The Science Teacher back issues from February 2006:
Science literacy: then and now.(Editorial)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Writing has always been an integral part of science. The major advances in the history of science are marked by its literature: Aristotle's Physics, Descartes' Discourse on Method, Newton's Principia (see picture), Mendel's Experiments in Plant Hybridization, Darwin's The Origin of ...
Mushrooms for fuel?(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Fallen logs on the forest floor make a perfect home for Shiitake mushrooms (see picture). These fungi thrive on the downed wood, turning it into sugars that they use for food. Now, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in California are looking at bringing the gourmet mushrooms' ...
Scientists sequence DNA of woolly mammoth.
Feb 01, 2006 ... A team of genome researchers at Penn State University and experts in ancient DNA at McMaster University has obtained the first genomic sequences from a woolly mammoth, a mammal that roamed grassy plains of the Northern Hemisphere until it became extinct about 10,000 years ago. The team's ...
Squid parenting skills.(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Squid have always been considered poor parents: They lay their eggs on the seafloor and leave them to develop on their own. But a University of Rhode Island (URI) scientist has made the first observation of parental care by squid when he used a remotely operated underwater vehicle in the ...
Ancient glaciers.(disappearance of the glaciers at North America)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Long after the disappearance of the glaciers that once covered much of North America, the land they rested on is still recovering from their weight--and the slow movement of this recovery includes horizontal motion never seen before, say Purdue scientists. The research team, led ...
A huge tooth.(narwhal )(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) researcher Martin Nweeia has answered a marine science question that has eluded the scientific community for hundreds of years: Why does the narwhal, or "unicorn," whale have a 2.4 m tooth emerging from its head (see picture), and what is its ...
Food foraging co-op.(army ants )
Feb 01, 2006 ... Animal behaviorist Sean O'Donnell was having an afternoon cup of coffee when a giant earthworm exploded out of the leaf litter covering the jungle floor in an Ecuadorean nature preserve. The worm, later measured at nearly 0.4 m long, was pursued by a column of hundreds of raiding army ants ...
Biobased plastic.(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Electroactive polymers--plastics that expand or contract when stimulated by electricity--can now be made from plants rather than petrochemicals, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. There is now significant interest in the possible use of electroactive ...
Sea snail killers.(Periwinkles)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Periwinkles, the spiral-shelled snails commonly found along rocky U.S. shorelines, play a primary role in the unprecedented disappearance of salt marsh in the southeastern states, according to research published in Science. Based on extensive field studies, the work challenges ...
Anthrax vaccine in tobacco plants.
Feb 01, 2006 ... Enough anthrax vaccine to inoculate everyone in the United States could be grown inexpensively and safely with only one acre of tobacco plants, a University of Central Florida (UCF) molecular biologist has found. The results of the study are published in the Infection & Immunity journal. ...
Cavefish and evolution.(research )
Feb 01, 2006 ... A study offers additional insight into the evolutionary process by examining how albinism evolves in cavefish. Researchers examined two populations of Mexican cavefish and found that albinism in both populations was linked to Oca2--a pigmentation gene also responsible for the most common ...
A spoonful of sugar.(analgesic for children)
Feb 01, 2006 ... It is no secret that children like sweet-tasting foods and beverages. It is also known that sweet taste acts as an analgesic in children, reducing their perception of pain. Now researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center report in the journal Pain that the analgesic ...
An ear for flying.(bats' touch-sensitivity)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Bats have an "ear" for flying in the dark because of a remarkable auditory talent that allows them to determine their physical environment by listening to echoes. But an Ohio University neurobiology professor says bats have a "feel" for it, too. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Literacy in science: a natural fit; Promoting student literacy through inquiry.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Reading is an essential part of science literacy, but what, when, and how can we incorporate reading in the science classroom? Like many of my colleagues, I avoided relying on the textbook by engaging students in lectures, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and videos. Unfortunately, as ...
Teaching expository text structures: a vocabulary activity to improve student awareness of text structure and context.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Many students enter high school unskilled in the art of reading to learn from science textbooks. Even students who can read full-length novels often find science books difficult to read because students have relatively little practice with the various types of expository text structures ...
Enabling all students to learn science.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Communicating with students in today's high school science classroom is challenging for teachers because the majority of them speak only English (Darling-Hammond and Sclan 1996). Many of their students, however, do not speak English as their primary language. This creates an instructional ...
Science fiction & scientific literacy: incorporating science fiction reading in the science classroom.
Feb 01, 2006; ... The term science fiction has become synonymous, in the media at least, for any discovery in science too incredible or unexpected for the nonscientist to imagine. This without a doubt annoys many scientists because the "fiction" label has the popular connotations of "willingly false or ...
Awesome Aggregations: students study overwintering biology and behavioral ecology with model monarch butterflies.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Insects are a natural choice for studying behavioral ecology in the classroom--they are easy to obtain, maintain, and manipulate. Unlike competition and predation, however, the concept of group living does not translate well to small-scale experiments involving only a few individuals. How ...
