All Science Scope resources

Journal Article

Models are manageable representations of objects, concepts, and phenomena, and are everywhere in science. Models are “thinking tools” for scientists and have always played a key role in the development of scientific knowledge. Models of the solar...

Journal Article

Scope on the Skies: Rocks, robots, and ices

Solar system exploration in November includes flybys of Saturn’s moons, a comet, and the next-to-last launch of a space shuttle before the shuttle program ends. In addition, on November 1 and 29 before sunrise, the waning crescent Moon will be clos...

Journal Article

Managing Misconceptions: Seafarers, great circles, and a tad of rhumb—Understanding the Mercator misconception

Being flat, Mercator maps inherently misrepresent some aspects of Earth’s geography. That’s because there is absolutely no way to simultaneously conserve all of the elements of three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional model. To dispel misconc...

Journal Article

Guest Editorial: A revolutionary model of professional development

Traditionally, professional development in education has focused on three main areas: content, general pedagogy, or pedagogical content knowledge. While each area has its own purpose, in this article the author focuses on what the literature states s...

Journal Article

Astronomical Scale of Stellar Distances Using 3-D Models

One of the largest challenges of teaching astronomy is bringing the infinite scale of the universe into the four walls of a classroom. However, concepts of astronomy are often the most interesting to students. This article focuses on an alternative m...

Journal Article

Using Google Earth to Study the Basic Characteristics of Volcanoes

With the advent of Google Earth and the database of volcanoes supplied by the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, students can describe almost any volcano on Earth. In this article, the authors guide students to use tools in Google ...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Using historical investigations in the classroom—History of science as a tool for teaching

Using “hands-on” instruction in the science classroom has obvious value for both teachers and students. However, just because a type of instruction does not allow students to physically interact with objects does not mean it is not worthwhile. On...

Journal Article

Everyday Engineering: Toothbrush design—Is there a better bristle?

Manufacturers often claim that their particular toothbrush design is better than the competitors, but is it? As a result, engineers must consider the economic issues involved with selling the products they create, as well as their functionality: to p...