Mi Segundo Libro de Maquinas Simples: Las Palancas. Escuela Intermedia Grados 7, 8 y 9 (My Second Book of Simple Machines: Levers. Intermediate School Grades 7, 8, and 9).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarado, Patricio R.; Montalvo, Luis

This is the second book in a five-book physical science series on simple machines. The books are designed for Spanish-speaking junior high school students. By suggesting experiments and posing questions concerning drawings in the book which illustrate the scientific principles, this book explains the workings of three types of levers. Resistance…

Improving Students’ Science Process Skills through Simple Computer Simulations on Linear Motion Conceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siahaan, P.; Suryani, A.; Kaniawati, I.; Suhendi, E.; Samsudin, A.

2017-02-01

The purpose of this research is to identify the development of students’ science process skills (SPS) on linear motion concept by utilizing simple computer simulation. In order to simplify the learning process, the concept is able to be divided into three sub-concepts: 1) the definition of motion, 2) the uniform linear motion and 3) the uniformly accelerated motion. This research was administered via pre-experimental method with one group pretest-posttest design. The respondents which were involved in this research were 23 students of seventh grade in one of junior high schools in Bandung City. The improving process of students’ science process skill is examined based on normalized gain analysis from pretest and posttest scores for all sub-concepts. The result of this research shows that students’ science process skills are dramatically improved by 47% (moderate) on observation skill; 43% (moderate) on summarizing skill, 70% (high) on prediction skill, 44% (moderate) on communication skill and 49% (moderate) on classification skill. These results clarify that the utilizing simple computer simulations in physics learning is be able to improve overall science skills at moderate level.

Simple and Beautiful Experiments III by LADY CATS and Science Teachers' group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanemura, M.; Okiharu, F.; Ishii, K.; Onishi, H.; Taniguchi, M.; Uchida, T.; Yasuda, J.; Hoshino, T.; Yoshimura, T.; Hashimoto, T.; Wada, S.; Kinoshita, K.; Ebata, T.; Kawakatsu, H.

2010-07-01

LADY CATS (LADY Creators of Activities for Teaching Science) is an organization of science teachers. Our group includes a lot of female teachers, which is rather unusual in the field of physics. We would like to propose and exhibit beautiful and simple science experiments that can demonstrate the principles of physics to fascinate students' interest. These experiments are easily made and low-cost. It is also aimed to catch female and humanities students' eyes on physics from the view point of female teachers. Furthermore, we believe that these ideas help resolve gender problems and support non-specialist teachers in primary school.

Mi Primer Libro de Maquinas Simples: Trabajo y Fuerza. Escuela Intermedia Grados 7, 8 y 9 (My First Book of Simple Machines: Work and Force. Intermediate School Grades 7, 8, and 9).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarado, Patricio R.; Montalvo, Luis

This is the first book in a five-book physical science series on simple machines. The books are designed for Spanish-speaking junior high school students. This volume defines force and work by suggesting experiments and posing questions concerning drawings in the book which illustrate scientific principles. Answers to the questions are provided;…

Mi Tercer Libro de Maquinas Simples: La Rueda y la Polea. Escuela Intermedia Grados 7, 8 y 9 (My Third Book of Simple Machines: The Wheel and the Pulley. Intermediate School Grades 7, 8, and 9).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarado, Patricio R.; Montalvo, Luis

This is the third book in a five-book physical science series on simple machines. The books are designed for Spanish-speaking junior high school students. This volume explains principles governing wheels and pulleys by suggesting experiments and posing questions concerning drawings in the book which illustrate the scientific principles. Friction…

Humanizing Chemistry Education: From Simple Contextualization to Multifaceted Problematization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjöström, Jesper; Talanquer, Vicente

2014-01-01

Chemistry teaching has traditionally been weakly connected to everyday life, technology, society, and history and philosophy of science. This article highlights knowledge areas and perspectives needed by the humanistic (and critical-reflexive) chemistry teacher. Different humanistic approaches in chemistry teaching, from simple contextualization…

Simple Demonstration of the Seebeck Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molki, Arman

2010-01-01

In this article we propose a simple and low-cost experimental set-up through which science educators can demonstrate the Seebeck effect using a thermocouple and an instrumentation amplifier. The experiment can be set up and conducted during a 1-hour laboratory session. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - SMARTS

Science.gov Websites

SMARTS - Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine Renewable Resource Data Center The Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine, or SMARTS, predicts clear-sky architecture, atmospheric science, photobiology, and health physics. SMARTS is a complex model that requires

Mi Cuarto Libro de Maquinas Simples: Otras Modificaciones de la Rueda. Escuela Intermedia Grados 7, 8 y 9 (My Fourth Book of Simple Machines: Other Modifications of the Wheel. Intermediate School Grades 7, 8, and 9).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarado, Patricio R.; Montalvo, Luis

This is the fourth book in a five-book physical science series on simple machines. The books are designed for Spanish-speaking junior high school students. This volume explains further refinements of the wheel which is introduced in volume three. The fourth volume explains principles behind gears and the relationship between velocity and force by…

Children's Criteria for Representational Adequacy in the Perception of Simple Sonic Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verschaffel, Lieven; Reybrouck, Mark; Jans, Christine; Van Dooren, Wim

2010-01-01

This study investigates children's metarepresentational competence with regard to listening to and making sense of simple sonic stimuli. Using diSessa's (2003) work on metarepresentational competence in mathematics and sciences as theoretical and empirical background, it aims to assess children's criteria for representational adequacy of graphical…

The Design and Construction of a Simple Transmission Electron Microscope for Educational Purposes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hearsey, Paul K.

This document presents a model for a simple transmission electron microscope for educational purposes. This microscope could demonstrate thermonic emission, particle acceleration, electron deflection, and flourescence. It is designed to be used in high school science courses, particularly physics, taking into account the size, weight, complexity…

From Complex to Simple: Interdisciplinary Stochastic Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazilu, D. A.; Zamora, G.; Mazilu, I.

2012-01-01

We present two simple, one-dimensional, stochastic models that lead to a qualitative understanding of very complex systems from biology, nanoscience and social sciences. The first model explains the complicated dynamics of microtubules, stochastic cellular highways. Using the theory of random walks in one dimension, we find analytical expressions…

Eye Movements Reveal Students' Strategies in Simple Equation Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Susac, Ana; Bubic, Andreja; Kaponja, Jurica; Planinic, Maja; Palmovic, Marijan

2014-01-01

Equation rearrangement is an important skill required for problem solving in mathematics and science. Eye movements of 40 university students were recorded while they were rearranging simple algebraic equations. The participants also reported on their strategies during equation solving in a separate questionnaire. The analysis of the behavioral…

Rebecca Erikson – Solving Problems with Love for Science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erikson, Rebecca

Rebecca Erikson’s love for science began at a young age. Today, she’s a senior scientist at PNNL trying to solve problems that address national security concerns. Through one project, she developed a sleek, simple and inexpensive way to turn a cellphone into a high-powered, high-quality microscope that helps authorities determine if white powder that falls from an envelope is anthrax or something simple like baby powder. Listen as Rebecca describes her work in this Energy Department video.

Analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks as a scaffold for argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emig, Brandon R.

Given the centrality of the argumentation process to science and consequent importance to science education, inviting science students to engage in argumentation and scaffolding that argumentation in order that it lead to learning and not frustration is important. The present research invites small groups of science content learners (54 preservice elementary teachers at a large research university) to use analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks in service of argumentation to determine which of two possible analogues, in this case simple machines, is most closely related to a third. These activities and associated instruction scaffolded student small-groups' argumentation in four ways: (1) supporting new analogical correspondences on the heels of prior correspondences; (2) discerning definitions and descriptions for simple machine elements; (3) identifying and dealing with ambiguity in potential correspondences; and (4) making reflections on prior analogical correspondences in service of their final arguments. Analogical-mapping-based comparison activities scaffolded student small groups both in their argumentation and in content learning about simple machines. Implications, limitations, and directions for future related research are also discussed.

A Simple Exercise Reveals the Way Students Think about Scientific Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruebush, Laura; Sulikowski, Michelle; North, Simon

2009-01-01

Scientific modeling is an integral part of contemporary science, yet many students have little understanding of how models are developed, validated, and used to predict and explain phenomena. A simple modeling exercise led to significant gains in understanding key attributes of scientific modeling while revealing some stubborn misconceptions.…

The Hydraulic Jump: Finding Complexity in Turbulent Water

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vondracek, Mark

2013-01-01

Students who do not progress to more advanced science disciplines in college generally do not realize that seemingly simple physical systems are--when studied in detail--more complex than one might imagine. This article presents one such phenomenon--the hydraulic jump--as a way to help students see the complexity behind the seemingly simple, and…

A Simple Inquiry-Based Lab for Teaching Osmosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, John R.

2014-01-01

This simple inquiry-based lab was designed to teach the principle of osmosis while also providing an experience for students to use the skills and practices commonly found in science. Students first design their own experiment using very basic equipment and supplies, which generally results in mixed, but mostly poor, outcomes. Classroom "talk…

Vortex breakdown in simple pipe bends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ault, Jesse; Shin, Sangwoo; Stone, Howard

2016-11-01

Pipe bends and elbows are one of the most common fluid mechanics elements that exists. However, despite their ubiquity and the extensive amount of research related to these common, simple geometries, unexpected complexities still remain. We show that for a range of geometries and flow conditions, these simple flows experience unexpected fluid dynamical bifurcations resembling the bubble-type vortex breakdown phenomenon. Specifically, we show with simulations and experiments that recirculation zones develop within the bends under certain conditions. As a consequence, fluid and particles can remain trapped within these structures for unexpectedly-long time scales. We also present simple techniques to mitigate this recirculation effect which can potentially have impact across industries ranging from biomedical and chemical processing to food and health sciences.

Laser Transmitter Design and Performance for the Slope Imaging Multi-Polarization Photon-Counting Lidar (SIMPL) Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Anthony W.; Harding, David J.; Dabney, Philip W.

2016-01-01

The Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photon-counting Lidar (SIMPL) instrument is a polarimetric, two-color, multibeam push broom laser altimeter developed through the NASA Earth Science Technology Office Instrument Incubator Program and has been flown successfully on multiple airborne platforms since 2008. In this talk we will discuss the laser transmitter performance and present recent science data collected over the Greenland ice sheet and sea ice in support of the NASA Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2) mission to be launched in 2017.

Consecutive Course Modules Developed with Simple Materials to Facilitate the Learning of Basic Concepts in Astronomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okulu, Hasan Zuhtu; Oguz-Unver, Ayse

2015-01-01

From the perspective of teaching, the huge natural laboratory that astronomy provides constitutes the most prominent connection between astronomy and other branches of science. The purpose of this research was to provide educators with activities of observation using simple materials that were developed to facilitate the teaching of basic concepts…

Fostering Elementary School Students' Understanding of Simple Electricity by Combining Simulation and Laboratory Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaakkola, T.; Nurmi, S.

2008-01-01

Computer simulations and laboratory activities have been traditionally treated as substitute or competing methods in science teaching. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate if it would be more beneficial to combine simulation and laboratory activities than to use them separately in teaching the concepts of simple electricity. Based…

Surface tension measurements with a smartphone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goy, Nicolas-Alexandre; Denis, Zakari; Lavaud, Maxime; Grolleau, Adrian; Dufour, Nicolas; Deblais, Antoine; Delabre, Ulysse

2017-11-01

Smartphones are increasingly used in higher education and at university in mechanics, acoustics, and even thermodynamics as they offer a unique way to do simple science experiments. In this article, we show how smartphones can be used in fluid mechanics to measure surface tension of various liquids, which could help students understand the concept of surface tension through simple experiments.

Starting to Experiment with Wave Power

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hare, Jonathan; McCallie, Ellen

2005-01-01

Outlined is a simple design for a working wave-powered electrical generator based on one made on the BBC "Rough Science" TV series. The design has been kept deliberately simple to facilitate rapid pupil/student involvement and most importantly so that there is much scope for their own ingenuity and ideas. The generator works on the principle of…

Combinational Reasoning of Quantitative Fuzzy Topological Relations for Simple Fuzzy Regions

PubMed Central

Liu, Bo; Li, Dajun; Xia, Yuanping; Ruan, Jian; Xu, Lili; Wu, Huanyi

2015-01-01

In recent years, formalization and reasoning of topological relations have become a hot topic as a means to generate knowledge about the relations between spatial objects at the conceptual and geometrical levels. These mechanisms have been widely used in spatial data query, spatial data mining, evaluation of equivalence and similarity in a spatial scene, as well as for consistency assessment of the topological relations of multi-resolution spatial databases. The concept of computational fuzzy topological space is applied to simple fuzzy regions to efficiently and more accurately solve fuzzy topological relations. Thus, extending the existing research and improving upon the previous work, this paper presents a new method to describe fuzzy topological relations between simple spatial regions in Geographic Information Sciences (GIS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Firstly, we propose a new definition for simple fuzzy line segments and simple fuzzy regions based on the computational fuzzy topology. And then, based on the new definitions, we also propose a new combinational reasoning method to compute the topological relations between simple fuzzy regions, moreover, this study has discovered that there are (1) 23 different topological relations between a simple crisp region and a simple fuzzy region; (2) 152 different topological relations between two simple fuzzy regions. In the end, we have discussed some examples to demonstrate the validity of the new method, through comparisons with existing fuzzy models, we showed that the proposed method can compute more than the existing models, as it is more expressive than the existing fuzzy models. PMID:25775452

Simple Map in Action-Angle Coordinates.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerwin, Olivia; Punjabi, Alkesh; Ali, Halima

2008-04-01

The simple map is the simplest map that has the topology of a divertor tokamak. The simple map has three canonical representations: (i) the natural coordinates - toroidal magnetic flux and poloidal angle (ψ,θ), (ii) the physical coordinates - the physical variables (R,Z) or (X,Y), and (iii) the action-angle coordinates - (J,θ) or magnetic coordinates (ψ, θ). All three are canonical coordinates for field lines. The simple map in the (X,Y) representation has been studied extensively ^1, 2. Here we analytically calculate the action-angle coordinates and safety factor q for the simple map. We construct the equilibrium generating function for the simple map in action-angle coordinates. We derive the simple map in action-angle representation, and calculate the stochastic broadening of the ideal separatrix due to topological noise in action-angle representation. We also show how the geometric effects such as elongation, the height, and width of the ideal separatrix surface can be investigated using a slight modification of the simple map in action-angle representation. This work is supported by the following grants US Department of Energy - OFES DE-FG02-01ER54624 and DE-FG02-04ER54793 and National Science Foundation - HRD-0630372 and 0411394. [1] A. Punjabi, H. Ali, T. Evans, and A. Boozer, Phys Lett A, 364 140-145 (2007). [2] A. Punjabi, A. Verma, and A. Boozer, Phys.Rev. Lett. 69, 3322 (1992).

A Simple Interactive Introduction to Teaching Genetic Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child, Paula

2013-01-01

In the UK, at key stage 4, students aged 14-15 studying GCSE Core Science or Unit 1 of the GCSE Biology course are required to be able to describe the process of genetic engineering to produce bacteria that can produce insulin. The simple interactive introduction described in this article allows students to consider the problem, devise a model and…

The Relative Importance of Children's Criteria for Representational Adequacy in the Perception of Simple Sonic Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verschaffel, Lieven; Reybrouck, Mark; Degraeuwe, Goedele; Van Dooren, Wim

2013-01-01

This study investigates children's metarepresentational competence (MRC) with regard to listening to and making sense of simple sonic stimuli. Using diSessa's (2002) seminal work on MRC in mathematics and sciences as background, it aims to assess the relative importance children attribute to several criteria for representational adequacy…

A Simple Experiment to Demonstrate the Effects of Cracks on Materials Strength

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sauls, Frederick C.

2011-01-01

A simple in-class experiment was designed to expose students to an aspect of materials science dealing with defects. Students break a series of paper strips to gauge the breaking strength. A precut transverse "crack" weakens the paper strip by a surprising amount. Adding a precut "crack stopper" greatly reduces the effect of the original "crack".…

Some Key Issues in Creating Inquiry-Based Instructional Practices that Aim at the Understanding of Simple Electric Circuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kock, Zeger-Jan; Taconis, Ruurd; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Gravemeijer, Koeno

2013-01-01

Many students in secondary schools consider the sciences difficult and unattractive. This applies to physics in particular, a subject in which students attempt to learn and understand numerous theoretical concepts, often without much success. A case in point is the understanding of the concepts current, voltage and resistance in simple electric…

Demonstration and Assessment of a Simple Viscosity Experiment for High School Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Floyd­-Smith, T. M.; Kwon, K. C.; Burmester, J. A.; Dale, F. F.; Vahdat, N.; Jones, P.

2006-01-01

The demonstration of a simple viscosity experiment for high school classes was conducted and assessed. The purpose of the demonstration was to elicit the interest of high school juniors and seniors in the field of chemical engineering. The demonstration consisted of a discussion on both engineering and the concept of viscosity as well as a…

Fifth Graders' Learning About Simple Machines Through Engineering Design-Based Instruction Using LEGO™ Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marulcu, Ismail; Barnett, Mike

2013-10-01

This study is part of a 5-year National Science Foundation-funded project, Transforming Elementary Science Learning Through LEGO™ Engineering Design. In this study, we report on the successes and challenges of implementing an engineering design-based and LEGO™-oriented unit in an urban classroom setting and we focus on the impact of the unit on students' content understanding of simple machines. The LEGO™ engineering-based simple machines module, which was developed for fifth graders by our research team, was implemented in an urban school in a large city in the Northeastern region of the USA. Thirty-three fifth grade students participated in the study, and they showed significant growth in content understanding. We measured students' content knowledge by using identical paper tests and semistructured interviews before and after instruction. Our paired t test analysis results showed that students significantly improved their test and interview scores (t = -3.62, p < 0.001 for multiple-choice items and t = -9.06, p < 0.000 for the open-ended items in the test and t = -12.11, p < 0.000 for the items in interviews). We also identified several alternative conceptions that are held by students on simple machines.

Scientism and Scientific Thinking: A Note on Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasparatou, Renia

2017-01-01

The move from respecting science to "scientism," i.e., the idealization of science and scientific method, is simple: We go from acknowledging the sciences as fruitful human activities to oversimplifying the ways they work, and accepting a fuzzy belief that "Science" and "Scientific Method," will give us a direct…

Science, Math, and Technology. K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

Science, Math and Technology is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) science (with activities on observation, comparisons, and the scientific method); (2) technology (examining simple machines, electricity, magnetism, waves and forces); (3) mathematics (addressing skill…

Middle School Science Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1981

1981-01-01

Describes activities, demonstrations, and materials suitable for middle school science, including investigations on solar energy, surface tension, exploding cottages, worms and light, airplanes, depolarizing simple cells, and the thermal expansion of metals. (JN)

Simple Parametric Model for Intensity Calibration of Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brasunas, J.; Mamoutkine, A.; Gorius, N.

2016-01-01

Accurate intensity calibration of a linear Fourier-transform spectrometer typically requires the unknown science target and the two calibration targets to be acquired under identical conditions. We present a simple model suitable for vector calibration that enables accurate calibration via adjustments of measured spectral amplitudes and phases when these three targets are recorded at different detector or optics temperatures. Our model makes calibration more accurate both by minimizing biases due to changing instrument temperatures that are always present at some level and by decreasing estimate variance through incorporating larger averages of science and calibration interferogram scans.

Memory-Based Simple Heuristics as Attribute Substitution: Competitive Tests of Binary Choice Inference Models.

PubMed

Honda, Hidehito; Matsuka, Toshihiko; Ueda, Kazuhiro

2017-05-01

Some researchers on binary choice inference have argued that people make inferences based on simple heuristics, such as recognition, fluency, or familiarity. Others have argued that people make inferences based on available knowledge. To examine the boundary between heuristic and knowledge usage, we examine binary choice inference processes in terms of attribute substitution in heuristic use (Kahneman & Frederick, 2005). In this framework, it is predicted that people will rely on heuristic or knowledge-based inference depending on the subjective difficulty of the inference task. We conducted competitive tests of binary choice inference models representing simple heuristics (fluency and familiarity heuristics) and knowledge-based inference models. We found that a simple heuristic model (especially a familiarity heuristic model) explained inference patterns for subjectively difficult inference tasks, and that a knowledge-based inference model explained subjectively easy inference tasks. These results were consistent with the predictions of the attribute substitution framework. Issues on usage of simple heuristics and psychological processes are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Middle School Science Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1982

1982-01-01

Presents procedures, demonstrations, activities, and teaching suggestions on topics appropriate for middle school science including a simple electrolysis cell, conversion factors, energy, solubilities of salts, condensers, and a worksheet for studying coppice woodlands. (DC)

Measuring CO[subscript 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taterka, Bruce; Cory, Rose M.

2016-01-01

This article presents simple tools and concepts to engage students in inquiry-based learning about the carbon cycle, thawing permafrost, and climate change. The lessons focus on learning in Earth science, environmental science, chemistry, and biology and align with the "Next Generation Science Standards".

Simple, Scalable, Script-Based Science Processor (S4P)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Christopher; Vollmer, Bruce; Berrick, Stephen; Mack, Robert; Pham, Long; Zhou, Bryan; Wharton, Stephen W. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The development and deployment of data processing systems to process Earth Observing System (EOS) data has proven to be costly and prone to technical and schedule risk. Integration of science algorithms into a robust operational system has been difficult. The core processing system, based on commercial tools, has demonstrated limitations at the rates needed to produce the several terabytes per day for EOS, primarily due to job management overhead. This has motivated an evolution in the EOS Data Information System toward a more distributed one incorporating Science Investigator-led Processing Systems (SIPS). As part of this evolution, the Goddard Earth Sciences Distributed Active Archive Center (GES DAAC) has developed a simplified processing system to accommodate the increased load expected with the advent of reprocessing and launch of a second satellite. This system, the Simple, Scalable, Script-based Science Processor (S42) may also serve as a resource for future SIPS. The current EOSDIS Core System was designed to be general, resulting in a large, complex mix of commercial and custom software. In contrast, many simpler systems, such as the EROS Data Center AVHRR IKM system, rely on a simple directory structure to drive processing, with directories representing different stages of production. The system passes input data to a directory, and the output data is placed in a "downstream" directory. The GES DAAC's Simple Scalable Script-based Science Processing System is based on the latter concept, but with modifications to allow varied science algorithms and improve portability. It uses a factory assembly-line paradigm: when work orders arrive at a station, an executable is run, and output work orders are sent to downstream stations. The stations are implemented as UNIX directories, while work orders are simple ASCII files. The core S4P infrastructure consists of a Perl program called stationmaster, which detects newly arrived work orders and forks a job to run the appropriate executable (registered in a configuration file for that station). Although S4P is written in Perl, the executables associated with a station can be any program that can be run from the command line, i.e., non-interactively. An S4P instance is typically monitored using a simple Graphical User Interface. However, the reliance of S4P on UNIX files and directories also allows visibility into the state of stations and jobs using standard operating system commands, permitting remote monitor/control over low-bandwidth connections. S4P is being used as the foundation for several small- to medium-size systems for data mining, on-demand subsetting, processing of direct broadcast Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, and Quick-Response MODIS processing. It has also been used to implement a large-scale system to process MODIS Level 1 and Level 2 Standard Products, which will ultimately process close to 2 TB/day.

Investigating the Impact of a LEGO(TM)-Based, Engineering-Oriented Curriculum Compared to an Inquiry-Based Curriculum on Fifth Graders' Content Learning of Simple Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marulcu, Ismail

2010-01-01

This mixed method study examined the impact of a LEGO-based, engineering-oriented curriculum compared to an inquiry-based curriculum on fifth graders' content learning of simple machines. This study takes a social constructivist theoretical stance that science learning involves learning scientific concepts and their relations to each other. From…

Dynamical minimalism: why less is more in psychology.

PubMed

Nowak, Andrzej

2004-01-01

The principle of parsimony, embraced in all areas of science, states that simple explanations are preferable to complex explanations in theory construction. Parsimony, however, can necessitate a trade-off with depth and richness in understanding. The approach of dynamical minimalism avoids this trade-off. The goal of this approach is to identify the simplest mechanisms and fewest variables capable of producing the phenomenon in question. A dynamical model in which change is produced by simple rules repetitively interacting with each other can exhibit unexpected and complex properties. It is thus possible to explain complex psychological and social phenomena with very simple models if these models are dynamic. In dynamical minimalist theories, then, the principle of parsimony can be followed without sacrificing depth in understanding. Computer simulations have proven especially useful for investigating the emergent properties of simple models.

mSciences: An Affinity Space for Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mota, Jorge; Morais, Carla; Moreira, Luciano; Paiva, João C.

2017-01-01

The project "Multimedia in science teaching: five years of research and teaching in Portugal" was successful in featuring the national research on multimedia in science education and in providing the community with a simple reference tool--a repository of open access scientific texts. The current work aims to describe the theoretical…

Apples, Bubbles, and Crystals: Your Science ABCs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Andrea T.; Kessler, James H.

In this book a character named Archie and his friends teach science and reinforce alphabet skills. This approach combines reading and rhyming with simple science activities that begin with a list of everyday household materials and come with colorfully illustrated step-by-step instructions. Also provided are explanations of the science principles…

Sink or Swim: Standards-Based Integrated Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Audet, Richard H.

1997-01-01

Describes an activity designed to comply with the National Science Education Standards that introduces the principles of buoyancy and density by using plastic soda bottles, ketchup packets, and other simple materials. Laboratory activity is included. (DKM)

Innovative Science Experiments Using Phoenix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, B. P. Ajith; Satyanarayana, V. V. V.; Singh, Kundan; Singh, Parmanand

2009-01-01

A simple, flexible and very low cost hardware plus software framework for developing computer-interfaced science experiments is presented. It can be used for developing computer-interfaced science experiments without getting into the details of electronics or computer programming. For developing experiments this is a middle path between…

A Simple, Scalable, Script-based Science Processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Christopher

2004-01-01

The production of Earth Science data from orbiting spacecraft is an activity that takes place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At the Goddard Earth Sciences Distributed Active Archive Center (GES DAAC), this results in as many as 16,000 program executions each day, far too many to be run by human operators. In fact, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was launched aboard the Terra spacecraft in 1999, the automated commercial system for running science processing was able to manage no more than 4,000 executions per day. Consequently, the GES DAAC developed a lightweight system based on the popular Per1 scripting language, named the Simple, Scalable, Script-based Science Processor (S4P). S4P automates science processing, allowing operators to focus on the rare problems occurring from anomalies in data or algorithms. S4P has been reused in several systems ranging from routine processing of MODIS data to data mining and is publicly available from NASA.

NASA's astrophysics archives at the National Space Science Data Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vansteenberg, M. E.

1992-01-01

NASA maintains an archive facility for Astronomical Science data collected from NASA's missions at the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) at Goddard Space Flight Center. This archive was created to insure the science data collected by NASA would be preserved and useable in the future by the science community. Through 25 years of operation there are many lessons learned, from data collection procedures, archive preservation methods, and distribution to the community. This document presents some of these more important lessons, for example: KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) in system development. Also addressed are some of the myths of archiving, such as 'scientists always know everything about everything', or 'it cannot possibly be that hard, after all simple data tech's do it'. There are indeed good reasons that a proper archive capability is needed by the astronomical community, the important question is how to use the existing expertise as well as the new innovative ideas to do the best job archiving this valuable science data.

QR Codes: Outlook for Food Science and Nutrition.

PubMed

Sanz-Valero, Javier; Álvarez Sabucedo, Luis M; Wanden-Berghe, Carmina; Santos Gago, Juan M

2016-01-01

QR codes opens up the possibility to develop simple-to-use, cost-effective-cost, and functional systems based on the optical recognition of inexpensive tags attached to physical objects. These systems, combined with Web platforms, can provide us with advanced services that are already currently broadly used on many contexts of the common life. Due to its philosophy, based on the automatic recognition of messages embedded on simple graphics by means of common devices such as mobile phones, QR codes are very convenient for the average user. Regretfully, its potential has not yet been fully exploited in the domains of food science and nutrition. This paper points out some applications to make the most of this technology for these domains in a straightforward manner. For its characteristics, we are addressing systems with low barriers to entry and high scalability for its deployment. Therefore, its launching among professional and final users is quite simple. The paper also provides high-level indications for the evaluation of the technological frame required to implement the identified possibilities of use.

Measuring the Coefficient of Restitution and More: A Simple Experiment to Promote Students' Critical Thinking and Autonomous Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González, Manuel Á.; González, Miguel Á.; Vegas, Jesús; Llamas, César

2017-01-01

A simple experiment on the determination of the coefficient of restitution of different materials is taken as the basis of an extendable work that can be done by students in an autonomous way. On the whole, the work described in this paper would involve concepts of kinematics, materials science, air drag and buoyancy, and would help students to…

A Simple Challenge to Assist in the Understanding of Friction. Science Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jheeta, Sohan

2013-01-01

What is friction? Like gravity, friction is a type of force. In simple terms, friction is, by and large, resistance to movement when two or more objects slide past one another. In this task young people are challenged to build a "buffer" to stop a moving ball using only a piece of ordinary A4 paper or a strip cut from it; that is,…

Understanding the True Meaning of Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowther, David T.; Lederman, Norman G.; Lederman, Judith S.

2005-01-01

Along with the awesome responsibility to teach science content and inquiry comes a responsibility to nurture an understanding of the nature of science. Just what is nature of science? As simple as this statement sounds, the term in and of itself is not readily agreed upon in scientific communities. For K-12 and science education communities,…

The DESTIN: Preservice Teachers' Drawings of the Ideal Elementary Science Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mensah, Felicia Moore

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to report findings from the Drawing-Elementary-Science-Teacher-Ideal-Not, or the DESTIN procedure. The study utilizes a simple drawing procedure accompanied by a narrative and discussion for understanding preservice teachers' images of science, science teaching, and the science teacher. Ninety drawings from two sections of…

From Ruthenium to Copper: A la carte Tools for the Synthesis of Molecules of Interest.

PubMed

Monnier, Florian; Taillefer, Marc

2016-01-01

Well-defined ruthenium complexes and simple copper-ligand systems proved to be powerful catalysts for the construction of complex molecules from simple and abundant organic sources. In this account, chosen examples of reactions involving C-C bond formation catalyzed by [Ru(η(5)-C(5)H(5))-(CH(3)CN)(3)][PF(6)] will be presented. A practical synthesis of the versatile catalyst [Ru(η(5)-C(5)H(5))-(CH(3)CN)(3)][PF(6)] is also described via a simple and easy-handled procedure discovered in Geneva ten years ago. The second part of this review is focused on methodologies catalyzed by an association of a copper salt and a simple ligand for the formation of C-N, C-O and C-C bonds developed in our group in Montpellier. A brief overview of applications in life sciences and materials will conclude this article.

The EU Dimension to Soil Science in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Sue

2012-01-01

The EU as a context for science lessons may be given scant attention but EU decision-making is a vital factor in everyday life. Lessons on the emergence of soil science with Charles Darwin's simple scientific experiments can be linked with competence through action, inclusion and argumentations in science lessons. Decisions about an EU Soil…

Developing a Constructivist Proposal for Primary Teachers to Teach Science Process Skills: "Extended" Simple Science Experiments (ESSE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirça, Necati

2015-01-01

Although science experiments are the basis of teaching science process skills (SPS), it has been observed that a large number of prospective primary teachers (PPTs), by virtue of their background, feel anxious about doing science experiments. To overcome this problem, a proposal was suggested for primary school teachers (PSTs) to teach science and…

Speaking of Science: Invite Speakers from Your Community to Bring the Science Curriculum to Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Karol

2012-01-01

Establishing relevant applications for the science curriculum can be a challenge. However, the key that opens science for students is within a teacher's grasp: It is as simple as bringing science connections into his or her classroom through community resources and taking the students to the science that is available. The author encourages…

Science in the Service of Religion: The Case of Islam.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, David A.

1990-01-01

Described is how scholars of medieval Islam used simple and adequate methods for regulating the calendar and prayer-times and for finding the sacred direction. Other applications of science to daily life are provided. (KR)

It's more complicated than that Comment on "Translating evidence into healthcare policy and practice: single versus multi-faceted implementation strategies - is there a simple answer to a complex question?".

PubMed

Rycroft-Malone, Jo

2015-03-17

In this commentary the findings from a systematic review that concluded there is no compelling evidence to suggest that implementing complicated, multi-faceted interventions is more effective than simple, single component interventions to changing healthcare professional's behaviour are considered through the lens of Harvey and Kitson's editorial. Whilst an appealing conclusion, it is one that hides a myriad of complexities. These include issues concerning how best to tailor interventions and how best to evaluate such efforts. These are complex issues that do not have simple solutions. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Development of a New Method for Assembling a Bipolar DC Motor as a Teaching Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Yuki; Sakaki, Kei; Sakaki, Mamoru

2017-05-01

A simple handmade motor is a commonly used teaching aid for explaining the theory of the DC motor in science classes around the world. Kits that can be used by children to craft a simple motor are commercially available, and videos of assembling these motors are easily found on the internet. Although the design of this motor is simple, it is unipolar, meaning that the rotor consists of a single dipole. Thus, the Lorentz force acts only on one side of the coil per revolution. This decreases the energy conversion efficiency and requires the learners to turn the rotor using their hands in order to initiate rotation.

