The slime trails of snails lead the author's students to a better understanding of science as inquiry and the processes of science. During this five-day activity, students get up close and personal with one of her favorite creatures, the land snail. Students begin by observing the organism and recording their observations. After making initial…

Lichens, small and unobtrusive organisms, are seldom noticed as they cling to rocks, trees, and soil in fragile veils or crusts of splendid color and ornate textures. Their beauty is captivating and fascinating, and their purpose and origins are thought-provoking. Lichens make particularly good "bioindicators". They are bioindicators of sulfur…

Scientists often use more than the results of experiment to arrive at a result; they use anticipation and analogy to arrive at the results that fit their theories, and sometimes they correct results in the light of analogy. They also need to be clear about the difference between accuracy and precision. They do all this using not only theories, but…

An alternative conception for the observed differences in light bulb brightness was revealed during an unguided inquiry investigation in which prospective elementary teachers placed identical bulbs in series, parallel, and combination direct current circuits. Classroom observations, document analyses, and video and audio transcriptions led to the…

A project involving the synthesis of several naturally occurring copper double salts using simple aqueous conditions is reported. The ions present in the compound are analyzed using colorimetric, gravimetric, and gas-analysis techniques appropriate for the first-year laboratory and from the percent composition, the empirical formula of each…

The Environmental Inquiry program supports inquiry based, student-centered science teaching on selected topics in the environmental sciences. Many teachers are unfamiliar with both the underlying science of toxicology, and the process and importance of peer review in scientific method. The protocol and peer review process was tested with college…

It seems hard to believe that Dolly the cloned sheep was born 10 years ago, kindling furious arguments over the prospects and ethics of cloning a human. Today, the controversy over cloning is entwined, often confused, with concerns over the use of human embryonic stem cells. Most people are unclear what cloning is, and they know even less when it…

This document is a laboratory manual for an undergraduate physics course at Purdue University, the major goals of which are to develop students' laboratory skills, to illustrate principles and phenomena described in the physics lectures, and to promote conceptual change about the major topics in Newtonian mechanics. A hardware and software guide…

Science and art have much in common. Artists as well as scientists carefully observe and communicate their subjects. Throughout time, artists have been involved in experimentation, an important scientific method which can lead to new discoveries. Both scientific developments and the ongoing history of art are cumulative. This learning packet is an…

This book contains construction plans of exhibits that have been collected during more than 10 years, and notes for their maintenance, at the Ann Arbor (Michigan) Hands-On museum. It is a useful source of hard-to-find information for exhibit builders, science fair participants, science teachers, students, and home tinkerers. This collection…

Constructivist classroom environments are characterized by student engagement in science processes and manipulating experimental materials with experiential teaching of specific science concepts. Constructivist classrooms are where teachers build models of students' science knowledge, students participate actively in determining the viability of…

Describes a summer course in chemistry conducted by college teachers for children aged 9 through 12. The children were provided with simple laboratory equipment and performed actual experiments and recorded the results. A few demonstrations were given, but lecturing was kept to a minimum. (MLH)

A course was developed to help science teachers in Mississippi teach physics. Most of those teaching the subject were inexperienced in physics, had limited background in the subject, and were in need of help. The course provided these teachers with a deeper understanding of physics principles, emphasized problem-solving strategies, and included…

This unit on the principles of equilibrium is one of 10 first year units produced by the Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). The unit consists of two levels. After a treatment of non-mathematical aspects in level one (the idea of a reversible reaction, characteristics of an equilibrium state, the Le Chatelier's principle),…

This booklet introduces high school and junior high school students to the major groups of aquatic insects and to population sampling techniques. Chapter 1 consists of a short field guide which can be used to identify five separate orders of aquatic insects: odonata (dragonflies and damselflies); ephemeroptera (mayflies); diptera (true flies);…