Conducting research and reporting the results are at the heart of academic work, yet many teachers hesitate to incorporate student research projects into their curriculum because they're unsure of how or where to begin. In "Student Research Done Right!" Lisa Scherff and Leslie S. Rush make the case that all high school and college…

We report here on an effort to involve high school physics students in research on impacts of oil spills on marine mammals at a local university. We believe that the effort described here might be useful to others who would like to involve physics students in research, especially work of an interdisciplinary nature. The students learn to work…

The UK School Seismology Project started in 2007. King Edward VI High School for Girls was one of the fortunate schools to obtain a school seismometer system, free of charge, as an early adopter of the resource. This report outlines our experiences with the system over the past 10 years and describes our recent research on the relationship between…

For decades, all honors students at North Shore High School in New York were required to write a mathematics paper. In 1991, these papers were eliminated, and a new elective, "Investigations in Math Research," was added to the course catalog. Research is not an innate skill, and now, students of all ability levels who wanted the research…

"Wholehearted Teaching of Gifted Young Women" explores the important role school communities play in supporting the social and emotional needs of high-achieving young women. Using a youth participatory action research model, this project follows 20 student researchers from high school through college. This longitudinal study leads to…

On a spring morning in Maine, traps made of nets rise above vernal pools in a small wetland, ready to collect salamanders. The traps were designed by groups of rural and urban high school students from Maine and Massachusetts participating in the University of Maine Upward Bound Math Science Program (UBMS) at the university campus in Orono, Maine.…

New research points to the future of education as online, student-centered, collaborative, and community-based--all largely absent from today's educational landscape. This timely guide shows middle, high school, and college students how to undertake research to address challenges in their curriculum and communities. The approach is deliberately…

Students who are blind or visually impaired (BVI), like all students, need to conduct scientific investigations that involve measurements and reading experimental procedures. Best instructional practices for BVI students include touch and hearing experiences. Related strategies and tools include electronic textbooks, assistive technologies such as…

Over the last twenty-five years, the Minnesota Historical Society, the University of Minnesota Libraries, and Minitex have developed a partnership centered on creating pathways to higher education by engaging local middle school and high school students in immersive programs at academic libraries. These activities vary in scope and content, but…

Research projects are worth doing. They raise student interest in science and offer experience in authentic scientific practices. Implementing independent research projects among students requires the teacher to be skilled not only in scientific research but also in project management. Teachers' duties include--but are not limited…

In the UK, at key stage 4, students aged 14-15 studying GCSE Core Science or Unit 1 of the GCSE Biology course are required to be able to describe the process of genetic engineering to produce bacteria that can produce insulin. The simple interactive introduction described in this article allows students to consider the problem, devise a model and…

The authors investigate how innovative research assignments based on students' personal interests can help them want to develop their research skills. They find that multimodal communication and representation, including film, written scripts, comic strips, music, and photography, encourage students to carefully select information from the…

The SATELLITES program uses geospatial technologies to study surface temperatures of Earth's materials, such as sand, soil, grass, and water. Data are collected using Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) protocols, which are then used in research projects that are a part of the International Polar Year (IPY).…

The "Under the Mistletoe" project was developed to capitalize on student curiosity about the American Christmas Mistletoe plant and draw learners into an engaging, inquiry-based exercise that incorporates numerous life science standards and collaborative research. By collecting data on host and nonhost tree size, location, and number of mistletoe…

This column is a collaborative effort by library media specialists and K-16 educators who write about the motivational strategies that have worked for them in teaching information literacy (IL) skills. Motivational strategies include ways to gain and sustain attention, increase relevance for learning IL skills, build confidence in students'…