Comic Strips to Accompany Science Museum Exhibits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Beom Sun; Park, Eun-mi; Kim, Sang-Hee; Cho, Sook-kyoung; Chung, Min Suk

2016-01-01

Science museums make the effort to create exhibits with amusing explanations. However, existing explanation signs with lengthy text are not appealing, and as such, visitors do not pay attention to them. In contrast, conspicuous comic strips composed of simple drawings and humors can attract science museum visitors. This study attempted to reveal…

Science Adventures in Children's Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rieger, Edythe

The stated purpose of this pamphlet is to suggest simple, natural, interesting experiences in children's play that have science implications. It tells how the teacher may capitalize on the innate curiosity of children by incorporating science discovery in daily classroom experiences. This how-to-do-it manual directs map-making and activities for…

Methods & Strategies: I Wonder...

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, Anne

2013-01-01

"I Wonder" boards are a teaching strategy that can be used in the classroom, as well as during science learning opportunities in nonformal settings, such as after-school science programs or summer camps.This simple strategy has led to deeper science exploration in 4-H, as young people learn alongside program staff, teachers, or…

Regime, phase and paradigm shifts: making community ecology the basic science for fisheries

PubMed Central

Mangel, Marc; Levin, Phillip S.

2005-01-01

Modern fishery science, which began in 1957 with Beverton and Holt, is ca. 50 years old. At its inception, fishery science was limited by a nineteenth century mechanistic worldview and by computational technology; thus, the relatively simple equations of population ecology became the fundamental ecological science underlying fisheries. The time has come for this to change and for community ecology to become the fundamental ecological science underlying fisheries. This point will be illustrated with two examples. First, when viewed from a community perspective, excess production must be considered in the context of biomass left for predators. We argue that this is a better measure of the effects of fisheries than spawning biomass per recruit. Second, we shall analyse a simple, but still multi-species, model for fishery management that considers the alternatives of harvest regulations, inshore marine protected areas and offshore marine protected areas. Population or community perspectives lead to very different predictions about the efficacy of reserves. PMID:15713590

Energy. Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, William C.

This book explains science concepts in a manner in which non-science teachers and parents can understand and learn science through activities. The concepts covered in this book include energy, simple machines, temperature, and heat transfer. Each chapter is supported with internet resources available at SciLinks and ends with a summary and…

Science Experiments Index for Young People. 2nd Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilger, Mary Anne

The purpose of the index is to guide students in finding information on thousands of science experiments for investigative projects and science projects for science fairs. Experiments range from simple to complex and are from 1527 books that are both old and new. The nature and range of the projects and activities are appropriate for primary…

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SCIENCE FOR GRADES 7 AND 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GRAHAM, KATHRYN A.; AND OTHERS

COURSE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES, AND REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE IN GRADES 7 AND 8 ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS RELATE TO AN APPROACH TO TEACHING SCIENCE AND THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCIENCE PROGRAM. SEVEN UNITS OF STUDY ARE INCLUDED FOR GRADE 7--(1) THE NATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE, (2) SIMPLE MECHANICS OF SOLIDS,…

A Web of Resources for Introductory Computer Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebelsky, Samuel A.

As the field of Computer Science has grown, the syllabus of the introductory Computer Science course has changed significantly. No longer is it a simple introduction to programming or a tutorial on computer concepts and applications. Rather, it has become a survey of the field of Computer Science, touching on a wide variety of topics from digital…

Al Gore did Not Invent the Internet, Hans Christian Oersted did in 1820

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, James; Anand, Aman; Dahiya, Jai

2009-04-01

In this talk it will be shown how the simple process of a current in a wire producing ``action at a distance'' in a compass can lead to development of the telegraph, telephone, wireless communication and finally to the internet. This discovery led to the invention of a motor and an electric generator. Such simple discoveries often have profound effects on what we are able to do. A discussion of how activities based on this discovery are being used in the Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching UNT to engage students and teachers in science activities. Hand out materials will be provided to the audience on these activities.

Experiences in Space Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC. Educational Programs Div.

This publication contains descriptions of space science activities that can be conducted with simple equipment. There are activities suitable for both elementary and secondary school children. Activities are placed under the headings: Astronomy, Atmosphere, Universal Gravitation, Aerodynamics, Guidance and Propulsion, Tracking and Communications,…

Effective Engagement of Hostile Audiences on Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denning, S.

2012-12-01

Communicating effectively about climate change can be very frustrating because hostility to climate science is rooted in deeply held beliefs rather than facts. Opposition can be more effectively countered by respecting ideological objections than by aggressive insistence on acceptance of consensus evidence. When presented with a stark choice between sacred beliefs and factual evidence, social science research shows that nearly everyone will choose the latter. Rational argument from authority is often the weakest approach in such situations. Climate change is Simple, Serious, and Solvable. Effective communication of these three key ideas can succeed when the science argument is carefully framed to avoid attack of the audience's ethical identity. Simple arguments from common sense and everyday experience are more successful than data. Serious consequences to values that resonate with the audience can be avoided by solutions that don't threaten those values.

The Threshold Shortest Path Interdiction Problem for Critical Infrastructure Resilience Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

being pushed over the minimum designated threshold. 1.4 Motivation A simple setting to motivate this research is the “30 minutes or it’s free” guarantee...parallel network structure in Fig. 4.4 is simple in design , yet shows a relatively high resilience when compared to the other networks in general. The high...United States Naval Academy, 2002 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN OPERATIONS RESEARCH

Science for English Language Learners: K-12 Classroom Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fathman, Ann K.; Crowther, David T.

2005-01-01

It's a simple fact: Doing the best job possible with linguistically and culturally diverse students, a strong foundation in how best to teach both science and language is needed. This comprehensive guide will expand expertise in teaching science content and processes, in language development and literacy, and in inquiry-based teaching. Plus it…

The Politics of Science Funding: Is the Fault in Our Stars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldston, David

2018-01-01

Future levels of funding for the astronomical and other sciences seem more uncertain than ever. What factors are responsible and which can scientists do something about? The story is much more complicated -- and fluid -- than the simple narrative about an "anti-science" political atmosphere that scientists sometimes settle on.

Science Teachers' Information Processing Behaviours in Nepal: A Reflective Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acharya, Kamal Prasad

2017-01-01

This study examines the investigation of the information processing behaviours of secondary level science teachers. It is based on the data collected from 50 secondary level school science teachers working in Kathmandy valley. The simple random sampling and the Cognitive Style Inventory have been used respectively as the technique and tool to…

Scottish Schools Science Equipment Research Centre Bulletin No. 55.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1972

Instructions for the construction of the following apparatus for the secondary school science laboratory are included in this issue of the Scottish Schools Science Equipment Research Centre Bulletin: a cheap water purifier using an expendable deionizer can; a simple amplifier suitable for detecting or displaying D. C. currents of 1 microamp or…

Talk Like a Scientist! Simple "Frames" to Scaffold the Language of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Lisa

2013-01-01

This article shares a teaching strategy for science teachers to use when supporting language development among English language learners. Students from other language backgrounds who are learning English need to learn both grade-level academic content and the language necessary to express scientific concepts. However, most science teachers are not…

The Empirical Attitude, Material Practice and Design Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apedoe, Xornam; Ford, Michael

2010-01-01

This article is an argument about something that is both important and severely underemphasized in most current science curricula. The empirical attitude, fundamental to science since Galileo, is a habit of mind that motivates an active search for feedback on our ideas from the material world. Although more simple views of science manifest the…

Fabrication of taste sensor for education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiao; Tahara, Yusuke; Toko, Kiyoshi; Kuriyaki, Hisao

2017-03-01

In order to solve the unconcern to usefulness of learning science among high school students in Japan, we developed a simple fabricated taste sensor with sensitivity and selectivity to each taste quality, which can be applied in science class. A commercialized Teflon membrane was used as the polymer membrane holding lipids. In addition, a non-adhesive method is considered to combine the membrane and the sensor electrode using a plastic cap which is easily accessible. The taste sensor for education fabricated in this way showed a good selectivity and sensitivity. By adjusting the composition of trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMA) and phosphoric acid di(2-ethylhexyl) ester (PAEE) included in lipid solution, we improved the selectivity of this simple taste sensor to saltiness and sourness. To verify this taste sensor as a useful science teaching material for science class, we applied this taste sensor into a science class for university students. By comparing the results between the sensory test and the sensor response, humans taste showed the same tendency just as the sensor response, which proved the sensor as a useful teaching material for science class.

Elementary Science Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1972

1972-01-01

Short articles describe techniques suitable for junior high school science, including the use of a toy drinking bird" to start discussion, using cobalt chloride solution to demonstrate convection currents, demonstration of the relationship between freezing point and concentration, and instructions for building a simple lens camera, a circuit…

Traveling with Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fast, Danene; Wild, Tiffany

2018-01-01

For early elementary students with vision loss, these seemingly simple questions can pose great difficulty, especially when conceptual development is being established. Because students with vision loss are unable to observe non-verbal cues within environmental settings, supplemental learning techniques must be utilized for learning. In science,…

Genetic Technology: A Proposal for the Development of a Science of the Possible

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudock, George A.

1974-01-01

Urges that biology teachers include the study of genetic anomolies, some very simple aspects of pedigree analysis, and related problems in order to produce citizens who are aware of the impact of science on their lives. (PEB)

Hands-on Science. Exploring Magnification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1993-01-01

Presents hands-on science activities using inexpensive, hand-held microscopes and slides made from simple, readily available materials. The article describes how to introduce students to microscopes and presents directions for using the microscopes and making slides. A student page investigates fingerprints with microscopes. (SM)

Simple Problems and Integrated Technology: Making Connections beyond the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Roberto; Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon

2008-01-01

Last year, the Centennial Ave. Elementary School in Roosevelt, New York received a new shipment of the New York State Science 21 kits. The new science program from the previous year was out, and the new science program for this year was in. As consulting university professors, the authors' task was to help the third grade teachers bring Science 21…

Exploring Event and Status Based Phenological Monitoring in Citizen Science Projects: Lessons Learned from Project BudBurst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, D.; Henderson, S.; Newman, S. J.

2012-12-01

Citizen science projects in ecology are in a unique position to address the needs of both the science and education communities. Such projects can provide needed data to further understanding of ecological processes at multiple spatial scales while also increasing public understanding of the importance of the ecological sciences. Balancing the needs of both communities, it is important that citizen science programs also provide different 'entry' points to appeal to diverse segments of society. In the case of NEON's Project BudBurst, a national plant phenology citizen science program, two approaches were developed to address the ongoing challenge to recruitment and retention of participants. Initially, Project BudBurst was designed to be an event-based phenology program. Participants were asked to identify a plant and report on the timing of specific phenoevents throughout the year. This approach requires a certain level of participation, which while yielding useful results, is not going to appeal to the broadest audience possible. To broaden participation, in 2011 and 2012, Project BudBurst added campaigns targeted at engaging individuals in making simple status-based reports of a plant they chose. Three targeted field campaigns were identified to take advantage of times when people notice changes to plants in their environment, using simple status-based protocols: Fall Into Phenology, Cherry Blossom Blitz, and Summer Solstice Snapshot. The interest and participation in these single report phenological status-based campaigns exceeded initial expectations. For example, Fall Into Phenology attracted individuals who otherwise had not considered participating in an ongoing field campaign. In the past, observations of fall phenology events submitted to Project BudBurst had been limited. By providing the opportunity for submitting simple, single reports, the number of both new participants and submitted observations increased significantly.

Using Recent Planetary Science Data to Develop Advanced Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steckloff, Jordan; Lindell, Rebecca

2016-10-01

Teaching science by having students manipulate real data is a popular trend in astronomy and planetary science education. However, many existing activities simply couple this data with traditional "cookbook" style verification labs. As with most topics within science, this instructional technique does not enhance the average students' understanding of the phenomena being studied. Here we present a methodology for developing "science by doing" activities that incorporate the latest discoveries in planetary science with up-to-date constructivist pedagogy to teach advanced concepts in Physics and Astronomy. In our methodology, students are first guided to understand, analyze, and plot real raw scientific data; develop and test physical and computational models to understand and interpret the data; finally use their models to make predictions about the topic being studied and test it with real data.To date, two activities have been developed according to this methodology: Understanding Asteroids through their Light Curves (hereafter "Asteroid Activity"), and Understanding Exoplanetary Systems through Simple Harmonic Motion (hereafter "Exoplanet Activity"). The Asteroid Activity allows students to explore light curves available on the Asteroid Light Curve Database (ALCDB) to discover general properties of asteroids, including their internal structure, strength, and mechanism of asteroid moon formation. The Exoplanet Activity allows students to investigate the masses and semi-major axes of exoplanets in a system by comparing the radial velocity motion of their host star to that of a coupled simple harmonic oscillator. Students then explore how noncircular orbits lead to deviations from simple harmonic motion. These activities will be field tested during the Fall 2016 semester in an advanced undergraduate mechanics and astronomy courses at a large Midwestern STEM-focused university. We will present the development methodologies for these activities, description of the activities, and results from the pre-tests.

Précis of Simple heuristics that make us smart.

PubMed

Todd, P M; Gigerenzer, G

2000-10-01

How can anyone be rational in a world where knowledge is limited, time is pressing, and deep thought is often an unattainable luxury? Traditional models of unbounded rationality and optimization in cognitive science, economics, and animal behavior have tended to view decision-makers as possessing supernatural powers of reason, limitless knowledge, and endless time. But understanding decisions in the real world requires a more psychologically plausible notion of bounded rationality. In Simple heuristics that make us smart (Gigerenzer et al. 1999), we explore fast and frugal heuristics--simple rules in the mind's adaptive toolbox for making decisions with realistic mental resources. These heuristics can enable both living organisms and artificial systems to make smart choices quickly and with a minimum of information by exploiting the way that information is structured in particular environments. In this précis, we show how simple building blocks that control information search, stop search, and make decisions can be put together to form classes of heuristics, including: ignorance-based and one-reason decision making for choice, elimination models for categorization, and satisficing heuristics for sequential search. These simple heuristics perform comparably to more complex algorithms, particularly when generalizing to new data--that is, simplicity leads to robustness. We present evidence regarding when people use simple heuristics and describe the challenges to be addressed by this research program.

Mathematics and the Internet: A Source of Enormous Confusion and Great Potential

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

free Internet Myth The story recounted below of the scale-free nature of the Internet seems convincing, sound, and al- most too good to be true ...models. In fact, much of the initial excitement in the nascent field of network science can be attributed to an ear- ly and appealingly simple class...this new class of networks, com- monly referred to as scale-free networks. The term scale-free derives from the simple observation that power-law node

The Pond Is Our Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchewka, Barbara Turco

1978-01-01

This science teacher's laboratory is a pond within walking distance of his school that provides a stimulating environment for exploring the natural world. With simple materials students practice making careful observations, taking measurements and compiling and graphing information for their science studies. They also extend their pond experiences…

Plant genome and transcriptome annotations: from misconceptions to simple solutions

PubMed Central

Bolger, Marie E; Arsova, Borjana; Usadel, Björn

2018-01-01

Abstract Next-generation sequencing has triggered an explosion of available genomic and transcriptomic resources in the plant sciences. Although genome and transcriptome sequencing has become orders of magnitudes cheaper and more efficient, often the functional annotation process is lagging behind. This might be hampered by the lack of a comprehensive enumeration of simple-to-use tools available to the plant researcher. In this comprehensive review, we present (i) typical ontologies to be used in the plant sciences, (ii) useful databases and resources used for functional annotation, (iii) what to expect from an annotated plant genome, (iv) an automated annotation pipeline and (v) a recipe and reference chart outlining typical steps used to annotate plant genomes/transcriptomes using publicly available resources. PMID:28062412

Advances in Using Opensearch for Earth Science Data Discovery and Interoperability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, D. J.; Mitchell, A. E.

2014-12-01

As per www.opensearch.org: OpenSearch is a collection of simple formats for the sharing of search results A number of organizations (NASA, ESA, CEOS) have began to adopt this standard as a means of allowing both the discovery of earth science data and the aggregation of results from disparate data archives. OpenSearch has proven to be simpler and more effective at achieving these goals than previous efforts (Catalog Service for the web for example). This talk will outline: The basic ideas behind OpenSearch The ways in which we have extended the basic specification to accomodate the Earth Science use case (two-step searching, relevancy ranking, facets) A case-study of the above in action (CWICSmart + IDN OpenSearch + CWIC OpenSearch) The potential for interoperability this simple standard affords A discussion of where we can go in the future

Investigating the impact of a LEGO(TM)-based, engineering-oriented curriculum compared to an inquiry-based curriculum on fifth graders' content learning of simple machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marulcu, Ismail

This mixed method study examined the impact of a LEGO-based, engineering-oriented curriculum compared to an inquiry-based curriculum on fifth graders' content learning of simple machines. This study takes a social constructivist theoretical stance that science learning involves learning scientific concepts and their relations to each other. From this perspective, students are active participants, and they construct their conceptual understanding through the guidance of their teacher. With the goal of better understanding the use of engineering education materials in classrooms the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council in the book "Engineering in K-12 Education" conducted an in-depth review of the potential benefits of including engineering in K--12 schools as (a) improved learning and achievement in science and mathematics, (b) increased awareness of engineering and the work of engineers, (c) understanding of and the ability to engage in engineering design, (d) interest in pursuing engineering as a career, and (e) increased technological literacy (Katehi, Pearson, & Feder, 2009). However, they also noted a lack of reliable data and rigorous research to support these assertions. Data sources included identical written tests and interviews, classroom observations and videos, teacher interviews, and classroom artifacts. To investigate the impact of the design-based simple machines curriculum compared to the scientific inquiry-based simple machines curriculum on student learning outcomes, I compared the control and the experimental groups' scores on the tests and interviews by using ANCOVA. To analyze and characterize the classroom observation videotapes, I used Jordan and Henderson's (1995) method and divide them into episodes. My analyses revealed that the design-based Design a People Mover: Simple Machines unit was, if not better, as successful as the inquiry-based FOSS Levers and Pulleys unit in terms of students' content learning. I also found that students in the engineering group outperformed students in the control group in regards to their ability to answer open-ended questions when interviewed. Implications for students' science content learning and teachers' professional development are discussed.

Three Simple Hands-On Soil Exercises Extension Professionals Can Incorporate into Natural Sciences Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleinschmidt, Andy

2011-01-01

The importance of healthy soil and of conveying the importance of soils starts by conveying a few basic concepts of soil science cannot be overstated. This article provides three hands-on exercises Extension professionals can add to natural resources or Master Gardener education curricula. These natural sciences exercises are easy to prepare for…

DNA Fingerprinting Using PCR: A Practical Forensic Science Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Hyun-Jung; Ahn, Jung Hoon; Ko, Minsu

2008-01-01

This paper describes a forensic science simulation programme applicable for use in colleges. Students were asked to find a putative suspect by DNA fingerprinting using a simple protocol developed in this study. DNA samples were obtained from a hair root and a drop of blood, common sources of DNA in forensic science. The DNA fingerprinting protocol…

Curriculum-Based Measurement in Science Learning: Vocabulary-Matching as an Indicator of Performance and Progress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espin, Christine A.; Busch, Todd W.; Lembke, Erica S.; Hampton, David D.; Seo, Kyounghee; Zukowski, Beth A.

2013-01-01

The technical adequacy of curriculum-based measures in the form of short and simple vocabulary-matching probes to predict students' performance and progress in science at the secondary level was investigated. Participants were 198 seventh-grade students from 10 science classrooms. Curriculum-based measurements (CBM) were 5-min vocabulary-matching…

Impact of an Engineering Design-Based Curriculum Compared to an Inquiry-Based Curriculum on Fifth Graders' Content Learning of Simple Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marulcu, Ismail; Barnett, Michael

2016-01-01

Background: Elementary Science Education is struggling with multiple challenges. National and State test results confirm the need for deeper understanding in elementary science education. Moreover, national policy statements and researchers call for increased exposure to engineering and technology in elementary science education. The basic…

Authentic Science Experiences as a Vehicle for Assessing Orientation towards Science and Science Careers Relative to Identity and Agency: A Response to "Learning from the Path Followed by Brad"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinn, Pauline W. U.

2009-01-01

This response draws from the literature on adaptive learning, traditional ecological knowledge, and social-ecological systems to show that Brad's choice is not a simple decision between traditional ecological knowledge and authentic science. This perspective recognizes knowledge systems as dynamic, cultural and historical activities characterized…

Evolution of Information Management at the GSFC Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC): 2006-2007

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kempler, Steven; Lynnes, Christopher; Vollmer, Bruce; Alcott, Gary; Berrick, Stephen

2009-01-01

Increasingly sophisticated National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth science missions have driven their associated data and data management systems from providing simple point-to-point archiving and retrieval to performing user-responsive distributed multisensor information extraction. To fully maximize the use of remote-sensor-generated Earth science data, NASA recognized the need for data systems that provide data access and manipulation capabilities responsive to research brought forth by advancing scientific analysis and the need to maximize the use and usability of the data. The decision by NASA to purposely evolve the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC) and other information management facilities was timely and appropriate. The GES DISC evolution was focused on replacing the EOSDIS Core System (ECS) by reusing the In-house developed disk-based Simple, Scalable, Script-based Science Product Archive (S4PA) data management system and migrating data to the disk archives. Transition was completed in December 2007

Favorite Demonstrations: Simple "Jack-in-the-Box" Demonstrations for Physical Science Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Theodor C. H.

1993-01-01

The demonstrations presented in this article relate to everyday life, address interdisciplinary aspects, and have implications for the life sciences. Topics of the demonstrations are electricity calculations, astronomy, electrolysis of water, ester synthesis from butyric acid and pentanol, catalysis, and minerals. (PR)

Questions That Science Teachers Find Difficult (II).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Alan

2003-01-01

Presents some questions that science teachers find difficult. Focuses on three further questions relating to "simple" everyday situations that are normally explained in terms of the kinetic theory of matter. Identifies looking at the difference between chemical and physical changes as the most problematic question. (Author/YDS)

Engineering a Classroom Discussion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Walter E.

1983-01-01

Describes physical science activities that civil/mechanical engineers (serving as resource persons) can use with students during units on force, work, center of gravity, simple machines, and other basic mechanics concepts. Activities are adapted from Career Oriented Modules to Explore Topics in Science for grades 5-9 (COMETS). (Author/JN)

Middle School Science Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1981

1981-01-01

Presents a variety of laboratory procedures, discussions, and demonstrations including centripedal force apparatus, model ear drum, hot air balloons, air as a real substance, centering a ball, simple test tube rack, demonstration fire extinguisher, pin-hole camera, and guidelines for early primary science education (5-10 years) concepts and lesson…

Effects of Different Student Response Modes on Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kho, Lee Sze; Chen, Chwen Jen

2017-01-01

Student response systems (SRSs) are wireless answering devices that enable students to provide simple real-time feedback to instructors. This study aims to evaluate the effects of different SRS interaction modes on elementary school students' science learning. Three interaction modes which include SRS Individual, SRS Collaborative, and Classroom…

BASIC ELECTRICITY. SCIENCE IN ACTION SERIES, NUMBER 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CASSEL, RICHARD

THIS TEACHING GUIDE, INVOLVING ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF BASIC ELECTRICITY, EMPHASIZES STUDENT INVESTIGATIONS RATHER THAN FACTS, AND IS BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT THE MAJOR GOAL IN SCIENCE TEACHING IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INVESTIGATIVE ATTITUDE IN THE STUDENT. ACTIVITIES SUGGESTED INVOLVE SIMPLE DEMONSTRATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS…

Graphical User Interface Programming in Introductory Computer Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skolnick, Michael M.; Spooner, David L.

Modern computing systems exploit graphical user interfaces for interaction with users; as a result, introductory computer science courses must begin to teach the principles underlying such interfaces. This paper presents an approach to graphical user interface (GUI) implementation that is simple enough for beginning students to understand, yet…

Learning Activity Package, Physical Science. LAP Numbers 8, 9, 10, and 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, G. J.

These four units of the Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) for individualized instruction in physical science cover nuclear reactions, alpha and beta particles, atomic radiation, medical use of nuclear energy, fission, fusion, simple machines, Newton's laws of motion, electricity, currents, electromagnetism, Oersted's experiment, sound, light,…

Science Activities in Energy: Electrical Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

Presented is a science activities in energy package which includes 16 activities relating to electrical energy. Activities are simple, concrete experiments for fourth, fifth and sixth grades which illustrate principles and problems relating to energy. Each activity is outlined in a single card which is introduced by a question. A teacher's…

Math + Science: A Solution. Introductory Investigations. Book 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiebe, Arthur, Ed.; And Others

Developed for use primarily with middle school age students, this introductory booklet provides a sample of innovative activities that integrate mathematics skills with science processes. The investigations employ a wide variety of readily available and easily understood materials. The 25 activities are sequenced from simple to complex according…

Be Your Own Groundhog

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Christine

2012-01-01

In this article, the author describes the "Be your own groundhog" project in her grades 9-12 Earth and environmental sciences courses, in which students use citizen science databases to research the physical changes that signal the arrival of spring. This project starts with a simple question, "When will spring spring?" This goes beyond the…

Scottish Schools Science Equipment Research Centre.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1972

This newsletter is composed of brief notes in the various areas of science. Biology Notes include hazards of tasting Phenylthiocarbamide in laboratory experiments, the use of Albustic and Clinistix test papers for protein and glucose determinations, the measurement of the respiratory quotient, and the construction of a simple respirometer. Physics…

Solar Energy in the School Curriculum: Giving New Life to Old Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hibbert, Oliver D.

1984-01-01

Describes some simple solar energy experiments, reviews real life examples of solar energy, and lists areas where solar energy can fit into existing school science curricula. Instructions for making equipment needed, a discussion of recent developments in thermal systems and photovoltaics, and a bibliography are included. (JN)

Common Sense and Chemicals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Ken

2010-01-01

This month's column features two true stories about the use of chemicals in the middle school science classroom. The lesson of these stories is simple. Certainly, it is prudent to have age-appropriate experiences in science, given the developmental constraints of students in middle school. On the other hand, when the curriculum necessitates…

Linking Science with Design and Technology in a Stimulating Approach to Teaching about Levers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Carol

2015-01-01

Changes in the National Curriculum for England in 2014 included the introduction of levers, gears, and pulleys into primary science. Although simple mechanisms had been part of the design and technology (DT) curriculum for some time, it was the first time that the science behind the mechanisms had been included at the primary school level. These…

"The Seesaw Is a Machine that Goes up and down": Young Children's Narrative Responses to Science-Related Informational Text

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mantzicopoulos, Panayota; Patrick, Helen

2010-01-01

Research Findings: We report on an assessment developed to document young children's narrative production after listening to short segments of science-related informational text (SciT) on life science, earth and space, and simple machines. We examine differences between kindergarten boys (n = 39) and girls (n = 29) on several indices of narrative…

Webs Wires Waves: The Science & Technology of Communication. National Science and Technology Week, April 20-26, 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA.

This collection of activities revolves around the theme of National Science and Technology Week (NSTW). The six 8-page booklets that make up this package present activities that follow a pathway from natural, simple forms of communication toward increasingly complex and technological forms. They are designed to be undertaken in sequence, but can…

Key-Aspects of Scientific Modeling Exemplified by School Science Models: Some Units for Teaching Contextualized Scientific Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Develaki, Maria

2016-01-01

Models and modeling are core elements of scientific methods and consequently also are of key importance for the conception and teaching of scientific methodology. The epistemology of models and its transfer and adaption to nature of science education are not, however, simple themes. We present some conceptual units in which school science models…

ASDC RSS Feeds

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-03-08

... Features ASDC's RSS feed with highlights about Earth Science Data at NASA Langley Research Center ASDC Scheduled ... about maintenance   About RSS What is RSS? RSS (Really Simple Syndication, or Rich Site Summary) ...

Helioviewer.org: Simple Solar and Heliospheric Data Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughitt, V. K.; Ireland, J.; Mueller, D.

2011-12-01

Helioviewer.org is a free and open-source web application for exploring solar physics data in a simple and intuitive manner. Over the past several years, Helioviewer.org has enabled thousands of users from across the globe to explore the inner heliosphere, providing access to over ten million images from the SOHO, SDO, and STEREO missions. While Helioviewer.org has seen a surge in use by the public in recent months, it is still ultimately a science tool. The newest version of Helioviewer.org provides access to science-quality data for all available images through the Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO). In addition to providing a powerful platform for browsing heterogeneous sets of solar data, Helioviewer.org also seeks to be as flexible and extensible as possible, providing access to much of its functionality via a simple Application Programming Interface (API). Recently, the Helioviewer.org API was used for two such applications: a Wordpress plugin, and a Python library for solar physics data analysis (SunPy). These applications are discussed and examples of API usage are provided. Finally, Helioviewer.org is undergoing continual development, with new features being added on a regular basis. Recent updates to Helioviewer.org are discussed, along with a preview of things to come.

Nature of collective decision-making by simple yes/no decision units.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Eisuke; Mizumoto, Nobuaki; Kobayashi, Kazuya; Dobata, Shigeto; Yoshimura, Jin; Watanabe, Saori; Murakami, Yuuka; Matsuura, Kenji

2017-10-31

The study of collective decision-making spans various fields such as brain and behavioural sciences, economics, management sciences, and artificial intelligence. Despite these interdisciplinary applications, little is known regarding how a group of simple 'yes/no' units, such as neurons in the brain, can select the best option among multiple options. One prerequisite for achieving such correct choices by the brain is correct evaluation of relative option quality, which enables a collective decision maker to efficiently choose the best option. Here, we applied a sensory discrimination mechanism using yes/no units with differential thresholds to a model for making a collective choice among multiple options. The performance corresponding to the correct choice was shown to be affected by various parameters. High performance can be achieved by tuning the threshold distribution with the options' quality distribution. The number of yes/no units allocated to each option and its variability profoundly affects performance. When this variability is large, a quorum decision becomes superior to a majority decision under some conditions. The general features of this collective decision-making by a group of simple yes/no units revealed in this study suggest that this mechanism may be useful in applications across various fields.

Exploring Remote Rensing Through The Use Of Readily-Available Classroom Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, M. A.

2013-12-01

Frontier geoscience research using remotely-sensed satellite observation routinely requires sophisticated and novel remote sensing techniques to succeed. Describing these techniques in an educational format presents significant challenges to the science educator, especially with regards to the professional development setting where a small, but competent audience has limited instructor contact time to develop the necessary understanding. In this presentation, we describe the use of simple and cheaply available technologies, including ultrasonic transducers, FLIR detectors, and even simple web cameras to provide a tangible analogue to sophisticated remote sensing platforms. We also describe methods of curriculum development that leverages the use of these simple devices to teach the fundamentals of remote sensing, resulting in a deeper and more intuitive understanding of the techniques used in modern remote sensing research. Sample workshop itineraries using these techniques are provided as well.

The Structural Challenge: A Simple Design-Based Science Activity to Foster Creativity among Kinaesthetic Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amir, Nazir; Subramaniam, R.

2014-01-01

A suitable way for teachers to present science content and foster creativity in less academically inclined students is by getting them to engage in design-based science activities and guiding them along the way. This study illustrates how a design-and-make activity was carried out with the aim of getting students to showcase their creativity while…

Polymer Chemistry: Introduction to an Indispensable Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teegarden, David M.

2004-01-01

More than half of all chemists work on some aspect of polymers. For high school teachers who want to introduce polymer science basics, properties, and uses, this book is uniquely helpful--much deeper than simple monographs or collections of experiments, but much more accessible than college texts. Divided into four sections, Polymer Chemistry…

Using Inquiry-Based Instruction for Teaching Science to Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydeniz, Mehmet; Cihak, David F.; Graham, Shannon C.; Retinger, Larryn

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of inquiry-based science instruction for five elementary students with learning disabilities (LD). Students participated in a series of inquiry-based activities targeting conceptual and application-based understanding of simple electric circuits, conductors and insulators, parallel circuits, and…

Hands-on Science: Does It Matter What Students' Hands Are On?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Triona, Lara M.; Klahr, David

2007-01-01

Hands-on science typically uses physical materials to give students first-hand experience in scientific methodologies, but the recent availability of virtual laboratories raises an important question about whether what students' hands are on matters to their learning. The overall findings of two articles that employed simple comparisons of…

Helping Your Child Learn Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulu, Nancy; Martin, Margery

This book provides examples of a few simple activities that parents can do with their children. Being "scientific" is defined as being curious, observing, asking how things happen, and learning how to find the answers. This book suggests ways parents can interest their children from about 3 to 10 years of age in science. Included are (1)…

Re-Thinking Statistics Education for Social Science Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Howard M.; Mason, Susan E.

