Describes the Savannah River Site, a national environmental research park that shelters wild animals and idle nuclear reactors. Outlines research conducted at the site that focuses on the recovery of ecosystems after disturbance related to the operation of nuclear reactors and other land uses. (LZ)

Describes an instrument developed to assess students' or teachers' perceptions of five dimensions of actual or preferred classroom environment: student cohesiveness, open-endedness, integration, rule clarity, and material environment. Instrument is included in the appendix. (ZWH)

Describes a toy shaped like a bird that has an intuitively astonishing property: no matter how far away from equilibrium it is moved, it oscillates back to equilibrium. The behavior of this physical system is explained and is used to illustrate the concept of mechanical stability and the usefulness of making simple, idealized models for describing…

Draws data from student responses to the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) and a curriculum analysis of the implemented laboratory tasks. Involves biology, chemistry, and physics students (N=387) in 20 classes in Tasmania, Australia. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Describes how scientists use representations and tools in the chemistry laboratory. Derives implications from these findings for the design of educational environments. (Author/CCM)

A new state-of-the-art marine science laboratory at Eckerd College (Florida) is a study in the power of research, teamwork, attention to detail, and cost control. A redundant piping system brings sea water directly to the students. Once a week the pipes that previously held sea water are flushed and refilled with fresh water. (MLF)

Presents a chemistry activity that introduces students to one type of chemical bond by developing the integer operation concept of zero pairs. Leads to an activity of combining drops of 0.3 molar solutions to form six different colored precipitates from five solutions. (ASK)

Applies chemistry to earth science, uses rocks in chemistry laboratories, and teaches about transition metal chemistry, oxidation states, and oxidation-reduction reactions from firsthand experiences. (YDS)

Conducts an action research investigation to determine which type of student benefits more from inquiry-based science laboratories. Designs two labs on diffusion and osmosis using both traditional and inquiry-based approaches and assesses student learning in these settings. (YDS)

Discusses the importance of environmental chemistry and the use of laboratory exercises in analytical and general chemistry courses. Notes the importance of lab work in heightening student interest in coursework including problem-based learning in undergraduate curricula, ready adaptability of environmental coursework to existing curricula, and…

Presents an activity on building a structure with Lego blocks and points out the importance of laboratory records. Includes instructor information and a student worksheet. (YDS)

Deconstructing cookbook labs to require the students to be more thoughtful could break down perceived teacher barriers to inquiry learning. Simple steps that remove or disrupt the direct transfer of step-by-step procedures in cookbook labs make students think more critically about their process. Through trials in the author's middle school…

The present research describes an efficient procedure to obtain high levels of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen by using a simple, rapid, and easily reproducible method. The extraction process and the time-course of activation of zymogens can be carried out in a single laboratory period, without sophisticated equipment. The main objective was to…

A novel experimental sequence for the advanced undergraduate laboratory course has been developed at Earlham College. Utilizing recent improvements in molecular techniques for a time-sensitive environment, undergraduates were able to create a chimera of a selected gene and green fluorescent protein (GFP) in a bacterial expression plasmid over the…

An experiment designed for the physical chemistry laboratory where (super 13)C NMR is applied to determine the spin-lattice relaxation time for carbon atoms in n-hexanol is proposed. It is concluded that students learn the principles and concepts of NMR spectroscopy as well as dynamic NMR experiments.