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 […]
Archive for the 'Science' Category
Influenza: History, Science, Strains, Detection and Protection
Monday, May 4th, 2009 4:49 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Every middle school student has heard of the flu. They may even have had it, or more likely, they have had some other virus described as the flu. Most students would consider the flu unpleasant, but probably not potentially fatal. Now is a good time to help students learn more about influenza. But where do […]
Posted in Topics: Health, Microbiology, Science, Social Perspectives
Could We Love Our Earth to Death?
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 6:58 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
Thirty, twenty-nine, maybe thirty-two? How many days until we start our summer break? If you have a fabulous summer vacation planned, you are probably aware of the exact number! Maybe you plan on hiking one of the U.S. national parks or rafting a wild river. Or perhaps your plans take you to more exotic locales […]
Posted in Topics: Conservation, Environment, Life Science, Science, Social Perspectives
Are You Ready for Richter Scale Day?
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 6:56 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
Did it sneak up on you again this year? Kidding aside, Richter Scale Day is April 26, the birthday of Charles Richter (1900-1985), inventor of the Richter scale. Most middle school science curricula include earth science studies in plate tectonics and its related phenomena, including earthquakes. Catastrophic events, such as the recent Italian earthquake, provide […]
Posted in Topics: Earth Science, Earthquakes, Science
Using Concrete to Sequester Carbon Dioxide?
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 5:51 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
It is estimated that 5 percent of global emissions of carbon dioxide comes from the manufacture of cement. Some clever manufacturers are finding ways to not only reduce the carbon footprint of the industry but possibly reverse it! That is to say, it seems possible to capture CO2 and store it in concrete, i.e. sequester […]
Posted in Topics: Chemistry, Earth Science, Science, Technology
Antarctica Ice Bridge Snaps
Monday, April 6th, 2009 8:04 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
A massive ice bridge, 40 km long and more than 500 m wide, that once connected two islands is no longer. See http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=36060 for a great visual: a labeled photograph of the area. The ice bridge had been in place for hundreds, probably thousands, of years and held back the Wilkins Ice Shelf. Now scientists […]
Posted in Topics: Climate, Earth Science, Methods of Science, Science
Hurdia victoria, the Giant Shrimp
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 7:46 pm
Written by: Mary LeFever
An oxymoron? Perhaps, but 500 million years ago, such a creature roamed the vast seas. That was before the dinosaurs and concurrent with the Cambrian explosion. Scientists who put the fossil parts together described the giant shrimp this way:
. . . this underwater predator had a segmented body, a pair of claws and a circular […]
Posted in Topics: Evolution, Life Science, Methods of Science, Nature of Science, Science
American Adults Flunk Quiz on Science Literacy While Acknowledging Its Importance
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 5:57 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
If your classroom experiences are at all like some of mine, then you know the frustration of having students who either cannot or will not consider the relationship between their book knowledge and its applications in society. I provide what I consider to be scaffolded reading/thinking/discussion opportunities around current science issues connected to concepts learned […]
Posted in Topics: Nature of Science, Science, Social Perspectives
Policy Could Reduce Carbon Emissions and Solid Waste While Changing People’s Habits
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 5:52 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
In his book Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Thomas Friedman challenges policymakers to assume strong leadership and create policies that will change cultures from ones of excessive, thoughtless waste to ones of thoughtful, integrated efficiency with a long-term vision of a sustainable planet. He presents numerous scenarios in which the alternative approach is not only in […]
Posted in Topics: Environment, Science, Social Perspectives
Organic Detergents, Really?
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 7:58 am
Written by: Mary LeFever
I recently read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. One of the issues Pollan calls readers’ attention to is the meaning of “organic.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture appears to have a clear sense of what it means to be organic. See their web page on which 12 links to organic farming-related documents appear. Most […]
Posted in Topics: Chemistry, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Life Science, Science
Posted in Topics: Forensics, Insects, Life Science, Methods of Science, Science
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