A new method is presented, which educates and empowers the teachers and assists them in incorporating entropy analysis in their curricula and also provides an entropy-analysis unit that can be used in classrooms. The topics that the teachers can cover depending on the ability of the students and the comfort level of the teacher are included.

Application of concepts presented in organic chemistry lecture using a virtual project involving the sythesis of medicinally important compounds is emphasized. The importance of reinforcing the concepts from lecture in lab, thus providing a powerful instructional means is discussed.

A partnership is formed between the University of Pennsylvania and local elementary, middle and high schools in West Philadelphia, with the general goal of creating mutually beneficial science partnership between K-12 schools and colleges and universities. Access to expertise and resources not ordinarily available are given to West Philadelphia…

Two Diels-Alder reactions are described that are suitable for a MORE (microwave-induced organic reaction enhanced) experiment in the organic chemistry laboratory course. A second experiment in which the splitting patterns of the vinyl protons in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of two MORE adducts are used in conjunction with molecular…

The Salters Chemistry courses, context-led curricula for 13-16 and 17-18 year old students, first developed by the Science Education Group at the University of York in the UK, have now been translated and/or adapted in seven other European countries. This paper describes and discusses the different reasons for taking up the courses, the ways in…

In this article, I argue that the enacted curriculum in the United States of America is driven by a politics of domestication--a negative process of acculturation by which individuals are required to conform uncritically to established norms in a community of practice, and by which they are prevented from using their own craft and/or professional…

The approaches of teaching organic (full year) and biochemistry courses in the United States colleges and universities are described. The revised courses are probably more useful and relevant for the students as they maintain and improve the education of chemistry majors.

A one-semester course is described which directly responds to the challenge that the scientific community addresses the question that the level of science literacy to the large number is small. It is designed for bright, highly motivated students who have only a basic high school background in chemistry and who have no plans for taking any more…

Young children are often curious about the world around them and they will freely explore their environment. However it is naive to assume that children can discover most scientific ideas for themselves. They need help, support and direction to begin to make sense of their world, to build the foundations of scientific ideas and to make the…

The author's favourite film musical is "The King and I." Of the several catchy songs in the film her favourite is "Getting to know you," which is sung firstly by the governess to the children and then the children to her. The author hereby declares this to be "The Song of Science," with "you" being the "system" being studied (e.g. plant, elastic…

It is argued that a central role for models and modelling would greatly increase the authenticity of the science curriculum. The range of ontological states available for the notion of "model" is outlined, together with the modes available for their representation. Issues in the selection of models for and the development of modelling skills…

Many students are curious about the steps in food preparation. As a result of such experiences, the author of this article began to incorporate science demonstrations into food preparation classes. She conducted research, developed resources, and piloted the "Principles of Food Science" class over the next 6 years. "Principles of Food Science"…

Researchers predict that future developments in nanotechnology will bring incredible, almost inconceivable, change to the manufacturing industry. For now, though, one of technology's most trusted tools remains very relevant: In the field of thermometry, thermocouples are a tried and true technology. As a consequence, material on thermocouples…

Actions speak louder than words. Teachers may verbally agree with curriculum change but seldom do their statements match up with their classroom practice and, as a result, the intended curriculum is never fully implemented. The study described below reports on how primary and secondary teachers' statements of belief, otherwise referred to as…

Advocates of Intelligent Design (ID) theory argue that evolution is a theory in crisis, ID is a legitimate scientific theory, and biology teachers should teach the controversy. Supporters of evolutionary theory testify that ID is a religious, not scientific, concept, and evolution is in no danger of bankruptcy, having survived 140 years of…