2008-01-01

Many college students majoring in the social sciences find the required statistics course to be dull as well as difficult. Further, they often do not retain much of the material, which limits their success in subsequent courses. We describe a few simple changes, the incorporation of which may enhance student learning. (Contains 1 table.)

Teaching Density with a Little Drama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakas, Mehmet

2012-01-01

This article provides an example of an innovative science activity applied in a science methods course for future elementary teachers at a small university in northeastern Turkey. The aim of the activity is to help prospective elementary teachers understand the density concept in a simple way and see an innovative teaching example. The instructor…

An Activity Model for Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harwood, William

2004-01-01

Most people are frustrated with the current scientific method presented in textbooks. The scientific method--a simplistic model of the scientific inquiry process--fails in most cases to provide a successful guide to how science is done. This is not shocking, really. Many simple models used in science are quite useful within their limitations. When…

A Simple Computer Application for the Identification of Conifer Genera

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strain, Steven R.; Chmielewski, Jerry G.

2010-01-01

The National Science Education Standards prescribe that an understanding of the importance of classifying organisms be one component of a student's educational experience in the life sciences. The use of a classification scheme to identify organisms is one way of addressing this goal. We describe Conifer ID, a computer application that assists…

Inexpensive and Safe DNA Gel Electrophoresis Using Household Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ens, S.; Olson, A. B.; Dudley, C.; Ross, N. D., III; Siddiqi, A. A.; Umoh, K. M.; Schneegurt, M. A.

2012-01-01

Gel electrophoresis is the single most important molecular biology technique and it is central to life sciences research, but it is often too expensive for the secondary science classroom or homeschoolers. A simple safe low-cost procedure is described here that uses household materials to construct and run DNA gel electrophoresis. Plastic…

Static and Current Electricity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Richard M.; Murtha, Kathy T.

This is a copy of the script for the electrical relationships unit in an auto-tutorial physical science course for non-science majors, offered at the University of Maine at Orono. The unit includes 15 simple experiments designed to allow the student to discover various fundamental electrical relationships. The student has the option of reading the…

Rockets: A Teaching Guide for an Elementary Science Unit on Rocketry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogt, Gregory L.

Utilizing simple and inexpensive equipment, elementary and middle school science teachers can conduct interesting, exciting, and productive units on rockets, the oldest form of self-contained vehicles in existence. This teaching guide contains the following: (1) a brief history of experimentation and research on rockets and rocket propulsion from…

Teachers' Attitude towards Implementation of Learner-Centered Methodology in Science Education in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ndirangu, Caroline

2017-01-01

This study aims to evaluate teachers' attitude towards implementation of learner-centered methodology in science education in Kenya. The study used a survey design methodology, adopting the purposive, stratified random and simple random sampling procedures and hypothesised that there was no significant relationship between the head teachers'…

Using Data from Climate Science to Teach Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witt, Gary

2013-01-01

This paper shows how the application of simple statistical methods can reveal to students important insights from climate data. While the popular press is filled with contradictory opinions about climate science, teachers can encourage students to use introductory-level statistics to analyze data for themselves on this important issue in public…

Experiments and Calculations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siddons, J. C.

1982-01-01

Discusses several science experiments/activities and their associated measurements. These include a simple projectile activity, cartesian diver (used to measure altitude and atmospheric pressure), experiment demonstrating atmospheric pressure, and activities using a stroboscope, and electrometer. (JN)

SCIENCE BRIEF: ADVANCED CONCEPTS

EPA Science Inventory

Research on advanced concepts will evaluate and demonstrate the application of innovative infrastructure designs, management procedures and operational approaches. Advanced concepts go beyond simple asset management. The infusion of these advanced concepts into established wastew...

The NIST Simple Guide for Evaluating and Expressing Measurement Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Possolo, Antonio

2016-11-01

NIST has recently published guidance on the evaluation and expression of the uncertainty of NIST measurement results [1, 2], supplementing but not replacing B. N. Taylor and C. E. Kuyatt's (1994) Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results (NIST Technical Note 1297) [3], which tracks closely the Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM) [4], originally published in 1995 by the Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). The scope of this Simple Guide, however, is much broader than the scope of both NIST Technical Note 1297 and the GUM, because it attempts to address several of the uncertainty evaluation challenges that have arisen at NIST since the 1990s, for example to include molecular biology, greenhouse gases and climate science measurements, and forensic science. The Simple Guide also expands the scope of those two other guidance documents by recognizing observation equations (that is, statistical models) as bona fide measurement models. These models are indispensable to reduce data from interlaboratory studies, to combine measurement results for the same measurand obtained by different methods, and to characterize the uncertainty of calibration and analysis functions used in the measurement of force, temperature, or composition of gas mixtures. This presentation reviews the salient aspects of the Simple Guide, illustrates the use of models and methods for uncertainty evaluation not contemplated in the GUM, and also demonstrates the NIST Uncertainty Machine [5] and the NIST Consensus Builder, which are web-based applications accessible worldwide that facilitate evaluations of measurement uncertainty and the characterization of consensus values in interlaboratory studies.

GLOBE Observer: A new tool to bring science activities and measurements home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riebeek Kohl, H.; Murphy, T.

2016-12-01

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. For more than 20 years, GLOBE-trained teachers have been leading environmental data collection and student research in the classroom. In 2016, GLOBE expanded to invite data collection from citizen scientists of all ages through a simple smart phone app. The app makes it possible for students to take GLOBE data (environmental observations) outside of school with their families. It enables a museum, park, youth organization, or other informal institution to provide a simple take-home activity that will keep patrons engaged in environmental science from home. This presentation will provide a demonstration of the app and will provide examples of its use in informal settings.

Classroom Activities: Simple Strategies to Incorporate Student-Centered Activities within Undergraduate Science Lectures

PubMed Central

Lom, Barbara

2012-01-01

The traditional science lecture, where an instructor delivers a carefully crafted monolog to a large audience of students who passively receive the information, has been a popular mode of instruction for centuries. Recent evidence on the science of teaching and learning indicates that learner-centered, active teaching strategies can be more effective learning tools than traditional lectures. Yet most colleges and universities retain lectures as their central instructional method. This article highlights several simple collaborative teaching techniques that can be readily deployed within traditional lecture frameworks to promote active learning. Specifically, this article briefly introduces the techniques of: reader’s theatre, think-pair-share, roundtable, jigsaw, in-class quizzes, and minute papers. Each technique is broadly applicable well beyond neuroscience courses and easily modifiable to serve an instructor’s specific pedagogical goals. The benefits of each technique are described along with specific examples of how each technique might be deployed within a traditional lecture to create more active learning experiences. PMID:23494568

Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA): Science Planning Made Simple

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streiffert, Barbara A.; Polanskey, Carol A.

2004-01-01

.For the first time at JPL, the Cassini mission to Saturn is using distributed science operations for developing their experiments. Remote scientists needed the ability to: a) Identify observation opportunities; b) Create accurate, detailed designs for their observations; c) Verify that their designs meet their objectives; d) Check their observations against project flight rules and constraints; e) Communicate their observations to other scientists. Many existing tools provide one or more of these functions, but Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA) has been built to unify these tasks into a single application. Accurate: Utilizes JPL Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) SPICE* software tool kit - Provides high fidelity modeling. - Facilitates rapid adaptation to other flight projects. Portable: Available in Unix, Windows and Linux. Adaptable: Designed to be a multi-mission tool so it can be readily adapted to other flight projects. Implemented in Java, Java 3D and other innovative technologies. Conclusion: SOA is easy to use. It only requires 6 simple steps. SOA's ability to show the same accurate information in multiple ways (multiple visualization formats, data plots, listings and file output) is essential to meet the needs of a diverse, distributed science operations environment.

Converting Sunlight to Mechanical Energy: A Polymer Example of Entropy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathias, Lon J.

1987-01-01

This experiment/demonstration provides elementary through high school science students with hands-on experience with polymer entropy. Construction of a simple machine for converting light into mechanical energy is described. (RH)

Measuring Drag Force in Newtonian Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mawhinney, Matthew T.; O'Donnell, Mary Kate; Fingerut, Jonathan; Habdas, Piotr

2012-03-01

The experiments described in this paper have two goals. The first goal is to show how students can perform simple but fundamental measurements of objects moving through simple liquids (such as water, oil, or honey). In doing so, students can verify Stokes' law, which governs the motion of spheres through simple liquids, and see how it fails at higher object speeds. Moreover, they can qualitatively study fluid patterns at various object speeds (Reynolds numbers). The second goal is to help students make connections between physics and other sciences. Specifically, the results of these experiments can be used to help students understand the role of fluid motion in determining the shape of an organism, or where it lives. At Saint Josephs University we have developed these experiments as part of a newly developed course in biomechanics where both physics and biology undergraduate students bring their ideas and expertise to enrich a shared learning environment.

SIMPL/AVIRIS-NG Greenland 2015: Flight Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brunt, Kelly M.; Neumann, Thomas A.; Markus, Thorsten

2015-01-01

In August 2015, NASA conducted a two-­aircraft, coordinated campaign based out of Thule Air Base, Greenland, in support of Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) algorithm development. The survey targeted the Greenland Ice Sheet and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean during the summer melt season. The survey was conducted with a photon-counting laser altimeter in one aircraft and an imaging spectrometer in the second aircraft. Ultimately, the mission, SIMPL/AVIRIS-NG Greenland 2015, conducted nine coordinated science flights, for a total of 37 flight hours over the ice sheet and sea ice.

Mystery Box Marvels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Joel; Centurio, Tina

2012-01-01

What happens in the first week of school could very well set the stage for the rest of the school year. Setting high standards for science activities based in inquiry can start on the first day of science class and develop as the year unfolds. With the use of simple, readily available, inexpensive materials, an efficient mystery box lesson can be…

Two Simple Activities to Bring Rainbows into the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isik, Hakan; Yurumezoglu, Kemal

2012-01-01

A rainbow reveals the colors of sunlight in a breathtaking way, but the formation of this natural event cannot be controlled by human beings. Transforming this out-of-class experience into a teaching activity is a challenge for science educators. This paper outlines two activities for rainbow formation in the science classroom in cases of good…

Geology on a Sand Budget

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Jacqueline

2004-01-01

Earth science teachers know how frustrating it can be to spend hundreds of dollars on three-dimensional (3-D) models of Earth's geologic features, to use the models for only a few class periods. To avoid emptying an already limited science budget, the author states that teachers can use a simple alternative to the expensive 3-D models--sand. She…

An Investigation of Some Cognitive Style Variables and Their Relationships to Science Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zambotti, Geno; Fazio, Frank

This study was designed to survey the cognitive style preferences of college students. Two instruments were used in obtaining data for this inquiry. The Cognitive Preference Survey for Physical Science, developed by the authors, gave three preference scores: Memory, a preference for simple content facts; Principle, for a concept or theoretical…

Medical Mycology and the Chemistry Classroom: Germinating Student Interest in Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bliss, Joseph M.; Reid, Christopher W.

2013-01-01

Efforts to provide active research context to introductory courses in basic sciences are likely to better engage learners and provide a framework for relevant concepts. A simple teaching and learning experiment was conducted to use concepts in organic chemistry to solve problems in the life sciences. Bryant University is a liberal arts university…

Socio-Economic Background and Access to Internet as Correlates of Students' Achievement in Agricultural Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adegoke, Sunday Paul; Osokoya, Modupe M.

2015-01-01

This study investigated access to internet and socio-economic background as correlates of students' achievement in Agricultural Science among selected Senior Secondary Schools Two Students in Ogbomoso South and North Local Government Areas. The study adopted multi-stage sampling technique. Simple random sampling was used to select 30 students from…

Middle School Science Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1984

1984-01-01

Presents (1) suggestions on teaching volume and density in the elementary school; (2) ideas for teaching about floating and sinking; (3) a simple computer program on color addition; and (4) an illustration of Newton's second law of motion. (JN)

Spreadsheets in Science Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliot, Chris

1988-01-01

Described is the use of a spreadsheet to model dynamic phenomena using numerical iterative methods. Uses the discharge of a capacitor, simple and damped harmonic motion, and the flow of heat along a bar as examples. (Author/CW)

The Science of Flames.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornia, Ray

1991-01-01

Describes an exercise using flames that allows students to explore the complexities of a seemingly simple phenomenon, the lighting of a candle. Contains a foldout that provides facts about natural gas flames and suggestions for classroom use. (ZWH)

Identity Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meraw, Leonard J.

2012-01-01

The article presents a simple and highly engaging activity for students involving DNA fingerprints, DNA bands, genotypes, phenotypes, and DNA morphology. The science of DNA fingerprinting, currently done by electrophoresis, extends to all living organisms containing DNA. (Contains 4 figures.)

Quantum Computer Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mermin, N. David

2007-08-01

Preface; 1. Cbits and Qbits; 2. General features and some simple examples; 3. Breaking RSA encryption with a quantum computer; 4. Searching with a quantum computer; 5. Quantum error correction; 6. Protocols that use just a few Qbits; Appendices; Index.

Simple explanations and reasoning: From philosophy of science to expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rochowiak, Daniel

1988-01-01

A preliminary prototype of a simple explanation system was constructed. Although the system, based on the idea of storytelling, did not incorporate all of the principles of simple explanation, it did demonstrate the potential of the approach. The system incorporated a hypertext system, an inference engine, and facilities for constructing contrast type explanations. The continued development of such a system should prove to be valuable. By extending the resources of the expert system paradigm, the knowledge engineer is not forced to learn a new set of skills, and the domain knowledge already acquired by him is not lost. Further, both the beginning user and the more advanced user can be accommodated. For the beginning user, corrective explanations and ES explanations provide facilities for more clearly understanding the way in which the system is functioning. For the more advanced user, the instance and state explanations allow him to focus on the issues at hand. The simple model of explanation attempts to exploit and show how the why and how facilities of the expert system paradigm can be extended by attending to the pragmatics of explanation and adding texture to the ordinary pattern of reasoning in a rule based system.

[The properties of simple medicines according to Avicenna (980-1037): analysis of some sections of the Canon].

PubMed

Ayari-Lassueur, Sylvie

2012-01-01

Avicenna spoke on pharmacology in several works, and this article considers his discussions in the Canon, a vast synthesis of the greco-arabian medicine of his time. More precisely, it focuses on book II, which treats simple medicines. This text makes evident that the Persian physician's central preoccupation was the efficacy of the treatment, since it concentrates on the properties of medicines. In this context, the article examines their different classifications and related topics, such as the notion of temperament, central to Avicenna's thought, and the concrete effects medicines have on the body. Yet, these theoretical notions only have sense in practical application. For Avicenna, medicine is both a theoretical and a practical science. For this reason, the second book of the Canon ends with an imposing pharmacopoeia, where the properties described theoretically at the beginning of the book appear in the list of simple medicines, so that the physician can select them according to the intended treatment's goals. The article analyzes a plant from this pharmacopoeia as an example of this practical application, making evident the logic Avicenna uses in detailing the different properties of each simple medicine.

76 FR 27315 - EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Invitation to a Session on Public Involvement in EPA Advisory...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-11

... and SAB Three inter-related public access Web sites ( http://www.epa.gov/advisorycouncilcaa , http...) ``Recent Happenings'' and ``Recent Additions'' sections and related ``really simple syndication'' (RSS...

Polymers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, David C.

1986-01-01

Presents an open-ended experiment which has students exploring polymer chemistry and reverse osmosis. This activity involves construction of a polymer membrane, use of it in a simple osmosis experiment, and application of its principles in solving a science-technology-society problem. (ML)

Tensile Testing: A Simple Introduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Martin

2006-01-01

Tensile testing may be used to decide, say, which steel to use in various constructions. Analogous testing can be done simply in the classroom using plasticine and helps to introduce pupils to the various properties studied in materials science.

Immersion francaise precoce: Sciences de la nature 1-7 (Early French Immersion: Natural Sciences for Grades 1-7).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burt, Andy; And Others

This curriculum guide for the natural sciences is intended for use in grades 1-7 in the early French immersion program. The guide presents the following topics: (1) a list of general objectives; (2) a list of simple skills for children aged 5-8 and for children aged 8-12; (3) activities dealing with matter and its properties, space-time, and human…

Badges to Acknowledge Open Practices: A Simple, Low-Cost, Effective Method for Increasing Transparency

PubMed Central

Kidwell, Mallory C.; Lazarević, Ljiljana B.; Baranski, Erica; Piechowski, Sarah; Falkenberg, Lina-Sophia; Sonnleitner, Carina; Fiedler, Susann; Nosek, Brian A.

2016-01-01

Beginning January 2014, Psychological Science gave authors the opportunity to signal open data and materials if they qualified for badges that accompanied published articles. Before badges, less than 3% of Psychological Science articles reported open data. After badges, 23% reported open data, with an accelerating trend; 39% reported open data in the first half of 2015, an increase of more than an order of magnitude from baseline. There was no change over time in the low rates of data sharing among comparison journals. Moreover, reporting openness does not guarantee openness. When badges were earned, reportedly available data were more likely to be actually available, correct, usable, and complete than when badges were not earned. Open materials also increased to a weaker degree, and there was more variability among comparison journals. Badges are simple, effective signals to promote open practices and improve preservation of data and materials by using independent repositories. PMID:27171007

Modular experimental platform for science and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, A. S.

1984-01-01

A modularized, standardized spacecraft bus, known as MESA, suitable for a variety of science and applications missions is discussed. The basic bus consists of a simple structural arrangement housing attitude control, telemetry/command, electrical power, propulsion and thermal control subsystems. The general arrangement allows extensive subsystem adaptation to mission needs. Kits provide for the addition of tape recorders, increased power levels and propulsion growth. Both 3-axis and spin stabilized flight proven attitude control subsystems are available. The MESA bus can be launched on Ariane, as a secondary payload for low cost, or on the STS with a PAM-D or other suitable upper stage. Multi-spacecraft launches are possible with either booster. Launch vehicle integration is simple and cost-effective. The low cost of the MESA bus is achieved by the extensive utilization of existing subsystem design concepts and equipment, and efficient program management and test integration techniques.

Observation Planning Made Simple with Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streiffert, Barbara A.; Polanskey, Carol A.

2004-01-01

As NASA undertakes the exploration of the Moon and Mars as well as the rest of the Solar System while continuing to investigate Earth's oceans, winds, atmosphere, weather, etc., the ever-existing need to allow operations users to easily define their observations increases. Operation teams need to be able to determine the best time to perform an observation, as well as its duration and other parameters such as the observation target. In addition, operations teams need to be able to check the observation for validity against objectives and intent as well as spacecraft constraints such as turn rates and acceleration or pointing exclusion zones. Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA), in development for the last six years, is a multi-mission toolset that has been built to meet those needs. The operations team can follow six simple steps and define his/her observation without having to know the complexities of orbital mechanics, coordinate transformations, or the spacecraft itself.

Systems thinking.

PubMed

Cabrera, Derek; Colosi, Laura; Lobdell, Claire

2008-08-01

Evaluation is one of many fields where "systems thinking" is popular and is said to hold great promise. However, there is disagreement about what constitutes systems thinking. Its meaning is ambiguous, and systems scholars have made diverse and divergent attempts to describe it. Alternative origins include: von Bertalanffy, Aristotle, Lao Tsu or multiple aperiodic "waves." Some scholars describe it as synonymous with systems sciences (i.e., nonlinear dynamics, complexity, chaos). Others view it as taxonomy-a laundry list of systems approaches. Within so much noise, it is often difficult for evaluators to find the systems thinking signal. Recent work in systems thinking describes it as an emergent property of four simple conceptual patterns (rules). For an evaluator to become a "systems thinker", he or she need not spend years learning many methods or nonlinear sciences. Instead, with some practice, one can learn to apply these four simple rules to existing evaluation knowledge with transformative results.

Effective Climate Communication with Difficult Audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denning, S.

2015-12-01

Climate communication is often fraught with ideological baggage ("noise") that makes it very difficult to connect to audiences. In these cases, it is helpful to use "best practices" known from other fields of communication. Engaging audiences with authenticity, using plain language, respecting cultural and political differences, and a sprinkling of humor can go a long way toward establishing a connection. It's important to avoid common but polarizing tropes from popular media, and often quite helpful to frame climate issues in novel or unexpected ways that cut across entrenched political discourse. Emerging social science research Beyond ideology, climate change is Simple, Serious, and Solvable. Effective communication of these three key ideas can succeed when the science argument is carefully framed to avoid attack of the audience's ethical identity. Simple arguments from common sense and everyday experience are more successful than data. Serious consequences to values that resonate with the audience can be avoided by solutions that don't threaten those values.

"How Science Works" and Data Logging: Eleven Quick Experiments with a Kettle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Justin

2010-01-01

The benefits of using data logging to teach "how science works" are presented. Pedagogical approaches that take advantage of other school ICT are briefly described. A series of simple, quick experiments are given together with their resulting charts. Examples of the questions that arise from the charts show how the rich data lead to the refinement…

Students Become Scientists at Science Skills Boot Camp | Poster

Cancer.gov

At the 2016 Science Skills Boot Camp (SSBC), a one-day training program designed for NIH summer interns with little or no prior research experience, students gathered to learn about basic research and laboratory skills. The boot camp provided a unique opportunity for interns to expand their knowledge of simple bench techniques, scientific papers, and ways to communicate their

Home Influences on the Academic Performance of Agricultural Science Students in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ndirika, Maryann C.; Njoku, U. J.

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the home influences on the academic performance of agricultural science secondary school students in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. The instrument used in data collection was a validated questionnaire structured on a two point rating scale. Simple random sampling technique was used to select…

Students Become Scientists at Science Skills Boot Camp | Poster

Cancer.gov

At the 2016 Science Skills Boot Camp (SSBC), a one-day training program designed for NIH summer interns with little or no prior research experience, students gathered to learn about basic research and laboratory skills. The boot camp provided a unique opportunity for interns to expand their knowledge of simple bench techniques, scientific papers, and ways to communicate their research.

Learning Physical Science through Astronomy Activities: A Comparison between Constructivist and Traditional Approaches in Grades 3-6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, R. Bruce; Sadler, Philip M.; Shapiro, Irwin I.

2008-01-01

We report on an evaluation of the effectiveness of Project ARIES, an astronomy-based physical science curriculum for upper elementary and middle school children. ARIES students use innovative, simple, and affordable apparatus to carry out a wide range of indoor and outdoor hands-on, discovery-based activities. Student journals and comprehensive…

Teaching about Complex Systems Is No Simple Matter: Building Effective Professional Development for Computer-Supported Complex Systems Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Susan A.; Anderson, Emma; Koehler-Yom, Jessica; Evans, Chad; Park, Miyoung; Sheldon, Josh; Schoenfeld, Ilana; Wendel, Daniel; Scheintaub, Hal; Klopfer, Eric

2017-01-01

The recent next generation science standards in the United States have emphasized learning about complex systems as a core feature of science learning. Over the past 15 years, a number of educational tools and theories have been investigated to help students learn about complex systems; but surprisingly, little research has been devoted to…

Fifth Graders' Learning about Simple Machines through Engineering Design-Based Instruction Using LEGO™ Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marulcu, Ismail; Barnett, Mike

2013-01-01

This study is part of a 5-year National Science Foundation-funded project, Transforming Elementary Science Learning Through LEGO™ Engineering Design. In this study, we report on the successes and challenges of implementing an engineering design-based and LEGO™-oriented unit in an urban classroom setting and we focus on the impact of the unit on…

Effect of Self Regulated Learning Approach on Junior Secondary School Students' Achievement in Basic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nwafor, Chika E.; Obodo, Abigail Chikaodinaka; Okafor, Gabriel

2015-01-01

This study explored the effect of self-regulated learning approach on junior secondary school students' achievement in basic science. Quasi-experimental design was used for the study.Two co-educational schools were drawn for the study through simple random sampling technique. One school was assigned to the treatment group while the other was…

The Setting and Marking of Microbiology Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart-Tull, D. E. S.

1970-01-01

Summarizes a survey of examination procedures for Honours science degrees in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Presents data on the range of grades awarded to a simple set of essay answers when marked by instructors in different universities. (EB)

Aviation Science Activities for Elementary Grades

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-01-01

This manual is meant to be a springboard toward your own ideas for : demonstrating concepts of the Air Age to your children, whatever the grade : level. Even little children can learn scientific principles through simple teaching aids; older pupils c...

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Poster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kozusko, Timothy J.

2016-01-01

This is a simple poster for Community Day at the Visitor Center. It describes, as an overview, an example of the use of GPS and LiDAR data to determine the loss of scrubjay habitat due to a change in water table.

P.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Australian Science Teachers Journal, 1973

1973-01-01

Presents ideas from readers on techniques and equipment that might be useful in teaching secondary school science. Suggests how to construct cheap wall charts, modify a vacuum cleaner into a blower, construct a stereo microscope lamp holder, and outlines simple physics laboratory experiments. (JR)

Causality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearl, Judea

2000-03-01

Written by one of the pre-eminent researchers in the field, this book provides a comprehensive exposition of modern analysis of causation. It shows how causality has grown from a nebulous concept into a mathematical theory with significant applications in the fields of statistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, cognitive science, and the health and social sciences. Pearl presents a unified account of the probabilistic, manipulative, counterfactual and structural approaches to causation, and devises simple mathematical tools for analyzing the relationships between causal connections, statistical associations, actions and observations. The book will open the way for including causal analysis in the standard curriculum of statistics, artifical intelligence, business, epidemiology, social science and economics. Students in these areas will find natural models, simple identification procedures, and precise mathematical definitions of causal concepts that traditional texts have tended to evade or make unduly complicated. This book will be of interest to professionals and students in a wide variety of fields. Anyone who wishes to elucidate meaningful relationships from data, predict effects of actions and policies, assess explanations of reported events, or form theories of causal understanding and causal speech will find this book stimulating and invaluable.

Mathematics and Astronomy: Inquire Based Scientific Education at School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Castro, Ana I. Gómez

2010-10-01

Mathematics is the language of science however, in secondary and high school education students are not made aware of the strong implications behind this statement. This is partially caused because mathematical training and the modelling of nature are not taught together. Astronomy provides firm scientific grounds for this joint training; the mathematics needed is simple, the data can be acquired with simple instrumentation in any place on the planet and the physics is rich with a broad range of levels. In addition, astronomy and space exploration are extremely appealing to young (14-17 years old) students helping to motivate them to study science doing science, i.e. to introduce Inquiry Based Scientific Education (IBSE). Since 1997 a global consortium is being developed to introduce IBSE techniques in secondary/high school education on a global scale: the Global Hands-On Universe association (www.globalhou.org) making use of the astronomical universe as a training lab. This contribution is a brief update on the current activities of the HOU consortium. Relevant URLS: www.globalhou.org, www.euhou.net, www.houspain.com.

A simple and effective method for detecting precipitated proteins in MALDI-TOF MS.

PubMed

Oshikane, Hiroyuki; Watabe, Masahiko; Nakaki, Toshio

2018-04-01

MALDI-TOF MS has developed rapidly into an essential analytical tool for the life sciences. Cinnamic acid derivatives are generally employed in routine molecular weight determinations of intact proteins using MALDI-TOF MS. However, a protein of interest may precipitate when mixed with matrix solution, perhaps preventing MS detection. We herein provide a simple approach to enable the MS detection of such precipitated protein species by means of a "direct deposition method" -- loading the precipitant directly onto the sample plate. It is thus expected to improve routine MS analysis of intact proteins. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Catastrophe Theory: State of the Art and Potential Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-31

revolutions, and social change--have not. 38 If the history of science provides any guide, there are a number of ways to proceed to increase the deductive...building a deductively more powerful theory of war. SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE , ■ The very fact that the description is done in...generalization. There are a number of simple examples of this from the history of science . Mendel described the offspring of two different purebred parents as

Simple Versus Elaborate Feedback in a Nursing Science Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elder, Betty L.; Brooks, David W.

2008-08-01

Feedback techniques, including computer-assisted feedback, have had mixed results in improving student learning outcomes. This project addresses the effect of type of feedback, simple or elaborate, for both short-term comprehension and long-term outcomes. A sample of 75 graduate nursing students was given a total of ten examinations. Four examinations provided tutorials in which the students received one of two types of feedback, simple or elaborate. Five examinations provided tutorials with no feedback. A comprehensive final examination compared initial content and final scores. This study found no significant differences between the types of feedback the students received. The mean scores were significantly higher on the four examinations where the students received feedback than on the five examinations with no feedback on tutorials. The comparison between the individual examinations and the similar content portion of the final examination indicated a significant drop in each of the four examinations where feedback was given and a significant improvement in four of the five examinations where no feedback was given.

VISUAL DATA MINING IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE DATA

EPA Science Inventory

This paper discusses the use of simple visual tools to explore multivariate spatially-referenced data. It describes interactive approaches such as linked brushing, and dynamic methods such as the grand tour. applied to studying the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS)....

Studying Phototropism Using a Small Growth Chamber.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Maryanna, F.; Llewellyn, Gerald C.

1978-01-01

Describes a simple and inexpensive way to construct two small growth chambers for studying phototropism in the science classroom. One chamber is designed to illustrate how plants grow around obstacles to reach light and the other to illustrate directional light responses. (HM)

Lemon-Lime Science Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Helen

1995-01-01

Presents a unit to investigate lemons and experience the real taste of a lemon that includes simple, enjoyable, and inexpensive activities that develop students' observation, prediction, measurement, and inference skills. Students also developed creative arts projects, explored mathematical concepts, and wrote stories about fruit. (NB)

Experiments in Horticultural Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arbel, Illil

1992-01-01

Investigates the use of temperature and light to change the usual intervals for plant germinating, sprouting, and flowering. Provides simple experimental procedures and discussions regarding photoperiodism, forced branching before spring, and various types of seed dormancy, including physical dormancy, physiological dormancy, and double dormancy.…

Four Projects in Electricity Suitable for Primary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Alan

1983-01-01

Describes simple, electrical projects with dry cell batteries and lamps designed to teach children about conductors, insulators, and switches. Instructions for construction of circuits, the science ideas in each project, and suggestions for extending each of the investigations are included. (JM)

Evaluation of Investments in Science, Technology and Innovation: Applying Scientific and Technical Human Capital Framework for Assessment of Doctoral Students in Cooperative Research Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonchuk, Olena

2016-01-01

This dissertation builds on an alternative framework for evaluation of science, technology and innovation (STI) outcomes--the scientific & technical (S&T) human capital which was developed by Bozeman, Dietz and Gaughan (2001). At its core, this framework looks beyond simple economic and publication metrics and instead focuses on…

Teaching Introductory Quantum Physics and Chemistry: Caveats from the History of Science and Science Teaching to the Training of Modern Chemists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greca, Ileana M.; Freire, Olival, Jr.

2014-01-01

Finding the best ways to introduce quantum physics to undergraduate students in all scientific areas, in particular for chemistry students, is a pressing, but hardly a simple task. In this paper, we discuss the relevance of taking into account lessons from the history of the discipline and the ongoing controversy over its interpretations and…

Low Cost Equipment for Science and Technology Education. A Resource Document on Low Cost Equipment That You Can Make and Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowe, N. K., Ed.

This document provides technical information and simple instructions for constructing 84 different pieces of science equipment. Each entry includes: (1) name of item; (2) purpose of the equipment; (3) person who submitted the information; (4) line drawing of prototype; (5) list of low-cost materials needed; (6) construction procedures; (7)…

A Simple Way of Modeling the Expansion of the Universe: What Does Light Tell Us?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coban, Gul Unal; Sengoren, Serap Kaya

2011-01-01

The purpose of this activity is to model the expansion of the universe by investigating the behavior of water waves. It is designed for students in the upper grades of physics and physical science who are learning about the wave nature of light and are ready to discover such important questions about science. The article explains first the Doppler…

"Libros de Ciencias en Espanol": A Selection of Recent Science Trade Books in Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schon, Isabel

2009-01-01

Simple, lively, and easy-to-understand science books in Spanish for the very young are the new reality in the publishing world. In contrast to previous years where there has been a wider selection of books for beginning, middle, and advanced readers, today publishers in the United States (with a few exceptions) seem to be concentrating on books…

Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers' Ability to Account for the Operation of Simple Physical Systems Using the Energy Conservation Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadouris, Nicos; Hadjigeorgiou, Angela; Constantinou, Constantinos P.

2014-01-01

Energy is recognized as a core idea in science and, hence, a significant learning objective of science education. The effective promotion of this learning objective posits that teachers themselves possess sound conceptual understanding. This is needed for enabling them to organize effective learning environments for their students. In this study,…

Promoting 21st-Century Skills in the Science Classroom by Adapting Cookbook Lab Activities: The Case of DNA Extraction of Wheat Germ

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alozie, Nonye M.; Grueber, David J.; Dereski, Mary O.

