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Journal Article
Measurement is an orphan that no one really wants. Mathematics and science standards both include measurement but few teachers really get excited by it. Despite the lack of excited in teaching measurement, some bizarre and extreme measurements do f...
Journal Article
The Polar Insulation Investigation
In this article an oceanographer discusses her development of an activity to help students explore polar-related questions more fully. "The Polar Insulation Investigation" builds on students' natural interest in "things polar" and introduces them to...
Journal Article
The Early Years: Learning Measurement
The world is filled with references to measurements that limit children's activities. It's no wonder children strive to be"big" when they often hear adults remarking, "That's too big a piece of cake for you," or "That's too far for you to walk". As...
Journal Article
Helping students to identify variable can be the key to other aspects of an investigation, such as the use of tables or graphs. In this article, we describe a tool we have successfully used to highlight the role of variables in an experiment: inquiry...
Journal Article
Editor’s Note: Investigation Skills
To borrow an idea from John Dewey, problem solving is both the method and purpose of education. Teaching investigation skills can help students move into understanding and applying content to solve real problems. Investigation skills must move from b...
Journal Article
Science 101: Why is a light-year a unit of distance rather than a unit of time?
There are many issues associated with measurement that can be confusing. From light-years, to Richter scales, to logarithmics, Bill Robertson makes science more palpable for the average person. ...
Journal Article
Teaching Through Trade Books: The Great Quake of 1906
Natural disasters such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake serve as reminders of the need for geologic research and investment in disaster preparedness of all types. Although young students may view their world as a rather localized area, natural d...
Journal Article
Perspectives: The Myth of Catering to Learning Styles
The idea that people may have different abilities to learn, depending on the modality of instruction, has been around for over 100 years. When applied to educational practice, the essence of this viewpoint is that because everyone learns differently...
Journal Article
Methods and Strategies: Thinking Metric
Despite educators’ strong recommendation for teaching students measurement skills—and specifically the metric system—measurement continues to be among the lowest scoring mathematics content areas in the United States for students. But, it does...