To learn with data, students need "data" to explore. This can be deceptive--data-rich experiences typically involve much more than a straightforward science lab. Solving real problems with data means identifying authentic questions that are meaningful to students and provide a foundation for deep inquiry. Such situations often lend…

Nitrogen- or phosphorus-based fertilizers, used in agriculture, can run off into nearby waterways during periods of heavy rain or high flow and cause harmful blooms (Paerl et al. 2016), low oxygen (Joyce 2000), and decreased biodiversity (Sebens 1994). Studies of the effects wetlands can have on water and habitat quality (Verhoeven and Meuleman…

To evaluate the willingness of teachers to incorporate aquaponics in the classroom, we engaged teachers in a 6-week project. Participants in the experimental group maintained small-scale aquaponic systems. All teachers completed pretests and posttests, and exit surveys. Both groups (experimental and control) scored significantly higher on the…

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will define science education for the foreseeable future, yet many educators struggle to see the bridge between current practice and future practices. The inquiry-based methods used by Extension professionals (Kress, 2006) can serve as a guide for classroom educators. Described herein is a method of…

The progression of the taxonomic organization of life from Linnaeus's original two kingdoms to the traditional five-kingdom system to today's widely accepted three-domain system is explored in a group-learning activity. Working with a set of organisms, students organize them into each system. Discussion after each step focuses on viewing…

Phagocytosis and exocytosis are two cellular processes involving membrane dynamics. While it is easy to understand the purpose of these processes, it can be extremely difficult for students to comprehend the actual mechanisms. As membrane dynamics play a significant role in many cellular processes ranging from cell signaling to cell division to…

Most students think animals are more interesting than plants as a study topic believing that plants are inferior to animals because they are passive and unable to respond to external challenges, particularly biological invaders such as microorganisms and insect herbivores. The purpose of this study was to develop an inquiry-based learning unit,…

Take plant lessons outdoors with this engaging and inquiry-based activity in which third-grade students learn how to apply soil conservation methods to growing plants. They also collect data and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of their method of soil conservation. An added benefit to this activity is that the third-grade students played…

Plants and insects share a long evolutionary history characterized by relationships that affect individual, population, and community dynamics. Plant-herbivore interactions are a prominent feature of this evolutionary history; it is by plant-herbivore interactions that energy is transferred from primary producers to the rest of the food web. Not…

Data sharing among multiple lab sections increases statistical power of data analyses and informs student-generated hypotheses. We describe how to collect, organize, and manage data to support replicate and rolling inquiry models, with three illustrative examples of activities from a population-level biology course for science majors. (Contains 1…

Investigations that facilitate experimental design, the concept of replication, data analysis, and other aspects of scientific study are described. A list of materials, the recommended plants, and the directions for building the hydroponics unit are included. (KR)

This document includes a final report and curriculum guide from a project to develop a Science and Math Applications curriculum that related science and math to everyday life and promoted confidence in adult basic education students in their science and math skills. The report describes how the curriculum used traditional teaching methods to teach…