Children are very curious about the world around them. You may find them peering at tadpoles in a pond, counting ants on a log, or wondering about the stars, the sun, and the moon. I have been asked many times: Is the moon really made of cheese? Do astronauts live on the moon? Why does the moon look different every time I look up? Introducing…

Research affirms that pattern and structure underlie the development of a broad range of mathematical concepts. However, the concept of pattern also occurs in other fields. This theoretical paper explores pattern recognition, a neurological construct based on the world of Goldberg (2005), and pattern as defined in the field of mathematics to…

An approach to learning chemical facts that starts with the periodic table and depends primarily on recognizing and completing patterns and following a few simple rules is described. This approach exploits the exceptions that arise and uses them as opportunities for further concept development.

Acknowledging a growing national awareness of the need for direct instruction in higher order thinking skills within public education, this paper describes an instructional model for reinforcing thinking skills in the classroom, kindergarten through grade 12. Following an introduction justifying the model's reliance on the processing of…

Two presentations at the 1981 International Conference on Chemical Education are summarized: (1) current and future rationales for chemistry instruction and use of Gowin's V for more effective chemistry teaching and (2) creative adaptability toward challenges of chemistry content, society, and the individual, focusing on learning chemistry by…