Understanding natural selection and adaptation are important precursors to learning evolution (NGSS Lead States 2013), the central unifying principle of biology. This lesson sequence, guided by the Five Practices Model (Cartier et al. 2013), incorporates data described by Andersson (1982) that details female choice in a population that eventually…

SOLO taxonomy models the levels of understanding within a topic; its hierarchal nature can support progression and challenge. Flipped learning is a strategy that uses homework to build background knowledge, thereby maximising the impact of lesson time. Both flipped learning and SOLO taxonomy can be used to support student learning, either combined…

To promote teaching science through inquiry, the author wanted to use his experience in the Galápagos to design a lesson that allows students to immerse themselves in the essential science and engineering practices identified in the "Next Generation Science Standards," as they ask questions; analyze and interpret data; engage in argument…

As society becomes more technological, the need for scientific literacy grows . Part of scientific literacy is understanding the nature of science, which can be revealed, in part, by learning the historical context of current science concepts. History of science can be taught using scientific inquiry, scientific argumentation, and authentic…

By providing a variety of strategies, scenarios, examples of student writing, classroom video clips from across all science content areas, rubrics, and guidelines for designing assessment items, "Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing" provides…

The author advocates science teaching that fosters curiosity, inquiry, and hands-on experience. (Condensed from "Virginia Journal of Education," May 1981, p13-15.) (Editor/SJL)

Points out the benefits of "sciencing"--helping children learn the methodology and processes of scientific investigation through the use of play experimentation. (SKC)

Provides a brief overview of the constructivist learning model and characterizes the science classroom where the constructivist model can best be used. (ZWH)

Asserts that science is poetry that is intended for all students to understand. Presents text and a teaching model, The Why How Tree, to aid in helping all students to better understand how the world works. Emphasis is placed on the dependent relationship that the disciplines share. (ZWH)

Discusses the positive and negative aspects of outcome-based education. Also included in the discussion are recommendations for the successful implementation of outcome-based education. (ZWH)

Describes different teaching methods and explains the advantages and disadvantages of experiential learning as compared to traditional instructional techniques. Discusses the steps of the experiential learning model. (YDS)

Develops a simple core-halo model of a galaxy that exhibits the main features of observed rotation curves and quantitatively illustrates the need to postulate halos of dark matter. Uses only elementary mechanics. (Author/MVL)

Discusses student difficulties in problem solving. Presents a structured approach to one-dimensional constant acceleration problems. Provides researcher's experience including an example problem, advantages of the approach, and student responses with two illustrations of problem solving. (YP)

Contains instructions and two patterns for making a terrestrial globe and a tectonic globe. The pattern is designed to be glued onto a tennis ball. By constructing the globes, students obtain a greater understanding of the locations of the edges of continents and the earth's plates. (AIM)

Suggests that an event-based science curriculum can provide the framework for deciding what to retain in an overloaded science curriculum. Provides examples of current events and the science concepts explored related to the event. (MDH)