Star Library: What Makes the Standard Deviation Larger or Smaller?
The activity is designed to help students develop a better intuitive understanding of what is meant by variability in statistics. Emphasis is placed on the standard deviation as a measure of variability. As they learn about the standard deviation, many students focus on the variability of bar heights ...
Star Library: Regression - Residuals - Why?
As teachers of statistics, we know that residual plots and other diagnostics are important to deciding whether or not linear regression is appropriate for a set of data. Despite talking with our students about this, many students might believe that if the correlation coefficient is strong enough, these ...
Star Library: Which Paper Towel is More Absorbent?
This group activity focuses on conducting an experiment to determine which of two brands of paper towels are more absorbent by measuring the amount of water absorbed. A two-sample t-test can be used to analyze the data, or simple graphics and descriptive statistics can be used as an exploratory analysis. ...
Star Library: An Unusual Episode
Dawson (1995) presented a data set giving a population at risk and fatalities for an “unusual episode” (the sinking of the ocean liner Titanic) and discussed the use of the data set in a first statistics course as an elementary exercise in statistical thinking, the goal being to deduce the origin of ...
T Probabilities
The applet in this section allows you to see how the T distribution is related to the Standard Normal distribution by calculating probabilities. The T distribution is primarily used to make inferences on a Normal mean when the variance is unknown.
Science as Investigation: A First Majors Course Teaching the Process
The first laboratory course biology majors take should challenge their expectation that biology is the mere memorization of knowledge. Rather, it should introduce them through experience to the scope and limitations of scientific investigation. Following a brief introduction to epistemology and the nature and goals of science, this course provides students with a developing understanding of scientific thinking, methodology, and experimental design. During the final unit of the course students de
Using A Molecular Marker to Study Genetic Equilibrium in Drosophila melanogaster
Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), genetic variation in a laboratory population of Drosophila is characterized. The population contains flies with two variants of a molecular marker. DNA from individual flies is amplified by PCR, generating products which are either "long" or "short" when visualized on an agarose gel. Three PCR "genotypes" (long/long, long/short, and short/short) are distinguishable and should be present in Hardy-Weinberg frequencies. The exercise requires one session for gr
Using Chromosome Kits to Assemble Human Karyotypes
This exercise provides a hands on introduction to the preparation of human karyotypes. Students practice karyotype preparation using Biophotos of normal male and female chromosome smears. The students then prepare a karyotype using a Biophoto of chromosomes from a Down syndrome individual or from a Down syndrome carrier.
Using Handheld Wireless Computers to Increase Interactivity and Collaborative Learning in Large Clas
We conducted a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of wireless, handheld computers in fostering active and collaborative learning in lecture-based teaching. We compared the capabilities of the largest type of handheld, the Jornada 820, to that of the smallest, a Handspring Visor "personal digital assistant." This article describes our use of the handhelds in a variety of classroom exercises, emphasizing wireless internet access. We explain our successes, problems, and proposed solutions.
Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit
This Web site, created to complement the Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit exhibit, includes the following sections: Introduction is an overview of the incredible diversity of Vietnam's people and landscapes; Journeys Through Time and Space provides a look at Vietnam today and a time-line of this ancient country's history; Journeys of Gods, Families and Ancestors considers the importance of lunar New Year and the ancestral altar; Journeys of People and Goods examines how international
A Seasonal Guide to New York City's Invertebrates
This engaging illustrated guide gives an introduction to the local invertebrates one can see in various habitats of New York City and offers suggestions for where and when to search for them, along with information on how best to protect them. The Seasonal Guide is being distributed at no charge throughout the City to parks, nature centers, and other organizations involved in public education and conservation.
Kids' Guide to the Birds of Central Park
An illustrated guide to birds commonly found in Central Park, and an introduction to birding for young naturalists. The guide also includes information on where to go in Central Park to see birds in various habitats: freshwater, woodlands, and open areas.
Leaf Litter Invertebrates of Central Park
Produced by the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, this booklet provides an introduction to urban invertebrates. The book: Focuses on the species that live in city woodlands. Examines the human impact on leaf litter invertebrates and park rangers' conservation efforts. Lists 11 books for references and recommended readings available in English and Spanish. Can be downloaded as a PDF or ordered free of charge.
Inca Investigation
This OLogy activity gives kids a chance to test their investigation skills while learning about daily life for the Incas. Inca Investigation begins with an introduction to archaeologist Craig Morris and the ancient Inca city that his team excavated in the Andes mountains. Then kids are given detailed directions for how to play Inca Investigation, which includes tips to help them better examine evidence. At any time, they can get help, learn how to read a plan, or browse a book about Inca history
Fossil Halls
The American Museum of Natural History is home to the world's largest collection of vertebrate fossils, totaling nearly one million specimens. This Web site offers visitors a virtual visit to the Museum's famed Fossil Halls. It features seven sections along with a brief introduction, a Teacher's Guide, and information about the Museum's Division of Paleontology.
Earth Scientist Gallery
This gallery of online resources is from the Museum's Seminars on Science, a series of distance-learning courses designed to help educators meet the new national science standards. The Earth Scientist Gallery, part of the Earth:Inside and Out seminar, features: A Video Gallery with four brief video clips, each with a printable PDF transcripts; Introduction to Ed Mathez, Introduction to Ro Kinzler, Creating the Hall of Planet Earth I, and Creating the Hall of Planet Earth II; An Image Gallery wit
24.251 Introduction to Philosophy of Language (MIT)
This course is an introduction to the philosophy of language. It examines different views on the nature of meaning, truth and reference, with special focus on the problem of understanding how linguistic communication works.
2.003J Dynamics and Vibration (13.013J) (MIT)
Introduction to dynamics and vibration of lumped-parameter models of mechanical systems. Three-dimensional particle kinematics. Force-momentum formulation for systems of particles and for rigid bodies (direct method). Newton-Euler equations. Work-energy (variational) formulation for systems particles and for rigid bodies (indirect method). Virtual displacements and work. Lagrange's equations for systems of particles and for rigid bodies. Linearization of equations of motion. Linear stability ana
Kindergarten Social Studies Overview
Slide show with background rap type singing in the background, illustrates Kindergarten social studies standards. National holidays, American symbols, chronology and time, American culture, diverse communities, family, maps and globes, responsible citizenship and jobs are mentioned. Slides show kindergarten classrooms. The background is a parody of the song Tik Tok originally performed by Ke$ha. Song does use non-standard English.
Engineering Large Software Systems
This is an introduction to the theory and practice of large-scale software system design, development, and deployment. Project management; advanced UML; reverse engineering; requirements inspection; verification and validation; software architecture; performance modeling and analysis.
