The Wiggers diagram showing simultaneous events of the cardiac cycle in composite graphs is one of the most intimidating figures students encounter in their study of physiology. This paper describes a discovery learning activity that walks students through the construction of the Wiggers diagram by focusing on the core concepts of blood flow down…

Metamodeling ideas move beyond using a model to solve a problem to consider the nature and purpose of a model, such as reasoning about a model's empirical basis and understanding why and how a model might change or be replaced. Given that chemistry relies heavily on the use of models to describe particulate-level phenomena, developing…

The Periodic Table of Elements is a valuable resource for chemists and all kinds of STEM professionals. However, it can be initially overwhelming and intimidating to some students. This hands-on lesson introduces abstract concepts in the periodic table through a tangible experience with simple toys and household objects. Students collaborate and…

This 5E cycle of lessons takes students through a fun and thorough study of Silly Putty's properties, progressing from an initial observation of a "melting snowman" toy in the Engage phase to making and "marketing" their own homemade putty in the Evaluate phase. Along the way, students use evidence to construct their own…

Sense-making has been described as working on and with ideas--both students' ideas and authoritative ideas in texts--to build coherent storylines, models, and/or explanations. This article describes the process for developing storyline units to support students' making sense of and explaining a rocket launch. The storyline approach, which aligns…

Presents an example of a take-home discovery-based activity that supplements the lecture component of a general chemistry course. Involves the student in chemistry exploration outside the class. Extends the context of content and experimentation into a nontraditional laboratory environment. Reports that students find the challenges useful in…

Describes an activity for introducing elementary school students to the surprising Mobius band. Incorporates elements of experimentation and exposes the deceptively simple Mobius band as a rich resource for discovery. Provides an opportunity for young learners to participate in the process of scientific inquiry within a mathematical framework.…

Presents a guided discovery activity that uses fruit flies and can be implemented in introductory biology and nature of science classes to flesh out abstract lectures about life cycles, insect morphology, patterns and causes of animal behavior, and the nature of science. Discusses strengths and drawbacks and results of student evaluations of the…

Defines an exploratory lab as consisting of a series of hands-on, qualitative activities that are safe, simple, and inexpensive, use readily available supplies, and illustrate a concept being studied concurrently in the course. Summarizes the results of four years of testing the exploratory program. (DDR)

Describes a unit on magnetism that utilizes hands-on activities in which students make hypotheses for discrepant behavior, discover whether a magnet attracts one object through another, measure the strength of magnets, explore levitating paper clips, and play a game dependent on magnetic attraction. (MDH)

Discusses strategies to facilitate children's explorations that include supporting open-ended inquiry, supervising safely, seizing the moment, offering a place for discovery, providing access to information, sharing respect for life, seeking community involvement, and celebrating wonder. (JRH)

Describes the Slanting Leaf Beds Project in Oregon in which fifth and sixth graders participated in hands-on, long-term research projects designed to provide students with an understanding of scientific processes and concepts. Students first worked in pairs obtaining samples and making tentative identifications. Group data was pooled and compared…

Students experience the distinction between observable fact and scientific theory by taking a critical look at how spaghetti can be sucked up into the mouth. A demonstration shows that air is needed to suck up the spaghetti but that the scientific explanation is not as simple. (MDH)

Presented is a collection of thoroughly-tested discrepant events designed for use in science classes. These events have been organized into 17 chapters grouped into four sections: Environment (5 chapters), Energy (7 chapters), Forces and Motion on Earth and in Space (3 chapters), and Living Things (2 chapters). The following information is…

Presented is a unified science and technology instructional model that emphasizes multidisciplinary learning through discovery and hands-on activities. Two courses, developed from this model, are described in terms of curriculum, teaching methods, scheduling, credit, limitations, enrollment, and promotion. (KR)