Describes the use of recently constructed stormwater detention ponds to conduct a set of field and laboratory exercises in an undergraduate limnology course. Provides a number of logistical advantages that can benefit those teaching aquatic sciences. (JRH)

Describes an exercise designed to be used in an Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry course to accompany the study of thermodynamics. Uses Differential Scanning Calorimetry in teaching the concepts of thermochemistry and thermodynamics. (JRH)

Presents an experiment that provides students with an opportunity to investigate folk medicine and herbal cures and their accompanying claims. Involves isolating some active compounds from plant materials and demonstrating their antibacterial activity. (JRH)

Discusses the goals of experiments which show examples of the use of solar energy on a scale suitable for a school laboratory. Highlights the history of discoveries and developments in photoelectricity. Presents investigations and experiments, that can be performed by students. (JRH)

Discusses the use of student-generated rubrics in science classes where students design their own laboratory activities to solve open-ended problems. Promotes careful consideration of what constitutes open-ended work. Presents certain rubrics and grading criteria. (JRH)

Describes an experiment that measures the diffusion of ions in the liquid phase and shows that the relative distances of diffusion are related qualitatively to the inverse of the mass of the solvated ion. Involves soluble salts on opposite sides of a Petri dish diffusing through a layer of water and meeting to form an insoluble salt. (JRH)

Describes an experiment that uses air to test Charles' law. Reinforces the student's intuitive feel for Charles' law with quantitative numbers they can see, introduces the idea of extrapolating experimental data to obtain a theoretical value, and gives a physical quantitative meaning to the concept of absolute zero. (JRH)

Presents an experiment that uses thin-layer chromatography to identify various aspirin-free Bayer products and to determine whether the products are in fact aspirin-free. (JRH)

Presents an experiment that demonstrates that common substances, whether or not the students think of them as medicines, drugs of abuse, or foods, have toxic effects on Daphnia. Combines an inexpensive hands-on experiment with extensive discussion to help the students think about chemical concentration, potency, and the difference between harmful…

Compares the nature of student thinking in confirmation and open-inquiry laboratory activities. Reports that student thinking processes exhibited in confirmation laboratories emphasized procedures and techniques--making sense of and doing the laboratory, whereas student thinking in open-inquiry laboratories emphasized data analysis--making sense…

Reexamines an experiment in which the volumetric fraction of oxygen in air was supposed to have been determined. Presents challenges to the procedure. (DDR)

Investigates which factors are important in revising chemistry laboratory experiments to enhance student interest and enjoyment of experimental science. Findings indicate the importance of several factors including varied content, real-world connections, items from outside the student's usual range of experience, well-paced experiments, error-free…

Describes a simple audio conductivity device built to address the problem of the lack of sensitivity needed to measure small differences in conductivity in crude conductivity devices. Uses a 9-V battery as a power supply and allows the relative resistance differences between substances to be detected by the frequency of its audible tones. Presents…

Presents one way to use an organized approach to investigation in order to compare and contrast different paper towel brands for their absorption capabilities. Uses investigation procedures rather than formal experimentation procedures due to the nature of the investigation. (Author/MM)

Demonstrates some of the chemistry of chlorine on a microscale about the size of a water droplet. Chlorine gas was prepared from an acidified bleach solution in a plastic petri dish. Provides suitable hands-on experience for students at the secondary-school level. (MM)