A new vision set forth by the "Framework for K-12 Science Education" (National Research Council, 2012) highlights the importance of developing students' abilities to think about systems as opposed to isolated facts. However, little evidence exists on how to foster students' conceptualization of systems. It has been argued that…

Representations such as drawings, graphs, and computer simulations, are central to learning and doing science. Furthermore, ongoing success in science learning requires students to build on the representations and associated practices that they are presumed to have learned throughout their schooling career. Without these practices, students have…

This article presents a model for the development of an environmentally oriented unit designed to be implemented as an integral part of the science core curriculum. The program's main goal is encouraging students at the junior high-school level to develop systems-thinking and environmental insight as a basis for environmental literacy. A…