Presents an activity that enables teachers to access students' existing knowledge of bats, have students confront their misconceptions and learn more about the real lives of bats, and ask students to apply their knowledge while reinforcing the difference between science and myth. (JRH)

Presents anecdotes from prominent citizens including Bill Clinton, Alan Alda, Carl Sagan, Gerald Wheeler, JoAnne Vasquez, and Lynn Margulis in which they reminisce about interesting science experiences with their families. (JRH)

Imagine this? As students walk into the room, I have a thunderstorm CD playing in the background. I ask the students to come into the room quietly and listen to the sounds. After taking attendance, students share what they heard: "thunder," "rain," "birds." I then tell them to watch the screen, where they see an online streaming video of a…

In this article, the authors describe a series of activities they have used with middle-level students. The first set of lessons explores density through the layering of liquids. In the second set, they use some of the same liquids to explore the density of solids. The third set investigates how temperature affects the density of…

We treat a modified Atwood's machine in which equal masses do not balance because of being in an accelerated frame of reference. Analysis of the problem illuminates the meaning of inertial forces, d'Alembert's principle, the use of free-body diagrams and the selection of appropriate systems for the diagrams. In spite of the range of these…

The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Math and Science Partnership Program (MSP) promotes the development, implementation, and sustainability of exemplary partnerships to produce high-quality math and science education at all K-12 levels. The MSP Program anticipates that the partnerships will be instrumental in improving student achievement,…

This guide provides teachers and students many opportunities. Chapters within the guide present the history of rocketry, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) 21st Century Space Exploration Policy, rocketry principles, and practical rocketry. These topics lay the foundation for what follows--a wealth of dynamic rocket science…

Giving students the opportunity to extract, manipulate and visualise DNA molecules enhances a constructivist approach to learning about modern techniques in biology and biotechnology Visualisation usually requires agarose gel electrophoresis and staining. In this article, we report on an alternative DNA stain, Nile Blue A, that may be used in the…

In this article, the authors reflect on whether the competitiveness of science fairs does anything to enhance the learning environment of schools. The authors narrate how a visit to a local school's gymnasium to witness one of these gala events reminded them of why they so dislike science fairs. The authors mention that they applaud any sincere…

Electric Motorboat Drag Racing is a culminating high school physics project designed to apply and bring to life many content standards for physics. Students need to be given several weeks at home to design and build their model-sized electric motorboats for the 5-meter drag racing competition down rain gutters. In the process, they are discussing…

An important component of many college and university science programs is that of community outreach. Some of the more typical kinds of outreach activities include teacher training workshops, public lectures, open house "science days," and school demonstration visits. The latter activity usually consists of students and faculty transporting…