Our August 28 blog entry focused on developing concepts related to the methods in and nature of science. In that post, titled “Put On a Happy Face!,” the inspiration came from scientific investigation of the relationship between suggestive language and involuntary contractions of facial muscles. The goals of that post were to help teachers assist […]
Author Archive
Middle Level Students and ‘Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry’
Monday, September 14th, 2009 9:34 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
Put on a Happy Face!
Thursday, August 27th, 2009 9:49 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
Very soon we will meet our new students and their parents. Everyone is excited but a bit nervous and perhaps anxious. Intuitively, we know smiling will help put others at ease. Everyone has heard the old wives’ tale that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile; thus, smile more and decrease the energy […]
Posted in Topics: Life Science, Methods of Science, Nature of Science, Science
Bat Hosts Marburg Virus Party
Monday, August 17th, 2009 4:28 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Bats, caves, danger and exotic locales. That should catch your students’ attention! The big story here is the co-evolution of viruses and their nonhuman animal hosts, who seem to have a harmless, symbiotic relationship with viruses that cause deadly outbreaks in humans. Though this story is about Marburg virus and a fruit bat, the concepts […]
Posted in Topics: Birds, Ecology, Evolution, Health, Life Science, Microbiology, Science
Milk’s Benefits Go Beyond Healthy Bones
Monday, August 3rd, 2009 5:31 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Ask your students how much milk they’ve had in the past 24 hours. I predict the amounts will be dismally low.
The Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, reports in its Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium:
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2000 found that average calcium intakes were 1,081 and 793 mg/day for […]
We Choose the Moon!
Monday, July 20th, 2009 8:41 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Are you old enough to remember hearing those words spoken by President John F. Kennedy? I’m not, but I have a distinct memory of the night of July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon—the first humans to set foot on a celestial body other than planet Earth.
I was seven […]
Posted in Topics: Earth Science, Science, Social Perspectives, Space, Technology
Physics and the Thrill Seeker
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 2:26 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Amusement park physics is a no-risk teaching and learning endeavor. Students engage in real-world physics applications requiring no extrinsic motivation other than the opportunity to go to an amusement park. Let’s begin with some not-so-great amusement park rides and the physics that explains them. After that, you will find several online resources you can use […]
Posted in Topics: Physical Science, Science
Social Networks Organize Political Revolutions. Can They Revolutionize Education?
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 5:44 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Social networks such as Facebook allow people to stay connected or get connected with physically distant persons in ways not otherwise possible. Recent news from Iran exemplifies this concept in ways most of us probably had not imagined. Navid Mansourian works for Facebook and is an Iranian immigrant. He recently wrote a column posted on […]
Posted in Topics: Education, Integrating Technology
Top 10 New Species Announced
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 5:02 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
How many species were described for the first time in the literature in 2007? Five hundred? 1,000? 10,000? Would you believe 18, 516? That’s right, in a single calendar year! “The majority of the 18,516 species described (named) in 2007 were invertebrate animals (75.6 percent), vascular plants (11.1 percent) and vertebrates (6.7 percent),” reports ScienceDaily.com […]
Posted in Topics: Biodiversity, Life Science, Taxonomy
Time to Review with Those Restless Middle Schoolers
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 7:51 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
It’s that bittersweet time of the school year. The good news is the end is near, and the sad news is the end is near! You and your students have worked hard both academically and socially and some strong bonds have developed. Take full advantage of the understanding, trust and respect you now have with […]
Lack of Blow Flies Leads to the Truth
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 3:56 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Forensic science is always interesting to students. The mystery and puzzle solving are hard to resist. Here’s a real case you can use to get students thinking scientifically while integrating knowledge of insect life cycles—a timely topic for spring. The NYtimes.com reports how the unsolved cause of death of a woman in Las Vegas was […]
Posted in Topics: Forensics, Insects, Life Science, Methods of Science, Science
Posted in Topics: Life Science, Methods of Science, Nature of Science, Science
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