Blog
SciNews Apr 20
Perils of fatty foods, approaching absolute zero, and a rendezvous with Pluto - just a few of the many ideas to kick off cool science conversations with your students. This eclectic collection of current science news stories is brought to you by STAOBlog. SciNews is...
Wheely Colourful
Contributed by Catherine Little. Students often have a hard time accepting and believing that white light is a composition of many colours of light. In this activity, students construct a homemade colour wheel in order to blend the primary colours together and see...
Deconstructing the Lesson, “Building towards Bad Water”
Written by Marina Imperio This article outlines the deconstruction and reconstruction of a lesson, Building towards Bad Water. The selected lesson was revised to incorporate each of the 5 elements considered important to teaching and learning science – inquiry,...
The Marshmallow Challenge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0_yKBitO8M Tom Wujec from Autodesk presents some surprisingly deep research into the "marshmallow problem" -- a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape and a marshmallow. Who can build the tallest...
5 Ways Good Science Goes Bad – World Science Festival
Good science is a continual process, susceptible at many points to introduced errors and outright manipulation by the misguided and the devious. It’s critically important, as public faith in science continues to be tested, to take an honest look at some of the ways...
Celebrating My Jigsaw Diet Success
Written by Sara Trincao-Batra. To give context, this activity was done at the end of the Nutritional Science unit of SNC4M. I chose to do this activity at the end of the unit because the class I was teaching had a test review the next day. This activity was a great...
SciNews Apr 16
The super hadron collider, quick charging aluminum batteries, NFL concussions and the most expensive telescope ever. Just a few of the items in this eclectic collection of current science news stories. SciNews is published every Monday and Thursday. Stay tuned for...
STEM Education and Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
https://youtu.be/hnzCGNnU_WM Well-designed project-based learning (PBL) has been shown to result in deeper learning and engaged, self-directed learners. Learn more about the five core elements of successful PBL For more information see:...
Colour Mixing: The Mystery of Magenta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPPYGJjKVco Why doesn't magenta appear in the rainbow? The answer lies not in physics but in biology. Science presenter Steve Mould demonstrates the strange phenomenon of colour mixing, in which not everything is as it seems. The cone...
Alka-Seltzer added to spherical water drop in microgravity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgC-ocnTTto Alka-Seltzer added to spherical water drop in microgravity onboard the International Space Station. Get your students to predict the results of the experiment. They'll be amazed.
Incorporating Inquiry-Based Learning into Non-Laboratory Biology Curriculum
Settlers of Yellowstone: A Population Interaction Simulation Written by Amie Oxler Incorporating inquiry-based learning into science-based curriculum is an excellent way to allow for student-based learning. However, non-laboratory centred units, such as the Population...
SciNews Apr 13
Long-distance songbirds, mutations, green house gases, cause of lightning, and organic molecules in deep space - cool stuff to fascinate your science students. This eclectic collection of current science news stories is brought to you by STAOBlog. SciNews is...