Tag Archives: field studies

Piloting new materials

I’ve been approached by a university science department to “pilot” some instructional materials being developed.  I’ve never done this before. Do you have any questions I should ask to help me decide? —Carol, Buffalo, New York As part of outreach efforts, science-related agencies and institutions often develop programs of materials and activities for K–12 classrooms. [...]

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The “cool” Darwin and the intersection of western science and native knowledge

Presenter Mark Plotkin seemed to enjoy being back in his native New Orleans earlier today as he talked about native cultures, Western science, and finding ways to use one to enhance the other. He encouraged attendees to make evolution relevant to their students by talking about the “cool Darwin.” Instead of the common photo of [...]

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Natural history, nature science, and science teaching

Our science department meetings were interesting. My colleague and I taught life and environmental science, and our counterparts in the high school sciences would poke (good-natured) fun at our “woodsy-birdsy” themes. Well, I hope they’re reading this month’s issue. The article “Back to the Future” really spoke to me. It’s scary to know that our [...]

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