Developing models and using mathematics are two key practices in internationally recognized science education standards, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). However, students often struggle with these two intersecting practices, particularly when developing mathematical models about scientific phenomena. Formative…

Inspired by the approach first employed by C.S. Holling in his classic "disc experiment," this article provides a sequence of learning activities that increase students' understanding of the mechanisms behind saturating effects in predator-prey scenarios. The proposed lesson is recommended for inclusion in courses that address…

Our plan is to bring professors and their Moroccan pupils to focus on the teaching-learning of physics, without adopting forced mathematical modeling in previously unknown frames and registers, as is actually the practice. The preliminary study consists of developing a new analytical model for the teaching-learning of the radioactive decay law.…

This article describes a unit in which students investigate total solar eclipses, such as the one coming August 21, from several perspectives. It incorporates mathematical thinking and aligns with the "Next Generation Science Standard." This article refers to physical, virtual, and mathematical modeling. Various models and perspectives…

Systems Biology, one of the current approaches to the understanding of living things, aims to understand the behaviour of living systems through the creation of mathematical models that integrate the available knowledge of the system's component parts and the relations among them. Accordingly, model building should play a central part in any…

Students often enter biology programs deficient in the math and computational skills that would enhance their attainment of a deeper understanding of the discipline. To address some of these concerns, I developed a series of spreadsheet simulation exercises that focus on some of the mathematical foundations of scientific inquiry and the benefits…

The vision for science education set forth in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012) makes it clear that for today's students to become the scientifically literate citizens of tomorrow, their educational experiences must help them become mathematically proficient. "The focus here is on important practices, such as modeling, developing…

Simulations make it possible to explore physical and biological phenomena, where conducting the real experiment is impracticable or difficult. The implementation of a software program describing and simulating a given physical situation encourages the understanding of a phenomenon itself. Fifty-nine students, enrolled at the Mathematical Methods…

Describes software, hardware, and devices that were designed to provide students with an environment to experiment with basic ideas of mechanics, including nonlinear dynamics. Examines the behavior of a Lorenzian water wheel by comparing experimental data with theoretical results obtained from computer-based sensors. (MDH)

Describes a project that uses a computer and a dot matrix printer to simulate the holographic recording process of simple object structures. The process' four steps are (1) superposition of waves; (2) representing the superposition of a plane reference wave on the monitor screen; (3) photographic reduction of the images; and (4) reconstruction of…

Presents five computer programs: (1) Accurate Numerical Solutions of the One-Dimensional Schrodinger Equation; (2) NMR Simulation and Interactive Drill/Interpretation; (3) A Simple Computer Program for the Calculation of 13C-NMR Chemical Shifts; (4) Constants of 1:1 Complexes from NMR or Spectrophotometric Measurements; and (5) Saturation…