Simple, often artificial problems are normally preferred for introductory lab courses and are restricted to indoor participation. Microtitrations make it possible to leave the lab and study water chemistry directly in the natural environment. An exemplary outdoor challenge is presented here: travertine formation is context-rich, has to be examined…

Industry-school partnerships offer authentic learning opportunities and can support the development of students' interest in a STEM career. The expectancy-value model of achievement-related choice can help to explain how several factors influence career choice. Interest-enjoyment values and attainment values are most important in students'…

A laboratory-safety course has been developed that is designed to introduce first-year graduate students to the array of dangers associated with research in the chemical sciences. We describe the challenges of creating an impactful course that seeks to convey practical laboratory-safety information in a classroom setting for students with a…

Are students more engaged and do they perform better in science if their school encourages them to work on science projects, participate in science fairs, belong to a science-related club or go on science-related field trips--in addition to teaching them the mandatory science curriculum? To find out, PISA (Programme for International Student…

In this article, the authors' kindergarteners and a fellow first-grade class turned their hallway into a forest! Not just any mural, this culmination of a month-long project was based on observing, questioning, taking field trips, conducting library research (including the internet) and asking experts. The students developed skills in forming…

Describes the preparation and importance of a project where junior high school students stenciled "No Dumping! Flows to the Bay!" on storm drains in the area of their school. (PR)

This manual contains a collection of approaches and activities for nature specialists at residential or day camps. It is organized so that the novice may use it to maximize the effectiveness of a camp program. The book is full of descriptions of various field experiments in which children can participate. Comments in section 1, "Getting Started,"…

Describes a class project of producing a geologic report of a park for a community. (PR)

Describes an approach to introductory geology that requires students to go into the field to make observations, collect and analyze data, synthesize those data, and hypothesize about inferred geologic relationships. The product of these laboratories is a paper that requires students to test their hypothesis using specific examples from the data.…

Explains how students can learn basic petrographic techniques by using a thin-section collection prepared from the rock units in a geological area under study. Each student defines a particular problem to investigate and is responsible for collecting samples in the field, making additional thin sections, and preparing formal written and oral…

Examines the following five teaching techniques that have strong motivational value: (1) study groups, (2) group projects, (3) sharing information, (4) computer-assisted instruction, and (5) field trips. (PR)

In a learning community, students learn to cooperate and make teams work. Past technologies (print, photography, film, and computers) have enabled idea sharing, but are one-way communication modes. Broader learning communities have been made possible through electronic field trips, online mentoring, science investigations, and humanities…