2012-01-01

How can science instruction engage students in 21st-century skills and inquiry-based learning, even when doing simple labs in the classroom? We collaborated with teachers in professional development workshops to transform "cookbook" activities into engaging laboratory experiences. We show how to change the common classroom activity of DNA…

A Robust Damage Reporting Strategy for Polymeric Materials Enabled by Aggregation Induced Emission

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-17

and Technology, ‡Department of Chemistry, ∥Department of Materials Science and Engineering, ⊥Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, and...enabled by aggregation-induced emission (AIE). This simple, yet powerful system relies on a single active component, and the general mechanism ...delivers outstanding performance in a wide variety of materials with diverse chemical and mechanical properties. Small (micrometer) scale damage in

Simple minds: a qualified defence of associative learning

PubMed Central

Heyes, Cecilia

2012-01-01

Using cooperation in chimpanzees as a case study, this article argues that research on animal minds needs to steer a course between ‘association-blindness’—the failure to consider associative learning as a candidate explanation for complex behaviour—and ‘simple-mindedness’—the assumption that associative explanations trump more cognitive hypotheses. Association-blindness is challenged by the evidence that associative learning occurs in a wide range of taxa and functional contexts, and is a major force guiding the development of complex human behaviour. Furthermore, contrary to a common view, association-blindness is not entailed by the rejection of behaviourism. Simple-mindedness is founded on Morgan's canon, a methodological principle recommending ‘lower’ over ‘higher’ explanations for animal behaviour. Studies in the history and philosophy of science show that Morgan failed to offer an adequate justification for his canon, and subsequent attempts to justify the canon using evolutionary arguments and appeals to simplicity have not been successful. The weaknesses of association-blindness and simple-mindedness imply that there are no short-cuts to finding out about animal minds. To decide between associative and yet more cognitive explanations for animal behaviour, we have to spell them out in sufficient detail to allow differential predictions, and to test these predictions through observation and experiment. PMID:22927568

Gas and water recycling system for IOC vivarium experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nitta, K.; Otsubo, K.

1986-01-01

Water and gas recycling units designed as one of the common experiment support system for the life science experiment facilities used in the Japanese Experiment Module are discussed. These units will save transportation and operation costs for the life science experiments in the space station. These units are also designed to have interfaces so simple that the connection to another life science experiment facilities such as the Research Animal Holding Facility developed by the Rockheed Missiles and Space Company can be easily done with small modification.

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems: State of the science

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We propose a simple causal model depicting relationships involved in dissemination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems and potential effects on human health, functioning of natural ecosystems, and agricultural productivity. Available evidence for each causal link is briefly su...

Development and Testing of Optimized Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Trajectories at Signalized Intersections [summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

Visions of self-driving vehicles abound in popular science and entertainment. Many programs are at work to make a reality catch of this imagination. Vehicle automation has progressed rapidly in recent years, from simple driver assistance technologies...

Elementary "Who Am I" Riddles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denny, R. Aldrin; Lakshmi, R.; Chitra, H.; Devi, Nandini

2000-01-01

Suggests that simple riddles can be used effectively to make students interact in science class. Proposed teaching methods require the student to provide answers to riddles in order to develop the discussion about a given topic. Presents sample riddles related to elements and their compounds. (WRM)

The EDP-5E

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lottero-Perdue, Pamela; Bolotin, Sonja; Benyameen, Ruth; Brock, Erin; Metzger, Ellen

2015-01-01

Many preservice and practicing elementary teachers are familiar with the 5E learning cycle. This cycle provides a relatively simple, alliteratively memorable framework for teaching science in which lessons (or even entire units of instruction) consist of five distinct phases: Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration/Extension (hereafter,…

Search and Rescue!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharland, Hannah

2011-01-01

The author believes that to truly engage children in learning, an imaginative approach with purposeful activities is very important. One way that this can be implemented is through simple "engineering projects" where science, design and technology (D&T), mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) are combined,…

A Few Simple Questions about Colour in Art and Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, John

1999-01-01

Presents scientific explanations of primary colors and color mixing, black and white surfaces, the spectrum and the ability of the eye to distinguish color difference, the description of color, and the appearance and optical properties of metals. Contains 16 references. (Author)

Chemistry at a Science Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silberman, Robert G.; Trautmann, Charles; Merkel, Susan M.

2004-01-01

The Sciencenter Museum in Ithaca, New York, materialized from the idea of providing children and museum visitors with hands-on experience of simple chemical activities and puzzles. A brief description and evaluation of the ten fun-filled chemical activities, precautionary measures and management details, are presented.

Owl Pellets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Craig D.

1987-01-01

Provides complete Project WILD lesson plans for 20-45-minute experiential science learning activity for grades 3-7 students. Describes how students construct a simple food chain through examination of owl pellets. Includes lesson objective, method, background information, materials, procedure, evaluation, and sources of owl pellets and posters.…

Adding Another Dimension With Holography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNair, Rita H.; Rice, Dale R.

1984-01-01

Provides instructions for preparing, processing, and viewing single-beam reflection holograms in science classrooms. Indicates that the process is simple to demonstrate and moderate in cost. A description of the required equipment (optics table, laser, mirrors, lens, filmholder/plateholder, recording materials, and darkroom chemicals/equipment) is…

Experimenting with Guitar Strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LoPresto, Michael C.

2006-11-01

What follows is a description of a simple experiment developed in a nonmathematical general education science course on sound and light for fine arts students in which a guitar is used with data collection hardware and software to verify the properties of standing waves on a string.

Transport properties of strongly correlated electrons in quantum dots studied with a simple circuit model.

PubMed

Martins, G B; Büsser, C A; Al-Hassanieh, K A; Anda, E V; Moreo, A; Dagotto, E

2006-02-17

Numerical calculations are shown to reproduce the main results of recent experiments involving nonlocal spin control in quantum dots [Craig, Science 304, 565 (2004).]. In particular, the experimentally reported zero-bias-peak splitting is clearly observed in our studies. To understand these results, a simple "circuit model" is introduced and shown to qualitatively describe the experiments. The main idea is that the splitting originates in a Fano antiresonance, which is caused by having one quantum dot side connected in relation to the current's path. This scenario provides an explanation of the results of Craig et al. that is an alternative to the RKKY proposal, also addressed here.

Development of Experience-based Visible-type Electromagnetic Teaching Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Masayoshi; Shima, Kenzou

Electromagnetism is the base of electrical engineering, however, it is one of the most difficult subjects to learn. The small experiments which show the principles of electricity visibly are useful technique to promote these comprehension. For classroom experimental materials to learn basic electromagnetism, we developed rotating magnetic field visualizer, gravity-use generators, simple motors, and electric-field visualizer. We report how we visualized the principles of motors and generators in classroom experiments. In particular, we discuss in detail how to visualize the mechanism of very simple motors. We have been demonstrating the motors in children science classes conducted all over Japan. We developed these experimental materials, and we achieved remarkable results using these materials in the electromagnetism class.

Low-Level Graphics Cues For Solicit Image Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAnulty, Michael A.; Gemmill, Jill P.; Kegley, Kathleen A.; Chiu, Haw-Tsang

1984-08-01

Several straightforward techniques for displaying arbitrary solids of the sort encountered in the life sciences are presented, all variations of simple three-dimensional scatter plots. They are all targeted for a medium cost raster display (an AED-5l2 has been used here). Practically any host computer may be used to implement them. All techniques are broadly applicable and were implemented as Master Degree projects. The major hardware constraint is data transmission speed, and this is met by minimizing the amount of graphical data, ignoring enhancement of the data, and using terminal scan-conversion and aspect firmware wherever possible. Three simple rendering techniques and the use of several graphics cues are described.

The NASA SCI Files[TM]: The Case of the Powerful Pulleys. A Lesson Guide with Activities in Mathematics, Science, and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricles, Shannon

This teacher's guide, with accompanying videotape, presents an episode of the NASA SCI Files. In this episode, one of the tree house detectives has had an accident and cannot get into the tree house. Using problem-based learning, the rest of the gang investigates the world of simple machines and physical science and "pull" together to…

A Suggestion for an Experiment that Integrates the Teaching of Science with Everyday Life: "Why Are the Seas Blue?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yurumezoglu, Kemal; Oguz-Unver, Ayse

2011-01-01

"Why are the seas blue?" is a huge question that may reach far beyond the middle school level. However, our objective is to bring "simple" tools into the classroom to explain science without tampering with its essence and complexity. The experiment described in this article is only concerned with teaching the subject of absorption as related to…

History of Physics as a Tool to Detect the Conceptual Difficulties Experienced by Students: The Case of Simple Electric Circuits in Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leone, Matteo

2014-01-01

The present paper advocates the use of History of Science into the teaching of science in primary education through a case study in the field of electricity. In this study, which provides both historical and experimental evidence, a number of conceptual difficulties faced by early nineteenth century physicists are shown to be a useful tool to…

Can Science Education Research Give an Answer to Questions Posed by History of Science and Technology? The Case of Steam Engine's Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanderakis, Nikos E.

2009-01-01

According to the principle of virtual velocities, if on a simple machine in equilibrium we suppose a slight virtual movement, then the ratio of weights or forces equals the inverse ratio of velocities or displacements. The product of the weight raised or force applied multiplied by the height or displacement plays a central role there. British…

I'm Not a Warmist! Transcending Ideological Barriers in Climate Communication (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denning, S.

2013-12-01

A wealth of social science research has shown that public perception of climate change is very strongly colored by ideological filters in which facts are evaluated based on their fit to previously held beliefs. Scientific discourse about climate change is well received by environmentalism, which confirms the fears and competitive impulses of libertarianism. When data and belief come into conflict in public discourse, belief nearly always dominates. Scientists, educators, and science communicators must acknowledge the cultural context of climate change in order to lift climate discourse out of its ideological gutter. Many communication strategies emerging from solid social-science research fail to acknowledge the ideological cultural filters through which people experience climate discourse. Emphasizing recent trends, current weather events and impacts, and especially argument from authority of expertise and consensus are effective with average audiences but trigger reflexive opposition from suspicious listeners. Beyond ideology, climate change is Simple, Serious, and Solvable. Effective communication of these three key ideas can succeed when the science argument is carefully framed to avoid attack of the audience's ethical identity. Simple arguments from common sense and everyday experience are more successful than data. Serious consequences to values that resonate with the audience can be avoided by solutions that don't threaten those values.

Reassessing emotion in climate change communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Daniel A.; Lickel, Brian; Markowitz, Ezra M.

2017-12-01

Debate over effective climate change communication must be grounded in rigorous affective science. Rather than treating emotions as simple levers to be pulled to promote desired outcomes, emotions should be viewed as one integral component of a cognitive feedback system guiding responses to challenging decision-making problems.

Body Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bombaugh, Ruth; Jefferys, Lynn

2006-01-01

In this article, the authors demonstrate how a simple math lab incorporating monthly height measurements can address multiple science and mathematics standards such as collecting, organizing, and describing data in context; drawing conclusions; and making hypotheses from these data. Although the yearlong math lab can be accomplished in either the…

Effects of Instruction on Preservice Elementary Teachers' Conceptions of the Causes of Night and Day and the Seasons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwood, Ronald K.; Atwood, Virginia A.

1997-01-01

Details a study that tests the effectiveness of brief instruction on the causes of night and day and the seasons. Employs simple, inexpensive models. Findings are useful for science teacher educators. Contains 32 references. (DDR)

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE ICRP 2005 RECOMMENDATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The ICRP 2005 Recommendations are stated to be "based on a simple, but widely applicable, general system of protection that will clarify its objectives and will provide a basis for the more formal systems needed by operating managements and regulators". The Recommendati...

Demystifying Mystery Powders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotar, Michael

1989-01-01

Describes science activities which use simple chemical tests to distinguish between materials and to determine some of their properties. Explains the water, iodine, heat, acid, baking soda, acid/base indicator, glucose, and sugar tests. Includes activities to enhance chemical testing and a list of suggested powders for use. (RT)

Techniques for Teachers Section

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tait, A., Ed.

1973-01-01

Includes a simple technique to demonstrate Millikan's oil drop experiment, an environmental studies experiment to measure dissolved oxygen in water samples, and a technique to demonstrate action-reaction. Science materials described are the Pol-A-Star Tomiscope, Nuffield chemistry film loops, air pucks and pH meters. (JR)

Experimenting with Guitar Strings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LoPresto, Michael C.

2006-01-01

What follows is a description of a simple experiment developed in a non-mathematical general education science course on sound and light for fine arts students in which a guitar is used with data collection hardware and software to verify the properties of standing waves on a string.

Eyes Closed for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Statham, Mick

2016-01-01

A constructivist philosophy underpinning science teaching and learning for over 100 years in United Kingdom (UK) classrooms places "conceptual change" at the heart of classroom work in which children's scientific ideas form, strengthen and change. In this article, the author explains how the simple, effective method of "eyes…

The Sun lightens and enlightens: high noon shadow measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babović, Vukota; Babović, Miloš

2014-11-01

Contemporary physicists and science experts include Eratosthenes’ measurement of the Earth's circumference as one of the most beautiful experiments ever performed in physics. Upon revisiting this famous event in the history of science, we find that some interesting generalizations are possible. On the basis of a rather simple model of the Earth's insolation, we have managed, using some advanced mathematics, to derive a new formula for determining the length of the year, generalized in such a way that it can be used for all planets with sufficiently small eccentricity of the orbit and for all locations with daily sunrises and sunsets. The practical technique that our formula offers is simple to perform, entirely Eratosthenian in spirit, and only requires the angle of the noonday sun to be found on successive days around an equinox. Our results show that this kind of approach to the problem of the Earth's insolation deserves to be included in university courses, especially those which cover astronomy and environmental physics.

Culture and Demography: From Reluctant Bedfellows to Committed Partners

PubMed Central

Bachrach, Christine A.

2015-01-01

Demography and culture have had a long but ambivalent relationship. Cultural influences are widely recognized as important for demographic outcomes, but are often “backgrounded” in demographic research. I argue that progress towards a more successful integration is feasible and suggest a network model of culture as a potential tool. The network model bridges both traditional (holistic and institutional) and contemporary (tool kit) models of culture used in the social sciences and offers a simple vocabulary for the diverse set of cultural concepts such as attitudes, beliefs and norms, and quantitative measures of how culture is organized. The proposed model conceptualizes culture as a nested network of meanings which are represented by schemas that range in complexity from simple concepts to multifaceted cultural models. I illustrate the potential value of a model using accounts of the cultural changes underpinning the transformation of marriage in the U.S. and point to developments in the social, cognitive and computational sciences that could facilitate the application of the model in empirical demographic research. PMID:24338643

Modeling Hidden Circuits: An Authentic Research Experience in One Lab Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, J. Christopher; Rubbo, Louis J.

2016-10-01

Two wires exit a black box that has three exposed light bulbs connected together in an unknown configuration. The task for students is to determine the circuit configuration without opening the box. In the activity described in this paper, we navigate students through the process of making models, developing and conducting experiments that can support or falsify models, and confronting ways of distinguishing between two different models that make similar predictions. We also describe a twist that forces students to confront new phenomena, requiring revision of their mental model of electric circuits. This activity is designed to mirror the practice of science by actual scientists and expose students to the "messy" side of science, where our simple explanations of reality often require expansion and/or revision based on new evidence. The purpose of this paper is to present a simple classroom activity within the context of electric circuits that supports students as they learn to test hypotheses and refine and revise models based on evidence.

Experiments with the low melting indium-bismuth alloy system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krepski, Richard P.

1992-01-01

The following is a laboratory experiment designed to create an interest in and to further understanding of materials science. The primary audience for this material is the junior high school or middle school science student having no previous familiarity with the material, other than some knowledge of temperature and the concepts of atoms, elements, compounds, and chemical reactions. The objective of the experiment is to investigate the indium-bismuth alloy system. Near the eutectic composition, the liquidus is well below the boiling point of water, allowing simple, minimal hazard casting experiments. Such phenomena as metal oxidation, formation of intermetallic compound crystals, and an unusual volume increase during solidification could all be directly observed. A key concept for students to absorb is that properties of an alloy (melting point, mechanical behavior) may not correlate with simple interpolation of properties of the pure components. Discussion of other low melting metals and alloys leads to consideration of environmental and toxicity issues, as well as providing some historical context. Wetting behavior can also be explored.

All-optical temporal fractional order differentiator using an in-fiber ellipsoidal air-microcavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lihong; Sun, Shuqian; Li, Ming; Zhu, Ninghua

2017-12-01

An all-optical temporal fractional order differentiator with ultrabroad bandwidth (~1.6 THz) and extremely simple fabrication is proposed and experimentally demonstrated based on an in-fiber ellipsoidal air-microcavity. The ellipsoidal air-microcavity is fabricated by splicing a single mode fiber (SMF) and a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) together using a simple arc-discharging technology. By changing the arc-discharging times, the propagation loss can be adjusted and then the differentiation order is tuned. A nearly Gaussian-like optical pulse with 3 dB bandwidth of 8 nm is launched into the differentiator and a 0.65 order differentiation of the input pulse is achieved with a processing error of 2.55%. Project supported by the the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61522509, 61377002, 61535012), the National High-Tech Research & Development Program of China (No. SS2015AA011002), and the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 4152052). Ming Li was supported in part by the Thousand Young Talent Program.

Culture and demography: from reluctant bedfellows to committed partners.

PubMed

Bachrach, Christine A

2014-02-01

Demography and culture have had a long but ambivalent relationship. Cultural influences are widely recognized as important for demographic outcomes but are often "backgrounded" in demographic research. I argue that progress toward a more successful integration is feasible and suggest a network model of culture as a potential tool. The network model bridges both traditional (holistic and institutional) and contemporary (tool kit) models of culture used in the social sciences and offers a simple vocabulary for a diverse set of cultural concepts, such as attitudes, beliefs, and norms, as well as quantitative measures of how culture is organized. The proposed model conceptualizes culture as a nested network of meanings represented by schemas that range in complexity from simple concepts to multifaceted cultural models. I illustrate the potential value of a model using accounts of the cultural changes underpinning the transformation of marriage in the United States and point to developments in the social, cognitive, and computational sciences that could facilitate the application of the model in empirical demographic research.

Simulation of ICD-9 to ICD-10-CM Transition for Family Medicine: Simple or Convoluted?

PubMed

Grief, Samuel N; Patel, Jesal; Kochendorfer, Karl M; Green, Lee A; Lussier, Yves A; Li, Jianrong; Burton, Michael; Boyd, Andrew D

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the transition from International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), to Interactional Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM), on family medicine and to identify areas where additional training might be required. Family medicine ICD-9-CM codes were obtained from an Illinois Medicaid data set (113,000 patient visits and $5.5 million in claims). Using the science of networks, we evaluated each ICD-9-CM code used by family medicine physicians to determine whether the transition was simple or convoluted. A simple transition is defined as 1 ICD-9-CM code mapping to 1 ICD-10-CM code, or 1 ICD-9-CM code mapping to multiple ICD-10-CM codes. A convoluted transition is where the transitions between coding systems is nonreciprocal and complex, with multiple codes for which definitions become intertwined. Three family medicine physicians evaluated the most frequently encountered complex mappings for clinical accuracy. Of the 1635 diagnosis codes used by family medicine physicians, 70% of the codes were categorized as simple, 27% of codes were convoluted, and 3% had no mapping. For the visits, 75%, 24%, and 1% corresponded with simple, convoluted, and no mapping, respectively. Payment for submitted claims was similarly aligned. Of the frequently encountered convoluted codes, 3 diagnosis codes were clinically incorrect, but they represent only <0.1% of the overall diagnosis codes. The transition to ICD-10-CM is simple for 70% or more of diagnosis codes, visits, and reimbursement for a family medicine physician. However, some frequently used codes for disease management are convoluted and incorrect, and for which additional resources need to be invested to ensure a successful transition to ICD-10-CM. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Simulation of ICD-9 to ICD-10-CM transition for family medicine: simple or convoluted?

PubMed Central

Grief, Samuel N.; Patel, Jesal; Lussier, Yves A.; Li, Jianrong; Burton, Michael; Boyd, Andrew D.

2017-01-01

Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the transition from International Classification of Disease Version Nine Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to Interactional Classification of Disease Version Ten Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) on family medicine and identify areas where additional training might be required. Methods Family medicine ICD-9-CM codes were obtained from an Illinois Medicaid data set (113,000 patient visits and $5.5 million dollars in claims). Using the science of networks we evaluated each ICD-9-CM code used by family medicine physicians to determine if the transition was simple or convoluted.1 A simple translation is defined as one ICD-9-CM code mapping to one ICD-10-CM code or one ICD-9-CM code mapping to multiple ICD-10-CM codes. A convoluted transition is where the transitions between coding systems is non-reciprocal and complex with multiple codes where definitions become intertwined. Three family medicine physicians evaluated the most frequently encountered complex mappings for clinical accuracy. Results Of the 1635 diagnosis codes used by the family medicine physicians, 70% of the codes were categorized as simple, 27% of the diagnosis codes were convoluted and 3% were found to have no mapping. For the visits, 75%, 24%, and 1% corresponded with simple, convoluted, and no mapping, respectively. Payment for submitted claims were similarly aligned. Of the frequently encountered convoluted codes, 3 diagnosis codes were clinically incorrect, but they represent only < 0.1% of the overall diagnosis codes. Conclusions The transition to ICD-10-CM is simple for 70% or more of diagnosis codes, visits, and reimbursement for a family medicine physician. However, some frequently used codes for disease management are convoluted and incorrect, where additional resources need to be invested to ensure a successful transition to ICD-10-CM. PMID:26769875

Microscopic study reveals the singular origins of growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaari, G.; Nowak, A.; Rakocy, K.; Solomon, S.

2008-04-01

Anderson [Science 177, 293 (1972)] proposed the concept of complexity in order to describe the emergence and growth of macroscopic collective patterns out of the simple interactions of many microscopic agents. In the physical sciences this paradigm was implemented systematically and confirmed repeatedly by successful confrontation with reality. In the social sciences however, the possibilities to stage experiments to validate it are limited. During the 90's a series of dramatic political and economic events have provided the opportunity to do so. We exploit the resulting empirical evidence to validate a simple agent based alternative to the classical logistic dynamics. The post-liberalization empirical data from Poland confirm the theoretical prediction that the dynamics is dominated by singular rare events which insure the resilience and adaptability of the system. We have shown that growth is led by few singular “growth centers" (Fig. 1), that initially developed at a tremendous rate (Fig. 3), followed by a diffusion process to the rest of the country and leading to a positive growth rate uniform across the counties. In addition to the interdisciplinary unifying potential of our generic formal approach, the present work reveals the strong causal ties between the “softer" social conditions and their “hard" economic consequences.

History of optics: a modern teaching tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vazquez, D.; Gonzalez-Cano, A.; Diaz-Herrera, N.; Llombart, N.; Alda, J.

2012-10-01

The history of optics is a very rich field of science and it is possible to find many simple and significant examples of the application and success of the experimental method and therefore is a very good tool to transmit to the student the way science proceeds and to introduce the right spirit of critical analysis, building and testing of models, etc. Optical phenomena are specially well suited for this because in fact optical observations and experiments have made science advance in a crucial way in many different periods of history, because they are in many cases quite visual, quite simple in concept and it is very easy to produce experimental setups in classrooms. Also, the intrinsic multidisciplinary character of Optics, which is a subject that has historically influenced in a notorious way fields as art, philosophy, religion and cultural and social studies in general, provide a very wide frame that permits to apply these examples to many different auditories. We present here some reflections about the role that history of optics can play in teaching and show some real examples of its application during the many years that we have been employing it in the context of the Optics School of the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.

Building a Community for Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Emma L.

Professional development for effecting school change and school improvement is a community endeavor. While effective professional development requires all components of the local setting to be considered, the complexity of the educational system prohibits simple solutions. Building a community of leaders helps insure success in the change process.…

Chemistry of Carbon Nanotubes for Everyone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basu-Dutt, Sharmistha; Minus, Marilyn L.; Jain, Rahul; Nepal, Dhriti; Kumar, Satish

2012-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have the extraordinary potential to change our lives by improving existing products and enabling new ones. Current and future research and industrial workforce professionals are very likely to encounter some aspects of nanotechnology including CNT science and technology in their education or profession. The simple structure…

Principles of Radio: A Laboratory Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraftmakher, Yaakov

2002-01-01

An experiment is proposed for learning the principles of radio. A simple radio receiver illustrates amplitude modulation and demodulation, the selectivity of a receiver and the features of a directional antenna. Both normal and computerized versions of the experiment are described. The computerized experiment employs the "ScienceWorkshop"…

Science and Society Test VI: Energy Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hafemeister, David W.

1982-01-01

Develops simple numerical estimates to quantify a variety of energy economics issues, including among others, a modified Verhulst equation (considers effect of finite resources on petroleum) for supply/demand economics and a phenomenological model for market penetration also presents an analysis of economic returns of an energy conservation…

What Undergraduates Think about Clouds and Fog

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rappaport, Elliot D.

2009-01-01

Weather events are part of every student's experience, and are controlled by basic principles involving the behavior of matter and energy. Despite this, many students have difficulty explaining simple atmospheric phenomena, even after exposure to primary and secondary science curricula. This study investigated the level to which undergraduates…

Cold Water, Warm Ice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Li-Hsuan

2012-01-01

This article describes engaging students in two simple observations to address the concepts of changes of states, heat, temperature, and molecular potential and kinetic energy. It also discusses how these concepts can enable students to further explore and understand interesting and significant phenomena and research in multiple areas of science.…

Space Science 2001: Some Problems with Artificial Gravity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Nick

2001-01-01

Many pupils will be familiar with the ideas in "2001: A Space Odyssey" but few will have considered the physics involved. Simple calculations show that some of the effects depicted in the Space Station and on the Discovery are plausible but others would be impractical. (Author/ASK)

The Monash University Interactive Simple Climate Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dommenget, D.

2013-12-01

The Monash university interactive simple climate model is a web-based interface that allows students and the general public to explore the physical simulation of the climate system with a real global climate model. It is based on the Globally Resolved Energy Balance (GREB) model, which is a climate model published by Dommenget and Floeter [2011] in the international peer review science journal Climate Dynamics. The model simulates most of the main physical processes in the climate system in a very simplistic way and therefore allows very fast and simple climate model simulations on a normal PC computer. Despite its simplicity the model simulates the climate response to external forcings, such as doubling of the CO2 concentrations very realistically (similar to state of the art climate models). The Monash simple climate model web-interface allows you to study the results of more than a 2000 different model experiments in an interactive way and it allows you to study a number of tutorials on the interactions of physical processes in the climate system and solve some puzzles. By switching OFF/ON physical processes you can deconstruct the climate and learn how all the different processes interact to generate the observed climate and how the processes interact to generate the IPCC predicted climate change for anthropogenic CO2 increase. The presentation will illustrate how this web-base tool works and what are the possibilities in teaching students with this tool are.

e-Science and data management resources on the Web.

PubMed

Gore, Sally A

2011-01-01

The way research is conducted has changed over time, from simple experiments to computer modeling and simulation, from individuals working in isolated laboratories to global networks of researchers collaborating on a single topic. Often, this new paradigm results in the generation of staggering amounts of data. The intensive use of data and the existence of networks of researchers characterize e-Science. The role of libraries and librarians in e-Science has been a topic of interest for some time now. This column looks at tools, resources, and projects that demonstrate successful collaborations between libraries and researchers in e-Science.

European Science Notes Information Bulletin. Reports on Current European and Middle Eastern Science

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

ACTIVITIES IN THE ICE AND "l’lcsc conditions occur because of the relatively high CLIMATE DIVISION amount of radiation cooling from the ice surface...variant of dependent but space-inidepcndcnt noise seems to the Brusselator with diffusion. induce spatial correlations in a simple one -dimen- sional...that are designed to detect This report provides a background as to how objects on or near the sea surface.

From science to policy in early childhood education.

PubMed

Gormley, William T

2011-08-19

This paper examines the relationship between scientific research and public policy. After explaining why the simple conversion of research into public law is unlikely, several factors are identified that can promote the use of research by public officials. Examples of use and non-use are cited from early childhood education, where empirical evidence on program effects is relatively strong. Some specific suggestions are offered for improving the connection between science and public policy.

Operator priming and generalization of practice in adults' simple arithmetic.

PubMed

Chen, Yalin; Campbell, Jamie I D

2016-04-01

There is a renewed debate about whether educated adults solve simple addition problems (e.g., 2 + 3) by direct fact retrieval or by fast, automatic counting-based procedures. Recent research testing adults' simple addition and multiplication showed that a 150-ms preview of the operator (+ or ×) facilitated addition, but not multiplication, suggesting that a general addition procedure was primed by the + sign. In Experiment 1 (n = 36), we applied this operator-priming paradigm to rule-based problems (0 + N = N, 1 × N = N, 0 × N = 0) and 1 + N problems with N ranging from 0 to 9. For the rule-based problems, we found both operator-preview facilitation and generalization of practice (e.g., practicing 0 + 3 sped up unpracticed 0 + 8), the latter being a signature of procedure use; however, we also found operator-preview facilitation for 1 + N in the absence of generalization, which implies the 1 + N problems were solved by fact retrieval but nonetheless were facilitated by an operator preview. Thus, the operator preview effect does not discriminate procedure use from fact retrieval. Experiment 2 (n = 36) investigated whether a population with advanced mathematical training-engineering and computer science students-would show generalization of practice for nonrule-based simple addition problems (e.g., 1 + 4, 4 + 7). The 0 + N problems again presented generalization, whereas no nonzero problem type did; but all nonzero problems sped up when the identical problems were retested, as predicted by item-specific fact retrieval. The results pose a strong challenge to the generality of the proposal that skilled adults' simple addition is based on fast procedural algorithms, and instead support a fact-retrieval model of fast addition performance. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Perspective: Sloppiness and emergent theories in physics, biology, and beyond.

PubMed

Transtrum, Mark K; Machta, Benjamin B; Brown, Kevin S; Daniels, Bryan C; Myers, Christopher R; Sethna, James P

2015-07-07

Large scale models of physical phenomena demand the development of new statistical and computational tools in order to be effective. Many such models are "sloppy," i.e., exhibit behavior controlled by a relatively small number of parameter combinations. We review an information theoretic framework for analyzing sloppy models. This formalism is based on the Fisher information matrix, which is interpreted as a Riemannian metric on a parameterized space of models. Distance in this space is a measure of how distinguishable two models are based on their predictions. Sloppy model manifolds are bounded with a hierarchy of widths and extrinsic curvatures. The manifold boundary approximation can extract the simple, hidden theory from complicated sloppy models. We attribute the success of simple effective models in physics as likewise emerging from complicated processes exhibiting a low effective dimensionality. We discuss the ramifications and consequences of sloppy models for biochemistry and science more generally. We suggest that the reason our complex world is understandable is due to the same fundamental reason: simple theories of macroscopic behavior are hidden inside complicated microscopic processes.

The Slope Imaging Multi-Polarization Photon-Counting Lidar: Development and Performance Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dabney, Phillip

2010-01-01

The Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photon-counting Lidar is an airborne instrument developed to demonstrate laser altimetry measurement methods that will enable more efficient observations of topography and surface properties from space. The instrument was developed through the NASA Earth Science Technology Office Instrument Incubator Program with a focus on cryosphere remote sensing. The SIMPL transmitter is an 11 KHz, 1064 nm, plane-polarized micropulse laser transmitter that is frequency doubled to 532 nm and split into four push-broom beams. The receiver employs single-photon, polarimetric ranging at 532 and 1064 nm using Single Photon Counting Modules in order to achieve simultaneous sampling of surface elevation, slope, roughness and depolarizing scattering properties, the latter used to differentiate surface types. Data acquired over ice-covered Lake Erie in February, 2009 are documenting SIMPL s measurement performance and capabilities, demonstrating differentiation of open water and several ice cover types. ICESat-2 will employ several of the technologies advanced by SIMPL, including micropulse, single photon ranging in a multi-beam, push-broom configuration operating at 532 nm.

Modeling of two-phase porous flow with damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Z.; Bercovici, D.

2009-12-01

Two-phase dynamics has been broadly studied in Earth Science in a convective system. We investigate the basic physics of compaction with damage theory and present preliminary results of both steady state and time-dependent transport when melt migrates through porous medium. In our simple 1-D model, damage would play an important role when we consider the ascent of melt-rich mixture at constant velocity. Melt segregation becomes more difficult so that porosity is larger than that in simple compaction in the steady-state compaction profile. Scaling analysis for compaction equation is performed to predict the behavior of melt segregation with damage. The time-dependent of the compacting system is investigated by looking at solitary wave solutions to the two-phase model. We assume that the additional melt is injected to the fracture material through a single pulse with determined shape and velocity. The existence of damage allows the pulse to keep moving further than that in simple compaction. Therefore more melt could be injected to the two-phase mixture and future application such as carbon dioxide injection is proposed.

