Visualization is the art of turning information--concepts, processes, events, structures, and trends--into images that support our understanding. Carter Emmart is a visualizer of science. He is the director of astrovisualization for the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). In this interview, Emmart describes what it is like to be a…

The "Learning Lab: The Cell" exhibit was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Museum and the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS). Specially designed for middle and high school students, the Learning Lab provides museum visitors of all ages with fascinating insights into how our living cells work. The…

Field trips are opportunities to experience science in settings beyond the classroom. Much educational research has focused on effective ways of designing and planning field trips for optimal impact on the classroom and science curriculum. However, teachers are sometimes at a loss on how to design a trip that will enhance students' analytical…

Informal learning refers to "science learning that occurs outside the traditional, formal schooling realm." Sites such as museums, zoos, aquariums, parks, science centers, planetariums, the school yard, and others all have the potential to shape young people's minds. Parents might see a day at the beach as a recreational opportunity while biology…

During Earth Science Week (October 8-14, 2006), millions of citizen scientists worldwide will be sampling groundwater, monitoring weather, touring quarries, exploring caves, preparing competition projects, and visiting museums and science centers to learn about Earth science. The American Geological Institute organizes this annual event to…

Lists and describes science museums in Europe. Countries include France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Holland, England. (CS)

Science-related secondary school topics are briefly described. Articles include oceanology, proficiency testing, in-school museums and career education in the health sciences. (CP)

In 2001, the "All Sky Camera Network" came to life as an outreach program to connect the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) exhibit "Space Odyssey" with Colorado schools. The network is comprised of cameras placed strategically at schools throughout Colorado to capture fireballs--rare events that produce meteorites.…

Outlines the development and implementation of a project in which students work in groups of two or three to research, design, and build a display about a geologic time period or a topic related to the history of life on Earth. (DDR)

Describes how a secondary science teacher was able to transform a classroom into a minimuseum. Reviews the procedures and products of the project. Explains how the effort was made possible by a grant from the Growth Initiatives for Teachers (GIFT) program. (ML)

Describes the establishment of a high school museum and outlines the value of student and community involvement in maintaining and building the collection. Students are enthusiastic in collecting, preserving, and identifying specimens, and volunteer as museum assistants. (JR)

Reviews the purpose, programs, and strengths of the Naturalist Center at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Stresses the value of hands-on activities. Surveys some of the programs of the center including Unknowns and Adaptations and teacher workshops. (CW)

Discusses some of the educational advantages of utilizing the resources of science museums in school science programs. (JR)

While many states are facing challenges to the teaching of evolution in their science classrooms, the University of California Museum of Paleontology, working with the National Center for Science Education, has developed a useful web-based resource for science teachers of all grade- and experience-levels. Understanding Evolution (UE) was developed…