The purpose of this review is to provide a model for studying genetic association of response to intervention in child language disorders. In addition to a theoretical overview and review of different approaches to studying candidate genes, a specific methodology for completing this type of analysis is presented. The goal of the analysis is to…

Chemistry is commonly portrayed at three different levels of representation--macroscopic, submicroscopic and symbolic--that combine to enrich the explanations of chemical concepts. In this article, we examine the use of submicroscopic and symbolic representations in chemical explanations and ascertain how they provide meaning. Of specific interest…

We report on an educational project in particle physics based on Feynman diagrams. By dropping the mathematical aspect of the method and keeping just the iconic one, it is possible to convey many different concepts from the world of elementary particles, such as antimatter, conservation laws, particle creation and destruction, real and virtual…

Neuroscience is a subject that can motivate, excite, and stimulate the curiosity of everyone However, the study of the brain is made difficult by an abundance of new vocabulary words and abstract concepts. Although neuroscience has the potential to inspire students, many teachers find it difficult to include a study of the brain in their…

In July, 2005, the European Institute of Chemistry and Biology at the campus of the University of Bordeaux, France, hosted a focused week of seminars, workshops, and discussions around the theme of "teaching signal transduction." The purpose of the summer school was to offer both junior and senior university instructors a chance to…

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to understand the conceptual frameworks that sixth-grade students use to explain the nature and structure of matter and molecules; and (2) to assess the effectiveness of two alternate instructional units in helping students change those conceptions. The study involved 15 sixth-grade classes taught by 12…

Describes two secondary-level classroom games designed to teach the balancing of chemical equations and the principles of chemical bonding. (MLH)

Differentiates between chemical nomenclature and the common ways that substances are named and described. Students should learn the chemical nomenclature so that they will be more observant and objective. Cites examples of student misconceptions based upon their own imagination and logic. (TW)

Discusses the production and use of polymer materials as thermal insulators. Lists several materials that provide varying degrees of insulation. Describes the production of polymer foam and focuses on the major applications of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, and polyisocyanurate foam. (TW)

Discusses electron-loss spectroscopy and the experimentally observed excitation energies in terms of qualitative MO theory. Reviews information on photoelectron spectroscopy and electron transmission spectroscopy and their relation to the occupied and unoccupied orbital levels. Focuses on teaching applications. (ML)

Outlines a multistep project involving oxidation of cholesterol, isomerization of an enone, and reduction of delta-4-cholesten-3-one. Featured is the last stage in which the ring junction is set stereospecifically. Recommends two laboratory periods to complete the reaction. (ML)

Describes two introductory exercises designed to teach the fundamental ideas and methods of crystallography, and to convey some important features of inorganic and organic crystal structures to students in an advanced laboratory course. Exercises include "The Crystal Structure of NiO" and "The Crystal Structure of Beta-Fumaric Acid." (CW)

Discusses advantages of nematode use for studying patterns of cell division, differentiation, and morphogenesis. Describes nematode development. Cites experimental approaches available for genetic studies. Reviews the topics of control of cell division and differentiation, the nervous system, and muscle assembly and function of the organism. (RT)

Gives the background history of the simultaneous discovery of acid-base relationships by Johannes Bronsted and Thomas Lowry. Provides a brief biographical sketch of each. Discusses their concept of acids and bases in some detail. (CW)

Describes a visual transparency method to develop the concept of resonance with respect to molecular resonance hybrid structures and partial charge on the atoms of an ion. Discusses the distinction between tautomerism and resonance, and emphasizes clarification of the Lewis structure concept. (JM)