Stalking Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Common Vegetables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock, David; Boeke, Caroline; Josowitz, Rebecca; Loya, Katherine

2004-01-01

The study developed a simple experimental protocol for studying antibiotic resistant bacteria that will allow students to determine the proportion of such bacteria found on common fruit and vegetable crops. This protocol can open up the world of environmental science and show how human behavior can dramatically alter ecosystems.

Developing Models to Convey Understanding Rather than Merely Knowledge of the Methods of Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinet, Paul Raymond

1989-01-01

A teaching method in which students develop models of simple systems to learn critical thinking and scientific methodology is presented. Discussed are the stages of the development of a model and the possible outcomes of the use of model development for students. (CW)

Global climate change research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA Science Inventory

The science surrounding global climate change is complex and has been interpreted in many ways. The concept of the Greenhouse Effect—viewed as the cause of global climate change—is quite simple, but the Earth’s response is not. After more than two decades of intensive research, s...

Simple and Complex Plants. Fourth Grade. Anchorage School District Elementary Science Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anchorage School District, AK.

This unit contains 15 lessons on Alaskan plants for fourth graders. It describes materials, supplementary materials, use of process skill terminology, unit objectives, vocabulary, background information about five kingdoms of living things, and a webbing activity. Included are: (1) "Roots in Action"; (2) "Chlorophyll"; (3)…

Problems Encountered in Teaching/Learning Integrated Photosynthesis: A Case of Ineffective Pedagogical Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panijpan, Bhinyo; Ruenwongsa, Pintip; Sriwattanarothai, Namkang

2008-01-01

In this article we recount our experiences of teaching photosynthesis in an integrated way to secondary school students and teachers, science undergraduates and postgraduates. Conceptual questions were posed to investigate learners' fundamental understanding of simple light-dependent and light-independent processes taught to most students at…

Students' Visual Learning Disabilities and Under-Achievement in Selected Science Subjects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rochford, Kevin

Two experiments were conducted to assess the performance of freshmen chemistry students with poor spatial visualization skills. In the first experiment, 31 chemistry students with academically deficient backgrounds completed a diagnostic test of their ability to visualize and interpret pictorial representations of simple molecular structures. At…

Science in Drama: Using Television Programmes to Teach Concepts and Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutter, Gordon

2011-01-01

By using a specific episode of the popular television cartoon series "The Simpsons," a range of techniques can be communicated, including microscope setup and use, simple chemical analysis, observation, and interpretation. Knowledge of blood groups and typing, morphological comparison of hair samples, fingerprint analysis, and DNA fingerprinting…

A Salicylate Sympathetic Ink from Consumer Chemicals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Chemical Education, 2005

2005-01-01

A new sympathetic ink that produces a violet color upon development was developed to develop chemical demonstrations using consumer chemicals. The demonstration was to have a simple, relatively safe reagent system that could be used to make a brightly colored, highly visible "magic sign" for use in science outreach programs.

Energy: Machines, Science (Experimental): 5311.03.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castaldi, June P.

This unit of instruction was designed as an introductory course in energy involving six simple machines, electricity, magnetism, and motion. The booklet lists the relevant state-adopted texts and states the performance objectives for the unit. It provides an outline of the course content and suggests experiments, demonstrations, field trips, and…

The Extraction and Partial Purification of Bacterial DNA as a Practical Exercise for GCE Advanced Level Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falconer, A. C.; Hayes, L. J.

1986-01-01

Describes a relatively simple method of extraction and purification of bacterial DNA. This technique permits advanced secondary-level science students to obtain adequate amounts of DNA from very small pellets of bacteria and to observe some of its polymer properties. (ML)

Rockets: Physical Science Teacher's Guide with Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogt, Gregory L.; Rosenberg, Carla R., Ed.

Rockets have evolved from simple tubes filled with black powder into mighty vehicles capable of launching a spacecraft out into the galaxy. The guide begins with background information sections on the history of rocketry, scientific principles, and practical rocketry. The sections on scientific principles and practical rocketry are based on Isaac…

Thought Experiments in Physics Education: A Simple and Practical Example.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lattery, Mark J.

2001-01-01

Uses a Galilean thought experiment to enhance learning in a college-level physical science course. Presents both modern and historical perspectives of Galileo's work. As a final project, students explored Galileo's thought experiment in the laboratory using modern detectors with satisfying results. (Contains 25 references.) (Author/ASK)

BEHAVIOR OF MEALWORMS, TEACHER'S GUIDE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elementary Science Study, Newton, MA.

THIS TEACHER'S GUIDE IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH AN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE STUDY UNIT, THE "BEHAVIOR OF MEALWORMS." BY MAKING CAREFUL OBSERVATIONS AND PERFORMING SIMPLE EXPERIMENTS, THE CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO APPROACH A PROBLEM, HOW TO INTERPRET AND EVALUATE DATA, AND, IN GENERAL, HOW TO CONDUCT A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION. THE MATERIALS HAVE…

Effectiveness of "Tutorials for Introductory Physics" in Argentinean High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benegas J.; Flores, J. Sirur

2014-01-01

This longitudinal study reports the results of a replication of "Tutorials in Introductory Physics" in high schools of a Latin-American country. The main objective of this study was to examine the suitability of "Tutorials" for local science education reform. Conceptual learning of simple resistive electric circuits was…

A Lesson on Evolution & Natural Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Anthony D.

2010-01-01

I describe three activities that allow students to explore the ideas of evolution, natural selection, extinction, mass extinction, and rates of evolutionary change by engaging a simple model using paper, pens, chalk, and a chalkboard. As a culminating activity that supports expository writing in the sciences, the students write an essay on mass…

How Computer-Assisted Teaching in Physics Can Enhance Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karamustafaoglu, O.

2012-01-01

Simple harmonic motion (SHM) is an important topic for physics or science students and has wide applications all over the world. Computer simulations are applications of special interest in physics teaching because they support powerful modeling environments involving physics concepts. This article is aimed to compare the effect of…

How to Use Chromatography as a Science Teaching Aid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganis, Frank M.

Presented are five procedures which permit the effective teaching of chromatography with equipment which is readily available, economical, and simple in design. The first procedure involves a study of solute partition in two immiscible solvents and of countercurrent distribution. The second illustrates the use of unidimensional ascending paper…

Nature Detectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harr, Natalie; Lee, Richard E.; Jr.

2010-01-01

Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" (2008) added to a growing consensus to get children outside and experiencing nature. Using ideas from place-based education, the authors present a simple year-long project that brings science, nature, and other curriculum standards to life right in your school yard. With a focus on journaling, this project…

A Land-Use-Planning Simulation Using Google Earth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodzin, Alec M.; Cirucci, Lori

2009-01-01

Google Earth (GE) is proving to be a valuable tool in the science classroom for understanding the environment and making responsible environmental decisions (Bodzin 2008). GE provides learners with a dynamic mapping experience using a simple interface with a limited range of functions. This interface makes geospatial analysis accessible and…

Fun and Interdisciplinary Daytime Astrophysical Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aroca, S. C.; Schiel, D.; Silva, C. C.

2008-01-01

The present article describes some activities performed with high-school students in the "Solar Physics" course developed in a Brazilian science centre. The topics of chemical composition, temperature and stellar evolution were taught in a room totally dedicated to study of the Sun, a solar room, designed with simple and inexpensive…

Testing the Fracture Behaviour of Chocolate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, L. B.; Goodall, R.

2011-01-01

In teaching the materials science aspects of physics, mechanical behaviour is important due to its relevance to many practical applications. This article presents a method for experimentally examining the toughness of chocolate, including a design for a simple test rig, and a number of experiments that can be performed in the classroom. Typical…

Growing container seedlings: Three considerations

Treesearch

Kas Dumroese; Thomas D. Landis

2015-01-01

The science of growing reforestation and conservation plants in containers has continually evolved, and three simple observations may greatly improve seedling quality. First, retaining stock in its original container for more than one growing season should be avoided. Second, strongly taprooted species now being grown as bareroot stock may be good candidates...

Science, Policy, and Practice: Three Cultures in Search of a Shared Mission.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shonkoff, Jack P.

2000-01-01

Discusses how child development research, social policy design, and human service delivery for children and families reflect three separate yet related cultures. Argues that transmitting knowledge from the academy to social policy and practice could be facilitated by a simple taxonomy differentiating established knowledge from both reasonable…

Modeling Mendel's Laws on Inheritance in Computational Biology and Medical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Gurmukh; Siddiqui, Khalid; Singh, Mankiran; Singh, Satpal

2011-01-01

The current research article is based on a simple and practical way of employing the computational power of widely available, versatile software MS Excel 2007 to perform interactive computer simulations for undergraduate/graduate students in biology, biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology, medicine in college and university classroom setting. To…

Microarrays Made Simple: "DNA Chips" Paper Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnard, Betsy

2006-01-01

DNA microarray technology is revolutionizing biological science. DNA microarrays (also called DNA chips) allow simultaneous screening of many genes for changes in expression between different cells. Now researchers can obtain information about genes in days or weeks that used to take months or years. The paper activity described in this article…

Investigations in Marine Chemistry: Salinity II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Richard M.

Presented is a science activity in which the student investigates methods of calibration of a simple conductivity meter via a hands-on inquiry technique. Conductivity is mathematically compared to salinity using a point slope formula and graphical techniques. Sample solutions of unknown salinity are provided so that the students can sharpen their…

A Glance at Microsatellite Motifs from 454 Sequencing Reads of Watermelon Genomic DNA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A single 454 (Life Sciences Sequencing Technology) run of Charleston Gray watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) genomic DNA was performed and sequence data were assembled. A large scale identification of simple sequence repeat (SSR) was performed and SSR sequence data were used for the develo...

Predicting Precipitation in Darwin: An Experiment with Markov Chains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boncek, John; Harden, Sig

2009-01-01

As teachers of first-year college mathematics and science students, the authors are constantly on the lookout for simple classroom exercises that improve their students' analytical and computational skills. In this article, the authors outline a project entitled "Predicting Precipitation in Darwin." In this project, students: (1) analyze…

Using Small-Step Refinement for Algorithm Verification in Computer Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simic, Danijela

2015-01-01

Stepwise program refinement techniques can be used to simplify program verification. Programs are better understood since their main properties are clearly stated, and verification of rather complex algorithms is reduced to proving simple statements connecting successive program specifications. Additionally, it is easy to analyse similar…

Determination of Absolute Zero Using a Computer-Based Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amrani, D.

2007-01-01

We present a simple computer-based laboratory experiment for evaluating absolute zero in degrees Celsius, which can be performed in college and undergraduate physical sciences laboratory courses. With a computer, absolute zero apparatus can help demonstrators or students to observe the relationship between temperature and pressure and use…

Evolution and Natural Selection: Learning by Playing and Reflecting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrero, David; del Castillo, Héctor; Monjelat, Natalia; García-Varela, Ana Belén; Checa, Mirian; Gómez, Patricia

2014-01-01

Scientific literacy is more than the simple reproduction of traditional school science knowledge and requires a set of skills, among them identifying scientific issues, explaining phenomena scientifically and using scientific evidence. Several studies have indicated that playing computer games in the classroom can support the development of…

Science: What Reptiles Are and Aren't

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Axelrod, Gerry S.

1978-01-01

Many children have an enormous fascination for reptiles of all kinds--snakes, turtles, tortoises, crocodiles, alligators and lizards. Whatever the reason for their interest, you can channel the enthusiasm of reptile fans and build the interest of curious students with a few simple activities, e.g., getting acquainted with reptile characteristics…

iss053e210425

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-07

iss053e210425 (Nov. 7, 2017) --- Flight Engineer Joe Acaba holds a children's book that he is reading from as part of the Story Time From Space program. Astronauts read aloud from a STEM-related children's book while being videotaped and demonstrate simple science concepts and experiments aboard the International Space Station.

The Great Bug Hunt Is Back!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon-Watmough, Rebecca; Rapley, Martin

2012-01-01

The Association for Science Education's "schoolscience.co.uk" and Martin Rapley, presenter of "The Big Bug Experience," are again running the Great Bug Hunt in 2012. Simply identify a habitat, explore and discover the bugs that live there, photograph or draw them and record findings--it's that simple. The winner will be the…

Marketing the Uniqueness of Small Towns. Small Town Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogg, David H.; Dunn, Douglas

A small town can strengthen its local economy as a result of business people and concerned citizens collectively identifying that community's uniqueness and then capitalizing on it via advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, or publicity. This publication relates the science of marketing to communities. Seven simple techniques are provided…

Conceptual design study Science and Application Space Platform SASP. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Runge, F. C.

1980-01-01

The system design philosphy applied in the development of this platform concept is summarized. The system is to provide for simple, low cost, initial capability of accommodating Spacelab payloads that are modified for long duration flight. The supporting research and technology are also summarized.

From Archive to Awards Ceremony: An Approach for Engaging Students in Historical Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erekson, Keith A.

2011-01-01

Recent literature on history teaching has emphasized "doing history"--whether as "active learning", cognitive science, or with simple photocopies of primary sources. This article extends the discussion of a "signature pedagogy" of history to include all aspects of the work of historians, from archival research through…

Anxiety in Science Classrooms: Its Measurement and Relationship to Classroom Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Barry J.; And Others

1983-01-01

Determined reliability/usefulness of a simple anxiety measure administered to 2,068 grade eight and nine students. Also found relationships between anxiety and such classroom characteristics as participation, teacher support, and competition. Suggests use of the measure in guiding teachers to change classrooms to reduce student anxiety. (JN)

The Friendship Detector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Scott

2012-01-01

After years of using Rube Goldberg-inspired projects to teach concepts of simple machines, the author sought a comparable project to reinforce electricity lessons in his ninth-grade Science and Technology course. The Friendship Detector gives students a chance to design, test, and build a complex circuit with multiple switches and battery-powered…

Wacky Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fendrich, Jean

2002-01-01

Collectors everywhere know that local antique shops and flea markets are treasure troves just waiting to be plundered. Science teachers might take a hint from these hobbyists, for the next community yard sale might be a repository of old, quirky items that are just the things to get students thinking about simple machines. By introducing some…

Standing Waves and Inquiry Using Water Droplets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinclair, Dina; Vondracek, Mark

2015-01-01

Most high school and introductory college physics classes study simple harmonic motion and various wave phenomena. With the majority of states adopting the Next Generation Science Standards and pushing students to explore the scientific process for themselves, there is a growing demand for hands-on inquiry activities that involve and develop more…

Teaching Science with Garbage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schatz, Albert; Schatz, Vivian

This single-concept unit on garbage is a "do-it-yourself" approach to environmental education. The emphasis is on composting or microbial decomposition under controlled conditions since composting appears to be one practical way of handling garbage. More than 30 simple experiments show some of the changes that garbage undergoes. The garbage…

Learning Abstract Physical Concepts from Experience: Design and Use of an RC Circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parra, Alfredo; Ordenes, Jorge; de la Fuente, Milton

2018-05-01

Science learning for undergraduate students requires grasping a great number of theoretical concepts in a rather short time. In our experience, this is especially difficult when students are required to simultaneously use abstract concepts, mathematical reasoning, and graphical analysis, such as occurs when learning about RC circuits. We present a simple experimental model in this work that allows students to easily design, build, and analyze RC circuits, thus providing an opportunity to test personal ideas, build graphical descriptions, and explore the meaning of the respective mathematical models, ultimately gaining a better grasp of the concepts involved. The result suggests that the simple setup indeed helps untrained students to visualize the essential points of this kind of circuit.

Star-shaped Polymers through Simple Wavelength-Selective Free-Radical Photopolymerization.

PubMed

Eibel, Anna; Fast, David E; Sattelkow, Jürgen; Zalibera, Michal; Wang, Jieping; Huber, Alex; Müller, Georgina; Neshchadin, Dmytro; Dietliker, Kurt; Plank, Harald; Grützmacher, Hansjörg; Gescheidt, Georg

2017-11-06

Star-shaped polymers represent highly desired materials in nanotechnology and life sciences, including biomedical applications (e.g., diagnostic imaging, tissue engineering, and targeted drug delivery). Herein, we report a straightforward synthesis of wavelength-selective multifunctional photoinitiators (PIs) that contain a bisacylphosphane oxide (BAPO) group and an α-hydroxy ketone moiety within one molecule. By using three different wavelengths, these photoactive groups can be selectively addressed and activated, thereby allowing the synthesis of ABC-type miktoarm star polymers through a simple, highly selective, and robust free-radical polymerization method. The photochemistry of these new initiators and the feasibility of this concept were investigated in unprecedented detail by using various spectroscopic techniques. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

What is surgery?

PubMed

Krummel, Thomas M

2006-11-01

Progress in surgical science has been characterized by a continuous cycle of innovation from bedside to bench to bedside. Beginning 30,000 years ago with the first bone needles to surgical lasers and robotics of today, each quantum leap has resulted from the convergence of technical advances and creative surgeons, but always defined by an attitude of care toward the sick. One of the most innovative pediatric surgeons, Dr. Mark Ravitch, elucidated some simple yet profound principles in the precise answer to the question "What is Surgery?" This section outlines some simple concepts summarized as "Ravitch's Rules," which provide a useful framework for clarity in understanding the past and illuminating the road ahead. Surgeons must be thoughtful in how they define themselves and their craft, ignoring technological advances at their own peril.

The low-cost microwave plasma sources for science and industry applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tikhonov, V. N.; Aleshin, S. N.; Ivanov, I. A.; Tikhonov, A. V.

2017-11-01

Microwave plasma torches proposed in the world market are built according to a scheme that can be called classical: power supply - magnetron head - microwave isolator with water load - reflected power meter - matching device - actual plasma torch - sliding short circuit. The total cost of devices from this list with a microwave generator of 3 kW in the performance, for example, of SAIREM (France), is about 17,000 €. We have changed the classical scheme of the microwave plasmathrone and optimised design of the waveguide channel. As a result, we can supply simple and reliable sources of microwave plasma (complete with our low-budget microwave generator up to 3 kW and a simple plasmathrone of atmospheric pressure) at a price from 3,000 €.

Pencil-and-Paper Neural Networks: An Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise in Computational Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Crisp, Kevin M.; Sutter, Ellen N.; Westerberg, Jacob A.

2015-01-01

Although it has been more than 70 years since McCulloch and Pitts published their seminal work on artificial neural networks, such models remain primarily in the domain of computer science departments in undergraduate education. This is unfortunate, as simple network models offer undergraduate students a much-needed bridge between cellular neurobiology and processes governing thought and behavior. Here, we present a very simple laboratory exercise in which students constructed, trained and tested artificial neural networks by hand on paper. They explored a variety of concepts, including pattern recognition, pattern completion, noise elimination and stimulus ambiguity. Learning gains were evident in changes in the use of language when writing about information processing in the brain. PMID:26557791

Using Selection Pressure as an Asset to Develop Reusable, Adaptable Software Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berrick, S. W.; Lynnes, C.

2007-12-01

The Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) at NASA has over the years developed and honed a number of reusable architectural components for supporting large-scale data centers with a large customer base. These include a processing system (S4PM) and an archive system (S4PA) based upon a workflow engine called the Simple, Scalable, Script-based Science Processor (S4P); an online data visualization and analysis system (Giovanni); and the radically simple and fast data search tool, Mirador. These subsystems are currently reused internally in a variety of combinations to implement customized data management on behalf of instrument science teams and other science investigators. Some of these subsystems (S4P and S4PM) have also been reused by other data centers for operational science processing. Our experience has been that development and utilization of robust, interoperable, and reusable software systems can actually flourish in environments defined by heterogeneous commodity hardware systems, the emphasis on value-added customer service, and continual cost reduction pressures. The repeated internal reuse that is fostered by such an environment encourages and even forces changes to the software that make it more reusable and adaptable. Allowing and even encouraging such selective pressures to software development has been a key factor in the success of S4P and S4PM, which are now available to the open source community under the NASA Open Source Agreement.

Computational complexity of ecological and evolutionary spatial dynamics

PubMed Central

Ibsen-Jensen, Rasmus; Chatterjee, Krishnendu; Nowak, Martin A.

2015-01-01

There are deep, yet largely unexplored, connections between computer science and biology. Both disciplines examine how information proliferates in time and space. Central results in computer science describe the complexity of algorithms that solve certain classes of problems. An algorithm is deemed efficient if it can solve a problem in polynomial time, which means the running time of the algorithm is a polynomial function of the length of the input. There are classes of harder problems for which the fastest possible algorithm requires exponential time. Another criterion is the space requirement of the algorithm. There is a crucial distinction between algorithms that can find a solution, verify a solution, or list several distinct solutions in given time and space. The complexity hierarchy that is generated in this way is the foundation of theoretical computer science. Precise complexity results can be notoriously difficult. The famous question whether polynomial time equals nondeterministic polynomial time (i.e., P = NP) is one of the hardest open problems in computer science and all of mathematics. Here, we consider simple processes of ecological and evolutionary spatial dynamics. The basic question is: What is the probability that a new invader (or a new mutant) will take over a resident population? We derive precise complexity results for a variety of scenarios. We therefore show that some fundamental questions in this area cannot be answered by simple equations (assuming that P is not equal to NP). PMID:26644569

Ten Simple Rules for Effective Online Outreach: What a decade at Deep Sea News has taught us.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, K. I.; McClain, C. R.; Bik, H.; Helm, R. R.; Long, D.; Warneke, A. M.; Dove, A. D.; Goldstein, M. C.; MacPherson, R.; Zelnio, K. A.

2016-12-01

Deep Sea News was established in 2005 and has become one of the most popular marine science blogs on the internet, with 7000 hits/day and over 8 million cumulative hits. Written by 6 practicing Marine Scientists with diverse interests, expertise and a deep curiosity for science, our mission statement is " Demystifying and humanizing science in an open conversation that instills passion, awe, and responsibility for the oceans." We leverage humor and popular culture to make complex science and conservation stories accessible. We will discuss what worked, what didn't, and our path forward in the changing social media landscape

Surface Tension Measurements with a Smartphone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goy, Nicolas-Alexandre; Denis, Zakari; Lavaud, Maxime; Grolleau, Adrian; Dufour, Nicolas; Deblais, Antoine; Delabre, Ulysse

2017-01-01

Smartphones are increasingly used in higher education and at university in mechanics, acoustics, and even thermodynamics as they offer a unique way to do simple science experiments. In this article, we show how smartphones can be used in fluid mechanics to measure surface tension of various liquids, which could help students understand the concept…

A Scoring Rubric for Students' Responses to Simple Evolution Questions: Darwinian Components

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Murray; Moore, Randy; Hatch, Jay; Hsu, Leon

2007-01-01

The call to teach students Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has been made by a variety of professional organizations. In addition to these national organizations, almost every state has science education guidelines calling for the teaching of evolution. Many administrators and policymakers believe that evolution is being taught,…

From Research to Practice: Communications for Social Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davey, Lynn

2009-01-01

What happens when the research inquiry is complete and has determined which reframes will be most successful in improving public understanding of an issue and advancing policy goals? Simple dissemination of research findings is not sufficient to improve the communications capacity of the field. The author explains how cognitive science and social…

Experimenting with Impacts in a Conceptual Physics or Descriptive Astronomy Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LoPresto, Michael C.

2016-01-01

What follows is a description of the procedure for and results of a simple experiment on the formation of impact craters designed for the laboratory portions of lower mathematical-level general education science courses such as conceptual physics or descriptive astronomy. The experiment provides necessary experience with data collection and…

Cognitive Pathways: Analysis of Students' Written Texts for Science Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimberg, Bruna Irene; Hand, Brian

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to reconstruct writers' reasoning process as reflected in their written texts. The codes resulting from the text analysis were related to cognitive operations, ranging from simple to more sophisticated ones. The sequence of the cognitive operations as the text unfolded represents the writer's cognitive pathway at the…

Skateboard/Longboard Speedometer Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hare, Jonathan

2012-01-01

A simple, low-cost infrared LED speedometer is described that can be fitted to a skateboard, longboard or even a bicycle to measure speed. Notes on building, setting up and calibration are given. When used with a low-cost data logger, continuous measurements of speed can be made while out and about. The device forms an interesting science club…

Learning and Understanding System Stability Using Illustrative Dynamic Texture Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Huaping; Xiao, Wei; Zhao, Hongyan; Sun, Fuchun

2014-01-01

System stability is a basic concept in courses on dynamic system analysis and control for undergraduate students with computer science backgrounds. Typically, this was taught using a simple simulation example of an inverted pendulum. Unfortunately, many difficult issues arise in the learning and understanding of the concepts of stability,…

I Wonder. Science Worksheets for the Primary Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Charlie; Daniel, Becky

Designed to use simple materials that can be found in almost any household, this document provides elementary teachers and students with activities and worksheets that deal with basic scientific concepts. The activities are intended to help students form and test their own hypotheses. Each topic in the booklet is addressed through a simple…

A Simple Algorithm for Obtaining Nearly Optimal Quadrature Rules for NURBS-based Isogeometric Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-05

Università degli Studi di Pavia bIstituto di Matematica Applicata e Tecnologie Informatiche “E. Magenes” del CNR, Pavia cDAEIMI, Università degli Studi di...Cassino d Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, University of Texas at Austin eDipartimento di Matematica , Università degli Studi di

Science Experiments, Field and Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davido, Frank, Comp.

Included is a compilation of 21 simple experiments for use by elementary teachers and aides. The experiments are grouped into these categories: plants, insects, and senses. The materials required are not specialized and would generally be available in the classroom or from a local store. A number of films are recommended and are available from the…

A Primer on Logistic Regression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woldbeck, Tanya

This paper introduces logistic regression as a viable alternative when the researcher is faced with variables that are not continuous. If one is to use simple regression, the dependent variable must be measured on a continuous scale. In the behavioral sciences, it may not always be appropriate or possible to have a measured dependent variable on a…

International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Science requires a precise, stable, and simple system of nomenclature used by scientists in all countries of the world, dealing on the one hand with the terms that denote the ranks of taxonomic groups, and on the other with the scientific names that are applied to the individual taxonomic units of a...

Simple Detection-Performance Analysis of Multistatic Sonar for Anti-Submarine Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Following Urick [29], we take n = 8 dB.  Since transmission loss contributes linearly (in dB units) to signal excess, allowance for absorption...sonobuoy fields for area search’, technical report DSTO-TR-2563 of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. [29] R.J. Urick (1983) Principles of

Hands-On Laboratory Simulation of Evolution: An Investigation of Mutation, Natural Selection, & Speciation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrand, Terri J.; Govedich, Fredric R.; Bain, Bonnie A.

2010-01-01

Evolutionary theory is the foundation of the biological sciences, yet conveying it to General Biology students often presents a challenge, especially at larger institutions where student numbers in foundation courses can exceed several hundred per lecture section. We present a pedagogically sound exercise that utilizes a series of simple and…

Response: Training Doctoral Students to Be Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollio, David E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to begin framing doctoral training for a science of social work. This process starts by examining two seemingly simple questions: "What is a social work scientist?" and "How do we train social work scientists?" In answering the first question, some basic assumptions and concepts about what constitutes a "social work…

Sharing the Earth, Kit II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1971

Introducing the pupil to the science of ecology is the purpose of Scholastic's Earth Corps Ecology/Conservation Study Kits for grades 3-6. Simple terms are used to show how all living things are inter-related to their environment, to demonstrate the intricate and delicate balance of nature, and to point out how man's interference with nature's…

How does life emerge out of chaos?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebosz, Jerzy

2013-10-01

How it is possible that unanimated matter can spontaneously create an exquisite beauty? How the simple dust or group of billion atoms can spontaneously create living human beings? These questions for hundred years were a domain of different religions or philosophy. Now, for the first time in a history - the science starts to answer such questions.

Curiosity + Kindergarten = Future Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flannagan, Jenny Sue; Rockenbaugh, Liesl

2010-01-01

Carefully crafted experiences in the early childhood classroom can create learning opportunities for children that allow one curiosity to lead to another. Learning how to find out answers to fascinating questions is what science is all about. In fact, it can be as simple as learning how an ordinary egg can be changed. For the past year, the…

78 FR 18958 - Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From the People's Republic of China and Diamond Sawblades and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

... Aquatic Product Science and Technology Co., Ltd.; Zhanjiang Universal Seafood Corp.; Zhejiang Cereals... investigation. When, as here, the only available rates are zero, de minimis, or based upon adverse facts... rate for non-selected respondents is a simple average of the adverse-facts available dumping margin...

Answering Junior Ant's "Why" for Pythagoras' Theorem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pask, Colin

2002-01-01

A seemingly simple question in a cartoon about Pythagoras' Theorem is shown to lead to questions about the nature of mathematical proof and the profound relationship between mathematics and science. It is suggested that an analysis of the issues involved could provide a good vehicle for classroom discussions or projects for senior students.…

"Using Power Tables to Compute Statistical Power in Multilevel Experimental Designs"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konstantopoulos, Spyros

2009-01-01

Power computations for one-level experimental designs that assume simple random samples are greatly facilitated by power tables such as those presented in Cohen's book about statistical power analysis. However, in education and the social sciences experimental designs have naturally nested structures and multilevel models are needed to compute the…

Sustainable Mobility, Future Fuels, and the Periodic Table

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallington, Timothy J.; Anderson, James E.; Siegel, Donald J.; Tamor, Michael A.; Mueller, Sherry A.; Winkler, Sandra L.; Nielsen, Ole J.

2013-01-01

Providing sustainable mobility is a major challenge that will require new vehicle and fuel technologies. Alternative and future fuels are the subject of considerable research and public interest. A simple approach is presented that can be used in science education lectures at the high school or undergraduate level to provide students with an…

Understanding Students' Epistemologies: Examining Practice and Meaning in Community Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bang, Megan Elisabeth

2009-01-01

There is a great need to raise the levels of science achievement for those groups of children who have traditionally underperformed. Prior cognitive research with Native people suggests that problems with achievement for Native students may be more complicated then simple problems with knowing or not knowing content knowledge. This dissertation…

Physical Modeling in the Geological Sciences: An Annotated Bibliography. CEGS Programs Publication No. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charlesworth, L. J., Jr.; Passero, Richard Nicholas

The bibliography identifies, describes, and evaluates devices and techniques discussed in the world's literature to demonstrate or stimulate natural physical geologic phenomena in classroom or laboratory teaching or research situations. The aparatus involved ranges from the very simple and elementary to the highly complex, sophisticated, and…

Science 101: What Causes Friction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Bill

2014-01-01

Defining friction and asking what causes it might seem like a trivial question. Friction seems simple enough to understand. Friction is a force between surfaces that pushes against things that are moving or tending to move, and the rougher the surfaces, the greater the friction. Bill Robertson answers this by saying, "Well, not exactly".…

A Computer Model of Simple Forms of Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Thomas L.

A basic unsolved problem in science is that of understanding learning, the process by which people and machines use their experience in a situation to guide future action in similar situations. The ideas of Piaget, Pavlov, Hull, and other learning theorists, as well as previous heuristic programing models of human intelligence, stimulated this…

Optimization of a Nutation Damper Attached to a Spin-Stabilized Satellite.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-12-01

characteristic roots describe the damping of the simple system. The damping time index, as proposed by Borelli and Leliakov (5:345), is defined as the...Viscous Ring Damper for a Freely Precessing Satellite." International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. Vol. 8. 1966. pp. 383- 395. 5. Borelli , R. L

Online Reflections about Tinkering in Early Childhood: A Socio-Cultural Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jane, Beverley

2006-01-01

Science education research predominantly shows that students improve their scientific understandings when they tinker (or pull apart) tools and simple household machines. In this study, the qualitative data collected took the form of online journal entries by final year, female, primary teacher trainees, who reflected upon their early childhood…

Bond-Energy and Surface-Energy Calculations in Metals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eberhart, James G.; Horner, Steve

2010-01-01

A simple technique appropriate for introductory materials science courses is outlined for the calculation of bond energies in metals from lattice energies. The approach is applied to body-centered cubic (bcc), face-centered cubic (fcc), and hexagonal-closest-packed (hcp) metals. The strength of these bonds is tabulated for a variety metals and is…

Materials Repurposed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Orvil L.; Townsend, J. Scott

2008-01-01

Few teachers find themselves with the support to purchase all of the materials they ideally need to supply their classrooms. Buying one or two simple, ready-made items can put a serious strain on anyone's budget. However, materials for science in the classroom need not be prefabricated or expensive. By looking at the function and purpose of any…

Launch Excitement with Water Rockets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Juan Carlos; Penick, John

2007-01-01

Explosions and fires--these are what many students are waiting for in science classes. And when they do occur, students pay attention. While we can't entertain our students with continual mayhem, we can catch their attention and cater to their desires for excitement by saying, "Let's make rockets." In this activity, students make simple, reusable…

Design Lab. USMES "How To" Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donahoe, Charles; And Others

The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended, long-range investigations of real problems. Since children often design and build things in USMES, 26 "Design Lab" cards provide information on the safe use and simple maintenance of tools. Each card has a large photograph of…

Rocks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Alice

This science unit is designed for limited- and non-English speaking students in a Chinese bilingual education program. The unit covers rock material, classification, characteristics of types of rocks, and rock cycles. It is written in Chinese and simple English. At the end of the unit there is a list of main terms in both English and Chinese, and…

Fun with Phase Changes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purvis, David

2006-01-01

A lot of good elementary science involves studying solids, liquids, and gases, and some inquiry-based activities that are easy to set up and do. In this article, the author presents activities pertaining to simple phase change. Using water as the example, these activities introduce upper-grade students to the idea of the arrangement of molecules…

Toward Intelligent Systems for Testing. Technical Report LSP-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesgold, Alan; And Others

This report illustrates one way in which the technologies of testing might combine with cognitive science techniques to help steer instruction. Steering testing is brief diagnostic testing that steers, or individualizes, the course of instruction. Steering testing uses simple heuristics for reasoning about the level of a student's competence in a…

Simple Search Aids with a Little Help from My Friends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spitzer, Stephan

2008-01-01

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, located on the National Naval Medical Center's campus in Bethesda, Md., is a medical education and research facility for the nation's military and public health community. The university's James A. Zimble Learning Resource Center provides web-based access to more than 9,000 electronic…

The Quantitative Determination of Food Dyes in Powdered Drink Mixes: A High School or General Science Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigmann, Samuella B.; Wheeler, Dale E.

