When contexts are framed expansively, students are positioned as actively contributing to larger conversations that extend across time, places, and people. A set of recent studies provides empirical evidence that the expansive framing of contexts can foster transfer. In this article, we present five potentially complementary explanations for how…

This article provides an instructional approach to helping students generate open-inquiry research questions, which the authors call the "open-inquiry question template." This template was created based on their experience teaching high school science and preservice university methods courses. To help teachers implement this template, they…

Since 2002, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado has been working to provide learning tools for students and teachers. The project has developed over 85 interactive simulations--or sims--for teaching and learning science. Although these sims can be used in a variety of ways, they are specifically designed to make…

Explains gyroscopic motions to college freshman or high school seniors who have learned about centripetal acceleration and the transformations of a couple. Contains several figures showing the direction of forces and motion. (YP)

Considers three common cases of localized corrosion of metals: pitting, crevice, and stress corrosion. Provides experimental methods for studying all three methods. Includes a discussion of expected results. (ML)

Describes a simple laboratory procedure for changing sodium carbonate into sodium chloride by adding concentrated HCl to cause the reaction and then evaporating the water. Claims a good stoichiometric yield can be obtained in one three-hour lab period. Suggests using fume hood for the reaction. (ML)

Recommends using iodide ions and peroxodisulfate ions for studying rate laws instead of the standard iodine clock for kinetic study. Presents the methodology and a discussion of the kinetics involved for a laboratory experiment for a high school or introductory college course. (ML)

Describes school science as a rite of passage, and exposes problems in school science that are made visible through the use of this metaphor. (PR)

The loss of carbon dioxide from carbonated beverages provides an interesting case of the combination of equilibrium and kinetic principles. Adding air with a commercial device (the Fizz Keeper) has a negligible effect on various equilibria present but will slow diffusion in the gas space of a resealed bottle, decreasing the rate at which…

Presents an experiment that tests for spontaneous generation, or abiogenesis. Observes microbial growth in nutrient broth under seven different flask environments. Includes instructions for the methods. (YDS)

Describes experiments in which a ball bearing is used as a tool for the study of light and as a kind of photographic lens. Also shows how results from these experiments contribute to an understanding of the nature of light. (JN)

The tendency of a poured liquid to cling to the outside of a container is known as the "teapot effect." The nature of the teapot effect and experiments investigating this phenomenon are described. (JN)

Describes the construction of a simple micro well colorimeter, some examples of its use, and its value in a high school or undergraduate chemistry curriculum. (ZWH)