Journal of College Science Teaching articles from October 2005

Journal of College Science Teaching archives from October 2005

October salute.
October 1, 2005... This special issue of JCST once again features a set of articles on the use of case studies in science assembled by Clyde (Kipp) Herreid, Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. As a result...

The Interrupted Case Method.(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... There are many ways to tell a tale. This issue of the journal demonstrates that point as it devotes itself once again entirely to case studies. The classical method of teaching cases is the discussion method used by Harvard law professors...

A strange fish indeed: the "discovery" of a living fossil.
October 1, 2005... Through a series of fictionalized diary entries, this case recounts the "discovery" in South Africa in 1938 of a fish believed to be extinct for over 70 million years. Developed for use in a freshman biology course as an introduction to the...

Mom always liked you best: examining the hypothesis of parental favoritism.
October 1, 2005... In this interrupted case study, based on a journal article on the parenting behavior of American coots, students are given information and data from which they must develop hypotheses and design experiments, mimicking the way that scientists...

Artificial sanity: a case study for a class in introductory psychology.
October 1, 2005... Using the story of death row inmate Charles Singleton, who developed paranoid schizophrenia while in prison awaiting execution, this case study explores the relationship between a society's concept of mental illness and its treatment of people...

A killer lake.
October 1, 2005... In 1986, Lake Nyos, a volcanic lake in Cameroon, released a huge amount of carbon dioxide gas, killing over 1,700 people in the surrounding area. This case study, developed for use in a limnology or aquatic biology course, explores that event,...

Cancel the Cardinals home opener?! Lessons in melting and evaporation.
October 1, 2005... The St. Louis Cardinals are scheduled to play their home opener the next day and Megan Riley, a young meteorologist who works for a private weather consulting firm, is responsible for developing the weather forecast. It's looking like she may...

Laboratory based case studies: closer to the real world.
October 1, 2005... Case-based laboratories offer students the chance to approximate real science. Based on interesting stories that pose problems requiring experimental solutions, they avoid the cookbook approach characteristic of traditional undergraduate...

Mask of Black God: the Pleiades in Navajo cosmology.
October 1, 2005... One Navajo legend attributes the creation of the primary stars and constellations to Black God. Today, a famous star cluster--the Pleiades--often appears on the traditional mask worn by chanters impersonating Black God during special...

PCBs in the last frontier: a case study on the scientific method.
October 1, 2005... This interrupted case study is based on current research involving the global transport of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Students are asked to propose several hypotheses and experiments in an attempt to determine how PCBs are transferred...

A friend in need is a friend indeed: a case study on human respiratory physiology.
October 1, 2005... The dynamics of oxygen transport by the blood can be a particularly difficult topic for students to grasp. A directed case study about carbon monoxide poisoning was designed to help deepen student understanding of the solution chemistry of the...

A can of bull? Do energy drinks really provide a source of energy?
October 1, 2005... This case study involves the biochemical analysis of the components of commonly available energy drinks, which many students purchase at fairly high prices. Students research the ingredients in each product and their physiological role in the...

Expand your professional horizons.
October 1, 2005... It's that time of year again--make your plans now to attend NSTA's 2005 fall conventions! This year we'll be taking our conference/exhibition events to Hartford, Connecticut; Chicago, Illinois; and Nashville, Tennessee. Get involved... sharpen...