2004-01-01

The development of a simple spectro photometric method to quantitatively determine the quantity of FD&C color additives present in powdered drink mixes, are focused by the investigations. Samples containing single dyes of binary mixtures of dyes can be analyzed using this method.

NAIF Toolkit - Extended

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, Charles H., Jr.; Bachman, Nathaniel J.; Semenov, Boris V.; Wright, Edward D.

2010-01-01

The Navigation Ancillary Infor ma tion Facility (NAIF) at JPL, acting under the direction of NASA s Office of Space Science, has built a data system named SPICE (Spacecraft Planet Instrument Cmatrix Events) to assist scientists in planning and interpreting scientific observations (see figure). SPICE provides geometric and some other ancillary information needed to recover the full value of science instrument data, including correlation of individual instrument data sets with data from other instruments on the same or other spacecraft. This data system is used to produce space mission observation geometry data sets known as SPICE kernels. It is also used to read SPICE kernels and to compute derived quantities such as positions, orientations, lighting angles, etc. The SPICE toolkit consists of a subroutine/ function library, executable programs (both large applications and simple utilities that focus on kernel management), and simple examples of using SPICE toolkit subroutines. This software is very accurate, thoroughly tested, and portable to all computers. It is extremely stable and reusable on all missions. Since the previous version, three significant capabilities have been added: Interactive Data Language (IDL) interface, MATLAB interface, and a geometric event finder subsystem.

A simple model for research interest evolution patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Tao; Wang, Dashun; Szymanski, Boleslaw

Sir Isaac Newton supposedly remarked that in his scientific career he was like ``...a boy playing on the sea-shore ...finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary''. His remarkable modesty and famous understatement motivate us to seek regularities in how scientists shift their research focus as the career develops. Indeed, despite intensive investigations on how microscopic factors, such as incentives and risks, would influence a scientist's choice of research agenda, little is known on the macroscopic patterns in the research interest change undertaken by individual scientists throughout their careers. Here we make use of over 14,000 authors' publication records in physics. By quantifying statistical characteristics in the interest evolution, we model scientific research as a random walk, which reproduces patterns in individuals' careers observed empirically. Despite myriad of factors that shape and influence individual choices of research subjects, we identified regularities in this dynamical process that are well captured by a simple statistical model. The results advance our understanding of scientists' behaviors during their careers and open up avenues for future studies in the science of science.

2014 Summer Series - Ethiraj Venkatapathy - Mary Poppins Approach to Human Mars Mission Entry, Descent and Landing

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-17

NASA is investing in a number of technologies to extend Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) capabilities to enable Human Missions to Mars. These technologies will also enable robotic Science missions. Human missions will require landing payloads of 10?s of metric tons, not possible with today's technology. Decelerating from entry speeds around 15,000 miles per hour to landing in a matter of minutes will require very large drag or deceleration. The one way to achieve required deceleration is to deploy a large surface that can be stowed during launch and deployed prior to entry. This talk will highlight a simple concept similar to an umbrella. Though the concept is simple, the size required for human Mars missions and the heating encountered during entry are significant challenges. The mechanically deployable system can also enable robotic science missions to Venus and is also equally applicable for bringing back cube-satellites and other small payloads. The scalable concept called Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT) is under development and is the focus of this talk.

Some Key Issues in Creating Inquiry-Based Instructional Practices that Aim at the Understanding of Simple Electric Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kock, Zeger-Jan; Taconis, Ruurd; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Gravemeijer, Koeno

2013-04-01

Many students in secondary schools consider the sciences difficult and unattractive. This applies to physics in particular, a subject in which students attempt to learn and understand numerous theoretical concepts, often without much success. A case in point is the understanding of the concepts current, voltage and resistance in simple electric circuits. In response to these problems, reform initiatives in education strive for a change of the classroom culture, putting emphasis on more authentic contexts and student activities containing elements of inquiry. The challenge then becomes choosing and combining these elements in such a manner that they foster an understanding of theoretical concepts. In this article we reflect on data collected and analyzed from a series of 12 grade 9 physics lessons on simple electric circuits. Drawing from a theoretical framework based on individual (conceptual change based) and socio-cultural views on learning, instruction was designed addressing known conceptual problems and attempting to create a physics (research) culture in the classroom. As the success of the lessons was limited, the focus of the study became to understand which inherent characteristics of inquiry based instruction complicate the process of constructing conceptual understanding. From the analysis of the data collected during the enactment of the lessons three tensions emerged: the tension between open inquiry and student guidance, the tension between students developing their own ideas and getting to know accepted scientific theories, and the tension between fostering scientific interest as part of a scientific research culture and the task oriented school culture. An outlook will be given on the implications for science lessons.

The Development of Student’s Activity Sheets (SAS) Based on Multiple Intelligences and Problem-Solving Skills Using Simple Science Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardani, D. S.; Kirana, T.; Ibrahim, M.

2018-01-01

The aim of this research is to produce SAS based on MI and problem-solving skills using simple science tools that are suitable to be used by elementary school students. The feasibility of SAS is evaluated based on its validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The completion Lesson Plan (LP) implementation and student’s activities are the indicators of SAS practicality. The effectiveness of SAS is measured by indicators of increased learning outcomes and problem-solving skills. The development of SAS follows the 4-D (define, design, develop, and disseminate) phase. However, this study was done until the third stage (develop). The written SAS was then validated through expert evaluation done by two experts of science, before its is tested to the target students. The try-out of SAS used one group with pre-test and post-test design. The result of this research shows that SAS is valid with “good” category. In addition, SAS is considered practical as seen from the increase of student activity at each meeting and LP implementation. Moreover, it was considered effective due to the significant difference between pre-test and post-test result of the learning outcomes and problem-solving skill test. Therefore, SAS is feasible to be used in learning.

Association between Organizational Commitment and Personality Traits of Faculty Members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Khiavi, Farzad Faraji; Dashti, Rezvan; Mokhtari, Saeedeh

2016-03-01

Individual characteristics are important factors influencing organizational commitment. Also, committed human resources can lead organizations to performance improvement as well as personal and organizational achievements. This research aimed to determine the association between organizational commitment and personality traits among faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. the research population of this cross-sectional study was the faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Ahvaz, Iran). The sample size was determined to be 83. Data collection instruments were the Allen and Meyer questionnaire for organizational commitment and Neo for characteristics' features. The data were analyzed through Pearson's product-moment correlation and the independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and simple linear regression analysis (SLR) by SPSS. Continuance commitment showed a significant positive association with neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Normative commitment showed a significant positive association with conscientiousness and a negative association with extroversion (p = 0.001). Openness had a positive association with affective commitment. Openness and agreeableness, among the five characteristics' features, had the most effect on organizational commitment, as indicated by simple linear regression analysis. Faculty members' characteristics showed a significant association with their organizational commitment. Determining appropriate characteristic criteria for faculty members may lead to employing committed personnel to accomplish the University's objectives and tasks.

Authentic science experiences as a vehicle for assessing orientation towards science and science careers relative to identity and agency: a response to ``learning from the path followed by Brad''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinn, Pauline W. U.

2009-09-01

This response draws from the literature on adaptive learning, traditional ecological knowledge, and social-ecological systems to show that Brad's choice is not a simple decision between traditional ecological knowledge and authentic science. This perspective recognizes knowledge systems as dynamic, cultural and historical activities characterized by diverse worldviews and ways of constructing and legitimizing knowledge. Brad's decision is seen as an example of adaptive learning, identity development and personal/collective agency oriented to increasing tribal influence in resource management decisions and policies. I will conclude that science literacy for all is not served by a transcendent, universal, Western modern view of science.

"If the Library Genie Granted You Three Wishes, What Would They Be?": Results and Lessons Learned From an Annual User Feedback Campaign.

PubMed

De Santis, Melissa; Houghton, Vivienne; Fontenelle, Cathalina

2017-01-01

The Health Sciences Library at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus implemented a user feedback campaign that successfully provided input about user needs. The library created an engaging marketing theme and employed a simple form to successfully solicit feedback from users. The program has been easy to replicate in subsequent years, and other health sciences libraries have been able to recreate the process at their institutions.

Fiche Pratique: Concours TV 5--La television a l'ecole; Autre temps, autre temps; Cassette FDM frequence plus--l'invite; Science en francais (Practical Ideas: TV 5 Competition--Television in Schools; Once Again, Another Tense; The "FDM" Audiocassette Series--The Guest; Science in French).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuncea, Nicolae; And Others

1993-01-01

The language classroom activities described include work with TV programs (interviews, cooking demonstrations, scenes without soundtrack); exercises with passe compose and passe simple verb tenses; descriptions of available French cassette programs; and use of texts on scientific subjects to build reading for meaning. (CNP)

Science communication. Response to Comment on "Quantifying long-term scientific impact".

PubMed

Wang, Dashun; Song, Chaoming; Shen, Hua-Wei; Barabási, Albert-László

2014-07-11

Wang, Mei, and Hicks claim that they observed large mean prediction errors when using our model. We find that their claims are a simple consequence of overfitting, which can be avoided by standard regularization methods. Here, we show that our model provides an effective means to identify papers that may be subject to overfitting, and the model, with or without prior treatment, outperforms the proposed naïve approach. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Neural correlates of strategic reasoning during competitive games.

PubMed

Seo, Hyojung; Cai, Xinying; Donahue, Christopher H; Lee, Daeyeol

2014-10-17

Although human and animal behaviors are largely shaped by reinforcement and punishment, choices in social settings are also influenced by information about the knowledge and experience of other decision-makers. During competitive games, monkeys increased their payoffs by systematically deviating from a simple heuristic learning algorithm and thereby countering the predictable exploitation by their computer opponent. Neurons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) signaled the animal's recent choice and reward history that reflected the computer's exploitative strategy. The strength of switching signals in the dmPFC also correlated with the animal's tendency to deviate from the heuristic learning algorithm. Therefore, the dmPFC might provide control signals for overriding simple heuristic learning algorithms based on the inferred strategies of the opponent. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Computational methods and traveling wave solutions for the fourth-order nonlinear Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur water wave dynamical equation via two methods and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Asghar; Seadawy, Aly R.; Lu, Dianchen

2018-05-01

The aim of this article is to construct some new traveling wave solutions and investigate localized structures for fourth-order nonlinear Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur (AKNS) water wave dynamical equation. The simple equation method (SEM) and the modified simple equation method (MSEM) are applied in this paper to construct the analytical traveling wave solutions of AKNS equation. The different waves solutions are derived by assigning special values to the parameters. The obtained results have their importance in the field of physics and other areas of applied sciences. All the solutions are also graphically represented. The constructed results are often helpful for studying several new localized structures and the waves interaction in the high-dimensional models.

Maximizing the information learned from finite data selects a simple model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattingly, Henry H.; Transtrum, Mark K.; Abbott, Michael C.; Machta, Benjamin B.

2018-02-01

We use the language of uninformative Bayesian prior choice to study the selection of appropriately simple effective models. We advocate for the prior which maximizes the mutual information between parameters and predictions, learning as much as possible from limited data. When many parameters are poorly constrained by the available data, we find that this prior puts weight only on boundaries of the parameter space. Thus, it selects a lower-dimensional effective theory in a principled way, ignoring irrelevant parameter directions. In the limit where there are sufficient data to tightly constrain any number of parameters, this reduces to the Jeffreys prior. However, we argue that this limit is pathological when applied to the hyperribbon parameter manifolds generic in science, because it leads to dramatic dependence on effects invisible to experiment.

The Semanticscience Integrated Ontology (SIO) for biomedical research and knowledge discovery

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The Semanticscience Integrated Ontology (SIO) is an ontology to facilitate biomedical knowledge discovery. SIO features a simple upper level comprised of essential types and relations for the rich description of arbitrary (real, hypothesized, virtual, fictional) objects, processes and their attributes. SIO specifies simple design patterns to describe and associate qualities, capabilities, functions, quantities, and informational entities including textual, geometrical, and mathematical entities, and provides specific extensions in the domains of chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. SIO provides an ontological foundation for the Bio2RDF linked data for the life sciences project and is used for semantic integration and discovery for SADI-based semantic web services. SIO is freely available to all users under a creative commons by attribution license. See website for further information: http://sio.semanticscience.org. PMID:24602174

Introducing Stereochemistry to Non-science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luján-Upton, Hannia

2001-04-01

Stereochemistry is often a difficult topic for both science and non-science majors to learn. The topics covered in most undergraduate textbooks, although fundamental, seem very abstract to most students. This manuscript describes two simple exercises that can be used to introduce concepts associated with stereochemistry such as "sameness", superimposability, chirality, enantiomers, optical activity, polarimetry, and racemic mixtures. One exercise compares chirality in hands with the achiral nature of two textbooks. The other exercise involves a murder mystery, the solution of which hinges upon understanding the concept of optical activity, specifically in natural products such as toxins from poisonous mushrooms.

Gender differences in partner interactions during an after-school science peer tutoring program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brei-Crawley, M. Jo

This teacher research study examined an after-school science program called SSTAR (Science Students Teaching as Resources) to determine if this program encourages early scientific involvement for girls, specifically the investigation of simple machines. SSTAR's overall goal was to develop scientific skills in fourth grade tutors who were partnered with second grade tutees. This study was conducted during two different SSTAR study sessions, identified as the pilot study (year one) and the expanded study (year two). The SSTAR program and the data collection instruments were refined and modified during this two-year process. Four data collection instruments were used to gather data and insights into this program; video-taped interactions between tutor and tutee, a writing assessment, a performance assessment and focus group discussions. The video taped partnership interactions found that tutors used similar instructional strategies and tutees gave similar response strategies. However, these strategies varied according to the gender of the partner. A written assessment, in the form of an open ended question was given to just the tutors at the beginning and end of their session. Additionally, a performance assessment was given. This assessment asked the tutors to construct a machine from the Legos(c) that were provided. This assessment was also done in a pretest/post-test format. Scores from the writing and performance assessment were then compared and the performance assessment showed more tutor growth in knowledge of simple machines than the writing assessment. Overall students made comments stating they enjoyed the SSTAR program and would sign up again. They had no preference for a same gender or opposite gender partner among either tutor or tutee discussions. All the data examined shows evidence that SSTAR was an effective program for tutor growth in the scientific area of simple machines. While the original study focus was specifically on girls, both genders benefited from the program and all students involved stated they had positive experiences during SSTAR.

Dynamics of non-Markovian exclusion processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoromskaia, Diana; Harris, Rosemary J.; Grosskinsky, Stefan

2014-12-01

Driven diffusive systems are often used as simple discrete models of collective transport phenomena in physics, biology or social sciences. Restricting attention to one-dimensional geometries, the asymmetric simple exclusion process (ASEP) plays a paradigmatic role to describe noise-activated driven motion of entities subject to an excluded volume interaction and many variants have been studied in recent years. While in the standard ASEP the noise is Poissonian and the process is therefore Markovian, in many applications the statistics of the activating noise has a non-standard distribution with possible memory effects resulting from internal degrees of freedom or external sources. This leads to temporal correlations and can significantly affect the shape of the current-density relation as has been studied recently for a number of scenarios. In this paper we report a general framework to derive the fundamental diagram of ASEPs driven by non-Poissonian noise by using effectively only two simple quantities, viz., the mean residual lifetime of the jump distribution and a suitably defined temporal correlation length. We corroborate our results by detailed numerical studies for various noise statistics under periodic boundary conditions and discuss how our approach can be applied to more general driven diffusive systems.

Chaos and unpredictability in evolution.

PubMed

Doebeli, Michael; Ispolatov, Iaroslav

2014-05-01

The possibility of complicated dynamic behavior driven by nonlinear feedbacks in dynamical systems has revolutionized science in the latter part of the last century. Yet despite examples of complicated frequency dynamics, the possibility of long-term evolutionary chaos is rarely considered. The concept of "survival of the fittest" is central to much evolutionary thinking and embodies a perspective of evolution as a directional optimization process exhibiting simple, predictable dynamics. This perspective is adequate for simple scenarios, when frequency-independent selection acts on scalar phenotypes. However, in most organisms many phenotypic properties combine in complicated ways to determine ecological interactions, and hence frequency-dependent selection. Therefore, it is natural to consider models for evolutionary dynamics generated by frequency-dependent selection acting simultaneously on many different phenotypes. Here we show that complicated, chaotic dynamics of long-term evolutionary trajectories in phenotype space is very common in a large class of such models when the dimension of phenotype space is large, and when there are selective interactions between the phenotypic components. Our results suggest that the perspective of evolution as a process with simple, predictable dynamics covers only a small fragment of long-term evolution. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Statistical Mechanics of US Supreme Court

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Edward; Broedersz, Chase; Bialek, William; Biophysics Theory Group Team

2014-03-01

We build simple models for the distribution of voting patterns in a group, using the Supreme Court of the United States as an example. The least structured, or maximum entropy, model that is consistent with the observed pairwise correlations among justices' votes is equivalent to an Ising spin glass. While all correlations (perhaps surprisingly) are positive, the effective pairwise interactions in the spin glass model have both signs, recovering some of our intuition that justices on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum should have a negative influence on one another. Despite the competing interactions, a strong tendency toward unanimity emerges from the model, and this agrees quantitatively with the data. The model shows that voting patterns are organized in a relatively simple ``energy landscape,'' correctly predicts the extent to which each justice is correlated with the majority, and gives us a measure of the influence that justices exert on one another. These results suggest that simple models, grounded in statistical physics, can capture essential features of collective decision making quantitatively, even in a complex political context. Funded by National Science Foundation Grants PHY-0957573 and CCF-0939370, WM Keck Foundation, Lewis-Sigler Fellowship, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and Winston Foundation.

A Simple, Powerful Method for Optimal Guidance of Spacecraft Formations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Steven P.

2005-01-01

One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of formation guidance law design is the coupling of the orbit design and the science return. The analyst s role is more complicated than simply to design the formation geometry and evolution. He or she is also involved in designing a significant portion of the science instrument itself. The effectiveness of the formation as a science instrument is intimately coupled with the relative geoniet,ry and evolution of the collection of spacecraft. Therefore, the science return can be maximized by optimizing the orbit design according to a performance metric relevant to the science mission goals. In this work, we present a simple method for optimal formation guidance that is applicable to missions whose performance metric, requirements, and constraints can be cast as functions that are explicitly dependent upon the orbit states and spacecraft relative positions and velocities. We present a general form for the cost and constraint functions, and derive their semi-analytic gradients with respect to the formation initial conditions. The gradients are broken down into two types. The first type are gradients of the mission specific performance metric with respect to formation geometry. The second type are derivatives of the formation geometry with respect to the orbit initial conditions. The fact that these two types of derivatives appear separately allows us to derive and implement a general framework that requires minimal modification to be applied to different missions or mission phases. To illustrate the applicability of the approach, we conclude with applications to twc missims: the Magnetospheric Mu!tiscale mission (MMS), a,nd the TJaser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).

A Simple, Powerful Method for Optimal Guidance of Spacecraft Formations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Steven P.

2006-01-01

One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of formation guidance law design is the coupling of the orbit design and the science return. The analyst's role is more complicated than simply to design the formation geometry and evolution. He or she is also involved in designing a significant portion of the science instrument itself. The effectiveness of the formation as a science instrument is intimately coupled with the relative geometry and evolution of the collection of spacecraft. Therefore, the science return can be maximized by optimizing the orbit design according to a performance metric relevant to the science mission goals. In this work, we present a simple method for optimal formation guidance that is applicable to missions whose performance metric, requirements, and constraints can be cast as functions that are explicitly dependent upon the orbit states and spacecraft relative positions and velocities. We present a general form for the cost and constraint functions, and derive their semi-analytic gradients with respect to the formation initial conditions. The gradients are broken down into two types. The first type are gradients of the mission specific performance metric with respect to formation geometry. The second type are derivatives of the formation geometry with respect to the orbit initial conditions. The fact that these two types of derivatives appear separately allows us to derive and implement a general framework that requires minimal modification to be applied to different missions or mission phases. To illustrate the applicability of the approach, we conclude with applications to two missions: the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) , and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).

The Radio JOVE Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, L.; Thieman, J.; Higgins, C.

1999-09-01

Radio JOVE is an interactive educational activity which brings the radio sounds of Jupiter and the Sun to students, teachers, and the general public. This is accomplished through the construction of a simple radio telescope kit and the use of a real-time radio observatory on the Internet. Our website (http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/) will contain science information, instruction manuals, observing guides, and education resources for students and teachers. Our target audience is high school science classes, but subjects can be tailored to college undergraduate physics and astronomy courses or even to middle school science classes. The goals of the project are: 1) Educate people about planetary and solar radio astronomy, space physics, and the scientific method 2) Provide teachers and students with a hands-on radio astronomy exercise as a science curriculum support activity by building and using a simple radio telescope receiver/antenna kit 3) Create the first ever online radio observatory which provides real-time data for those with internet access 4) Allow interactions among participating schools by facilitating exchanges of ideas, data, and observing experiences. Our current funding will allow us to impact 100 schools by partially subsidizing their participation in the program. We expect to expand well beyond this number as publicity and general interest increase. Additional schools are welcome to fully participate, but we will not be able to subsidize their kit purchases. We hope to make a wide impact among the schools by advertising through appropriate newsletters, space grant consortia, the INSPIRE project (http://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/inspire/), electronic links, and science and education meetings. We would like to acknoledge support from the NASA/GSFC Director's Discretionary Fund, the STScI IDEAS grant program and the NASA/GSFC Space Science Data Operations Office.

Simple Convergences? Piagetian Theory and Its Relationship to the Epistemology of James Mark Baldwin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marelich, William D.; And Others

Jean Piaget is credited with such topics as the synthesis of philosophy and the life sciences through a description of progressive stage by stage development, and a genetic epistemology founded on the principle of knowledge through processes of cognitive assimilation and accommodation. In actuality, these themes were originally postulated by James…

Quantum Dots in a Polymer Composite: A Convenient Particle-in-a-Box Laboratory Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Charles V.; Giffin, Guinevere A.

2008-01-01

Semiconductor quantum dots are at the forefront of materials science chemistry with applications in biological imaging and photovoltaic technologies. We have developed a simple laboratory experiment to measure the quantum-dot size from fluorescence spectra. A major roadblock of quantum-dot based exercises is the particle synthesis and handling;…

Langevin Theory of Anomalous Brownian Motion Made Simple

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tothova, Jana; Vasziova, Gabriela; Glod, Lukas; Lisy, Vladimir

2011-01-01

During the century from the publication of the work by Einstein (1905 "Ann. Phys." 17 549) Brownian motion has become an important paradigm in many fields of modern science. An essential impulse for the development of Brownian motion theory was given by the work of Langevin (1908 "C. R. Acad. Sci.", Paris 146 530), in which he proposed an…

International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Melbourne Code): Appendices II-VIII

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Science requires a precise, stable, and simple system of nomenclature used by scientists in all countries of the world, dealing on the one hand with the terms that denote the ranks of taxonomic groups, and on the other with the scientific names that are applied to the individual taxonomic units of a...

Meta-Sticks: Having Children Consider the Source of Knowledge Promotes Scientific Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhn, Mason

2016-01-01

Many elementary science teachers understand that the best way to enhance reasoning and thinking skills in their students is to have them engage in scientific negotiation. They know that teaching is not the simple transmission of information but a complex act that requires teachers to apply knowledge from multiple sources, including student…

Expanded Financial Literacy Unit Helps Students Make Wise Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Iris E.

2007-01-01

Financial literacy is a national, state, and local concern these days. At one time, the financial unit in high school family and consumer sciences (FCS) classes was as simple as looking at budgets and doing checkbook exercises. However, after students at Meeker High School in Meeker, Colorado began to ask more in-depth questions and realized that…

Materials Sciences Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-01

Physics of Refractory Materials (ERDA) ..... 160 J. Holder - Mechanical Properties of Solids (NSF) ...... 163 A. Granato - Anharmonic Effects in Solids...ERDA) ........ 166 6. Semiconductor Materials and Devices. N. Holonyak - Luinescence, Lasers, Carrier and Impurity Effects in Compound Semiconductors...1975. Dr. P. A. Egelstaff, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, "Three-Body Effects in Simple Fluids," April 9, 1975. Professor G. Leibfried, Oak

Exploring Drug Diffusion through a Membrane: A Physical Chemistry Experiment for Health and Life Sciences Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ribeiro, Isabel A. C.; Faustino, Ce´lia M. C.; Guedes, Rita C.; Alfaia, Anto´nio J. I.; Ribeiro, Maria H. L.

2015-01-01

The transport of molecules across biological membranes are critical for most cellular processes. Membrane permeability is also a key determinant for drug absorption, distribution, and elimination. Diffusion, that is, the migration of matter down a concentration gradient, is a simple mechanism by which both endogenous and drug molecules can enter…

An Analysis of Applied Mechanics Contest for Senior High School Students in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Nelson Cheng-Chih; Chen, Ching-Hao; Lin, Ming-chun

2008-01-01

The applied mechanics education contest hosted by STAM (Society of Theoretical Applied Mechanics) has been held in Taiwan for several years. The contest pattern has been changed from a simple written test to an experiment-oriented test after the NSTM (National Science and Technology Museum) proceeded to hold the competition in 2005. The major…

West Europe Report, Science and Technology.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-12

developing new materials and energy sources, additional discoveries in the fields of aerodynamics and thermal engineering, in building " artificial ...matter of perfecting a reliable and simple diagnostic material to permit diabetics to monitor their own sugar balance at regular intervals. They also...fine chemicals 11. Fine chemicals and active substances 12. Pharmaceutical specialties. Bulk products: antibiotics, active substances, sweeteners

Amino Acid Complementarity: A Biochemical Exemplar of Stoichiometry for General and Health Sciences Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitz, Ed

2005-01-01

The standard introduction to stoichiometry and simple exemplars can motivate students to learn the stoichiometric studies and the condensation reaction that occurs between amino acids to form the peptide bond. This topic can be integrated into general chemistry courses as an alternative to inclusion of a separate biochemistry course that could be…

"Physiology in the News": Using Press Releases to Enhance Lay Communication and Introduce Current Physiology Research to Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Kevin L.; Poteracki, James M.; Steury, Michael D.; Wehrwein, Erica A.

2015-01-01

Michigan State University's senior-level undergraduate physiology capstone laboratory uses a simple exercise termed "Physiology in the News," to help students explore the current research within the field of physiology while also learning to communicate science in lay terms. "Physiology in the News" is an activity that charges…

Enhancing Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Conceptual Understanding of Solution Chemistry with Conceptual Change Text

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calik, Muammer; Ayas, Alipasa; Coll, Richard Kevin

2007-01-01

This paper reports on the use of a constructivist-based pedagogy to enhance understanding of some features of solution chemistry. Pre-service science teacher trainees' prior knowledge about the dissolution of salts and sugar in water were elicited by the use of a simple diagnostic tool. The test revealed widespread alternative conceptions. These…

Earth Is My Home, Kit I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1971

Introducing the pupil to the science of ecology is the purpose of Scholastic's Earth Corps Ecology/Conservation Study Kits for grades 3-6. Simple terms are used to show how all living things are inter-related to their environment, to demonstrate the intricate and delicate balance of nature, and to point out how man's interference with nature's…

A Simple Activity to Facilitate Proportional Reasoning in the Contexts of Density, Dissolving, and Nanoparticles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamed, Kastro

2008-01-01

To address the confusion resulting from difficulties with proportional reasoning among preservice physical science students, a cube-assembly activity was used to bring a sense of concreteness to abstract ideas. The activity took students from the concrete step of assembling cubes of various sizes and directly measuring their properties to slightly…

Does Science Also Prefer a Ternary Pattern?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pogliani, L.; Klein, D. J.; Balaban, A. T.

2006-01-01

Through the importance of the number three in our culture and the strange preference for a ternary pattern of our nature one can perceive how and why number theory degraded to numerology. The strong preference of our minds for simple patterns can be read as the key to understanding not only the development of numerology, but also why scientists…

Communicating Our Science to Our Customers: Drug Discovery in Five Simple Experiments.

PubMed

Pearson, Lesley-Anne; Foley, David William

2017-02-09

The complexities of modern drug discovery-an interdisciplinary process that often takes years and costs billions-can be extremely challenging to explain to a public audience. We present details of a 30 minute demonstrative lecture that uses well-known experiments to illustrate key concepts in drug discovery including synthesis, assay and metabolism.

New ARCH: Future Generation Internet Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-08-01

a vocabulary to talk about a system . This provides a framework ( a “reference model ...layered model Modularity and abstraction are central tenets of Computer Science thinking. Modularity breaks a system into parts, normally to permit...this complexity is hidden. Abstraction suggests a structure for the system . A popular and simple structure is a layered model : lower layer

An Authentic Research Experience for Undergraduates on a Budget: Using Data from Simple Experiments to Develop Mini-Research Proposals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Katherine

2016-01-01

The benefits of undergraduate research are well documented, and many colleges and universities include a senior research requirement for graduation. In addition, most science curricula attempt to include discoverystyle, laboratory components to prepare students for their research experiences and to expose them to research methods in different…

Engineering-Based Problem Solving in the Middle School: Design and Construction with Simple Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn D.; Hudson, Peter; Dawes, Les

2013-01-01

Incorporating engineering concepts into middle school curriculum is seen as an effective way to improve students' problem-solving skills. A selection of findings is reported from a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based unit in which students in the second year (grade 8) of a three-year longitudinal study explored…

Teaching Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talbot, Christopher; Neo, Choo Tong

2013-01-01

This "Science Note" looks at the way that the shapes of simple molecules can be explained in terms of the number of electron pairs in the valence shell of the central atom. This theory is formally known as valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory. The article explains the preferred shape of chlorine trifluoride (ClF3),…

Aspects on Teaching/Learning with Object Oriented Programming for Entry Level Courses of Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Clara Amelia; Conte, Marcos Fernando; Riso, Bernardo Goncalves

This work presents a proposal for Teaching/Learning, on Object Oriented Programming for Entry Level Courses of Engineering and Computer Science, on University. The philosophy of Object Oriented Programming comes as a new pattern of solution for problems, where flexibility and reusability appears over the simple data structure and sequential…

A Student Activity on Visual Resolving Power

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, T. H.; Henriksen, P. N.; Ramsier, R. D.

2003-01-01

We present a simple activity in which students measure the resolving power of their eyes. The approach can be used at various levels of sophistication with students having a wide variety of skills and scientific training. We discuss our experiences using this activity with a class of non-science majors as well as with a group of pre-engineering…

The Salty Science of the Aluminum-Air Battery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chasteen, Stephanie V.; Chasteen, N. Dennis; Doherty, Paul

2008-01-01

Fruit batteries and saltwater batteries are excellent ways to explore simple circuits in the classroom. These are examples of air batteries in which metal reacts with oxygen in the air in order to generate free electrons, which flow through an external circuit and do work. Students are typically told that the salt or fruit water acts as an…

Using a Simple "Escherichia Coli" Growth Curve Model to Teach the Scientific Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKernan, Lisa N.

