Provides three exercises that introduce high school and college students to a common strain of the tobacco mosaic virus and the study of some basic biological processes. Activities involve inoculation of plants and observing and recording symptom development in infected plants. (DDR)

Describes the use of several teaching techniques based on constructivist educational theory. The teaching techniques are used with preservice teachers to enable them to experience active learning strategies in the context in which science is practiced. (Contains 19 references.) (DDR)

Describes afterschool science program, implemented by a group of women engineers, to provide 18 African American middle-school female students with hands-on science activities related to the manufacture and design of automobiles. Women engineers served as mentors and role models. Program had positive influence on students' attitudes towards math,…

Provides details of a middle school science program that involves students in real fieldwork on a topic of their choice. Focuses on student research in estuary and seashore ecosystems. Includes proposal format and scoring rubric. (DDR)

Details an ocean-based lesson and provides background information on the designation of 1998 as the "Year of the Ocean" by the United Nations. Contains activities on the poster insert that can help raise student awareness of coastal-zone hazards. (DDR)

The Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky is 1 of 34 Challenger Center sites for space science education nationally and the only one in a rural area. Since the center's opening in March 1999, some 5,500 sixth-graders have "flown" space missions that involved using teamwork and math and science skills to solve problems and complete the…

Illustrates the use of a module used in Mexican schools that focuses on survival on a deserted island. Explores questions related to inhabitants of the island, predator-prey relationships, identification of natural resources, water and food issues, and health considerations. (DDR)

The Bird Discovery Box, designed for teachers who want to teach a bird unit, contains tools designed to help educators and students familiarize themselves with birds by sight and sound and understand bird habitats. The box also helps in creating a habitat for birds in the schoolyard. Contains field guides and other resources, binoculars, a…

Describes Louisiana Sea Grant's most recent marine education program, the coastal Ecosystem Stewardship project. Its purpose is to provide students with background information on wetlands management issues; training in basic water quality monitoring methods, data collection, and manipulation; and opportunities to participate in a restoration…

This article describes Camp Invention, a summer one-week day camp program for students in grades 2-6 that is designed to develop creativity in gifted students. The curriculum of the camp features hands-on, interactive activities in science, history, math, and the arts. Examples of activities undertaken in 2001 are provided. (Contains one…

This article examines variations in patterns in the enactment of a large-scale kindergarten through Grade 12 science inquiry program. Student data reports in the GLOBE program provide a useful measure of implementation because key design elements in the program are student collection and reporting of local environmental data. We examined…

Most children are unaware of the process of molting, the periodic shedding and replacement of part or all of a coat or an outer covering of an animal, but it is an animal characteristic they are sure to be interested in and should have the opportunity to observe. In this article, the author shares how she and her students observed various…

In the winter of 2000, a class of K-8 preservice teachers were introduced to "TesselMania! Deluxe," a software product that visually and manually engages students in the study of transformations but, more specifically, tessellations. Prior to discussing the topic of transformations, students were only slightly familiar with two types of…

Over the past 25 years, the author has had the opportunity to study the subject of solar energy and to get involved with the installation, operation, and testing of solar energy systems. His work has taken him all over the United States and put him in contact with solar experts from around the world. He has also had the good fortune of seeing some…

Having students design and construct solar cookers is a great way to teach them about designing to meet human needs and about many basic global issues related to health and the environment. Because the activity includes solid content from the fields of math, science and technology, it is an excellent vehicle for technology educators who want to…