Category Archives: Instruction & Tutorials

How to Write a Good Scientific Paper by Chris A. Mack…free download

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SPIE Press has published a book that should be valuable to all students and faculty in science and engineering: How to Write a Good Scientific Paper by Chris A. Mack.

We are pleased to announce that it is available, for personal use only, at no charge as a PDF eBook, with the link at the book’s web page.

Alternatively anyone can order How to Write a Good Scientific Paper from SPIE’s Bookstore as a softcover book.

Princeton University Library has a link to the online version here:

https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/10712422

From the description:  “This book is all about teaching the style and conventions of writing for a peer-reviewed scientific journal. From structure to style, titles to tables, abstracts to author lists, this book gives practical advice about the process of writing a paper and getting it published”.

Contents:Preface — Chapter 1. Getting started — Chapter 2. Structure and organization — Chapter 3. Language and style — Chapter 4. Figures and tables — Chapter 5. Citations — Chapter 6. Abstract and title — Chapter 7. What an editor looks for — Chapter 8. Picking the right journal — Chapter 9. Cover letter — Chapter 10. The editorial review process — Chapter 11. Review articles — Chapter 12. The ethics of scientific publication — Chapter 13. Authorship — Chapter 14. Plagiarism — Chapter 15. Double publication — Chapter 16. Editorial ethics — Appendix: A checklist for editors, reviewers, and authors.

 

Earth Primer (fun) and Map of Life (for citizen science)

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Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2016 | American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
Earth Primer by Chaim Gingold

Level: Elementary and Middle School
Platform: iOS money icon

Website external link icon

Earth Primer is a cross between an intro to earth science textbook and an interactive sandbox game. This creative application allows students to play with the powerful concepts that make up the physical aspects of our planet. Manipulate glaciers, volcanoes, biomes, weather systems, and more and experience how all of these structures combine to affect the makeup of our awesome planet.

Tip: Use Earth Primer to reinforce content in an earth science class.

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Map of Life by Map of Life

Level: Middle School, High School
Platform: iOS | Android

Website external link icon

Map of Life is a field guide applicable to anywhere in the world. Search species by category and/or location, and contribute to the map by recording your sightings in your location. Several categories of species are represented, such as trees, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Choose a type of species and view images, read about characteristics and habitat, and view a map showing range. Helps with conservation efforts worldwide!

Tip: Great application for classes using GIS data. Use Map of Life on science field trips to report wildlife and to identify plants and animals.

 

MIndShift — Website for Educational Technology

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From Library Journal, Vol. 140 (18), p45 (November 1, 2015):

MindShift  ww2.kqed.org/mindshift

comes from KQED, the NPR station in San Francisco.  the site offers research, information and ideas via videos, blogs, radio interviews, etc. illustrating use of technology in education for all levels.

 

Critical Thinking Web

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Best of the Web  from Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News <update@genmail.co>

More »

May 15, 2015 (Vol. 35, No. 10)

Critical Thinking Web

URL:philosophy.hku.hk/think/sci/hd.php
  • Lots of content, easy to understand

Critical thinking, logic, and creativity are three important traits for scientists (and anyone, really) to possess. The Critical Thinking Web, hosted by the philosophy department at the University of Hong Kong, is an online resource composed of tutorials covering various aspects of “thinking skills.” For example, visitors to the site will find tutorials about logic, scientific reasoning, strategic thinking, and fallacies, among many other topics. The tutorials are largely presented as text descriptions and case studies, and are sometimes accompanied by diagrams or other visual aids. Beyond the tutorials, the “resources” page includes a few downloadable documents such as critical thinking exercises, and there are also book recommendations and a link to an online directory of critical thinking web resources.

