The inclusion of writing is implicit within the expectations of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), particularly within the science and engineering practices component of the standards. NGSS goals include educating all students in science and engineering and providing the foundational knowledge for…

We want to challenge our students, but we need to give them tasks and assessments they can realistically succeed at and are valid indicators of their learning. Deconstructing planning, teaching, and assessment can help teachers instruct and assess more appropriately, leading to more confident, motivated, and higher-achieving learners. In this…

Successful implementation of historical approach to teach nature of science (NOS) requires suitable curriculum material. Several research and development projects have produced lesson plans for science teachers. 25 lesson plans from four different projects involved in creating curriculum material utilizing historical approach in chemistry…

Although many science students perform hands-on activities as inquiry exercises, such activities sometimes remain disconnected in the student's mind and fail to nurture a deeper understanding of methods of science and the role these methods play in scientific inquiry. Students may be able to reiterate the steps of the standard "scientific…

This article traces the development of a contextual approach to the teaching of science (physics) subsequently called the Large Context Problem (LCP) approach. This approach is based on the general observation that learning could be well motivated by a context with one unifying central idea capable of capturing the imagination of the students. The…

Demonstrates how audiotutorial techniques can be applied to the teaching of more advanced subjects (physical chemistry and electrochemistry), and how this can have significant affect on the overall quality of instruction and the mechanics of teaching the course. Includes a general description of audiotutorial instruction. (SK)

Introduces and describes the Laboratory Procedure Module (LPM) modified from a task analysis approach used by laboratory technical training programs based on instructional system design model. Overviews the LPM design, including primary goal, enabling objectives, task steps, overview, demonstration, written test, practice, and procedural…

Discusses myths underlying the curriculum, teacher knowledge of the curriculum, and constructivist perspectives of the curriculum that need to be considered if curriculum reform is to succeed. Goals, pedagogical features, a typical session, and field test evaluation results for the ScienceVision hypermedia system are described. Sample screen…

Each designer contributing to this special issue was asked to prepare an introductory lesson on the physics of motion aimed at eighth to eleventh graders. This article presents a brief description of how a detailed physics content was researched, edited, and refined by subject-matter experts, and then ultimately presented to the instructional…

This instructional design sought to create an easily graspable application of physics principles. It took an engineering slant on the content, asking students to investigate physics by attempting to increase the productivity of a "Splam-canning" plant. Design strategies are outlined for six science principles and eight product utilization…

This paper examines how educators can use technology to guide the constructivist approach to science education, and discusses techniques explicitly applicable for today's Web format. The paper begins by addressing the following pertinent questions for education in this new era: What is Education? Where is the classroom? Where are the students?…

In 2002, Principal Candy McCarthy of Alisal High School took a big risk on behalf of her teachers and students. Because her school had been designated "under-performing," she received supplemental funding for school improvement purposes. McCarthy decided to use all of the additional funds to purchase collaborative planning time for…

Describes the objective behind this special issue: to identify a science content area (physics for eighth to eleventh graders), work with science teachers to produce a set of content materials, and present a common content outline to a group of instructional designers. The first article describes the derivation of the content outline. The next…

Asserts that education cannot be limited to the confines of a textbook but must be a true window to the world. Argues that this can be achieved through curriculum and thematic teaching. Provides suggestions for designing and teaching integrated, thematic units. (CFR)

Biology teachers in introductory and upper level high school courses generally present principles of taxonomy as part of the curriculum. Students learn about classification systems that categorizes species into recognized taxonomic groups based on their degrees of structural divergence or derived ancestral traits. References made, hereafter, to…