Introduce students to the creative design process, based on the scientific method and peer review, by application of fundamental principles and learning to complete projects according to schedule and within budget. Subject relies on active learning through a major team-based design-and-build project focused on the need for a new consumer product identified by each team. Topics to be learned while teams create, design, build, and test their product ideas include formulating strategies, concepts and modules, and estimation, concept selection, machine elements, design for manufacturing, visual thinking, communication, teamwork, and professional responsibilities.

In this inquiry activity students work in groups to investigate allelopathy via research, using the scientific method to plan and carry out an experiment, and creating a formal written report and oral presentation.

The Art of the Probable" addresses the history of scientific ideas, in particular the emergence and development of mathematical probability. But it is neither meant to be a history of the exact sciences per se nor an annex to, say, the Course 6 curriculum in probability and statistics. Rather, our objective is to focus on the formal, thematic, and rhetorical features that imaginative literature shares with texts in the history of probability. These shared issues include (but are not limited to): the attempt to quantify or otherwise explain the presence of chance, risk, and contingency in everyday life; the deduction of causes for phenomena that are knowable only in their effects; and, above all, the question of what it means to think and act rationally in an uncertain world. Our course therefore aims to broaden students’ appreciation for and understanding of how literature interacts with--both reflecting upon and contributing to--the scientific understanding of the world. We are just as centrally committed to encouraging students to regard imaginative literature as a unique contribution to knowledge in its own right, and to see literary works of art as objects that demand and richly repay close critical analysis. It is our hope that the course will serve students well if they elect to pursue further work in Literature or other discipline in SHASS, and also enrich or complement their understanding of probability and statistics in other scientific and engineering subjects they elect to take.

The ASPIRE Lab is now one of the most innovative and interactive science education websites available on the Internet. You will find not only fun interactive labs, but well designed and produced curriculum content, created by teachers for teachers. The powerful combination of inquiry-based content, along with interactive, hands-on labs provides a powerful visualization tool for you and your students to use. Best of all, the ASPIRE Lab is free!

Teaches creative design based on the scientific method through the design, engineering, and manufacture of a detailed inlaid tile. This is an introductory lecture/studio course designed to teach students the basic principles of design and expose them to the design process. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to the terminology and concepts that underlie all forms of visual art; which-in many ways-forms the basis for the design of all physical objects. Along with learning mechanical skills, thinking both critically and visually, and working with different media, the students will consider how the arts grow out of and respond to particular cultural contexts and ideas; and how these thinking patterns can be applied to virtually all types of design. Presentations, lectures, demonstrations, discussions and various artistic works will be used to show students how other artists and designers have dealt with the same issues they will be facing in lab. Each class will begin with a critique of the students' homework, followed by a discussion (and presentation when appropriate) of the pertinent issues of that week. All aspects of the course will aid the teams of students in designing and building a major inlaid tile whose elements are designed as digital solid models and manufactured on an abrasive waterjet machining center. The course will conclude with an exhibit of the completed tiles open to the MIT and the Greater-Boston public.

Green Space Investigation will be the opening activity for an introductory unit in Biology. Purpose of the activity is to model scientific thinking and experience how science is conducted using a confined green space adjacent to a classroom. The activity can be conducted with minimal material needs or can develop into a more elaborate investigation.

This course will survey physics concepts and their respective applications; it is intended as a basic introduction to the current physical understanding of our universe. In this course, the student will study physics from the ground up, learning the basic principles of physical law, their application to the behavior of objects, and the use of the scientific method in driving advances in this knowledge. This course focuses on Newtonian mechanics--how objects move and interact--rather than Electromagnetism or Quantum Mechanics. While mathematics is the language of physics, the student need only be familiar with high school-level algebra, geometry, and trigonometry; the small amount of additional math needed will be developed during the course. (Physics 101; See also: Biology 109, Chemistry 001, Mechanical Engineering 005)

Though biology as we know it today is a relatively new field, we have been studying living things since the beginning of recorded history. This introductory course in biology starts at the microscopic level, with molecules and cells, then moves into the specifics of cell structure and behavior. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe in general terms how life began on Earth; Identify early scientists that played important roles in furthering our understanding of cellular life; Describe the characteristics that define life; List the inorganic and organic molecules that are necessary for life; List the structure and function of organelles in animal and plant cells; List the similarities and differences between animal and plant cells; Describe the reactions in photosynthesis; Explain how the different photosynthetic reactions are found in different parts of the chloroplast; Describe the sequence of photosynthetic reactions; Explain the use of products and the synthesis of reactants in photosynthesis; Explain how protein is synthesized in eukaryotic cells; Describe the similarities and differences between photosynthesis and aerobic respiration; List the reactions in aerobic respiration; Explain the use of products and the synthesis of reactants in aerobic respiration; Describe the similarities and differences between anaerobic and aerobic respiration. (Biology 101; See also: Psychology 203)

This course is intended for the student interested in the smallest units within biology: molecules and cells. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: relate biological concepts to daily living; characterize biological principles common to all organisms; explain the significance of biological principles to other fields of study; recognize the common relationships among scientific fields; demonstrate skills in using laboratory equipment; apply and evaluate application of the scientific method; transfer and apply your biological knowledge to solve problems in different settings; explain how matter and energy are stored and transformed by living systems; explain how information is stored, copied, transferred, and expressed in biological systems; describe the structure and function of biological macromolecules; describe the structure and function of cellular components. This free course may be completed online at any time. It has been developed through a partnership with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; the Saylor Foundation has modified some WSBCTC materials. (Biology 101B)

In MedMyst: Disease Defenders, players can choose to train with an epidemiologist, microbiologist, or veterinarian to learn how these experts work as a team to solve infectious disease outbreaks while using the scientific method. Each expert path has its own learning objectives and stresses different parts of the scientific method.

