Facing state assessments, new standards, and instructional shifts, teachers are often left with the DIY ("do it yourself") version of science teaching. Unfortunately, answering the question "What does quality science instruction look like in the classroom?" is not as easy as watching a few videos online. Fortunately, the EQuIP…

The fruit fly ("Drosophila melanogaster") is an ideal subject for studying inheritance patterns, Mendel's laws, meiosis, Punnett squares, and other aspects of genetics. Much of what we know about genetics dates to evolutionary biologist Thomas Hunt Morgan's work with mutated fruit flies in the early 1900s. Many genetic laboratories…

In most STEM industries, teamwork is essential. Engineers, scientists, statisticians, and medical professionals, for example, must communicate with one another and work together. Someday, students may enter the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workforce, where they also will need to collaborate effectively. This article describes…

Climate change is complex, requiring critical thinking on both local and global scales. Its effects vary dramatically around the world and require new strategies to help students grasp its complexity, scale, and interrelatedness. This article describes a project to help biology students think critically about climate change from a global…

As society becomes more technological, the need for scientific literacy grows . Part of scientific literacy is understanding the nature of science, which can be revealed, in part, by learning the historical context of current science concepts. History of science can be taught using scientific inquiry, scientific argumentation, and authentic…

Students best learn science through a combination of science inquiry and language learning. This article presents a series of chemistry lessons on the naming of compounds. The weeklong unit focuses on patterns across compound names and chemical formulas and addresses several of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States…

The stars closest to Earth are not particularly remarkable or exciting. They are average stars typical of the spiral arms of our Milky Way galaxy. In fact, until recently, most astronomy and Earth science textbooks ignored all but the largest of them to focus on distant, more exotic objects like red supergiants or black holes. The recent discovery…

Studies evaluating the graphics in science textbooks have recommended that teachers use eye-catching visuals to reinforce student learning objectives. Similarly, the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) suggest that science teachers use visuals to teach English Language Learners (ELLs). However, little research has…

Presents an inquiry analysis tool and adaptation principles to help teachers evaluate and adapt laboratory instructional materials to be more inquiry-oriented. Based on the National Research Council's (NRC) essential features of inquiry. (NB)

Physicist James Trefil once describes the universe as "The Spongy Universe," comparing large-scale cosmic structures to the structure of a sponge. The NASA Genesis education module "Cosmic Chemistry: Cosmogony" features the "Spongy Universe" activity in which pairs of students observe a household sponge, making…

Lists science trade books published in 2001 that are considered outstanding. Organized by scientific discipline. (DDR)

Reviews health concerns regarding marihuana use. Offers five teaching concepts which are defensible and can serve students as they make their decisions to smoke or not to smoke marihuana. Three other critical concepts are also offered which may enhance students' enlightenment about health development and maintenance. (CS)

Contains three demonstrations to help students develop an adequate understanding of the nature of science. Two use the inquiry method to show students the importance of evidence in formulating explanations, and the third uses the history of science to show that science is tentative as well as based on evidence. (LZ)

Described is Western Australia's elementary and secondary science education programs relative to science content, emphasis on science, instructional goals, and science curriculum materials utilized. School enrollments and the demand for highly trained technical personnel in Western Australia are also discussed. (DS)

Collectors everywhere know that local antique shops and flea markets are treasure troves just waiting to be plundered. Science teachers might take a hint from these hobbyists, for the next community yard sale might be a repository of old, quirky items that are just the things to get students thinking about simple machines. By introducing some…