2015-01-01

The challenge of teaching in the sciences is not only conveying knowledge in the discipline, but also developing essential critical thinking, data analysis, and scientific writing skills. I outline an exercise that can be done easily as part of a microbiology laboratory course. It teaches the nature of the research process, from asking questions…

Models of Individual Trajectories in Computer-Assisted Instruction for Deaf Students. Technical Report No. 214.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suppes, P.; And Others

From some simple and schematic assumptions about information processing, a stochastic differential equation is derived for the motion of a student through a computer-assisted elementary mathematics curriculum. The mathematics strands curriculum of the Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences is used to test: (1) the theory and (2)…

Simple Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect: Evidence from the Worked Example Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Julie L.; McGinn, Kelly M.; Young, Laura K.; Barbieri, Christina

2015-01-01

Findings from the fields of cognitive science and cognitive development propose a variety of evidence-based principles for improving learning. One such recommendation is that instead of having students practice solving long strings of problems on their own after a lesson, worked-out examples of problem solutions should be incorporated into…

"Model-Based Reasoning Is Not a Simple Thing": Investigating Enactment of Modeling in Five High School Biology Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaytan, Candice Renee

2017-01-01

Modeling is an important scientific practice through which scientists generate, evaluate, and revise scientific knowledge, and it can be translated into science classrooms as a means for engaging students in authentic scientific practice. Much of the research investigating modeling in classrooms focuses on student learning, leaving a gap in…

LINUX, Virtualization, and the Cloud: A Hands-On Student Introductory Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serapiglia, Anthony

2013-01-01

Many students are entering Computer Science education with limited exposure to operating systems and applications other than those produced by Apple or Microsoft. This gap in familiarity with the Open Source community can quickly be bridged with a simple exercise that can also be used to strengthen two other important current computing concepts,…

A Simple, Student-Built Spectrometer to Explore Infrared Radiation and Greenhouse Gases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, Mitchell R. M.; Wilson, Tiffany A.; Bruce, Alice E.; Bessey, S. Max; Flood, Virginia J.

2016-01-01

In this experiment, students build a spectrometer to explore infrared radiation and greenhouse gases in an inquiry-based investigation to introduce climate science in a general chemistry lab course. The lab is based on the exploration of the thermal effects of molecular absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse and non-greenhouse gases. A…

A Digital Simulation Program for Health Science Students to Follow Drug Levels in the Body

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stavchansky, Salomon; And Others

1977-01-01

The Rayetheon Scientific Simulation Language (RSSL) program, an easily-used simulation on the CDC/6600 computer at the University of Texas at Austin, offers a simple method of solving differential equations on a digital computer. It is used by undergraduate biopharmaceutics-pharmacokinetics students and graduate students in all areas. (Author/LBH)

Writing Experiment Manuals in Science Education: The Impact of Writing, Genre, and Audience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rijlaarsdam, Gert; Couzijn, Michel; Janssen, Tanja; Braaksma, Martine; Kieft, Marleen

2006-01-01

In this study, Grade 9 students wrote experiment manuals for their peers describing a simple physics investigation to explore whether air takes space. Peers executed these manuals and their processes were videotaped. In several experimental conditions, these videotapes were played back for authors. Then they had to rewrite the experiment manual.…

No Longer a "Little Added Frill": The Transformative Potential of Environmental Education for Educational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Paul

2010-01-01

When environmental education manifests itself in schools, it is usually a simple matter of the insertion of an environment-related activity into the science, or perhaps social studies, curriculum. However, if one finds a teacher who has "the ethic," the entire school might be "green." The fact that this ethic is spreading…

Children's Acquisition of Science Terms: Simple Exposure Is Insufficient

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dockrell, Julie E.; Braisby, Nick; Best, Rachel M.

2007-01-01

The ability of school children (N = 233) to acquire new scientific vocabulary was examined. Children from two age groups (M = 4.8 and M = 6.5) were introduced to previously unknown words in an educational video. Word knowledge was assessed through accuracy and latency for production and comprehension over a 9-month period. A draw and write task…

Surveillance Cameras and Their Use as a Dissecting Microscope in the Teaching of Biological Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vale, Marcus R.

2016-01-01

Surveillance cameras are prevalent in various public and private areas, and they can also be coupled to optical microscopes and telescopes with excellent results. They are relatively simple cameras without sophisticated technological features and are much less expensive and more accessible to many people. These features enable them to be used in…

A Simple Demonstration for Estimating the Persistence of Vision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacInnes, Iain; Smith, Stuart

2010-01-01

In the "The Science Study Series" book "The Physics of Television", it is stated that persistence of vision lasts for about a tenth of a second. This will be a notional figure just as 25 cm is taken to be the least distance of distinct vision. Estimates range from 1/8 to 1/16 s.

A Laboratory Experiment, Based on the Maillard Reaction, Conducted as a Project in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kravchuk, Olena; Elliott, Antony; Bhandari, Bhesh

2005-01-01

A simple laboratory experiment, based on the Maillard reaction, served as a project in Introductory Statistics for undergraduates in Food Science and Technology. By using the principles of randomization and replication and reflecting on the sources of variation in the experimental data, students reinforced the statistical concepts and techniques…

Unit: Electric Circuits, Inspection Pack, National Trial Print.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Science Education Project, Toorak, Victoria.

As a part of the unit materials in the series produced by the Australian Science Education Project, this teacher edition is primarily composed of a core relating to simple circuits, a test form, and options. Options are given under the headings: Your Invention; "How Long Does a Call Last?"; One, Two, Three Wires; Parallel Circuits; More…

Anomalies as a Catalyst for Middle School Students' Knowledge Construction and Scientific Reasoning during Science Inquiry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Echevarria, Marissa

2003-01-01

Knowledge construction and scientific reasoning were examined during a unit in genetics, in which anomalies were used as a catalyst for student learning. Students used genetics simulation software to develop hypotheses and run tests of fruit fly crosses to develop mental models of simple dominance trait transmission. Instruction was intended to…

Think Green: Teach Students Smart Ways to Reduce Home Energy Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Harry T.

2008-01-01

Energy conservation and reducing heat loss in buildings is a very powerful way to lower energy costs. Sometimes great savings can be realized with simple measures. This subject provides a great vehicle for teaching science content that is very relevant to everyone's daily life--and financial well-being. In this article, the author first discusses…

Reflecting on Classroom Practice: Spatial Reasoning and Simple Coding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Alessandra

2015-01-01

Spatial reasoning--the ability to visualise and play with shapes in one's mind--is essential in many fields, and crucial in any Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics [STEM] discipline. It is, for example, the ability that the engineer needs to build bridges; the chemist to see the three-dimensional structure of a molecule; the architect to…

When Less Is More: Meaningful Learning from Visual and Verbal Summaries of Science Textbook Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Richard E.; And Others

1996-01-01

In 3 experiments, 163 college students who read a summary with a sequence of short captions with simple illustrations depicting steps in a process recalled the steps and solved transfer problems as well as or better than students who received the full text with a summary or alone. (SLD)

Close, Closer, Closest: A Simple Activity to Inspire Keen Investigators in Your Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farland, Donna

2008-01-01

As educators, we are always deciding what experiences we want to give students in order to achieve our goals of developing science process skills. One of the best ways of teaching about observation is described here. Using a hand lens and an illuminated pocket microscope, students observe an object at three different levels of…

Leon Foucault: His Life, Times and Achievements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aczel, Amir D.

2004-01-01

Leon Foucault's dramatic demonstration of the rotation of the Earth using a freely-rotating pendulum in 1850 shocked the world of science. Scientists were stunned that such a simple proof of our planet's rotation had to wait so long to be developed. Foucault's public demonstration, which was repeated at many locations around the world, put an end…

Identification of Highly Prized Commercial Fish Using a PCR-Based Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Paloma; Garcia-Vasquez, Eva

2006-01-01

We report a practical class designed for undergraduate students of Marine Sciences as a part of the Genetics course. The class can also be included in undergraduate studies of food technology. The exercise was designed to emphasize the application of molecular biology techniques to fish species authentication and traceability. After a simple and…

Not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good: steps toward science-ready ALMA images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kepley, Amanda A.; Donovan Meyer, Jennifer; Brogan, Crystal; Moullet, Arielle; Hibbard, John; Indebetouw, Remy; Mason, Brian

2016-07-01

Historically, radio observatories have placed the onus of calibrating and imaging data on the observer, thus restricting their user base to those already initiated into the mysteries of radio data or those willing to develop these skills. To expand its user base, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has a high- level directive to calibrate users' data and, ultimately, to deliver scientifically usable images or cubes to principle investigators (PIs). Although an ALMA calibration pipeline is in place, all delivered images continue to be produced for the PI by hand. In this talk, I will describe on-going efforts at the Northern American ALMA Science Center to produce more uniform imaging products that more closely meet the PI science goals and provide better archival value. As a first step, the NAASC imaging group produced a simple imaging template designed to help scientific staff produce uniform imaging products. This script allowed the NAASC to maximize the productivity of data analysts with relatively little guidance by the scientific staff by providing a step-by-step guide to best practices for ALMA imaging. Finally, I will describe the role of the manually produced images in verifying the imaging pipeline and the on-going development of said pipeline. The development of the imaging template, while technically simple, shows how small steps toward unifying processes and sharing knowledge can lead to large gains for science data products.

Joining the yellow hub: Uses of the Simple Application Messaging Protocol in Space Physics analysis tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Génot, V.; André, N.; Cecconi, B.; Bouchemit, M.; Budnik, E.; Bourrel, N.; Gangloff, M.; Dufourg, N.; Hess, S.; Modolo, R.; Renard, B.; Lormant, N.; Beigbeder, L.; Popescu, D.; Toniutti, J.-P.

2014-11-01

The interest for data communication between analysis tools in planetary sciences and space physics is illustrated in this paper via several examples of the uses of SAMP. The Simple Application Messaging Protocol is developed in the frame of the IVOA from an earlier protocol called PLASTIC. SAMP enables easy communication and interoperability between astronomy software, stand-alone and web-based; it is now increasingly adopted by the planetary sciences and space physics community. Its attractiveness is based, on one hand, on the use of common file formats for exchange and, on the other hand, on established messaging models. Examples of uses at the CDPP and elsewhere are presented. The CDPP (Centre de Données de la Physique des Plasmas, http://cdpp.eu/), the French data center for plasma physics, is engaged for more than a decade in the archiving and dissemination of data products from space missions and ground observatories. Besides these activities, the CDPP developed services like AMDA (Automated Multi Dataset Analysis, http://amda.cdpp.eu/) which enables in depth analysis of large amount of data through dedicated functionalities such as: visualization, conditional search and cataloging. Besides AMDA, the 3DView (http://3dview.cdpp.eu/) tool provides immersive visualizations and is further developed to include simulation and observational data. These tools and their interactions with each other, notably via SAMP, are presented via science cases of interest to planetary sciences and space physics communities.

77 FR 76604 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-28

... currently approved collection. Title: Form 5304-SIMPLE; Form 5305-SIMPLE; Notice 98-4. Abstract: Forms 5304-SIMPLE and 5035-SIMPLE are used by an employer to permit employees to make salary reduction contributions to a savings incentive match plan (SIMPLE IRA) described in Code section 408(p). These forms are not...

STK Integrated Message Production List Editor (SIMPLE) for CEO Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trenchard, Mike; Heydorn, James

2014-01-01

Late in fiscal year 2011, the Crew Earth Observations (CEO) team was tasked to upgrade and replace its mission planning and mission operations software systems, which were developed in the Space Shuttle era of the 1980s and 1990s. The impetuses for this change were the planned transition of all workstations to the Windows 7 64-bit operating system and the desire for more efficient and effective use of Satellite Tool Kit (STK) software required for reliable International Space Station (ISS) Earth location tracking. An additional requirement of this new system was the use of the same SQL database of CEO science sites from the SMMS, which was also being developed. STK Integrated Message Production List Editor (SIMPLE) is the essential, all-in-one tool now used by CEO staff to perform daily ISS mission planning to meet its requirement to acquire astronaut photography of specific sites on Earth. The sites are part of a managed, long-term database that has been defined and developed for scientific, educational, and public interest. SIMPLE's end product is a set of basic time and location data computed for an operator-selected set of targets that the ISS crew will be asked to photograph (photography is typically planned 12 to 36 hours out). The CEO operator uses SIMPLE to (a) specify a payload operations planning period; (b) acquire and validate the best available ephemeris data (vectors) for the ISS during the planning period; (c) ingest and display mission-specific site information from the CEO database; (d) identify and display potential current dynamic event targets as map features; (e) compute and display time and location information for each target; (f) screen and select targets based on known crew availability constraints, obliquity constraints, and real-time evaluated constraints to target visibility due to illumination (sun elevation) and atmospheric conditions (weather); and finally (g) incorporate basic, computed time and location information for each selected target into the daily CEO Target List product (message) for submission to ISS payload planning and integration teams for their review and approval prior to uplink. SIMPLE requires and uses the following resources: an ISS mission planning period Greenwich Mean Time start date/time and end date/time), the best available ISS mission ephemeris data (vectors) for that planning period, the STK software package configured for the ISS, and an ISS mission-specific subset of the CEO sites database. The primary advantages realized by the development and implementation of SIMPLE into the CEO payload operations support activity are a smooth transition to the Windows 7 operating system upon scheduled workstation refresh; streamlining of the input and verification of the current ISS ephemeris (vector data); seamless incorporation of selected contents of the SQL database of science sites; the ability to tag and display potential dynamic event opportunities on orbit track maps; simplification of the display and selection of encountered sites based on crew availability, illumination, obliquity, and weather constraints; the incorporation of high-quality mapping of the Earth with various satellite-based datasets for use in describing targets; and the ability to encapsulate and export the essential selected target elements in XML format for use by onboard Earth-location systems, such as Worldmap. SIMPLE is a carefully designed and crafted in-house software package that includes detailed help files for the user and meticulous internal documentation for future modifications. It was delivered in February 2012 for test and evaluation. Following acceptance, it was implemented for CEO mission operations support in May 2012.

Simple Climate Model Evaluation Using Impulse Response Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarber, A.; Hartin, C.; Smith, S. J.

2017-12-01

Simple climate models (SCMs) are central tools used to incorporate climate responses into human-Earth system modeling. SCMs are computationally inexpensive, making them an ideal tool for a variety of analyses, including consideration of uncertainty. Despite their wide use, many SCMs lack rigorous testing of their fundamental responses to perturbations. Here, following recommendations of a recent National Academy of Sciences report, we compare several SCMs (Hector-deoclim, MAGICC 5.3, MAGICC 6.0, and the IPCC AR5 impulse response function) to diagnose model behavior and understand the fundamental system responses within each model. We conduct stylized perturbations (emissions and forcing/concentration) of three different chemical species: CO2, CH4, and BC. We find that all 4 models respond similarly in terms of overall shape, however, there are important differences in the timing and magnitude of the responses. For example, the response to a BC pulse differs over the first 20 years after the pulse among the models, a finding that is due to differences in model structure. Such perturbation experiments are difficult to conduct in complex models due to internal model noise, making a direct comparison with simple models challenging. We can, however, compare the simplified model response from a 4xCO2 step experiment to the same stylized experiment carried out by CMIP5 models, thereby testing the ability of SCMs to emulate complex model results. This work allows an assessment of how well current understanding of Earth system responses are incorporated into multi-model frameworks by way of simple climate models.

Inheritance Patterns in Citation Networks Reveal Scientific Memes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, Tobias; Perc, Matjaž; Helbing, Dirk

2014-10-01

Memes are the cultural equivalent of genes that spread across human culture by means of imitation. What makes a meme and what distinguishes it from other forms of information, however, is still poorly understood. Our analysis of memes in the scientific literature reveals that they are governed by a surprisingly simple relationship between frequency of occurrence and the degree to which they propagate along the citation graph. We propose a simple formalization of this pattern and validate it with data from close to 50 million publication records from the Web of Science, PubMed Central, and the American Physical Society. Evaluations relying on human annotators, citation network randomizations, and comparisons with several alternative approaches confirm that our formula is accurate and effective, without a dependence on linguistic or ontological knowledge and without the application of arbitrary thresholds or filters.

The dark side of cosmology: dark matter and dark energy.

PubMed

Spergel, David N

2015-03-06

A simple model with only six parameters (the age of the universe, the density of atoms, the density of matter, the amplitude of the initial fluctuations, the scale dependence of this amplitude, and the epoch of first star formation) fits all of our cosmological data . Although simple, this standard model is strange. The model implies that most of the matter in our Galaxy is in the form of "dark matter," a new type of particle not yet detected in the laboratory, and most of the energy in the universe is in the form of "dark energy," energy associated with empty space. Both dark matter and dark energy require extensions to our current understanding of particle physics or point toward a breakdown of general relativity on cosmological scales. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Molecular genetics made simple

PubMed Central

Kassem, Heba Sh.; Girolami, Francesca; Sanoudou, Despina

2012-01-01

Abstract Genetics have undoubtedly become an integral part of biomedical science and clinical practice, with important implications in deciphering disease pathogenesis and progression, identifying diagnostic and prognostic markers, as well as designing better targeted treatments. The exponential growth of our understanding of different genetic concepts is paralleled by a growing list of genetic terminology that can easily intimidate the unfamiliar reader. Rendering genetics incomprehensible to the clinician however, defeats the very essence of genetic research: its utilization for combating disease and improving quality of life. Herein we attempt to correct this notion by presenting the basic genetic concepts along with their usefulness in the cardiology clinic. Bringing genetics closer to the clinician will enable its harmonious incorporation into clinical care, thus not only restoring our perception of its simple and elegant nature, but importantly ensuring the maximal benefit for our patients. PMID:25610837

Inkjet printed large-area flexible circuits: a simple methodology for optimizing the printing quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Tao; Wu, Youwei; Shen, Xiaoqin; Lai, Wenyong; Huang, Wei

2018-01-01

In this work, a simple methodology was developed to enhance the patterning resolution of inkjet printing, involving process optimization as well as substrate modification and treatment. The line width of the inkjet-printed silver lines was successfully reduced to 1/3 of the original value using this methodology. Large-area flexible circuits with delicate patterns and good morphology were thus fabricated. The resultant flexible circuits showed excellent electrical conductivity as low as 4.5 Ω/□ and strong tolerance to mechanical bending. The simple methodology is also applicable to substrates with various wettability, which suggests a general strategy to enhance the printing quality of inkjet printing for manufacturing high-performance large-area flexible electronics. Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Nos. 2014CB648300, 2017YFB0404501), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21422402, 21674050), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Nos. BK20140060, BK20130037, BK20140865, BM2012010), the Program for Jiangsu Specially-Appointed Professors (No. RK030STP15001), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (No. NCET-13-0872), the NUPT "1311 Project" and Scientific Foundation (Nos. NY213119, NY213169), the Synergetic Innovation Center for Organic Electronics and Information Displays, the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), the Leading Talent of Technological Innovation of National Ten-Thousands Talents Program of China, the Excellent Scientific and Technological Innovative Teams of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (No. TJ217038), the Program for Graduate Students Research and Innovation of Jiangsu Province (No. KYZZ16-0253), and the 333 Project of Jiangsu Province (Nos. BRA2017402, BRA2015374).

Into the Curriculum: Reading/Language Arts/Art: Using Amelia Bedelia Books to Teach Figurative and Literal Meanings [and] Reading/Language Arts/Mathematics: Create an Internet Pizza Cafe that Serves Pizza, Poetry, Technology, and More! [and] Reading/Language Arts: Finding Secret Words: Beginning Dictionary Skills [and] Science: What Big Teeth You Have! Alligators All Around [and] Science: Rube Goldberg and Simple Machines [and] Social Studies: Folklore--An Integrated Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Eve; Maggi, Barbara Hall; Napier, Marion; Troisi, Andrea; Heiser, Pam; Rinehart, Sharon

1998-01-01

Provides six fully developed library media activities that are designed for use with specific curriculum units in reading and language arts, art, mathematics, science, and social studies. Library media skills, objectives, grade levels, instructional roles, evaluation, and follow-up are described for each activity. (LRW)

Create your own science planning tool in 3 days with SOA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streiffert, Barbara A.; Polanskey, Carol A.; O'Reilly, Taifun

2003-01-01

Scientific discovery and advancement of knowledge has been, and continues to be, the goal for space missions at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Scientist must plan their observation/experiments to get the maximum data return in order to make those discoveries. However, each mission has different science objectives, a different spacecraft and different instrument payloads, as well as, different routes to different destinations with different spacecraft restrictions and characteristics. In the current reduced cost environment, manageable cost for mission planning software is a must. Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA), a planning tool for scientists and mission planners, utilizes a simple approach to reduce cost and promote reusability.

Who cares about the history of science?

PubMed Central

Chang, Hasok

2017-01-01

The history of science has many functions. Historians should consider how their work contributes to various functions, going beyond a simple desire to understand the past correctly. There are both internal and external functions of the history of science in relation to science itself; I focus here on the internal, as they tend to be neglected these days. The internal functions can be divided into orthodox and complementary. The orthodox function is to assist with the understanding of the content and methods of science as it is now practised. The complementary function is to generate and improve scientific knowledge where current science itself fails to do so. Complementary functions of the history of science include the raising of critical awareness, and the recovery and extension of past scientific knowledge that has become forgotten or neglected. These complementary functions are illustrated with some concrete examples.

The Shock and Vibration Bulletin. Part 1. Welcome, Keynote Address Invited Papers MIL-STD-810D MIL-STD-810D Panel Session

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

computer. The testing purposes is both expensive and time failure criterion is basically the effective comsuming , making it more difficult to obtain... behavior of a structure in terms of do critical review on a science because a its normal modes. The fundamental *science is something that ia fact... behavior expressed in some simple sort of rules of living in the Garden of Eden; they characteristic, and a deflected shape of each could eat from any

Aneesur Rahman Prize Talk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frenkel, Daan

2007-03-01

During the past decade there has been a unique synergy between theory, experiment and simulation in Soft Matter Physics. In colloid science, computer simulations that started out as studies of highly simplified model systems, have acquired direct experimental relevance because experimental realizations of these simple models can now be synthesized. Whilst many numerical predictions concerning the phase behavior of colloidal systems have been vindicated by experiments, the jury is still out on others. In my talk I will discuss some of the recent technical developments, new findings and open questions in computational soft-matter science.

SOME THOUGHTS ON NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF YOGA

PubMed Central

Ramamurthi, B.

1981-01-01

Yoga presents the culmination of efforts made by mankind till now control mind and behaviour. It is living science, practiced in an elementary fashion by many in India. While a few perhaps are there who have attained mastery of this science. The background of the derivation and concept of yoga in India is presented followed by a simple exposition of yogic practices and some possible neurophysiologic explanations. Research in yoga will be rewarding as it gives means of exploring and enlarging the functions of the human brain. PMID:22556457

The organization of successful participative management in a health sciences library.

PubMed Central

Wood, M B

1977-01-01

The University of Washington Health Sciences Library, Seattle, and its participative management process are described in detail. The evolution of the management system is reviewed by interrelating the various phases of the library's growth, its service complexities, and its communication needs. Staff development results of this participative management mode are discussed. Reference is made to the use of group dynamics concepts. The current organizational design, which integrates the participative subunit with the simple line management structure, is considered effective by both the library staff and its director. PMID:843648

Let's do science with children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paolini, Mara

2013-04-01

The school where I worked in 2011,was for primary school teachers-to-be. Classes were formed by a high number of students with a handicapped student in each class. The school was attended mainly by girls with low self-esteem and difficulties in fulfilling their homework. Moreover secondary school students often find science far from their world and rather boring. So helping them understand the relationship between science and everyday life, between chemistry and society was my main objective . Simple / elementary experiments were chosen : if presented and carried out with scientific method, they can prove very useful in the development of specific abilities, from simple observation to the more complex and vital ability to grasp cause and effect relation. I think that the direct observation of facts and phenomena is the foundation to stimulate the process of learning and abstracting experiments: A. The pressure as a force, the behavior of the hot and cold water. 1. the implosion of the can 2. the candle 3. the balloon and the bottle 4. the egg in the bottle Monitoring and evaluation The direct observation of students during operations and final written reports were the ways which was evaluated the project. Results of the project carried out: The students were able to use scientific language correctly, to explain the phenomenon to primary school children using their own ideas. they also devised a table where to list the experiments carried out

Association between Organizational Commitment and Personality Traits of Faculty Members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

PubMed Central

Khiavi, Farzad Faraji; Dashti, Rezvan; Mokhtari, Saeedeh

2016-01-01

Introduction Individual characteristics are important factors influencing organizational commitment. Also, committed human resources can lead organizations to performance improvement as well as personal and organizational achievements. This research aimed to determine the association between organizational commitment and personality traits among faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Methods the research population of this cross-sectional study was the faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Ahvaz, Iran). The sample size was determined to be 83. Data collection instruments were the Allen and Meyer questionnaire for organizational commitment and Neo for characteristics’ features. The data were analyzed through Pearson’s product-moment correlation and the independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and simple linear regression analysis (SLR) by SPSS. Results Continuance commitment showed a significant positive association with neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Normative commitment showed a significant positive association with conscientiousness and a negative association with extroversion (p = 0.001). Openness had a positive association with affective commitment. Openness and agreeableness, among the five characteristics’ features, had the most effect on organizational commitment, as indicated by simple linear regression analysis. Conclusion Faculty members’ characteristics showed a significant association with their organizational commitment. Determining appropriate characteristic criteria for faculty members may lead to employing committed personnel to accomplish the University’s objectives and tasks. PMID:27123222

Simple Kidney Cysts

MedlinePlus

... Solitary Kidney Your Kidneys & How They Work Simple Kidney Cysts What are simple kidney cysts? Simple kidney cysts are abnormal, fluid-filled ... that form in the kidneys. What are the kidneys and what do they do? The kidneys are ...

Development and Validation of a Fast Procedure to Analyze Amoxicillin in River Waters by Direct-Injection LC-MS/MS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Homem, Vera; Alves, Arminda; Santos, Lu´cia

2014-01-01

A laboratory application with a strong component in analytical chemistry was designed for undergraduate students, in order to introduce a current problem in the environmental science field, the water contamination by antibiotics. Therefore, a simple and rapid method based on direct injection and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass…

A New Model for Inquiry: Is the Scientific Method Dead?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harwood, William S.

2004-01-01

There has been renewed discussion of the scientific method, with many voices arguing that it presents a very limited or even wholly incorrect image of the way science is really done. At the same time, the idea of a scientific method is pervasive. This article identifies the scientific method as a simple model for the process of scientific inquiry.…

A Simple Example of Radioactive Dating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Todd

2014-01-01

Although nuclear half-life is vital to physics and physical science, and to sensitive societal issues from nuclear waste to the age of the Earth, a true lab on half-life is almost never done at the college or high school level. Seldom are students able to use radioactivity to actually date when an object came into being, as is done in this…

Newton's Investigation of the Resistance to Moving Bodies in Continuous Fluids and the Nature of "Frontier Science"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gauld, Colin F.

2010-01-01

Newton's experiments into the resistance which fluids offer to moving bodies provide some insight into the way he related theory and experiment. His theory demonstrates a way of thought typical of 17th century physics and his experiments are simple enough to be replicated by present day students. Newton's investigations using pendulums were…

Science and History Come Alive in the Cemetery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowry, Patricia K.; McCrary, Judy H.

2005-01-01

City cemeteries are often very old, with gravestones dating back to the early 1800s. Some of the markers are carved out of rocks and may be quite simple, containing only names of the deceased and dates of birth and death; others contain no information at all. This is in sharp contrast to some of the very elaborate markers carved out of granite…

West Europe Report, Science and Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-12

engineering, in building " artificial intel- ligence" (robotics) and in researching life support systems. /9365 CSO: 3698/239 AEROSPACE BRIEFS FOKKER...diabetology. It is primarily a matter of perfecting a reliable and simple diagnostic material to permit diabetics to monitor their own sugar balance...specialties. Bulk products: antibiotics, active substances, sweeteners . 13. Pierrel, Italy 14. Phenoximethylpenicillin, PcV, is one of the more

Simple Models to Explore Deterrence and More General Influence in the War with al-Qaeda

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Academy of Sciences, 1996).9 Regrettably, few of these enrichments come to most people’s minds when the term “deter- rence” is used. Instead, they...may flour - ish. Efforts to reduce the root-cause factors using “influence” will, in most cases, be uphill and long-term in nature. Moreover, it is

A Little Leaven Leaveneth the Whole Lump: Using S. cerevisiae To Investigate Life in a Biology Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Lorelei D.

1998-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides an excellent tool for students to enter into inquiry-based science. This very simple organism is used to demonstrate that the principles governing life apply to all organisms. Students learn to design experiments using trypan blue and heat, build upon their findings with new experiments, and refine and repeat…

Understanding Statistical Power in Cluster Randomized Trials: Challenges Posed by Differences in Notation and Terminology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spybrook, Jessaca; Hedges, Larry; Borenstein, Michael

2014-01-01

Research designs in which clusters are the unit of randomization are quite common in the social sciences. Given the multilevel nature of these studies, the power analyses for these studies are more complex than in a simple individually randomized trial. Tools are now available to help researchers conduct power analyses for cluster randomized…

Stress Management Strategies for Students: The Immediate Effects of Yoga, Humor, and Reading on Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizzolo, Denise; Zipp, Genevieve Pinto; Stiskal, Doreen; Simpkins, Susan

2009-01-01

Background: Health science programs can be demanding and difficult for many students, leading to high levels of stress. High levels of stress can have a negative effect on students and subsequently the practicing clinician. Research suggests that yoga, humor, and reading are simple, effective methods to help reduce stress. To date no research…

Enhancing Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers' Understanding of Essential Science Concepts through a Reflective Conceptual Change Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydeniz, Mehmet; Brown, Clara Lee

2010-01-01

This study explored the impact of a reflective teaching method on pre-service elementary teachers' conceptual understanding of the lunar phases, reasons for seasons, and simple electric circuits. Data were collected from 40 pre-service elementary teachers about their conceptual understanding of the lunar phases, reasons for seasons and day…

Building an Effective and Affordable K-12 Geoscience Outreach Program from the Ground Up: A Simple Model for Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahl, Robyn Mieko; Droser, Mary L.

2016-01-01

University earth science departments seeking to establish meaningful geoscience outreach programs often pursue large-scale, grant-funded programs. Although this type of outreach is highly successful, it is also extremely costly, and grant funding can be difficult to secure. Here, we present the Geoscience Education Outreach Program (GEOP), a…

Teaching Basic Science Environmentally, The Concept: The cell is basic unit of structure of most organisms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busch, Phyllis S.

1985-01-01

Suggests simple ways to introduce students to the concept that the cell is the basic unit of structure of most organisms. Mentions materials for microscope study that are readily available and easy to handle, e.g., membranes from between the scales of the onion bulb, thin-leaved plants, pond water, and pollen. (JHZ)

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 11: Smoke Impact Spreadsheet (SIS) model

Treesearch

Trent Wickman; Ann Acheson

2005-01-01

The Smoke Impact Spreadsheet (SIS) is a simple-to-use planning model for calculating particulate matter (PM) emissions and concentrations downwind of wildland fires. This fact sheet identifies the intended users and uses, required inputs, what the model does and does not do, and tells the user how to obtain the model.

A Handful of Bacteria: A Simple Activity That Engages Students to Think and Write Like a Scientist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Pengfei

2014-01-01

Non-major students taking science courses to fulfill degree requirements may show low interest in traditional lecture-based classrooms. While professors may try to incorporate hands-on activities to the classroom to foster enthusiasm, the development of a low-cost, low-hazard scienitfic activity that engages students can be challenging. Moreover,…

Symposium II: Mechanochemistry in Materials Science, MRS Fall Meeting, Nov 30-Dec 4, 2009, Boston, MA

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-02

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). The fracture behavior of the mechanophore-linked polymer is also examined through the Double Cleavage Drilled ...multinary complex structures. Structural, microstructural, and chemical characterizations were explored by metrological tools to support this...simple hydrocarbons in order to quantitatively define structure-property relationships for reacting materials under shock compression. Embedded gauge

Design and Use Online Platforms to Learn Mathematics and the Use of Them in Simulations of Problems in Applied Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Méndez-Fragoso, Ricardo; Villavicencio-Torres, Mirna; Martínez-Moreno, Josué

2017-01-01

In this contribution, we show the practical use of the computer to visualise simple computational simulations to show phenomena that occur in everyday life, or require an abstract understanding for being unintuitive phenomena. The relationship of the mathematics to different scientific disciplines motivates us to devise different treatments to…

Effects of Exposure on Attitudes towards STEM Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurz, Mary Elizabeth; Yoder, S. Elizabeth; Zu, Ling

2015-01-01

There are many things that can influence a child's career path. Parents and teachers are first to come to mind. But simple exposure to a certain career may also influence a child's choice of a career. There is always a need for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs. We look at elementary students who have attended an expo designed…

Using the Plan View to Teach Basic Crystallography in General Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cushman, Cody V.; Linford, Matthew R.