Center for the Advancement of Science in Space — website

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“The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space

  • http://www.iss-casis.org/

    The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2011 to manage the International Space Station. In addition to making access to the station faster and easier, connecting funders to scientists, and making research accessible to the public, CASIS hosts an excellent website packed with information about the space station. Readers may view the short videos on the homepage for more information on the projects CASIS sponsors, or peruse articles under the News & Events tab. Perhaps the most interesting part of the site, however, are the three tabs set aside for researchers, businesses, and educators. In fact, the For Educators tab is especially helpful, as it features Lesson Plans on topics such as “The Laws of Newton” and “Tracking Satellites,” a Q&A section, and Additional Resources for teachers. [CNH]“

  • Source:  Scout Report, Univ. of Wisconsin, March 27, 2015, Vol. 21(12)

Brian Greene and World Science University

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Homepage

A very promising website, but there aren’t very many offerings as yet.

Reviewed in GEN, “Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News”, Aug 01, 2014 (Vol. 34, No. 14),  Column: Best of the Web

Wonders of Life, with Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen

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SLJ1412w Top10 Apps WondersofLife SLJ’s Top 10 Apps for 2014   http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rgjt0

“In Brian Cox’s Wonders of Life (HarperCollins/William Collins; Gr 4 Up), the renowned physicist-cum-BBC host and Andrew Cohen take viewers around the world on an awe-inspiring trip to locations both forbidding and exotic while delving into the origins and mysteries of life on Earth. The app’s illuminating text and commentary, 1,000-plus high-resolution photos, numerous 3-D images, and hours of video clips will leave viewers with a profound respect for and curiosity about the diverse life forms and environs found on our planet, and inspire a desire to protect them. Up-close footage of numerous species is guaranteed to produce lots of “ooohhh…” moments.”

http://www.slj.com/2014/12/reviews/best-of/sljs-top-10-apps-for-2014/#_

One of the top 10 aps for 2014, assessed by School Library Journal, Dec. 9, 2014.

UNESCO resource: World Library of Science

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UNESCO Launches Online Science Education Resource

By Africa S. Hands

From UNESCO:

UNESCO launched the UNESCO World Library of Science (WLoS), a newly created, free online science education resource for a global community of users. Developed through the joint efforts of UNESCO, Nature Education and Roche, the WLoS was created to give students around the world, especially those in disadvantaged regions, access to the latest science information as well as the opportunity to share their experiences and learning through discussion with their peers in a shared learning environment.

Launched on the occasion of World Science Day for Peace and Development 2014, the WLoS is a science resource library stocked with over 300 top-quality articles, 25 eBooks, and over 70 videos from the publishers of Nature, the most cited scientific journal in the world. It is also a state-of-the-art digital platform that provides a community hub for learning. Users can join classes, build groups and connect with other learners.

UNESCO launched the UNESCO World Library of Science (WLoS), a newly created, free online science education resource for a global community of users. Developed through the joint efforts of UNESCO, Nature Education and Roche, the WLoS was created to give students around the world, especially those in disadvantaged regions, access to the latest science information as well as the opportunity to share their experiences and learning through discussion with their peers in a shared learning environment. – See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/about-us/single-view/news/unesco_partners_with_nature_education_and_roche_to_launch_the_world_library_of_science_a_free_online_science_education_resource/#.VHSNdclDXjV

Full story >>

Source: [ResourceShelf] Newsletter 624, Dec. 9, 2014

Periodic Table videos, University of Nottingham

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From Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, November 15, 2014, p.42, there is a brief description, of highly-rated Periodic Videos.  118 of them have been done, and are being revised by a group of chemists at the University of Nottingham in the UK.  Try out this interactive periodic table!

“Read our essay in the journal Science – Science link
And our paper in Nature Chemistry – Nature link (£)”

GENengnews.com,

Silence of the Genome

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Cold Spring Harbor has provided a website with complete lab protocols for classroom experiments exploring the use of RNA interference in Caenorhabditis elegans,  RNAi in C. elegans  http://www.silencinggenomes.org

 There are 7 modules as part of the process for manipulating genes of C. elegans.

From GENENGNEWS, Jan. 15, 2014, “Best of the Web”