The presence of geosciences in the curriculum of primary and secondary schools in Argentina has been highly dependent on educational policies that change frequently under political circumstances. Subjects related to geology, geophysics, meteorology, and astronomy make their appearance and disappear under the influence of educational initiatives…

Educational robotics laboratories typically involve building and programming robotic systems to perform particular tasks or solve problems. In this paper we explore the potential educational value of a form of robot-supported educational activity that has been little discussed in the literature. During these activities, primary school children are…

Arguing an idea from evidence is not an easy task. Lori Fulton and Emily Poeltler found that their second grade students could make claims about an idea and sometimes provide some sort of an explanation, but they struggled to support their claims with evidence. They noticed that as students were talking and writing about science, they were focused…

This paper explores affordances in teaching evolution, especially those in which evolution is made relevant to and argued for in a grade 9 biology classroom, thus giving potential answers to the pupils' legitimate question,"'why am I learning evolution?" The aim of the paper is methodological in the sense that it explores whether the…

The question "how to improve the interest of students to study physics" has been discussed in the author's previous papers too. Within the framework of the project, the author prepared various new interdisciplinary projects to demonstrate how inventions in physics are used in everyday life. Now, about one year later, the author found out…

We present a new laboratory activity for teaching radioactive decay by using hydrodynamic processes as an analog and an evaluation of its efficacy in the classroom. A fluid flowing from an upper beaker into a lower beaker (shampoo in this case) behaves mathematically identically to radioactive decay, mimicking the exponential decay process,…

In species that reproduce sexually, an individual's fitness depends on its ability to secure a mate (or mates). Although both males and females are selected to maximize their reproductive output, the mating strategies of the two sexes can differ dramatically. We present a classroom simulation that allows undergraduates to actively experience how…

Embryonic development offers a unique perspective on the function of many biological processes because of embryos' heightened sensitivity to environmental factors. This hands-on lesson investigates the effects of elevated vitamin A on the morphogenesis of chicken embryos. The active form of vitamin A (retinoic acid) is applied to shell-less (ex…

Scientific modeling along with hands-on inquiry can lead to a deeper understanding of scientific concepts among students in upper elementary grades. Even though scientific modeling involves abstract-thinking processes, can students in younger elementary grades successfully participate in scientific modeling? Scientific modeling, like all other…

Part of the School of Physical Sciences mission and plan is to deliver an effective outreach programme to the community and South East regions to stimulate interest, both in school pupils and the general public, in science. To do this, it offers many activities that are school-based and aimed at students in Key stages 3, 4 and 5 (ages 11-18).…

Students love field trips, and why shouldn't they? Field trips provide a break from the routine of the school day and an opportunity to learn from the world outside the classroom. Science and natural history museums are popular field-trip destinations, filled with a dizzying array of displays, and hands-on learning opportunities. The author…

Today's students are inundated with information--via social-networking websites, personal blogs, collaborative wikis, online-only publications, and so on--that ranges from biased personal opinions to peer-reviewed scientific papers. Some sources describe science events accurately; others don't. Students should understand how this media coverage…

During the fall semester of 2010, mechanical engineering students from Edison State Community College and Wright State University shared their skills and knowledge with students from the Upper Valley JVS (UVJVS) pre-engineering technology program in a highly motivating robotics activity. The activity culminated in 47 teams from regional high…

Science Night--everybody wants one, but how does a teacher make it happen? To promote connections between schools, families, and communities, the authors organized a unique learning opportunity by combining three community partners' efforts and strengths. The school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) coordinated and sponsored a science night for…

After completion of formal education, the mass media represent people's primary source of scientific information. Besides the traditional attention to scientific knowledge, national curricula are therefore increasingly emphasizing critical and reflexive engagement with media content as a key objective of science education. Despite this curricular…