Science Teaching Tips

Exploratorium staff physicist Thomas Humphrey divulges a clever way to measure the speed of sound, and he explains how he’s used that information to measure things in the world.

A veteran teacher tells how much he was helped in his first year of teaching by an unusually supportive department.

The ancient Greeks knew about magnets, and they knew about electricity, too. But it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that a connection between the two was discovered. Staff physicist Paul Doherty tells the story of how a professor made the connection . . . which led to modern motors.
Paul Doherty’s Web site: www.exo.net/~pauld

TI staff biologist Karen Kalumuck busts some of the myths about taste, and presents a few fun activities for the classroom.
This activity is from the Exploratorium’s Human Body Explorations: http://explo.stores.yahoo.net/humbodex.html
The Nose Knows activity: www.exploratorium.edu/ti/human_body/nose.html
More activities by Karen Kalumuck: http://philo.exploratorium.edu/karenk

A stack of blocks seems to defy gravity in this activity by Exploratorium staff educator Don Rathjen.

Take It from the Top activity: http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/take_it_from_the_top/index.html

More of Don Rathjen’s activities: www.exo.net/~donr

A veteran teacher describes his first year of teaching, and the myriad things he adjusted to while he learned the profession he loves.

What do polarized sunglasses have to do with dog urine? Listen to this curious story from staff physicist Paul Doherty.
Paul Doherty’s Web site: www.exo.net/~pauld

Size and scale can be difficult concepts to teach. TI staff educator Lori Lambertson talks us through one of her favorite activities, using one of her favorite dolls—Barbie.

TI program participant Mark Hespenheide presents an elegant illustration of free fall using string and paper clips.

How do you give your students the words they need to understand an activity or a topic? TI Staff Educator Modesto Tamez explains his opinion that vocabulary is best given towards the end of a lesson, not at the beginning.

Our host, Stephanie Chasteen, shares some more fun facts and activities having to do with the science of sound.
Stephanie Chasteen’s Web site: www.exo.net/~drsteph

Kids can be pretty skeptical, which can help them to learn more. Children’s book author David Schwartz shares some of the letters from classes who thought they should double-check the numbers in some of his books.
David Schwartz’s Web site: www.davidschwartz.com

Staff educator Tory Brady tells you how to make a teaching box—a valuable tool for getting yourself organized to teach a great science unit.
My Science Box (Web site from TI alumna): http://www.mysciencebox.org/node/172

TI staff educator Eric Muller shows me how to carbonate my tongue. Blech!
More of Eric Muller’s activities: www.exo.net/~emuller

TI teacher coach Jennifer Paillet explains how to fit in more labs, and get students thinking creatively by using take-home labs.

Students may come into your classroom with preconceived ideas about how things work. TI director Linda Shore explains why she feels it’s important to explore students’ private theories about the world, and some ways she’s found to do that in her own classrooms.
A Private Universe (from Annenburg Media): http://www.learner.org/resources/series28.html

Exploratorium staff physicist Thomas Humphrey reveals why size does matter, at least in physics.

Exploratorium staff physicist Thomas Humphrey reveals why size does matter, at least in physics.

Need to remember why you teach? Listen to this incredible story from one of our teacher coaches recalling her first year of teaching.

TI staff educator and math enthusiast Lori Lambertson describes how to find her favorite number.

When staff physicist Paul Doherty began to teach, he started by doing lots of demonstrations. But now, he explains, he has students get their hands on the science, which helps them to understand the calculations.
Paul Doherty’s Web site: www.exo.net/~pauld
File: 25-hands-on-science.mp3

It’s tough for a new teacher to keep up with everything from labs to professional development. TI teacher coach Arlette Manders provides a potpourri of tips on how to make life a little easier.

TI staff educator Lori Lambertson explains her philosophy of integrating math and science in the classroom, and how she puts it into practice.

TI staff educator Eric Muller demonstrates a “cool” thing to do with dry ice, and it even relates to the standards!
More of Eric Muller’s activities: www.exo.net/~emuller

Children’s book author David Schwartz shares some creative ways kids and teachers have used his books to look at big numbers.
David Schwartz’s Web site: www.davidschwartz.com

Our host, Stephanie Chasteen, shares some fun facts and activities having to do with the science of sound.
Stephanie Chasteen’s Web site: www.exo.net/~drsteph

TI staff biologist Karen Kalumuck tells us how she tries not to answer every question in the classroom -– instead, she guides her students to discover ideas for themselves.
Karen Kalumuck’s website: http://philo.exploratorium.edu/karenk/

Sometimes kids don’t have much experience with nature. TI teacher coach Kim Marie Hansen tells us how she got her inner city students outside and observing the world, by using nature journals.
Sample nature journal page: http://www.exo.net/~drsteph/podcasts/TT_Nature_journals.pdf

Got a tough kid in your class? TI Staff Educator Modesto Tamez tells us a story from his teaching career – a powerful technique that has helped him win over the stubborn, negative students.

Newton’s Laws were never so tasty. Exploratorium staff educator Don Rathjen shows us how to demonstrate ideas about force using a file folder and a marshmallow.
More of Don Rathjen’s activities: http://www.exo.net/~donr/

A lucky veteran teacher tells how she got started teaching, with a supportive school and helpful predecessor. This episode is one in a series of several stories of the first time in a difficult profession.

How big does a mirror have to be for you to see yourself in it? Exploratorium senior staff scientist Thomas Humphrey describes an activity you can use in your classroom to investigate simple optics.

Children’s book author David Schwartz (www.davidschwartz.com) tells us how big numbers got him excited about math when he was a kid.

TI staff educator Eric Muller hits me up for change, and then shows us a neat science activity using dry ice. Eric’s website is at http://doscience.com/.

TI teacher coach Carol Murphy talks about the myriad ways she’s used storytelling in her science classes.

Today's story -- a teacher tells of his first year teaching in a tough school district, and a stellar performance in the face of quite extenuating circumstances. This episode is one in a series of several of these funny, sad, touching, and tough stories of the first time in a difficult profession.

Science Teaching Tips just won "Best Professional Development podcast" from the Podcast for Teachers (http://www.podcastforteachers.org.) In this episode, hear their interview with me, where I talk about why I made this podcast and why I think podcasts can be great professional development for teachers.

Learn how to build a version of a Brazilian instrument called the Cuica, which demonstrates principles of sound. This podcast was created collaboratively in a teacher workshop at the Exploratorium.

TI teacher coach Sandra Robbins talks about better classroom management styles.

TI teacher coach Sandra Robbins touts the merits of a book examining how to address student misconceptions in the science classroom.

TI staff educators Lori Lambertson and Tory Brady explore the math behind the morning paper.

TI teacher coach Rilla Chaney says she's no singer, but she's successfully used songs to teach science concepts in her classroom.

TI postdoctoral fellow Julie Yu explains what a stem cell is and why they’re important.

TI staff educator Don Rathjen describes how making up joke book titles, such as “Marine Biology” by C. Star, is a useful teaching tool—and also one of his personal addictions.

TI staff educator Modesto Tamez explains how to make a simple straw oboe that will bring down the house (and teach good physics!).