Provides guidelines for translating university science laboratories into middle school science activities. The need for guidelines is based on the authors' discovery that teachers teach what they were taught. Discusses six expected outcomes of middle school science activities: developing science concepts; practicing process skills; quantitative…

Concept-map construction was tested as a means of increasing the conceptual learning of first-year, non-major college chemistry students (n=32). No significant differences between the control (essay-writing) and treatment (concept-map-constructing) groups were found on post-lab multiple-choice achievement tests. Interviews with students indicated…

Presents a biology laboratory experiment designed to examine the ability of fish to improve their foraging rate with experience. This project is appropriate for ecology and animal behavior courses as well as introductory biology courses with a component that provides students with experience in designing and conducting scientific experiments.…

Describes an experimental procedure that can be used to determine the potential bacterial contamination of stagnant water in emergency laboratory eyewash bottles. Contains 11 references. (WRM)

Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides an excellent tool for students to enter into inquiry-based science. This very simple organism is used to demonstrate that the principles governing life apply to all organisms. Students learn to design experiments using trypan blue and heat, build upon their findings with new experiments, and refine and repeat…

Describes the redesign of the first semester general chemistry laboratory at the college level. An organic component is included in the redesign and it provides students with explicit examples of several types of operations in which chemists engage. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

Introduces an investigative microbiology laboratory activity emphasizing critical thinking and experimental design in which students isolate and characterize a bacterium from a specific habitat. Explains the procedures of the laboratory including safety, sample collection, and isolation. (YDS)

"How the World Works" is an interdisciplinary science and mathematics course in which students design and perform their own experiments, analyze the data, and present their results orally and in writing. Evaluations indicate that most students learn how to do science and gain a better appreciation for science as a process. (SAH)

Discusses Knob's solution, which was considered the ideal plant growth solution in 1865, and recommends eliminating Knob's solution from active teaching. Describes solution culture basics including nutrient solutions, containers and aeration, and plants and light. (Contains 12 references.) (YDS)

Describes an unusual course at the University of California, Los Angeles which includes DNA sequencing experiences and exploration of the social, economic, and ethical issues resulting from advances in biotechnology. (EV)

Discusses introductory polarized light measurements in which a diode laser pointer replaces the more frequently used polarized helium-neon laser. (WRM)

Discusses the effectiveness of offering science laboratories via distance education. Explains current delivery technologies, including computer simulations, videos, and laboratory kits sent to students; pros and cons of distance labs; the use of spreadsheets; and possibilities for new science education models. (LRW)

This undergraduate laboratory experiment integrates multiple techniques ("in vitro" synthesis, enzyme assays, Western blotting) to determine the production and detection sensitivity of two common reporter proteins (beta-galactosidase and luciferase) within an "Escherichia coli" S30 transcription/translation extract. Comparison of the data suggests…

Materials science can be taught by applying organic light-emitting electrochemical thin-film devices and in this method students were allowed to make a light-emitting device by spin coating a thin film containing ruthenium (II) complex ions onto a glass slide. Through this laboratory method students are provided with the opportunity to learn about…

An experimental exercise on analytical proficiency studies in collaborative trials is proposed. This practical provides students in advanced undergraduate courses in chemistry, pharmacy, and biochemistry, with the opportunity to improve their quality assurance skills. It involves an environmental analysis, determining the concentration of a…