Until recently, the notion of a "rhetoric of science" may have sounded oxymoronic. Traditional conceptions of science as the embodiment of disinterested, objective knowledge of nature, coupled with perceptions of rhetoric as empty verbiage, subterfuge, or stylistic embellishment, made science and rhetoric appear quite incompatible. However, recent…

We give a systematic development of the theory of the radiation field of an accelerated charged particle with reference to an inertial reference frame in flat spacetime. Special emphasis is given to the role of the Schott energy and momentum in the energy-momentum balance of the charge and its field. It is shown that the energy of the radiation…

I find that students have difficulty with Hamilton's principle, at least the first time they come into contact with it, and therefore it is worth designing some examples to help students grasp its complex meaning. This paper supplies the simplest example to consolidate the learning of the quoted principle: that of a free particle moving along a…

Arnol'd's second stability theorem is approached from an elementary point of view. First, a sufficient criterion for stability is found analytically as either -[mu][subscript 1] less than U[double prime]/U-U[subscript s] less than 0 or 0 less than U[double prime]/U-U[subscript s] in the flow, where U[subscript s] is the velocity at the inflection…

In this paper, two simple non-contact and cost-effective methods to acquire data in the student laboratory are applied to investigate the motion of a torsion pendulum. The first method is based on a Hall sensor, while the second makes use of an optical mouse.

The hydrologic cycle is a very basic scientific principle. In this article, background information is presented on how the hydrologic cycle provides scientists with clues to understanding the history of Earth's climate. Also detailed is a web-based activity that allows students to learn about how scientists are able to piece together a record of…

A concise, well-organized table of the boiling points of 392 organic compounds has facilitated inquiry-based instruction in multiple scientific principles. Many individual or group learning activities can be derived from the tabulated data of molecular structure and boiling point based on the instructor's education objectives and the students'…

Author analogously applies to education some of the principles of science. (CB)

Both science and quilting involve creating ordered patterns, and both are often communal activities. Examines these and other themes linking biology and quilting, including the importance of silence and touch to both endeavors, quilting as a female craft compared to science which tends to be viewed as a masculine endeavor, and biological themes…

Recent research suggests a closer relationship between early Christianity and science. The way science and religion interacted in that period can serve as a model for the present. (Contains 29 references.) (SK)

Stephen Brush once asked, "Should the history of science be rated 'X'" Well, times have changed. Now controversy reigns over the role of sociology in the science classroom. Here, I profile several dimensions of the sociology of science and survey recent efforts by philosophers to address its most radical claims. In respecting the opposing poles of…

Can storytelling--a revered teaching tradition in many Native American cultures--be used to generate enthusiasm for science and technology among indigenous children and address the achievement gap that exists between Indian and non-Indian children? The Tribal Youth Science Initiative (TYSI) is an innovative new media project for young people, ages…

This study reports on the context and impact of the Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) professional development to promote teachers' and students' scientific literacy through the creation of science classroom discourse communities. The theoretical underpinnings of the professional development model are presented and key professional…

Sociocognitive conflict has been used as a teaching strategy which may contribute to change students' conceptions about science concepts. The present paper aims at investigating the structure of the dialogic argumentation developed by students, when they are involved in science teaching sequence that have been designed to change their conceptions…

Based on the comments by Lopez-Facal and Jimenez-Aleixandre, we consider that the cultural identities within Europe interfere with the question of the re-introduction of the Slovenian bear, generating a kind of "discrimination." When the SAQs under debate run against the students' systems of value, it seems that the closer the connection…