Given is a rationale for using science demonstrations. The development and characteristics of successful demonstrations are presented. An illustration is given in the area of microbiology. A rating sheet is included. (CW)

An experimental study of 170 undergraduate biology students at a suburban community college revealed that the final evaluation of these students was based more heavily on verbal and written aspects of biology than on practical application of concepts. (IAH)

Describes how paramecium can be identified through the use of DNA-binding fluorescent compounds. The authors used these techniques to test the paramecium stocks from 12 commercial sources. The details of the staining procedures and the results of the commercial tests are presented in this article. (PR)

A low-cost procedure for metallizing a silicon p-n junction diode by electroless nickel plating is reported. The procedure demonstrates that expensive salts can be excluded without affecting the results. The experimental procedure, measurement, results, and discussion are included. (Author/KR)

Describes a research-based activity for high school physics students in which they build an LC circuit and find its resonant frequency of oscillation using an oscilloscope. Includes a diagram of the apparatus and an explanation of the procedures. (DDR)

Investigates procedural understanding of university students at the freshman level, prior to instruction, in the context of experimental work in physics. Proposes two types of reasoning used by students in the laboratory. Indicates a high degree of consistency of these modes of reasoning across experimental phases of data collection and…

Presents a simple and reliable technique using commonly available equipment for monitoring carbon monoxide in automobile exhaust. The experiment utilizes a gas chromatograph and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). (DDR)

Uses an action research approach to investigate how different modes of pre-laboratory preparation contribute to a fruitful laboratory experience for first year students on an access program. Concludes that the ability to prepare depended upon conceptual and procedural understanding of the laboratory as a whole. (Author/MM)

The feasibility of the laboratory production of copper metal from a readily available, naturally occurring mineral malachite utilizing techniques that are consistent with the time period of around 4000 B.C.E. is presented. The starting materials are inexpensive and convenient and the procedure involves no hazardous reagents and produces no…

Computer programs and models are used to express respect for life by not sacrificing any animal but these alternatives might be deeply flawed. Alternatives to dissection are perverse alternatives that tend to preserve the features of inappropriate dissections like destructiveness, reductionism and objectification.

The potency of heat in gases is measured by the application of a computer and the LabWorks interaction, while the speed of sound in gases is determined by an instrument called Kundt's tube. This unique and accurate procedure is repeatable, and greatly reduces data acquisition time.

In tactile learning, sucrose is the unconditioned stimulus and reward, which is usually applied to the antenna to elicit proboscis extension and which the bee can drink when it is subsequently applied to the extended proboscis. The conditioned stimulus is a tactile object that the bee can scan with its antennae. In this paper we describe the…

Multistep syntheses are often important components of the undergraduate organic laboratory experience and a three-step synthesis of 5-(2-sulfhydrylethyl) salicylaldehyde was described. The experiment is useful as a special project for an advanced undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course and offers opportunities for students to master a…

A set of highly atom-economic experiments was developed to highlight the differences between acid- and base-catalyzed ester syntheses and to introduce the principles of atom economy. The hydrochloric acid-catalyzed formation of an ester was compared with the 4-dimethylaminopyradine-catalyzed ester synthesis.

A typical card sort is an activity in which students are given a set of cards with a single concept written on each card and asked to organize the cards by grouping related concepts. The nontraditional card sorts described in this article foster critical thinking and add elements of inquiry as students use them to develop flowcharts for complex…