Science for the classroom and beyond
I know many of you are still fighting for Pluto (let it go, it’s over). You might find tonight’s NOVA special, The Pluto Files on PBS, helpful as you work through your loss. Host Neil deGrasse Tyson (also author of the book The Pluto Files) walks us through Pluto’s story from rise to fall. Check out the trailer. After tonight’s […]
Read moreUsing video clips in the classroom is nothing new – a couple companies have even made a business model for this educational niche. But Hollywood movies can also have educational value, especially when trying to find errors and discrepancies within them. To assess some basic properties in matter in my chemistry class, I have been utilizing movie clips for help. […]
Read moreWe’ve talked about laboratory safety in the past here at Lab Out loud, but we’ve never put our thoughts to song. Fortunately, the folks at The Sounds of Science hit the right notes for us.
Read moreWhile reviewing early recommendations for new social studies standards, a review team for the Texas State Board of Education decided to remove Neil Armstrong from the ‘science strand’ of their fifth grade social studies textbook. Their reasoning? Armstrong wasn’t a scientist. Now, I understand what this team is trying to do. They wish to keep the focus on learning instead […]
Read moreLast night Dr. Mark Devlin appeared on The Colbert Report to talk about BLAST the Movie. The movie is a documentary about an experiment in 2006 that involved launching a car-sized telescope in Antarctica using a balloon. Before Lab Out Loud, we did a podcast for the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers called Periodicity. Dr. Devlin, a graduate of University […]
Read moreThis weekend Brian and I are happy to be in Las Vegas attending The Amaz!ng Meeting7 (TAM7). TAM7 is a conference sponsored by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) that showcases speakers and guests that focus on critical thinking and skepticism. You might remember our discussion with Phil Plait (a.k.a. The Bad Astronomer) in episode 12 when we talked about […]
Read moreMy favorite webcomic, XKCD, recently featured a hilarious senario that reminded me of our interview with Crittercam installer Mike Heithaus. So maybe this is how Mike decided at the early age of five that he was going to pursue scientific research.
Read moreMeet Neil deGrasse Tyson live online. Enjoy an hour with Neil, and… get a sneak peak of NOVA scienceNOW’s upcoming season learn about media resources for your classroom sample hands-on activities have Neil answer your questions about the universe Wednesday, May 27, 6 to 7pm ET Learn more at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/webcast.html
Read moreLooking for Earth Day resources to use in the classroom? We thought it might be nice to remind you about a few LOL Podcasts that can be used to help save the earth: Episode 30 with Mike Heithaus (protecting ocean life) Episode 22 – EPA’s SC3 Program Episode 20 with Ed Begley Jr. Episode 14 with Bill Nye
Read moreIt was early spring of 1998 and I was student teaching in a 7th grade Life Science class. Now, I’m not a biology person – not certified to teacher it at all – but here I was trying to teach kids about the parts of the cell to the tune of Gilligan’s Island. Desperate times called for desperate measures. The […]
Read moreYesterday, the Planetary Society sponsored a talk with Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson. It was absolutely amazing, and you can scan through my tweets (and Dale’s) to see what was said and done. Here are a few pictures.
Read moreDale and I will be at the NSTA 2009 Conference on Science Education in New Orleans. On Thursday, I will sporting my Lab Out Loud T-shirt, and Dale will be wearing his on Friday – come talk to us as we are out and about during the conference. You can also follow our tweets to see what we’re doing at […]
Read moreYesterday a student came up to me and explained that she had been injected with a radioactive isotope for a medical scan. She then asked if she was still radioactive. Expecting the isotope to be mostly decayed or simply too small to notice, I wanted to calm her fears with a Geiger counter check. The results surprised me, and she […]
Read moreOn Jay Leno’s Garage, Jay introduces us to the new wind turbine destine for the house of Ed Begley Jr. The new design uses magnetic levitation to reduce friction, noise, vibration and other forms of energy loss. I wonder how this will affect the rivalry that Ed has with his neighbor Bill Nye?
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I only have a half day of school the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. With only twenty minute classes, some might wonder if there is enough time to do anything. Well, I make my class all about turkeys on this day. Turkey wishbones to be more precise. First, we examine the age old tradition of breaking the wishbone to see who pulls […]
Read moreEach month, Flinn Scientific provides “Science Department Safety Training Notes”. This month’s notes are “Safety Guidelines for Chemical Demonstrations.” From Flinn: Chemical demonstrations can produce attention-grabbing results that dramatically illustrate chemistry in action–from making fountains of foam to creating kaleidoscopic colors, and generating flashes of fire. This month’s safety training reminds you that safety must always come first by providing important […]
Read moreThe deadline for the Weather Channel’s high school essay contest is less than one week away! This is your last chance to enter for a free trip to Washington D.C. to attend the Forecast Earth Summit, a conference for high school students to engage and protect the environment. Submit an essay describing what you are doing to keep the planet […]
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Usually the during the week of homecoming, my Biophysical Science class is just finishing up a basic chemistry unit on the properties of matter. To keep the kids focused on science, I make sure to obtain a little dry ice to have my students observe a unique phase change known as sublimation. We observe: Sublimation of dry ice Density of […]
Read moreSenator McCain answered 14 of today’s most difficult questions on science and technology. Visit the SEA website to see McCain’s full responses. Senator Barack Obama has already submitted his responses. Now you can directly compare the two major presidential candidates on science, technology, health and related issues. [Link]
Read moreAs the 2007-2008 school year was coming to a close, I came across an article written in the New York Times by physicist Dr. Brian Greene. With graduation just days away, final grades to enter and textbooks to collect, I skimmed through the article and went back to closing out the school year. Yet, I could not get the points […]
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