When the thermal expansion of water is discussed in school or university lessons, functional relationships are often inferred without considering measurement uncertainties. Moreover, in some learning materials, the goal of experimentation and the experimental setup do not match. This creates the wrong picture of scientific practice. In this…

The present investigation aims to analyze the knowledge levels and chemical representation levels of pre-service primary school teachers (PPSTs) on the experiment of distillation. For this purpose, the cross-sectional survey technique, one of the quantitative research designs was employed. The study was carried out at a Faculty of Education in the…

In this work, the first experiment ever done to determine the age of the Earth is revisited. The benefits of its application at primary and secondary school levels are presented and discussed. In particular, emphasis is placed on the advantage of facing students with the challenges that scientists have had to overcome during the past three…

Open-ended and inquiry-based experiments will make students more active in the learning environment, and so they play an active role in solving the problem. So, it is expected that especially classroom teachers will be more active in the laboratory environment. In this context, opinions of the classroom teachers about the science laboratory…

Facing calls for greater emphasis on STEM education in primary school classrooms, teachers may be anxious because of limited exposure to STEM in their own education. The Australian Curriculum: Technologies is new and many teachers are not familiar with its content. Hence both in-service and pre-service teachers (PSTs) require preparation. This…

The Next-Lab project provides free web-based resources supporting teachers in enhancing students' learning experiences. By including online laboratories, experiments otherwise difficult or impossible to perform are facilitated (e.g. crashing meteoroids into Earth). This article briefly presents the project and opportunities offered to teachers and…

We report a series of three experiments that introduce students at different stages of their academic preparation to the medical applications of hydrogels for controlled drug delivery and wound healing. The laboratory activity bridges the fundamental concepts of chemistry (acids and bases, equilibria, solvation, and reversible esterification) with…

We describe a laboratory experiment that employs the Nanoceria Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (or NanoCerac) Assay to introduce students to portable nanoparticle-based paper sensors for rapid analysis and field detection of polyphenol antioxidants. The experiment gives students a hands-on opportunity to utilize nanoparticle chemistry to develop…

The typical experiment to measure the oxygen content in the atmosphere uses the rusting of steel wool inside a closed volume of air. Two key aspects of this experiment that make possible a successful measurement of the content of oxygen in the air are the use of a closed atmosphere and the use of a chemical reaction that involves the oxidation of…

What students and teachers often ask is, how are nano-sized materials made when they are so small? One answer is through the process of self-assembly in which molecules, polymers, and nanoparticles connect to form larger objects of a defined structure and shape. Two hands-on experiments are presented in which students prepare capsules in real time…

A series of demonstrations is described that elucidate the operation of commercial fog machines by using common laboratory equipment and supplies. The formation of fogs, or "mixing clouds", is discussed in terms of the phase diagram for water and other chemical principles. The demonstrations can be adapted for presentation suitable for elementary…

Simple laboratory investigations are given which expose elementary students to optical crystallography techniques. Procedures and materials are designed for sixth-grade students. (SA)

Experiences and experiments with mirrors will spark pupils' imaginations while providing insights into the nature and behavior of light. (Author/DF)

Describes a summer course in chemistry conducted by college teachers for children aged 9 through 12. The children were provided with simple laboratory equipment and performed actual experiments and recorded the results. A few demonstrations were given, but lecturing was kept to a minimum. (MLH)

Describes an elementary school science activity in which students conduct experiments to verify their hypotheses relating to the effect of salt and other chemicals on the melting point on ice. (JR)