The average American produces around 1,600 pounds of garbage every year, and it is estimated that 50 percent of that waste is material that could be composted (Clean Air Council, 2012). Instead, most is sent to landfills and incinerators. In technology and engineering education, a great deal of time is spent in talking, teaching, and thinking…

To help teachers get off to a good start, this paper presents the updated "Back-to-School Guide" that is brimming with new-media ideas and resources. It outlines ten tips, along with easy-to-use tools, that will help teachers build their classroom community, survey students to bring out their ideas, and make learning more collaborative. Links to…

Presents a case study of a mini-project that was effective in preparing students for their project work, although many felt demoralized by the experience. Identifies a number of factors that might improve the effectiveness of mini-projects. (CCM)

Presents a learning project in which students prepare a guided, multisensory rain forest tour representing its ecology. Develops five stop points presenting a theme or an important aspect of the rain forest. Includes a list of selected resources for rain forest studies. (YDS)

Describes an activity in which students assume the roles of scientists living in the year 2,001,997 and make their own fossil record discoveries of animals that have undergone evolutionary changes since 1997. Students choose the animals as well as create the adaptations that have taken place. Includes a sample scoring rubric. (DKM)

Presents an opportunity for students to become better acquainted with inventors and their work, examine past discoveries, and pursue new ideas. (ASK)

This book contains 23 suggestions for experiments involving environmental science that can be used to create a science fair project. Aimed at grades 10-12, a wide range of environmental topics is covered. These topics include soil ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, applied ecology, global warming and the greenhouse effect, deforestation and…

This book contains science projects about seed plants that deal with plant physiology, plant ecology, and plant agriculture. Each of the projects includes a step-by-step experiment followed by suggestions for further investigations. Chapters include: (1) "Bean Seed Imbibition"; (2) "Germination Percentages of Different Types of Seeds"; (3)…

This teacher module provides background information and resources to the Annual Duracell/National Science Teachers Association Scholarship Competition Invention Challenge for high school students. Contents include: (1) "Introduction to the Competition"; (2) "Tips for Motivating Students"; (3) "Preparing for Inventing"; (4) "Teaching Invention:…

Describes a project where students visit, evaluate, and report on chemistry web sites. Discusses implementing the project, problems with the process, and results and rewards. Includes the evaluation form used and lists students' top chemistry sites. (JRH)

Presents an activity that demonstrates a crude method of mapping the sea floor and helps students appreciate some basic considerations that scientists face in working with a project of this type. Demonstrates the logistics of teamwork and the effects of time and cost limitations on science projects. (JRH)

Describes an ongoing project, the Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP), being conducted by the University of Nebraska in partnership with several high schools. Each school group has installed cosmic ray detectors, and initial activities have included calibrating equipment, gathering preliminary data, and learning about cosmic ray showers. Aims to…

This is the first program in the Science Safari series produced by the Fairfax Network of the Fairfax County Public Schools. The series and the accompanying print materials are designed to show students a broad spectrum of animal life, introduce students to a variety of people who work with animals, and help students become aware of the important…

This book emphasizes children's learning and is filled with recipes and formulas. The goal of this book is to connect students to the past, provide links to nature, show the importance of science in everyday life, and help students see themselves as part of a global community. Many of the recipes and formulas in this book have multicultural…

Describes a project that enables students to apply their chemical knowledge and business sense in a real-world activity. Involves forming companies that compete against each other to produce two pounds of the best quality soap. (JRH)