We describe the development, design, implementation, and preliminary classroom results of an innovative curriculum, "Focus on Energy," that supports learning about energy in Grades 4-5. The curriculum is grounded in the concepts of science as practice, model-based reasoning, and learning progressions, and builds on students' pre-existing…

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of activities based on scientific process skills on problem-solving skills of 4th grade students in science lessons. In the study a non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design type of quasi-experimental method was used. The research study group was composed of 30 students with 15…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of Summer Environmental Education Program (SEEP) on elementary school students' environmental knowledge, affect, skills and behavior which are the main components of environmental literacy. The sample consisted of 45 students (25 males, 20 females) studying in 4th through 8th grades and living in…

Hopscotch, basketball, or hide-and-seek? Children have many choices at recess, and while making these choices they must consider and make trade-offs. The way they make these decisions is not that different from the thought processes engineers use when making design trade-offs. Engineers have to make trade-offs because a design that meets all…

Robotics competitions for K-12 students are popular, but are students really learning and improving their STEM scores through robotics competitions? If not, why not? If they are, how much more effective is learning through competitions than traditional classes? Is there room for improvement? What is the best robotics competition model to maximize…

This research project consists of a randomized experiment in St. Petersburg Catholic Schools. The question being addressed by the research is whether "Scott Foresman Science" is as effective as the current curricula being used in the participating campuses of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg. The research focuses on 3rd, 4th,…

This research project consists of a randomized experiment in Visalia Unified School District. The question being addressed by the research is whether "Scott Foresman Science" is as effective as or more effective than the curriculum being used at each site. Since Scott Foresman Science provides a significant reading component, the authors…

This research project consists of a randomized experiment in Ogden City School District. The primary purpose of this research is to produce scientifically based evidence of the comparative effectiveness of the "Scott Foresman" program. The question being addressed by the research is whether the "Scott Foresman" program is more…

Pearson Education contracted with Empirical Education Inc. to conduct five randomized experiments to determine the effectiveness of its "Scott Foresman Science" ("SFScience") curriculum and associated materials. This report addresses the experiment in Federal Way Public Schools in Washington State. The primary purpose of this…

In this paper, the authors' investigated whether "Scott Foresman Science" program, a year-long curriculum intended for daily use that provides a sequence of structured and supportive inquiry activities and text materials to develop students' independent investigative skills, is more effective than current science programs in five diverse…

In this paper, the authors' investigated whether "Scott Foresman Science" program, a year-long curriculum intended for daily use that provides a sequence of structured and supportive inquiry activities and text materials to develop students' independent investigative skills, is more effective than current science programs in five diverse…