Science for the classroom and beyond
We connect this week with Lewis Maday-Travis (he/him/his) and Sam Long (he/him/his) to talk about the need for gender inclusivity in biology and other science classes. Lewis and Same join us to discuss the importance of providing and affirming personal pronouns, offer strategies for gender inclusive practices and language in our classrooms, and provide some resources to guide us in […]
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Our guest this week is Dr. Lauren Robinson. As a postdoc at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, Lauren studies cooperation and partner roles in canids – particularly with North American Grey Wolves. Lauren joins us to discuss how she uses her background in psychology in her animal research, describes navigating through scientific research in another country, and […]
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Kicking off a new decade, we are happy to welcome Joe Shane (Professor of Chemistry and Science Education at Shippensburg University) and Lee Meadows (science educator at the School of Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham) to the show. Joe and Lee (in addition to Ronald Hermann and Ian Binns) are co-authors of a new book from NSTA […]
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Continuing our #ScientistOutLoud series, we welcome Susanna L. Harris to the show. As a Ph. D. candidate at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Susanna studies how bacteria stick to plant roots. Susanna joins us to describe her research, discusses how she got interested in science, and candidly shares with us her path in graduate learning – including […]
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To answer some of our questions about Christmas trees, we decided to connect with some experts. Tree farmers Neil Krueger (from Kreuger’s Christmas Tree Farm) and Shawn Schottler (from St. Croix Valley Trees and the Science Museum of Minnesota) join us to discuss growing and maintaining Christmas Trees, the sustainability of the industry, and even how to keep your Christmas […]
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Returning for a second year, we are happy to welcome Dr. Elizabeth Gajdzik and Dr. Tamara Moore back to the show to showcase the 2019 Engineering Gift Guide. Each year, Purdue’s INSPIRE Research Institute lab evaluates toys, games, and books that engage girls and boys in engineering thinking and design. Elizabeth and Tamara join us to talk about the selected […]
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As a former science teacher and now professor of education at Stanford, Dr. Bryan A. Brown is keenly interested in improving science teaching and learning in urban communities by investigating how language and culture matter for effective science teaching. Some of this work is shared in his new book Science in the City, where Brown examines the interplay of language […]
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This week we welcome Katherine Hatcher to the show. As a fifth year Neuroscience PhD Candidate at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Katherine investigates circadian rhythms and how exposure to environmental factors alters behavior and physiology, particularly in midlife women. Katherine joins us to discuss her path into research, her day-to-day work as a scientist, and how we might apply […]
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This week we welcome Randall Munroe to the show. As creator of the webcomic XKCD, Munroe often features aspects of technology, math, computer science and physics in his drawings. These topics have also had prominence in his books, including his newest book called How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. To hear more about How To, Randall joins […]
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This week we welcome glaciologist Mike MacFerrin to the show. As a researcher from the University of Colorado Boulder, Mike studies ice sheet meltwater feedback in Greenland. Recently, his team discovered that growing ice slabs in Greenland are accelerating meltwater runoff that is contributing to rising sea levels. Mike joins us to discuss his work as a glaciologist, explain the […]
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As a science teacher at Curry College in Massachusetts, Abby Hafer is a staunch advocate of teaching peer-reviewed, scientifically accurate content in her college classes. In an effort to protect public school science education in the state, Hafer recently worked with legislator Kenneth Gordon to draft a bill that adds language to existing curriculum standards that seeks to limit science […]
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To kick off season 13, Lab Out Loud is proud to welcome NSTA President Dennis Schatz to the show. As senior advisor at Pacific Science Center and field editor for NSTA’s Connected Science Learning journal, Dennis has a lifetime of experience delivering science learning beyond the walls of the traditional science classroom. Dennis joins us to discuss NSTA’s name change […]
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As we prepare for the summer months ahead, we welcome Griff Jones back to the show to close out season 12. Working with Griff, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has developed engaging, interactive resources that can be found within their new IIHS in the Classroom website. Designed for grades 5-12, IIHS in the Classroom uses the results of […]
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An NPR poll recently discovered that most teachers don’t teach climate change, yet parents wish they did. To find out more about these findings, we invited NPR education correspondent Anya Kamenetz to the show. Anya joins us to to explain why teachers might not teach climate change, provides a few resources for us to change that behavior, and also challenges […]
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While still in St. Louis, we reflect on the NSTA 2019 National Conference on Science Education. Listen to the show to hear about conference highlights such as astronaut Scott Kelly’s keynote, coming changes to NSTA’s name and a handful of memorable speakers, sessions and exhibitors from NSTA’s largest professional development gathering for science teaching. And make sure to check out […]
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Nathan Schreiber returns this week to talk about his newest project using a graphic novel to teach physics concepts. In Big Trouble with Simple Machines, Schreiber’s characters solve problems using their knowledge of simple machines, with each chapter providing a new challenge with ramps, wedges, screws, levers, pulleys, wheels, and axles. There is even an illustrated appendix guiding readers to […]
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Our guest this week is Sarah McAnulty, squid biologist and founder of Skype a Scientist. Using readily available video chat tools, SKYPE a Scientist connects real scientists with classes around the world. Through these video sessions, classes can learn more about the scientist’s field of study, what it means to be a scientist and how they do their job. Sarah […]
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This week we welcome Laurie Wallmark to the show. As a computer science teacher and award-winning children’s author, Laurie has been writing picture book biographies that recognize women in STEM. Her breakout book Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books) debuted in 2017 and was readily recognized with numerous awards. Laurie’s most recent book, Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life, was just […]
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This week we welcome science writer Carl Zimmer to the show. As Zimmer often writes about life, he has been wondering about the concept of life and if there is a way to properly define it. To shed some light on the matter, he recently hosted a series of live conversations with some leading thinkers on life—including chemists, physicists, […]
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For our 200th episode, we welcome Phil Plait (The Bad Astronomer) back to the show. Phil joins us to discuss the current status of exoplanet discovery and gives us a glimpse of what we might find in the future. Listen to the show to hear Phil discuss new techniques and technologies in planet hunting, looking for life on other worlds and […]
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