An effective way of teaching undergraduates a full complement of research skills is through a multiweek advanced laboratory experiment. Here we outline a comprehensive set of experiments adapted from current primary literature focusing on organic and inorganic synthesis, catalysis, reactivity, and reaction kinetics. The catalyst,…

For many middle school students, connections between their lives and concepts like chemical reactivity, microbial contamination, and experimental sampling are not obvious. They may also feel that, even if there were connections, understanding the monitoring and quality of natural resources is something for grown-ups and beyond their…

Most plants are able to obtain all of the nutrients that they need from air, water, and soil; however, this is not true of carnivorous plants. Because they tend to live in boggy soils where there are small amounts of nitrogen, carnivorous plants have developed specialized structures that enable them to lure and capture insects and sometimes other…

"Hop to It," a week-long herpetology-focused summer STEM camp for rising fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade girls, provided young females with authentic, hands-on science experiences, allowing them to develop the habits of thought and processes of action used by STEM field experts while also engaging and sustaining their interest in the…

The authors developed an integrated science-and-art program to engage science students from a performing arts high school in hands-on, inquiry based lab experiences. The students participated in eight biology-focused investigations at a local university with undergraduate mentors. After the laboratory phase of the project, the high school students…

Students today need advanced tools and competencies to succeed in the global economy. Technology can provide students with critical learning experiences but is often affordable only to affluent students. All students, regardless of socioeconomic status, deserve to use technology to create and innovate, communicate and collaborate, and gain the…

For years, researchers have shown the value of using real-world data to enhance instruction in mathematics, science, and social studies. In an effort to help develop students' higher-order thinking skills in a data-rich learning environment, Green Research for Incorporating Data in the Classroom (GRID[subscript C]), a National Science…

This paper focuses on the role of gender in faculty choice of teaching methodologies at colleges and universities in North Carolina. We replicate research conducted by Hartlaub and Lancaster who examined pedagogical preference among a national sample of political science instructors. In revisiting that inquiry, published in 2008, we have explored…

The documents enclosed in this report provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the progress made in developing a network organization capable of supporting nanoscience education for the public on a national scale. There is a logic to the studies that were done and to the reports that are included in this notebook. The following are the…

An integrated competency-based course of study in the sciences is provided in the handbook for North Carolina teachers of grades K-12. Recommended goals, objectives, and suggested measures for each subject and skill area related to the sciences are outlined. This guide contains: (1) an introduction (defining North Carolina's basic educational…

Described is a partnership in North Carolina of an earth-resources company, a university, a geologist, and a public-school science teacher. The partnership has developed a series of content-oriented workshops related to earth-science education. Several of the workshops are described. (Author/RH)

Science fairs represent the culmination of student research efforts under the guidance of teachers and other persons interested in science topics. The total scientific process should be involved in the development of a project which results in a science fair exhibition. The student should learn to recognize problems, plan an experiment, gather and…

Reports the results of returned surveys of biology instructors (n=44), chemistry instructors (n=20), and personnel officers (n=19) in the North Carolina Community College System. The instructor survey concerned the type of courses taught, the academic preparation of the instructor, and the perceived value of secondary teaching. (PR)

Nine lessons which involve the use of marine organisms in the classroom are presented in this seventh-grade biology unit. The unit offers instructors alternative ways of meeting common life science goals. It is not meant to be an extra curriculum added to the normal course load, but was developed to consolidate a group of activities designed for…

Weatherlinker is a unit of curriculum materials designed to enhance the study of meteorological science at the seventh-grade level and to enrich that study through the use of various types of technology. This document consists of a teacher's guide, student handouts, information on telecommunications, and a list of materials that were used by the…