Biomimicry is an interdisciplinary science in which scientists look for solutions to human needs in nature. It endeavors to discover answers from the molecular, or material level, all the way up to the interrelationships, or systems level. The purpose of this review of the literature is to demonstrate the need and potential application of this new…

Meta-analysis techniques were used to synthesize research on the effectiveness of three major activity-based elementary science programs: (1) the Elementary Science Study, (2) Science--A Process Approach, and (3) the Science Curriculum Improvement Study. Implications for both widespread adoption and curricular decisions, as well as long term…

This review is organized under these headings: aims of science education; the image of science; why a philosophy of science; the nature of scientific knowledge and the role of theory; scientific method; practice of science by the community of scientists; and the role of practical work. (JN)

This review discusses instructional materials as the physical media through which the intents of the curriculum are experienced. Studies of innovative science curricula are considered, as well as the role of textbooks. (MNS)

Service-learning in the chemistry curriculum provides an opportunity for students to learn while contributing to their communities. Examples of chemistry service-learning projects at the post-secondary level include: (1) teaching students about lead poisoning avoidance while assessing and analyzing lead content in the paint of older homes; (2)…

This paper reviews science curriculum issues surrounding the education of students with disabilities. The background of science education for these students is explored, and three curricula designed especially for them are examined, including a curriculum from the Biological Science Curriculum Study, the "Full Option Science System," and…

This article reviews common curricular alternatives for addressing the science education needs of secondary students with learning disabilities. A curriculum revision method emphasizing models and context-rich problem solving is proposed as an alternative to the traditional uses of direct instruction, mnemonics, graphic organizers, and study…

This chapter summarizes a number of cases in which the Supreme Court has dealt with the separation of church and state question presented by the First Amendment. These include an Arkansas statute that excluded Darwinian theory from the high school science curriculum. The Court declared the statute unconstitutional because the exclusion was…

Suggesting that learning be considered as a generative process, attempts to: (1) place generative learning ideas in the context of other viewpoints of learning; (2) explicate key postulates of the generative learning model; and (3) examine implications of these theoretical ideas for teaching, learning, curriculum development, and research. (JN)

This paper reviews science education research conducted with students having behavioral disorders. Both textbook-based approaches and activities-based approaches were found. Guidelines for teaching science to this population are provided, such as making participation in desirable activities contingent upon appropriate behavior and providing…

This paper introduces a series on the topic and presents a science education framework for teaching students with disabilities. Curriculum and instructional perspectives are reviewed, and the "guided meaning" approach is recommended as an inquiry-based strategy. A thematic scheme for organizing and developing science programs is proposed.…

Identified are persistent and recurrent patterns in the history of biology education. Major influences and goals of the last century are stressed. Four major aims identified are knowledge, methods, personal, and social. These aims are used as a framework for the discussion. (CW)

Discussed is the development of the science-technology-society (STS) rationale for curriculum and instruction. Presented is an effort to strengthen the rationale behind STS education by applying to it parallel theory and research taken for the wider curriculum field. (KR)

Presents the first of a series of articles that discuss the perception of sound and music. This series of articles is intended to provide an introduction to the broad subject of high-fidelity sound recording and reproduction. (HM)

Examines the public's lack of understanding and interest in science. Places much of the blame on the perception of science as a dense yet pristine discipline divorced from everyday concerns. Criticizes the concept of science as independent of social construction and argues for instruction emphasizing relationships between science and society. (MJP)