Presents some of the misconceptions school-age children have about issues related to global warming/global climatic change. Discusses strategies for mitigation. (Author/CCM)

Focuses on constructivism and lists some of the procedures that teachers use to illustrate the constructivist learning model. Describes characteristics of a classroom that is using the constructivist model. First published in 1991. (YDS)

Presents research on different techniques to determine the level of understanding among middle school students regarding the phases of the moon. Quotes student responses to provide some insight into students' level of understanding of general knowledge about the moon, moon phases, and modeling the phases. Presents implications for teachers. (KHR)

Discussed is an alternative teaching strategy to uncover and assess a common misconception in the life sciences and to articulate its use in teaching a unit on angiosperm reproduction. The learning cycle is described, and a concept map on reproduction on angiosperms is included. (KR)

Uses manipulative materials to build and examine geometric models that simulate the self-similarity properties of fractals. Examples are discussed in two dimensions, three dimensions, and the fractal dimension. Discusses how models can be misleading. (Contains 10 references.) (MDH)

Raises questions regarding what students are perceiving when concrete models are used to represent abstract scientific concepts. Discussion of several exploratory investigations on the role of models in science teaching is presented in three areas: (1) interactions with students; (2) effectiveness of models; and (3) spatial ability and models.…

Reviews the logic underlying mathematical induction and presents 10 tasks designed to help students develop a conceptual framework for mathematical induction. (Contains 20 references.) (MDH)

Presents teaching methods to rectify the tendency of students and even teachers to divide the smaller number into the larger in problem situations requiring division, while recognizing the impossibility of the answer in the situation. (MDH)

Conceptual change teaching is an instructional method that helps students modify, extend, or exchange their alternative conceptions for the appropriate scientific conceptions. Provides activities and a diagnostic test to apply the method to the concepts of heat and temperature. (MDH)

Students' conceptions of the concept of force are discussed. Possible problem formats and exercises are presented. The need for many formats and variations to help students' resolve their conflicting ideas about physics concepts is stressed. (CW)

Reports misconceptions identified in students with respect to the topic of parallel lines and the teaching strategies found to be useful in challenging those misconceptions. (11 references) (MDH)

Discusses the two overgeneralizations "multiplications makes bigger" and "division makes smaller" in the context of solving word problems involving rational numbers less than one. Presents activities to help students make sense of multiplication and division in these situations. (MDH)

Students who study algebra are more likely to attend college than those who don't. A major hurdle for students in studying algebra is the transition from arithmetic to algebra. In response to overcoming this hurdle, the College Board and Educational Testing Service has developed "Algebridge," a teaching supplement that integrates…

Presents 13 examples in which the intuitive approach to solve the problem is often misleading. Presents analysis of these problems for five different sources of misleading intuitive generators: lack of analysis, unbalanced perception, improper analogy, improper generalization, and misuse of symmetry. (MDH)

Chemistry can be described on three levels: sensory, molecular, and symbolic. Proposes a particle approach to teaching chemistry that uses magnets to aid students construct molecular models and solve particle problems. Includes examples of Johnstone's model of chemistry phenomena, a problem worksheet, and a student concept mastery sheet. (MDH)