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Journal Article
Editor’s Roundtable: Professional development—A thousand kilometers wide and a micron deep!
A long-term, coherent program of high-quality professional development (PD) is the best way to foster improvement in classroom practices and student learning. Administrators and district office personnel must make high-quality professional developmen...
Journal Article
Scope on the Skies: Tracking planets around the Sun
In earlier columns, the celestial coordinate system of hour circles of right ascension and degrees of declination was introduced along with the use of an equatorial star chart (see SFA Star Charts in Resources). This system shows the planets’ motio...
Journal Article
In this problem-based learning activity (PBL), students embark on a science trek to answer the question “Where is the science in my neighborhood?” The project serves as an excellent review of science curriculum in anticipation of Virginia’s yea...
Journal Article
Science Sampler: Wanted—Citizen Scientists
As middle school students and teachers become involved in citizen-scientist activities, their awareness of important environmental issues will be enhanced. Here the author shares her involvement in a partnership with the Great Smoky Mountains Institu...
Journal Article
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K—12 (Books Published in 2007: Science Scope)
Each of these outstanding selections defies the traditional image of a child “curling up with a good book.” Yes, they can be a source of great personal reading, encouraging students of all ages to stretch their skills and their imagination as the...
Journal Article
Scope on Safety: Should we pull the plug on wireless computer networks?
Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, is a type of wireless local area network (WLAN). Two or more computers form the network using radio frequency (RF) signals. The safety of these networks, however, has come under scrutiny in recent years. Some parents have...
Journal Article
The Technology-Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) center, a National Science Foundation-funded Center for Learning and Teaching, offers research-tested science modules for students in grades 6—12 (Linn et al. 2006). These free, online modules enga...
Journal Article
Tried and True: Volcano résumés
Tired of building a paper mâché volcano to teach about plate tectonics? Do you want to connect science and writing? Then the volcano résumé project is perfect for you. This one-week, problem-based learning (PBL) project requires students to resea...
Journal Article
Science Sampler: The wonder of it all
Nature surrounds us with awe-inspiring events and elements. All too often, however, the beauty and intricacy of nature is lost on students who get bogged down with reading about it in textbooks rather than experiencing it. The simple pleasures of lea...
Journal Article
Science Safaris: Developing Bold Academic Explorers Outside the Science Classroom
Science, like most subjects, can only come alive when students are actively engaged in real-life pursuits that interest and challenge them (VanTassel-Baska and Bass 1998). Here the author describes how she was able to bring science to life for her mi...