2015-01-01

The plan view is used in crystallography and materials science to show the positions of atoms in crystal structures. However, it is not widely used in teaching general chemistry. In this contribution, we introduce the plan view, and show these views for the simple cubic, body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, hexagonal close packed, CsCl, NaCl,…

A Physics Heptathlon: Simple Models of Seven Sporting Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spathopoulos, Vassilios McInnes

2010-01-01

Anything that can capture the interest of students can be used to enhance the teaching of physics, and sport is practised, watched and followed fanatically by almost every young person. At the same time, in recent years, a wealth of research data has become available from the field of sports science. The purpose of this article is to draw from…

Mechanization in a New Medical School Library II. Serials and Circulation

PubMed Central

Payne, Ladye Margarete; Small, Louise; Divett, Robert T.

1966-01-01

The serials and circulation phases of the data-processing system in use at the University of New Mexico Library of the Medical Sciences are described. The development of the programs is also reported. The serials program uses simple punched card equipment. The circulation program uses the IBM 357 Data Collection System and punched card data-processing equipment. Images PMID:5921473

Science support for the Earth radiation budget sensor on the Nimbus-7 spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingersoll, A. P.

1982-01-01

Experimental data supporting the Earth radiation budget sensor on the Nimbus 7 Satellite is given. The data deals with the empirical relations between radiative flux, cloudiness, and other meteorological parameters; response of a zonal climate ice sheet model to the orbital perturbations during the quaternary ice ages; and a simple parameterization for ice sheet ablation rate.

A Simple Czech and English Probabilistic Tagger: A Comparison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hladka, Barbora; Hajic, Jan

An experiment compared the tagging of two languages: Czech, a highly inflected language with a high degree of ambiguity, and English. For Czech, the corpus was one gathered in the 1970s at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences; for English, it was the Wall Street Journal corpus. Results indicate 81.53 percent accuracy for Czech and 96.83 percent…

Assessing the cumulative effects of linear recreation routes on wildlife habitats on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests.

Treesearch

William L. Gaines; Peter H. Singleton; Roger C. Ross

2003-01-01

We conducted a literature review to document the effects of linear recreation routes on focal wildlife species. We identified a variety of interactions between focal species and roads, motorized trails, and nonmotorized trails. We used the available science to develop simple geographic information system-based models to evaluate the cumulative effects of recreational...

Internet Protocol Over Telemetry Testing for Earth Science Capability Demo Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franz, Russ; Pestana, Mark; Bessent, Shedrick; Hang, Richard; Ng, Howard

2006-01-01

The development and flight tests described here focused on utilizing existing pulse code modulation (PCM) telemetry equipment to enable on-vehicle networks of instruments and computers to be a simple extension of the ground station network. This capability is envisioned as a necessary component of a global range that supports test and development of manned and unmanned airborne vehicles.

INTERDISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Synchronization in Complex Networks with Multiple Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qing-Chu; Fu, Xin-Chu; Sun, Wei-Gang

2010-01-01

In this paper a class of networks with multiple connections are discussed. The multiple connections include two different types of links between nodes in complex networks. For this new model, we give a simple generating procedure. Furthermore, we investigate dynamical synchronization behavior in a delayed two-layer network, giving corresponding theoretical analysis and numerical examples.

Scrutinizing A Survey-Based Measure of Science and Mathematics Teacher Knowledge: Relationship to Observations of Teaching Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talbot, Robert M., III

2017-01-01

There is a clear need for valid and reliable instrumentation that measures teacher knowledge. However, the process of investigating and making a case for instrument validity is not a simple undertaking; rather, it is a complex endeavor. This paper presents the empirical case of one aspect of such an instrument validation effort. The particular…

Science and Mathematics in Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woolack, Edward

2009-01-01

A brief historical introduction to the development of observational astronomy will be presented. The close historical relationship between the successful application of mathematical concepts and advances in astronomy will be presented. A variety of simple physical demonstrations, hands-on group activities, and puzzles will be used to understand how the properties of light can be used to understand the contents of our universe.

FLaapLUC: A pipeline for the generation of prompt alerts on transient Fermi-LAT γ-ray sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenain, J.-P.

2018-01-01

The large majority of high energy sources detected with Fermi-LAT are blazars, which are known to be very variable sources. High cadence long-term monitoring simultaneously at different wavelengths being prohibitive, the study of their transient activities can help shedding light on our understanding of these objects. The early detection of such potentially fast transient events is the key for triggering follow-up observations at other wavelengths. A Python tool, FLaapLUC, built on top of the Science Tools provided by the Fermi Science Support Center and the Fermi-LAT collaboration, has been developed using a simple aperture photometry approach. This tool can effectively detect relative flux variations in a set of predefined sources and alert potential users. Such alerts can then be used to trigger target of opportunity observations with other facilities. It is shown that FLaapLUC is an efficient tool to reveal transient events in Fermi-LAT data, providing quick results which can be used to promptly organise follow-up observations. Results from this simple aperture photometry method are also compared to full likelihood analyses. The FLaapLUC package is made available on GitHub and is open to contributions by the community.

Weighing Evidence "Steampunk" Style via the Meta-Analyser.

PubMed

Bowden, Jack; Jackson, Chris

2016-10-01

The funnel plot is a graphical visualization of summary data estimates from a meta-analysis, and is a useful tool for detecting departures from the standard modeling assumptions. Although perhaps not widely appreciated, a simple extension of the funnel plot can help to facilitate an intuitive interpretation of the mathematics underlying a meta-analysis at a more fundamental level, by equating it to determining the center of mass of a physical system. We used this analogy to explain the concepts of weighing evidence and of biased evidence to a young audience at the Cambridge Science Festival, without recourse to precise definitions or statistical formulas and with a little help from Sherlock Holmes! Following on from the science fair, we have developed an interactive web-application (named the Meta-Analyser) to bring these ideas to a wider audience. We envisage that our application will be a useful tool for researchers when interpreting their data. First, to facilitate a simple understanding of fixed and random effects modeling approaches; second, to assess the importance of outliers; and third, to show the impact of adjusting for small study bias. This final aim is realized by introducing a novel graphical interpretation of the well-known method of Egger regression.

The Value of Data and Metadata Standardization for Interoperability in Giovanni Or: Why Your Product's Metadata Causes Us Headaches!

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smit, Christine; Hegde, Mahabaleshwara; Strub, Richard; Bryant, Keith; Li, Angela; Petrenko, Maksym

2017-01-01

Giovanni is a data exploration and visualization tool at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC). It has been around in one form or another for more than 15 years. Giovanni calculates simple statistics and produces 22 different visualizations for more than 1600 geophysical parameters from more than 90 satellite and model products. Giovanni relies on external data format standards to ensure interoperability, including the NetCDF CF Metadata Conventions. Unfortunately, these standards were insufficient to make Giovanni's internal data representation truly simple to use. Finding and working with dimensions can be convoluted with the CF Conventions. Furthermore, the CF Conventions are silent on machine-friendly descriptive metadata such as the parameter's source product and product version. In order to simplify analyzing disparate earth science data parameters in a unified way, we developed Giovanni's internal standard. First, the format standardizes parameter dimensions and variables so they can be easily found. Second, the format adds all the machine-friendly metadata Giovanni needs to present our parameters to users in a consistent and clear manner. At a glance, users can grasp all the pertinent information about parameters both during parameter selection and after visualization.

A Semimetal Model of the Normal State Susceptibility and Transport Properties of Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 Superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sales, Brian; Sefat, Athena; McGuire, Michael; Mandrus, David

2010-03-01

A simple two-band 3D model of a semimetal is constructed to see which normal state features of the Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 superconductors can be qualitatively understood within this framework. The model is able to account in a semiquantitative fashion for the measured magnetic susceptibility, Hall, and Seebeck data, and the low temperature Sommerfeld coefficient for 0

m-Learning and holography: Compatible techniques?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvo, Maria L.

2014-07-01

Since the last decades, cell phones have become increasingly popular and are nowadays ubiquitous. New generations of cell phones are now equipped with text messaging, internet, and camera features. They are now making their way into the classroom. This is creating a new teaching and learning technique, the so called m-Learning (or mobile-Learning). Because of the many benefits that cell phones offer, teachers could easily use them as a teaching and learning tool. However, an additional work from the teachers for introducing their students into the m-Learning in the classroom needs to be defined and developed. As an example, optical techniques, based upon interference and diffraction phenomena, such as holography, appear to be convenient topics for m-Learning. They can be approached with simple examples and experiments within the cell phones performances and classroom accessibility. We will present some results carried out at the Faculty of Physical Sciences in UCM to obtain very simple holographic recordings via cell phones. The activities were carried out inside the course on Optical Coherence and Laser, offered to students in the fourth course of the Grade in Physical Sciences. Some open conclusions and proposals will be presented.

Study on transient beam loading compensation for China ADS proton linac injector II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zheng; He, Yuan; Wang, Xian-Wu; Chang, Wei; Zhang, Rui-Feng; Zhu, Zheng-Long; Zhang, Sheng-Hu; Chen, Qi; Powers, Tom

2016-05-01

Significant transient beam loading effects were observed during beam commissioning tests of prototype II of the injector for the accelerator driven sub-critical (ADS) system, which took place at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, between October and December 2014. During these tests experiments were performed with continuous wave (CW) operation of the cavities with pulsed beam current, and the system was configured to make use of a prototype digital low level radio frequency (LLRF) controller. The system was originally operated in pulsed mode with a simple proportional plus integral and deviation (PID) feedback control algorithm, which was not able to maintain the desired gradient regulation during pulsed 10 mA beam operations. A unique simple transient beam loading compensation method which made use of a combination of proportional and integral (PI) feedback and feedforward control algorithm was implemented in order to significantly reduce the beam induced transient effect in the cavity gradients. The superconducting cavity field variation was reduced to less than 1.7% after turning on this control algorithm. The design and experimental results of this system are presented in this paper. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (91426303, 11525523)

Simple Rules, Not So Simple: The Use of International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Terminology and Simple Rules in Inexperienced Hands in a Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

PubMed

Meys, Evelyne; Rutten, Iris; Kruitwagen, Roy; Slangen, Brigitte; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Mertens, Helen; Nolting, Ernst; Boskamp, Dieuwke; Van Gorp, Toon

2017-12-01

 To analyze how well untrained examiners - without experience in the use of International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology or simple ultrasound-based rules (simple rules) - are able to apply IOTA terminology and simple rules and to assess the level of agreement between non-experts and an expert.  This prospective multicenter cohort study enrolled women with ovarian masses. Ultrasound was performed by non-expert examiners and an expert. Ultrasound features were recorded using IOTA nomenclature, and used for classifying the mass by simple rules. Interobserver agreement was evaluated with Fleiss' kappa and percentage agreement between observers.  50 consecutive women were included. We observed 46 discrepancies in the description of ovarian masses when non-experts utilized IOTA terminology. Tumor type was misclassified often (n = 22), resulting in poor interobserver agreement between the non-experts and the expert (kappa = 0.39, 95 %-CI 0.244 - 0.529, percentage of agreement = 52.0 %). Misinterpretation of simple rules by non-experts was observed 57 times, resulting in an erroneous diagnosis in 15 patients (30 %). The agreement for classifying the mass as benign, malignant or inconclusive by simple rules was only moderate between the non-experts and the expert (kappa = 0.50, 95 %-CI 0.300 - 0.704, percentage of agreement = 70.0 %). The level of agreement for all 10 simple rules features varied greatly (kappa index range: -0.08 - 0.74, percentage of agreement 66 - 94 %).  Although simple rules are useful to distinguish benign from malignant adnexal masses, they are not that simple for untrained examiners. Training with both IOTA terminology and simple rules is necessary before simple rules can be introduced into guidelines and daily clinical practice. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Pseudo-simple heteroclinic cycles in R4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chossat, Pascal; Lohse, Alexander; Podvigina, Olga

2018-06-01

We study pseudo-simple heteroclinic cycles for a Γ-equivariant system in R4 with finite Γ ⊂ O(4) , and their nearby dynamics. In particular, in a first step towards a full classification - analogous to that which exists already for the class of simple cycles - we identify all finite subgroups of O(4) admitting pseudo-simple cycles. To this end we introduce a constructive method to build equivariant dynamical systems possessing a robust heteroclinic cycle. Extending a previous study we also investigate the existence of periodic orbits close to a pseudo-simple cycle, which depends on the symmetry groups of equilibria in the cycle. Moreover, we identify subgroups Γ ⊂ O(4) , Γ ⊄ SO(4) , admitting fragmentarily asymptotically stable pseudo-simple heteroclinic cycles. (It has been previously shown that for Γ ⊂ SO(4) pseudo-simple cycles generically are completely unstable.) Finally, we study a generalized heteroclinic cycle, which involves a pseudo-simple cycle as a subset.

Making knowledge: history, literature, and the poetics of science.

PubMed

Bono, James J

2010-09-01

As a field of study, literature and science has gradually expanded to encompass both the impact of science on literary culture and the literary-linguistic practices intrinsic to the production of scientific knowledge. Such transformations both reinforce and fundamentally recalibrate the detailed attention focused on scientific practice by historians of science since the 1980s. As a result, this essay and the Focus section it introduces suggest that history of science and literature and science are, in fact, interdependent fields. Attention to their convergences will yield better understanding of the performative dimensions of scientific practices and thence of science itself as a form of making of knowledge of things and events in the world of nature. Science as a form of making involves the convergence of things, material practices, and a panoply of meaningful artifacts-instruments of thought and action-that refuse any simple dichotomy between "text" and "action."

Simple projects guidebook : federal-aid procedure for simple projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-06-01

Experience has shown that a simple project generally 1) does not have any right-of-way involvement and 2) has a Programmatic Categorical Exclusion or Categorical Exclusion environmental determination. Page 7 outlines the definition of simple projects...

The effect of using bomb calorimeter in improving science process skills of physics students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edie, S. S.; Masturi; Safitri, H. N.; Alighiri, D.; Susilawati; Sari, L. M. E. K.; Marwoto, P.; Iswari, R. S.

2018-03-01

The bomb calorimeter is laboratory equipment which serves to calculate the value of combustion heat or heat capacity of a sample in excess oxygen combustion. This study aims to determine the effect of using bomb calorimeter on science process skill of physics students. Influences include the effectiveness of using the equipment and knowing the improvement of students’ science process skills before and after using tools. The sample used simple random sampling with one group pretest-posttest research design. The instrument that used is written test that adjusts with science process skills aspect. Analysis of the effectiveness of bomb calorimeter showed useful result 87.88%, while the study of science skill improvement showed n-gain value 0.64 that is the medium category.

A global catalogue of Ceres impact craters ≥ 1 km and preliminary analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gou, Sheng; Yue, Zongyu; Di, Kaichang; Liu, Zhaoqin

2018-03-01

The orbital data products of Ceres, including global LAMO image mosaic and global HAMO DTM with a resolution of 35 m/pixel and 135 m/pixel respectively, are utilized in this research to create a global catalogue of impact craters with diameter ≥ 1 km, and their morphometric parameters are calculated. Statistics shows: (1) There are 29,219 craters in the catalogue, and the craters have a various morphologies, e.g., polygonal crater, floor fractured crater, complex crater with central peak, etc.; (2) The identifiable smallest crater size is extended to 1 km and the crater numbers have been updated when compared with the crater catalogue (D ≥ 20 km) released by the Dawn Science Team; (3) The d/D ratios for fresh simple craters, obviously degraded simple crater and polygonal simple crater are 0.11 ± 0.04, 0.05 ± 0.04 and 0.14 ± 0.02 respectively. (4) The d/D ratios for non-polygonal complex crater and polygonal complex crater are 0.08 ± 0.04 and 0.09 ± 0.03. The global crater catalogue created in this work can be further applied to many other scientific researches, such as comparing d/D with other bodies, inferring subsurface properties, determining surface age, and estimating average erosion rate.

Simple interventions to improve healthy eating behaviors in the school cafeteria.

PubMed

Kessler, Holly S

2016-03-01

The National School Lunch Program in the United States provides an important opportunity to improve nutrition for the 30 million children who participate every school day. The purpose of this narrative review is to present and evaluate simple, evidence-based strategies to improve healthy eating behaviors at school. Healthy eating behaviors are defined as increased selection/consumption of fruits and/or vegetables, increased selection of nutrient-dense foods, or decreased selection of low-nutrient, energy-dense foods. Data were collected from sales records, 24-hour food recalls, direct observation, and estimation of plate waste. The review is limited to simple, discrete interventions that are easy to implement. Sixteen original, peer-reviewed articles are included. Interventions are divided into 5 categories: modification of choice, behavior modification, marketing strategies, time-efficiency strategies, and fruit slicing. All interventions resulted in improved eating behaviors, but not all interventions are applicable or feasible in all settings. Because these studies were performed prior to the implementation of the new federally mandated school meal standards, it is unknown if these interventions would yield similar results if repeated now. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Studies of Portuguese and British primary pupils learning science through simple activities in the home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Lurdes Cardoso, Maria

2002-01-01

Asking parents to help their children by taking part in home science activities is a comparatively new development. We consider how Portuguese and British parents of primary pupils rose to the challenge, taking into account the recent histories of science education in the two countries. The pre-course responses of the parents and teachers are analysed, and how the parents interacted with their children is reported. The learning atmosphere is shown to be very different from that of school, being more conducive to relaxed and effective talk. It is also shown that the families highlighted different aspects of science in accordance with their culture, and also that their children resented any break in the normal family roles.

The quickening of science communication.

PubMed

Lucky, R

2000-07-14

In this month's essay, Robert Lucky examines the central sociological impacts that communications technologies have had on the way science is done as well as the critical influences science has had in the evolution of communications technology. He traces the evolution of today's infrastructure for research and collaboration in science via the Internet and the World Wide Web back to the invention of the telegraph, which first freed the flow of information from its reliance on the physical means of transportation and allowed communication to occur in real time. According to Lucky, the remaining technical hurdles in providing unlimited bandwidth are relatively simple to overcome compared with the sociotechnical engineering required to improve the three dimensions of communications--human to information, human to human, and human to computer.

The Eugenides Foundation Interactive Exhibition of Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontogiannis, Ioannis

2010-01-01

The Interactive Exhibition of Science and Technology is installed in an area of 1200 m2 at the Eugenides Foundation. 65 interactive exhibits, designed by the "Cites des Science et de l' Industrie" are organised in themes, stimulate the visitors' mind and provoke scientific thinking. Parallel activities take place inside the exhibition, such as live science demonstrations, performed by young scientists. Extra material such as news bulletins (short news, science comics and portraits), educational paths and treasure-hunting based games, all available online as well, are prepared on a monthly basis and provided along with the visit to the exhibition. Through these exhibits and activities, scientific facts are made simple and easy to comprehend using modern presentation tools. We present details on how this exhibition acts complementary to the science education provided by schools, making it a highly sophisticated educational tool.

Science and Politics in the Philosophy of Science of Popper, Polanyi, and Kuhn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nye, Mary Jo

2006-05-01

The names of Karl Popper, Michael Polanyi, and Thomas Kuhn are well-known among scientists and among historians and philosophers of science. Around 1960 they published books that excited considerable discussion because of their independent rejection of the philosophical tradition that uses simple empiricism or positivism to differentiate science from religion, metaphysics, ideology, or pseudo-science. Popper's original field of expertise was scientific education and psychology. Polanyi had a distinguished career in physical chemistry and chemical physics, while Kuhn worked briefly in solid-state physics before turning to the philosophy of science. Their descriptions of scientific practices and values have roots not only in their scientific educations and experiences, but also in the political questions of their time. This paper focuses on political dimensions in the philosophical work of these three twentieth-century figures.

Fractality à la carte: a general particle aggregation model.

PubMed

Nicolás-Carlock, J R; Carrillo-Estrada, J L; Dossetti, V

2016-01-19

In nature, fractal structures emerge in a wide variety of systems as a local optimization of entropic and energetic distributions. The fractality of these systems determines many of their physical, chemical and/or biological properties. Thus, to comprehend the mechanisms that originate and control the fractality is highly relevant in many areas of science and technology. In studying clusters grown by aggregation phenomena, simple models have contributed to unveil some of the basic elements that give origin to fractality, however, the specific contribution from each of these elements to fractality has remained hidden in the complex dynamics. Here, we propose a simple and versatile model of particle aggregation that is, on the one hand, able to reveal the specific entropic and energetic contributions to the clusters' fractality and morphology, and, on the other, capable to generate an ample assortment of rich natural-looking aggregates with any prescribed fractal dimension.

The Nitrogen Balancing Act: Tracking the Environmental Performance of Food Production

PubMed Central

McLellan, Eileen L; Cassman, Kenneth G; Eagle, Alison J; Woodbury, Peter B; Sela, Shai; Tonitto, Christina; Marjerison, Rebecca D; van Es, Harold M

2018-01-01

Abstract Farmers, food supply-chain entities, and policymakers need a simple but robust indicator to demonstrate progress toward reducing nitrogen pollution associated with food production. We show that nitrogen balance—the difference between nitrogen inputs and nitrogen outputs in an agricultural production system—is a robust measure of nitrogen losses that is simple to calculate, easily understood, and based on readily available farm data. Nitrogen balance provides farmers with a means of demonstrating to an increasingly concerned public that they are succeeding in reducing nitrogen losses while also improving the overall sustainability of their farming operation. Likewise, supply-chain companies and policymakers can use nitrogen balance to track progress toward sustainability goals. We describe the value of nitrogen balance in translating environmental targets into actionable goals for farmers and illustrate the potential roles of science, policy, and agricultural support networks in helping farmers achieve them. PMID:29662247

SOME USES OF MODELS OF QUANTITATIVE GENETIC SELECTION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE.

PubMed

Weight, Michael D; Harpending, Henry

2017-01-01

The theory of selection of quantitative traits is widely used in evolutionary biology, agriculture and other related fields. The fundamental model known as the breeder's equation is simple, robust over short time scales, and it is often possible to estimate plausible parameters. In this paper it is suggested that the results of this model provide useful yardsticks for the description of social traits and the evaluation of transmission models. The differences on a standard personality test between samples of Old Order Amish and Indiana rural young men from the same county and the decline of homicide in Medieval Europe are used as illustrative examples of the overall approach. It is shown that the decline of homicide is unremarkable under a threshold model while the differences between rural Amish and non-Amish young men are too large to be a plausible outcome of simple genetic selection in which assortative mating by affiliation is equivalent to truncation selection.

A simple, multidimensional approach to high-throughput discovery of catalytic reactions.

PubMed

Robbins, Daniel W; Hartwig, John F

2011-09-09

Transition metal complexes catalyze many important reactions that are employed in medicine, materials science, and energy production. Although high-throughput methods for the discovery of catalysts that would mirror related approaches for the discovery of medicinally active compounds have been the focus of much attention, these methods have not been sufficiently general or accessible to typical synthetic laboratories to be adopted widely. We report a method to evaluate a broad range of catalysts for potential coupling reactions with the use of simple laboratory equipment. Specifically, we screen an array of catalysts and ligands with a diverse mixture of substrates and then use mass spectrometry to identify reaction products that, by design, exceed the mass of any single substrate. With this method, we discovered a copper-catalyzed alkyne hydroamination and two nickel-catalyzed hydroarylation reactions, each of which displays excellent functional-group tolerance.

Simple method for preparation of nanostructurally organized spines of sand dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis (Agassiz, 1863).

PubMed

Ehrlich, Herman; Elkin, Yury N; Artoukov, Alexandr A; Stonik, Valentin A; Safronov, Peter P; Bazhenov, Vasily V; Kurek, Denis V; Varlamov, Valery P; Born, René; Meissner, Heike; Richter, Gert

2011-06-01

Unique skeletal formations of marine invertebrates, including representatives of Echinodermata, have the unique potential to serve as templates for bio-inspired materials chemistry, biomimetics, and materials science. The sand dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis (Agassiz, 1983) is widely distributed in the northwest of the Pacific Ocean from southern Japan to the Aleutian Islands. This animal is the main source of naphtochinone-based substances. These compounds have recently drawn medical attention for their use as cardiological and ophthalmological drugs. Unfortunately, after extraction of the naphtochinones, the residual skeletons and spines of the sand dollars were usually discarded. Here, we report the first method for the preparation of nanostructurally organized spines of S. mirabilis, using a simple enzymatic and hydrogen peroxide-based treatment. Application of this method opens the way for development of non-wasteful environmentally clean technology of sand dollars as well-known industrial marine invertebrates.

Synthesis of partially and fully fused polyaromatics by annulative chlorophenylene dimerization.

PubMed

Koga, Yoshito; Kaneda, Takeshi; Saito, Yutaro; Murakami, Kei; Itami, Kenichiro

2018-01-26

Since the discovery by Ullmann and Bielecki in 1901, reductive dimerization (or homocoupling) of aryl halides has been extensively exploited for the generation of a range of biaryl-based functional molecules. In contrast to the single-point connection in these products, edge-sharing fused aromatic systems have not generally been accessible from simple aryl halides via annulation cascades. Here we report a single-step synthesis of fused aromatics with a triphenylene core by the palladium-catalyzed annulative dimerization of structurally and functionally diverse chlorophenylenes through double carbon-hydrogen bond activation. The partially fused polyaromatics can be transformed into fully fused, small graphene nanoribbons, which are otherwise difficult to synthesize. This simple, yet powerful, method allows access to functional π-systems of interest in optoelectronics research. Copyright © 2018, The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Hawking temperature: an elementary approach based on Newtonian mechanics and quantum theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinochet, Jorge

2016-01-01

In 1974, the British physicist Stephen Hawking discovered that black holes have a characteristic temperature and are therefore capable of emitting radiation. Given the scientific importance of this discovery, there is a profuse literature on the subject. Nevertheless, the available literature ends up being either too simple, which does not convey the true physical significance of the issue, or too technical, which excludes an ample segment of the audience interested in science, such as physics teachers and their students. The present article seeks to remedy this shortcoming. It develops a simple and plausible argument that provides insight into the fundamental aspects of Hawking’s discovery, which leads to an approximate equation for the so-called Hawking temperature. The exposition is mainly intended for physics teachers and their students, and it only requires elementary algebra, as well as basic notions of Newtonian mechanics and quantum theory.

Measuring the coefficient of restitution and more: a simple experiment to promote students’ critical thinking and autonomous work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Manuel Á.; González, Miguel Á.; Vegas, Jesús; Llamas, César

2017-09-01

A simple experiment on the determination of the coefficient of restitution of different materials is taken as the basis of an extendable work that can be done by students in an autonomous way. On the whole, the work described in this paper would involve concepts of kinematics, materials science, air drag and buoyancy, and would help students to think of physics as a whole subject instead of a set of, more or less, isolated parts. The experiment can be done either in teaching laboratories or as an autonomous work by students at home. Students’ smartphones and cheap balls of different materials are the only experimental materials required to do the experiment. The proposed work also permits the students to analyse the limitations of a physical model used in the experiment by analysing the approximations considered in it, and then enhancing their critical thinking.

Simple Method to Generate Terawatt-Attosecond X-Ray Free-Electron-Laser Pulses.

PubMed

Prat, Eduard; Reiche, Sven

2015-06-19

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) are cutting-edge research tools that produce almost fully coherent radiation with high power and short-pulse length with applications in multiple science fields. There is a strong demand to achieve even shorter pulses and higher radiation powers than the ones obtained at state-of-the-art XFEL facilities. In this context we propose a novel method to generate terawatt-attosecond XFEL pulses, where an XFEL pulse is pushed through several short good-beam regions of the electron bunch. In addition to the elements of conventional XFEL facilities, the method uses only a multiple-slotted foil and small electron delays between undulator sections. Our scheme is thus simple, compact, and easy to implement both in already operating as well as future XFEL projects. We present numerical simulations that confirm the feasibility and validity of our proposal.

Quantitative Modeling of Earth Surface Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelletier, Jon D.

This textbook describes some of the most effective and straightforward quantitative techniques for modeling Earth surface processes. By emphasizing a core set of equations and solution techniques, the book presents state-of-the-art models currently employed in Earth surface process research, as well as a set of simple but practical research tools. Detailed case studies demonstrate application of the methods to a wide variety of processes including hillslope, fluvial, aeolian, glacial, tectonic, and climatic systems. Exercises at the end of each chapter begin with simple calculations and then progress to more sophisticated problems that require computer programming. All the necessary computer codes are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521855976. Assuming some knowledge of calculus and basic programming experience, this quantitative textbook is designed for advanced geomorphology courses and as a reference book for professional researchers in Earth and planetary science looking for a quantitative approach to Earth surface processes.

The Simple Video Coder: A free tool for efficiently coding social video data.

PubMed

Barto, Daniel; Bird, Clark W; Hamilton, Derek A; Fink, Brandi C

2017-08-01

Videotaping of experimental sessions is a common practice across many disciplines of psychology, ranging from clinical therapy, to developmental science, to animal research. Audio-visual data are a rich source of information that can be easily recorded; however, analysis of the recordings presents a major obstacle to project completion. Coding behavior is time-consuming and often requires ad-hoc training of a student coder. In addition, existing software is either prohibitively expensive or cumbersome, which leaves researchers with inadequate tools to quickly process video data. We offer the Simple Video Coder-free, open-source software for behavior coding that is flexible in accommodating different experimental designs, is intuitive for students to use, and produces outcome measures of event timing, frequency, and duration. Finally, the software also offers extraction tools to splice video into coded segments suitable for training future human coders or for use as input for pattern classification algorithms.

Triple-loaded single-anchor stitch configurations: an analysis of cyclically loaded suture-tendon interface security.

PubMed

Coons, David A; Barber, F Alan; Herbert, Morley A

2006-11-01

This study evaluated the strength and suture-tendon interface security of different suture configurations from triple-suture-loaded anchors. A juvenile bovine infraspinatus tendon was detached and repaired by use of 4 different suture combinations from 2 suture anchors: 3 simple sutures in each anchor (ThreeVo anchor; Linvatec, Largo, FL); 2 peripheral simple stitches and 1 central horizontal mattress suture passed deeper into the tendon, creating a larger footprint (bigfoot-print anchor); 2 peripheral simple stitches with 1 central horizontal mattress stitch passed through the same holes as the simple sutures (stitch-of-Burns); and 2 simple stitches (TwoVo anchor; Linvatec). The constructs were cyclically loaded between 10 N and 180 N for 3,500 cycles and then destructively tested. The number of cycles required to create a 5-mm gap and a 10-mm gap and the ultimate load to failure and failure mode were recorded. The ThreeVo anchor was strongest and most resistant to cyclic loading (P < .01). The TwoVo anchor was least resistant to cyclic loading. The stitch-of-Burns anchor was more resistant to cyclic loading than both the bigfoot-print anchor and the TwoVo anchor (P < .03). The ThreeVo, stitch-of-Burns, and TwoVo anchors were stronger than the bigfoot-print anchor (P < .05). Three simple sutures in an anchor hold better than two simple sutures. Three simple sutures provide superior suture-tendon security than combinations of one mattress and two simple stitches subjected to cyclic loading. A central mattress stitch placed more medially than two peripheral simple stitches (bigfoot-print anchor) configured to enlarge the tendon-suture footprint was not as resistant to cyclic loading or destructive testing as three simple stitches (ThreeVo anchor). Placing a central mattress stitch more medially than 2 peripheral simple stitches to enlarge the tendon-suture footprint was not as resistant to cyclic loading or destructive testing as 3 simple stitches.

77 FR 63925 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-17

..., Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers (SIMPLE)--Not for Use With a Designated Financial Institution; Form 5305-SIMPLE, Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers (SIMPLE)--for Use With a Designated Financial Institution; Notice 98-4, Simple IRA Plan Guidance. DATES...

Canonical Representations of the Simple Map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerwin, Olivia; Punjabi, Alkesh; Ali, Halima; Boozer, Allen

2007-11-01

The simple map is the simplest map that has the topology of a divertor tokamak. The simple map has three canonical representations: (i) toroidal flux and poloidal angle (ψ,θ) as canonical coordinates, (ii) the physical variables (R,Z) or (X,Y) as canonical coordinates, and (iii) the action-angle (J,ζ) or magnetic variables (ψ,θ) as canonical coordinates. We give the derivation of the simple map in the (X,Y) representation. The simple map in this representation has been studied extensively (Ref. 1 and references therein). We calculate the magnetic coordinates for the simple map, construct the simple map in magnetic coordinates, and calculate generic topological effects of magnetic perturbations in divertor tokamaks using the map. We also construct the simple map in (ψ,θ) representation. Preliminary results of these studies will be presented. This work is supported by US DOE OFES DE-FG02-01ER54624 and DE-FG02-04ER54793. [1] A. Punjabi, H. Ali, T. Evans, and A. Boozer, Phys Lett A 364 140--145 (2007).