Educational strategies have evolved over the years, due to research breakthroughs and the application of technology. By using the latest learning innovations, curriculum and instructional design can be enhanced and strengthened. The "Handbook of Research on Driving STEM Learning with Educational Technologies" is an authoritative…

High school students discuss the process of conducting original scientific research in a high school biology course, including developing an idea, obtaining financial support, collecting data, and presenting findings. (MKR)

Describes a semester long project that allows physics students to apply what they have learned by building a device that illustrates key physics concepts and principles. Assessment tips and classroom observations are also included. (ZWH)

Describes a science fair designed as a teaching tool rather than as a contest. Includes the fair's objectives and lists of possible science fair topics. Topics are organized under these areas: human body; animals and plants; earth and universe; physical principles, machines, and technology; and miscellaneous topics. (JN)

Describes a learning project in analytical chemistry in which students are required to select instruments from the manufacturers' literature that would be suitable for a given analytical problem. Several examples are given. (SA)

Describes student projects involving the appearance of "ghost" signals in television receptions. (SL)

The use of Beilstein ("Handbuch der Organischen Chemie") in the early stages of a second-year, one semester course in organic chemistry is described. Student literature projects, evaluation, use of ancillary literature, and a sample search are included. (JN)

The countdown to a new century provides a unique opportunity to engage America's youth in charting a course for the future. The Mars Millennium Project challenges students across the nation to design a community yet to be imagined for the planet Mars. This interdisciplinary learning project aims to encourage K-12 students in classrooms and youth…

Describes a student field project involving the estimation of a maximum rate of erosion for a local area. Identifies the factors influencing erosion and outlines the method of investigation. (GS)

Describes a nine-week unit that focuses on student development of science-based contraptions that work. Students are allowed to design, construct, and test a device of interest that performs a simple task, such as picking up a paper towel or turning a page in a book. (ZWH)

This document provides suggestions for community volunteer opportunities that involve students in partnerships with service agencies, governments, recycling programs, and environmental organizations. It consists of ready-to-copy project ideas complete with case studies, a set of worksheets for planning a project, and an appendix with additional…

An organic chemistry laboratory has been designed around independent laboratory projects that are done by groups, thus exposing students not only to a research experience but also to one that is more realistic and like the one they will be in as professional chemistry chemists. Instructional strategies used are described. (JN)

As an alternative to traditional science projects, students in introductory organic and inorganic chemistry were given the opportunity to produce an "audiovisual" term paper. Rationale for the project, responses from student self-evaluation questionnaires, and comments on implementing the project (including cost and time factors) are…

Describes a laboratory exercise in which students select and identify an organism, study it as it interacts within its environment, collect further information through library research, and bring the organism (alive, preserved, or photographed) to lab for a five-minute presentation. (JN)