Career of the Month)
Jun 22, 2008; Sullivan, Megan ... Did you know that oysters, simply by eating, filter the water they live in? An adult oyster can filter up to 225 L of water every day! In addition, oyster reefs play the important role of sheltering many fish and crab species. Today, the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population is dangerously ...
Ask the experts.(science )
Jun 22, 2008; Rosner, Marc ... A Note from the Column Editor Sadly, this is our final "Ask the Experts" column. In the wake of exponential internet growth and increased classroom access, we believe you have the power to teach students to research questions directly and to reach out with them yourself to ...