Investigating an aerial image 1st: a new approach for introducing optics concepts.
Feb 01, 2006; ... While attending a modeling workshop on optics, I became keenly aware of the inadequacies in my own optics curriculum and the need for change. Most introductory optics lab activities begin with students locating the real image formed by a converging lens. The method is simple and ...
Word Wall.(creative teaching methods)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Science is a vocabulary-rich subject and students' knowledge of vocabulary relates directly to their comprehension. That is why it is important to provide a variety of opportunities for students to practice vocabulary. I have used the following activity at the beginning of units in my ...
Video game level designer.
Feb 01, 2006; ... For all of you video gamers, here's something to chew on--those hours spent finely tuning your favorite pastime skills could lead to a cool career. From sound engineers to programmers, a whole slew of opportunities may await you in video game development. Gaming was always a hobby for John ...
Ask the experts.(space science)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Q Why does the Moon show phases when viewed from Earth, but Earth always looks the same from the Moon, with only the top half illuminated? Elaine Catalanotti, Teacher International School 77 Ridgewood, New York A This misconception may arise ...
Earthwatch fellowships.(Earthwatch Institute )(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Earthwatch Institute is offering fellowships to fund K-12 educators and administrators to join scientific research expeditions around the world. This year, more than 300 fellows will participate in one to three weeklong field research projects, working with diverse teams of volunteers ...
BrainyKids.(educational resources )(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... BrainyKids is a free comprehensive website developed by the Dana Foundation to promote neuroscience, immunology, and arts education. The website offers students, parents, and teachers selective science-related links to games, labs, science fair ideas, educational resources, and lesson ...
Life of the Forest.(educational resources )(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... International Papers' educational materials, Life of the Forest, can help teachers share the knowledge of and excitement for natural resources with students and other community members. The materials, which come in a set available free to teachers, highlight the importance of superior ...
Teachers@Random.(educational resources )(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... The Teachers@Random website provides educators with free teaching tools to help them integrate Random House Children's Books into curricula. The site contains more than 250 thematic teachers guides, including those related to science and nature, along with a monthly ...
FEMA for Kids.(Federal Emergency Management Agency )(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Kids website includes games, challenges, and quizzes that teach students how to prepare for disasters and prevent disaster damage. Students can learn what causes a disaster, play games, read ...
Geography Zone.(educational resources )(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Geography Zone is a website designed to enhance the geography learning experience. This website hosts The Geography Challenge, the world's largest online geography contest, as well as several other geography tools and facts to help make students geography experts. The latest ...
Solar eclipse online.(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... On March 29, 2006, the Moon's shadow will fall on the Earth, first darkening the western shore of Brazil, and then moving across the Atlantic Ocean to make landfall in Ghana, Africa. It will continue moving northeast through Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Libya, Egypt, across the ...
Nikon's Small World Competition.(Educational Resources and Professional Opportunities)
Feb 01, 2006 ... The Nikon International Small World Competition first began in 1974 to recognize the efforts of those involved with photography through the light microscope. Since then, the competition has drawn photomicrographers from the widest array of scientific disciplines. The competition ...
Great Ideas of Science: Evolution.(Book Review)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Great Ideas of Science: Evolution by Paul Fleisher $25.26. 80 pp. Lerner Publications. Minneapolis, MN. 2005. ISBN: 0822521342. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a series of brief chapters, the author explains the historical background related to ...
Essential Elements of Effective Science Instruction for English Learners, 2nd ed.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Essential Elements of Effective Science Instruction for English Learners, 2nd Edition by Fred Dobb 70 pp. California Science Project. Los Angeles, CA. 2004. This well-written summary is unique in its focus on the skills required of teachers who develop ...
Essential Atlas of Technology.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Essential Atlas of Technology by Parramon's Editorial Team $9.95. 96 pp. Barron's Educational Series. Hauppauge, N.Y. 2003. ISBN: 0764124218. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This atlas is an essential reference book that would be at home in any middle ...
Branches on the Tree of Life: Algae.(Video Recording Review)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Branches on the Tree of Life: Algae [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] by BioMedia Associates $68. BioMedia Associates. Loomis, CA. 2004. ISBN: 1930527640. This well-produced DVD offers information on the basics of classification, morphology, and life ...
Changing How We Teach and Learn With Handheld Computers.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Changing How We Teach and Learn With Handheld Computers by Carolyn Staudt $24.95. 171 pp. Corwin Press. Thousand Oaks, CA. 2005. ISBN: 0761939962. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whether the reader is at a novice or expert level, this exciting new ...
Microbe Detectives: Solving a Medical Mystery Student Book Set.(Book Review)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Microbe Detectives: Solving a Medical Mystery Student Book Set by Education Development Center, Inc. $18. 234 pp. Education Development Center. Newton, MA. 2002. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If teachers follow appropriate preparation in microbiology ...