The procedure of a physical chemistry experiment for university students must be designed in a way that the accuracy and precision of the measurements is properly maintained. However, in many cases, that requires costly and sophisticated equipment not readily available in developing countries. A simple, low-cost experiment to determine isobaric…

Prior to the recycling process, raising awareness of plastic waste impact, e.g., polluting oceans worldwide, is undoubtedly a first attempt to tackle this pandemic environmental issue. With this in mind, the presented practical session is an effort to entice an interdisciplinary audience of science undergraduates toward a sustainable future. The…

Educating future scientists and citizens is more effective if students are guided to correctly apply what they learned in school to their daily lives. This experience-based work is focused on the study of a well-known commercial product: cat litter. This material offers different starting points for a critical examination. Questions related to…

Gaming, an integral part of many students' lives outside school, can provide an engaging platform for focusing students on important disciplinary core concepts as an entry into developing students' understanding of these concepts through science practices. This article highlights how S'cape can be used to support student learning aligned with the…

The classic experiment presented in this problem-solving test was designed to identify the template molecules of translation by analyzing the synthesis of phage proteins in "Escherichia coli" cells infected with bacteriophage T4. The work described in this test led to one of the most seminal discoveries of early molecular biology: it dealt a…

This article presents a hands-on experiment that covers many areas of high school mathematics. Included are the notions of patterns, proof, triangular numbers and various aspects of problem solving. The problem involves the arrangements of a school of fish using split peas or buttons to represent the fish. (Contains 4 figures.)

Mutational inactivation of a specific gene is the most powerful technique to analyze the biological function of the gene. This approach has been used for a long time in viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fruit fly, but looked quite hopeless in more complex organisms. Targeted inactivation of specific genes (also known as knock-out mutation) in mice is…

This article, which describes integrating virtual manipulatives with the teaching of probability at the elementary level, puts a "virtual spin" on the teaching of probability to provide more opportunities for students to experience successful learning. The traditional use of concrete manipulatives is enhanced with virtual coins and spinners from…

Comprehensive measurement of gene expression using high-density nucleic acid arrays (i.e. microarrays) has become an important tool for investigating the molecular differences in clinical and research samples. Consequently, inclusion of discussion in biochemistry, molecular biology, or other appropriate courses of microarray technologies has…

Describes a science laboratory experiment that can be done at home with the assistance of parents or older siblings. It is offered as an alternative to reading assignments or answering questions for homework. Parental assistance is encouraged. (SA)

Notes that laboratory work should be more oriented towards puzzle solving rather than technique or illustration. Offers three organic laboratory puzzles which can be solved by melting point alone. Involves lab work at the 100-200-mg scale but still uses conventional glassware. (MVL)

A single-semester elective combines Mendelian and molecular genetics in a problem-solving format. Students encounter a genetic disease scenario, construct a family pedigree, and try to confirm their medical diagnoses through laboratory experiences. Encouraged to generate ideas as they test their hypotheses, students realize the importance of data…

Describes a physical chemistry experiment which uses spectroscopy to measure the heat of formation of Na2SiF6. Discusses the opportunities for students to see the use of a familiar instrument in an unfamiliar application, emphasizing that there are often many ways to attack problems in science. (TW)

Demonstrates a laboratory to teach the concept of moment of inertia in which students are asked to identify four objects of equal mass sealed in unopenable containers by identifying the mass distribution of each object. Gives instructions to build an instrument to determine relative distribution of mass. (MDH)

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)