Many students possess their own unique potential and "genius," but seem to base their worth on the status of grades instead of their connection to education itself. Antonio Salieri, for instance, created wonderful, emotionally binding music throughout his lifetime. Salieri however, never saw the beauty in his work because Mozart, a child…

This article provides two activities, exploring genetic drift of small breeding populations, highlighting the black-footed ferret ("Mustela nigripes"). According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, all black-footed ferrets are descended from 18 individuals, making them extremely vulnerable to genetic drift. They were thought to be…

To promote teaching science through inquiry, the author wanted to use his experience in the Galápagos to design a lesson that allows students to immerse themselves in the essential science and engineering practices identified in the "Next Generation Science Standards," as they ask questions; analyze and interpret data; engage in argument…

Students--and just about everyone else--tend to have a wide range of misconceptions about microbes. This article is aimed at changing how students view microbes by engaging them in two hands-on activities that are fun and creative and align with both the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and the Essential Principles of Ocean Literacy…

Describes a constructivist approach to teaching about the phases of the moon. Addresses student misconceptions and encourages students to focus on the causes of the phases of the moon. (JRH)

Outlines the difficulties of conducting action research and recommends student perceptual surveys to teachers who want to do action research. Points out the importance of students' perceptions of the learning environment and student feedback for professional development. Uses the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) to examine student…

Modifies a laboratory activity to ensure that consistencies exist between the laboratory objectives and the teacher's instructional goals (the constructivist learning theory). The changes are included in the article as well as a rationale for each change. (ZWH)

Describes the implementation of the Scope Sequence and Coordination (SS&C) program in Iowa. A key factor in this reform is bridging middle and high school programs through developing, testing, and improving local frameworks to serve as a basis for a science experience that is developmentally appropriate, spaced, and ever-expanding. (JRH)

Many varieties of data acquisition systems are now available for science classrooms. Most systems consist of a range of sensors--typically called probeware--connected to an interface unit usually described as a datalogger due to its capacity to record data from these sensors. Although some systems operate independently, most units connect to a…