Presents a simple, practical, and inexpensive method for growing microorganisms that will help middle school students experience microorganisms and introduce them to important science concepts. Students grow microorganisms and investigate questions concerning environmental factors that affect growth of populations. (LZ)

Describes a technique for extracting a radioactive source from the atmosphere using a balloon, as a strategy to generate students' enthusiasm for and understanding of radioactivity experiments. (JRH)

Provides a laboratory experiment using a pendulum on the conservation of energy. The activity has an easy analysis, accurate results, and is enjoyable for the students. (MVL)

Presents an exercise that attempts to correct for the common discrepancies between theoretical and experimental predictions concerning projectile motion using a spring-loaded projectile ball launcher. Includes common correction factors for student use. (MVL)

Provides an inexpensive method (less than $125) for performing experiments usually requiring a laser. Suggests building a laser diode light source, a device for producing multiple parallel beams, a light meter, a polar/analyzer, a laser light show apparatus, and a circuit to modulate the laser diode intensity. (MVL)

Compares and contrasts the use of animals in English secondary schools and Australian high schools. Changes in animal usage in English schools over the last decade are described as are the influences that the National Curriculum in England has had on such work. Implications are indicated for Australian and English biology teachers. (Author/MKR)

Describes high-speed photographic methods used to demonstrate that the tip of a snapped towel does break the sound barrier. (ZWH)

Describes the use of chromatic musical instrument tuners to make frequency measurements of sound waves and as an exercise in the conversion of pitch to frequency. (ZWH)

Students often complain that lectures requiring simultaneous writing and listening is a difficult task. An alternative method is provided to teachers to facilitate note taking by students. (ZWH)

Describes a course for science education majors that explores the uses of computer-interfaced experiments in a variety of interesting activities. Several examples of biology experiments are given. (ZWH)

Students conducted an experiment to study the plant growth of three Amaryllis plants. Students examined the speed and amount of growth, cross-pollinated the plants to produce seeds, and compared the growth of amaryllis seeds to the growth of onion seeds, a plant in the same family, Amaryllidaceae. (MDH)

Students establish simple cell developmental cultures to observe the process of spermatogenesis, mitosis, and meiosis in living cells. Using the background information, hints for further exploration, and experimental procedures provided, teachers can easily modify this experiment to suit their students needs. (ZWH)

Presents and discusses the following six questions to focus students' inquiry experiences: (1) What do you think will happen? (2) What actually happened? (3) How did it happen? (4) Why did this happen? (5) How can we find out which of these hypotheses is the most reasonable? (6) How can you relate the investigation to your daily life? (PR)

Presents five hands-on activities that allow students to detect, measure, reduce, and eliminate moisture. Students make a humidity detector and a hygrometer, examine the effects of moisture on different substances, calculate the percent of water in a given food, and examine the absorption potential of different desiccants. (MDH)

Describes several experiments to teach different aspects of the statistical analysis of data using household substances and a simple analysis technique. Each experiment can be performed in three hours. Students learn about treatment of spurious data, application of a pooled variance, linear least-squares fitting, and simultaneous analysis of dyes…