Describes a unit on biodiesel from a socio-critical chemistry teaching approach aimed at improving student participation and decision making. Explores the use of biodiesel (chemically changed vegetable oils), especially in Europe. The unit proved to be successful as students participated enthusiastically and social and scientific goals were…

Explores a new web-based curriculum idea of having students write and "publish" critical web "reviews" of scientific resources as a means of both practicing critical evaluation of web resources and making an authentic value-added contribution to the web. Makes some teaching suggestions. (Contains 21 references.) (Author/WRM)

Describes four middle school African American girls' engagement with science. The girls were selected in the seventh grade because they expressed a fondness for science in school or because they had science-related hobbies outside of school. Finds that the girls' stories demonstrate the ways girls choose to engage in science and how this…

Describes a simple demonstration of the flow of sand through an orifice at the bottom of a sandbox. Advocates the experiment's use with dimensional analysis for students in an introductory physics course. (WRM)

Details the construction and design of two kinds of sundials appropriate for school or home use. (Author/WRM)

Discusses ways for teachers to help students understand how to ask questions appropriate for scientific inquiry. (WRM)

Announces the intention of the Association for Science Education (ASE) to assemble, record, and disseminate science teachers' professional knowledge and skills about science teaching in celebration of the organization's centenary in 2001. (WRM)

Presents a series of experiments that can be used to demonstrate how aspirin can be synthesized and characterized, how the hydrolysis of aspirin can be used as an introduction to kinetics, and how coordination chemistry (chelation) can be introduced by preparing and characterizing the copper complexes of aspirin and salicylic acid. (Contains over…

Summarizes the events that took place at the Primary Science Seminar held by the Science Teachers' Association of Western Australia (STAWA). Features instructions for seven time-related activities taught at the seminar including Sundials, Water Clock, Sand Timer, Pendulum, Tornado Timer, Marble Timer, and A Matter of Timing. (WRM)

Describes the author's experience teaching a class of remote and isolated children using Air (broadcast) Lessons and Distance Education lesson materials. (WRM)

Describes some experiments that can be performed at home to illustrate what makes popcorn "pop". (WRM)

Reviews the requirements of the National Titration Competition and describes how a team in a local competition used the technique. Compares microscale titration to conventional titration. Outlines the benefits of employing microscale techniques. (DDR)

A biotechnologist-turned-teacher introduces a series of laboratory modules incorporating concepts from microbiology, cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and evolution. The Amylase Project aims to distill the biotechnology process into a few short steps using amylase, the easiest enzyme to detect of those commonly produced by…

Reports on a way in which student teachers are given the opportunity to work with partially hearing pupils in the context of environmental education outside the science laboratory. Focuses on student investigation of moss on trees. (DDR)

Describes a laboratory exercise that simulates the spread of an infectious agent among students in a classroom. Uses a modified Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) to provide students with experience using an authentic diagnostic tool for detecting human infections. (DDR)