This activity is set in a research group that is developing an antivenom for spider bites. In the opening scene, Nelson Pogline, a talented graduate student, dies unexpectedly at a university reception. As a detective, you must use chemistry concepts to determine if this was murder and if so, solve the case. You can interview suspects using Quicktime movies, investigate the crime scene for clues with Quicktime Virtual Reality images, and analyze the evidence from the crime lab. This activity requires basic knowledge of formula weight, stoichiometry, and the scientific method. Additional concepts that are discussed include molecular recognition, limiting reagents, and mass spectrometry.

Scientists share certain methods and approaches to understanding the nature of the world around them. They use a systematic approach to observing and studying the world. They ask questions, look for patterns, and try to find general rules for the way life works.

The Online Science-athon offers elementary and middle-grade students opportunities to discover the science in their daily lives. Presented as challenges, the Science-athon asks students to investigate their world in ways that are engaging and fun, easy for teachers to incorporate into their teaching, and instructive. Students doing Catching Sunshine decide on a container -- tin can, cardboard box, plastic bucket, paper bag, or similar object -- to use as a solar collector. Then they determine how to maximize the amount of sunshine the collector catches by figuring out how to point it, what colors and textures to use on the inside surfaces, and how to insulate it. Reviewing scientific information helps students improve the effectiveness of their collector designs and make predictions about the ones they think will catch the most sunshine. On Catching Sunshine Day, students collect and record data to share with other students doing the challenge. Analysis of their data and data collected by others allows participants to formulate explanations, to check these explanations against scientific knowledge and the explanations and experiences of others, and to put their ideas to practical use.

The Online Science-athon offers elementary and middle-grade students opportunities to discover the science in their daily lives. Presented as challenges, the Science-athon asks students to investigate their world in ways that are engaging and fun, easy for teachers to incorporate into their teaching, and instructive. Students participating in How Tall Am I? create a way to measure their height as accurately as possible. On Measuring Day students collect and record data and share it with other students doing the challenge. Display and analysis of the data in the challenge database allow them to see if the larger data set supports their conjectures and predictions.

The Online Science-athon offers elementary and middle-grade students opportunities to discover the science in their daily lives. Presented as challenges, the Science-athon asks students to investigate their world in ways that are engaging and fun, easy for teachers to incorporate into their teaching, and instructive. Students doing the Chocolate Melt decide on a container-tin can, cardboard box, plastic bucket, paper bag, or similar object-to use as a solar cooker. Then they consider how to melt a refrigerated standard-size milk chocolate chip that has been placed on the end of a toothpick inside the cooker in as short a time as possible. This includes figuring out how to reshape the container so that the heat from the sun is concentrated on the chocolate chip, deciding what colors and textures to use for lining inside surfaces and insulating the cooker, examining where to put the chocolate chip, and identifying how to point the cooker at the sun. Reviewing scientific information helps students improve the effectiveness of their cooker designs and make predictions about the ones they think will cook the most rapidly. On Chocolate Melting Day, students collect and record data to share with other students doing the challenge.

The Online Science-athon offers elementary and middle-grade students opportunities to discover the science in their daily lives. Presented as challenges, the Science-athon asks students to investigate their world in ways that are engaging and fun, easy for teachers to incorporate into their teaching, and instructive. Students doing the Marble Roll select a strip of material that is 61 cm (24 inches) in length to use as a ramp. Then they determine how to maximize the distance their marble rolls across a flat surface by doing such things as experimenting with side or center guides, smoothing surfaces, changing the angle of the ramp, altering its shape, modifying the place where the ramp and ground meet, trying different ramp lengths or widths, and releasing the marble from different spots on the ramp. Reviewing scientific information helps participants improve the effectiveness of their ramp designs and make predictions about which marbles will roll the greatest distance. On Marble Roll Day, students collect and record data to share with other students doing the challenge. Analysis of their data and data collected by others allows participants to formulate explanations and to check these explanations against scientific knowledge and the explanations and experiences of others.

This course is designed to provide an introduction to a variety of empirical research methods used by political scientists. The primary aims of the course are to make you a more sophisticated consumer of diverse empirical research and to allow you to conduct advanced independent work in your junior and senior years. This is not a course in data analysis. Rather, it is a course on how to approach political science research.

This course will introduce the student to research methodologies frequently used in the social sciences, and especially those used in the field of psychology. This course covers the basics of conducting research, touching upon statistics and their importance (although it does not require a comprehensive knowledge of the subject). The course will conclude with a section on experimental design. By the end of this course, the student should understand why research methodology is important in scientific research, be comfortable reading procedural and methodological sections of journal articles, and understand how to employ different research methods. (Psychology 202A)

Short Description: This is an inquiry investigation, geared toward student use of outdoor schoolyard sites. Its focus is to have students applying what they've learned about the scientific method and experimental design, gathering quantitative evidence to support hypotheses.