Book Reviews Citizen Science Environment SciStarter Blog 

Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research

Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research is a foundational text for researchers, educators, and volunteers. Dickinson, Janis L. & Bonney, Rick. (eds). Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research. Cornell University Press, 2012. 279 pages. Though it was published in 2012, Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research continues to be relevant. As discussions of environmental research increase in frequency and urgency, institutions at all levels will continue to raise questions about the public’s scientific literacy and the best methods of mobilizing scientific knowledge. This text works through these…

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Using cycling to teach physics Physics 

Using Cycling to Teach Physics

Working together, scientists and teachers have developed a method to teach teens about aerodynamic drag. Are you using cycling to teach physics, yet? “Usually, describing a realistic motion including aerodynamic drag would be beyond the scope of a secondary physics course. However, I realized that this could be done fairly easily for a bike slowing down by aerodynamic drag,” explains Florian Theilmann from the Weingarten University of Education in Germany. From Textbook to Real-Life Physics “In a common physics class, physics seems to be presented in a very simplified way,”…

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Psychology STEM Education 

Family Support Needed for Future Scientists

Family support makes all the difference in bringing up the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, according to researchers at George Mason University. The researchers say that support from family is the primary factor in encouraging children to consider a future a science, with formal education playing a secondary role.  The findings could shape public policy and encourage community-centered activities designed to foster a love of science. “We were surprised to learn that the family is more important than we ever thought in terms of igniting the passion of…

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