The genetic diversity contained in a population can be used to engage the audience in an understanding of human genotypes and phenotypes. With a series of simple examples of well-documented sensory phenotypes related to the perception of colour, aromas or food preference, the diversity of the audience can be easily explored. The collecting of…

Astro Academy: Principia is an education programme developed by the UK National Space Academy for the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The Academy designed, constructed, flight-qualified and developed experimental procedures for a suite of physics and chemistry demonstration experiments that were conducted by ESA…

This article looks at a selection of resources currently available for use in the teaching of astronomy in UK schools. It is by no means an exhaustive list but it highlights a variety of free resources that can be used in the classroom to help engage students of all ages with astronomy and space science. It also lists several facilities with a…

Most students now have access to devices such as digital cameras and mobile phones that are capable of taking short video clips outdoors. Such clips can be used with powerful ICT tools, such as Tracker, Excel and TI-Nspire, to extract time and coordinate data about a moving object, to produce scattergrams and to fit models. In this article we…

In order to understand the realistic use and impact of ICT on physics teaching in Ireland, a survey was used to gather information on teacher attitudes, confidence and concerns. Practical problems in the regular use of ICT affect some more than others. Factors such as availability of equipment and time to learn new skills (and interest in those…

Outlines the types of educational software available for science teaching and how it can help both teachers and learners of science. Presents a summary of the possible benefits of using information technology in science education as put forward in various research reports and views of practicing teachers on the factors affecting the usefulness of…

Extols the virtues of PowerPoint as a teaching aid yet cautions against inappropriate use of it which may cause students to learn very little. Explains a number of features of slide preparation and presentation techniques that enable teachers to give effective lessons. Includes examples of PowerPoint presentations. (Author/NB)

Reviews current research into the use of PowerPoint in instruction and offers guidance for secondary science teachers on how to achieve the best learning outcomes for their students using the program. (Author/NB)

This section of the journal includes several short notes related to the teaching of science in secondary schools in Great Britain. Notes are included on ways of presenting science, rural science, designing experiments in chemistry, science for students with special needs, knowledge of the metric and imperial systems, and the use of spreadsheets.…

Outlines some of the developments in the use of information technology in education from the BBC Model A computer to CD-ROM and the Internet. Some examples of use are touched upon as are possibilities for the future. Emphasizes the effects of these examples on teaching and learning. (Author/ASK)

Describes activities, games, experiments, demonstrations, and computer-oriented exercises in all science areas. Topics include energy flow through a marine ecosystem, using 2,4-dichlorophenoxyethanoic acid to demonstrate translocation in plants, use of the dichotomous key, use of leaf yeasts to monitor atmospheric pollution, and others. (JN)

Presents 23 experiments, activities, field projects and computer programs in the biological and physical sciences. Instructional procedures, experimental designs, materials, and background information are suggested. Topics include fluid mechanics, electricity, crystals, arthropods, limpets, acid neutralization, and software evaluation. (ML)

Presents biology, chemistry, physics, and health activities, experiments, demonstrations, and computer programs. Includes mechanism of stomatal opening, using aquatic plants to help demonstrate chemical buffering, microbial activity/contamination in milk samples, computer computation of fitness scores, reservoir project, complexes of transition…

Presents 26 activities, experiments, demonstrations, games, and computer programs for biology, chemistry, and physics. Background information, laboratory procedures, equipment lists, and instructional strategies are given. Topics include eye measurements, nutrition, soil test tube rack, population dynamics, angular momentum, transition metals,…

Described is the use of a spreadsheet to model dynamic phenomena using numerical iterative methods. Uses the discharge of a capacitor, simple and damped harmonic motion, and the flow of heat along a bar as examples. (Author/CW)