Stable isotopes in natural materials provide a powerful way to study energy flow in many systems and are widely used in fields such as archaeology, ecology, forensics, geochemistry, geology, oceanography, palaeoecology and palaeoclimatology. Based on the manner in which stable isotopes fractionate in natural systems, they allow scientists to…

Often unheard of unless you are of a certain age and remember audio and video cassettes, BASF are a multinational business with a large chemical site in Bradford, West Yorkshire. On the BASF site is a 'Kids' Lab' that forms part of BASF's educational outreach work. In this article, Leigh Hoath and five teachers from Bradford schools outline a…

The High School Summer Research Program (HSSRP) is a rigorous eight-week research experience that challenges high school students to a novel scientific question in an engineering laboratory at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The program collates highly…

Provides information on the parts, materials, prices, dimensions, and tools needed for the construction of a telescope that can be used in high school science laboratories. Includes step-by-step directions and a diagram for assembly. (RT)

Most children become excited about science because they can do something and because they can watch the results. These are some of the answers most elementary school students tell you when they are asked about science class. It has been substantiated by decades of research that experiential experiences are exciting and remembered, visual and…

Describes a method for making a simple, inexpensive apparatus which can be used to determine Planck's constant. Provides illustrations of a circuit diagram using one or more light-emitting diodes and a BASIC computer program for simplifying calculations. (RT)

Addresses whether or not science laboratory activities should become a thing of the past. Discusses the impact of the curriculum reforms of the 1960s and 1970s, physical restraints which cause teacher overload, rationale, and objectives of laboratory work. (RT)

Describes a science program called "Environmental Science on the Three Rivers" which coordinates hands-on water-ecology experiments for local schools on a modified Navy training vessel. The vessel holds 35 students and stops at three major sampling stations during a four-and-a-half-hour class. The program is conducted by people with…

Presents a response to recent calls for reform in science education. Argues for increased "hands-on" experience, both in the laboratory and in the environment. Suggests the need for producing more "enthusiastic" science teachers. (TW)

This document provides descriptions of lessons, activities, and laboratory experiments to be used in a course on basic laboratory techniques for students in biology and small animal care. These learning experiences are designed to be completed during one class period daily for approximately 70 days per semester. (It is assumed that this would…

Describes a new biochemistry laboratory course offered at the University of Scranton (Pennsylvania) which is designed to promote scientific curiosity and creativity. Uses a problems-oriented approach which provides students with independent learning experiences. Provides a listing of some of the course's laboratory exercises. (TW)

The two goals of this program were to increase the number of classroom teachers using the lab and to increase the amount of time that the science lab was used. The solution strategy chosen was a combination of peer tutoring, orientation presentations, small group discovery experiments and activities, and individual science experiment stations. The…