All animals must make choices regarding what foods to eat, where to eat, and how much time to spend feeding. Optimal foraging theory explains these behaviors in terms of costs and benefits. This laboratory exercise focuses on optimal foraging theory by investigating the winter feeding behavior of birds on the goldenrod gall fly by comparing…

Conversational technologies such as email, chat rooms, and blogs have made the transition from novel communication technologies to powerful tools for learning. Currently virtual worlds are undergoing the same transition. We argue that the next wave of innovation is at the level of the computer interface, and that mixed-reality environments offer…

A local middle school requested that the Water Center of Advanced Materials for Purification of Water With Systems (WaterCAMPWS), a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, provide an introduction to pH for their seventh-grade water-based service learning class. After sorting through a multitude of information about pH, a…

The goal of this research is to understand how generalized exchange systems emerge when information, as the object of exchange, produces a collective good. When individuals contribute information for a collective benefit, it can create a group-generalized exchange system that involves a social dilemma. I argue that two properties of information,…

We present the results from an experiment that tests the perception of English consonantal sequences by Korean speakers and we confirm that perceptual epenthesis in a second language (L2) arises from syllable structure restrictions of the first language (L1), rather than linear co-occurrence restrictions. Our study replicates and extends Dupoux,…

In their specialized schooling, blind children are now frequently presented with raised line figures and maps. However, there is still much to do in evaluating the cognitive effects of training using these displays. The purpose of this research is to determine if the level of expertise in the haptic exploration, and the perception of the raised…

This study investigates opportunities for conducting electrical engineering experiments via the Internet rather than in an actual laboratory. Eighty-four French students of electrical engineering (semester 1, 2004) at Bordeaux University 1 participated in practical courses. Half of the students performed experiments in a laboratory while the other…

The collection of primary data in laboratory classes enhances undergraduate practical and critical thinking skills. The present article describes the use of a lecture program, running in parallel with a series of linked practical classes, that emphasizes classical or standard concepts in exercise physiology. The academic and practical program ran…

"How much popcorn will our classroom hold?" This intriguing question sparked a terrific integrated science and math exploration that the author conducted with fifth-and sixth-grade students. In the process of finding the classroom's volume, students developed science-process skills (e.g., developing a plan, measurement, collecting and interpreting…

This paper describes two uses of the software package TEMATH (Tools for Exploring Mathematics) with calculus students: (1) as a demonstration tool in the classroom to visually explore with students the many mathematical models introduced in a first year calculus course; and (2) as a part of a lab where students use a set of laboratory explorations…

The goal of this mini-curriculum is for students to examine, discover, and compare the physical and chemical properties of soil. Seven units are designed to be presented as a lecture and to allow 30 to 40 students to perform every procedure, each testing their own soil sample. Games are provided in each section to reinforce the concepts presented…

Science fairs have become an important key to gathering valuable science experience while pursuing independent projects. This book serves as a guide to every aspect of science fairs and science fair projects. It provides information on finding suitable topics, researching them properly, developing experiments, and giving meaning to data results.…

This book contains 25 experiments designed to help students understand some of the science used every day. Each experiment includes a list of materials, a series of easy-to-follow steps, an explanation of the scientific principle demonstrated, and additional scientific facts and information. No special or expensive materials are required.…

From prehistoric times people have been fascinated with color; from cave paintings to the latest computers, color has been a constant companion. Textiles are made more beautiful by the alteration or application of colorants. This teaching resource investigates vat dyes, a colorant class which includes the oldest dyes known as well as important…

This guide aims to help students get to know the complexities of wetlands, discover wildlife, enjoy the experience of being outdoors, and learn how necessary wetlands are to the health of our environment. Both the guide and the accompanying videotape are resources of information about wetlands in New England. Eight main topics are treated: wetland…