Background: Integrated STEM approaches are acknowledged as important for making school subjects relevant and engaging for students and are reinforced with the current emphasis on computational thinking. Still, such approaches are rarely realized in schools. This study investigates how the traditional 'grammar of schooling' may prevent realization…

The author explores the articulations of six social studies student/teachers after a viewing of "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts". The film, a documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the people in and around New Orleans, constitutes an encounter with what Deborah Britzman (1998) calls "difficult…

Analyzes the effects of particularly cold, particularly hot, and widely changeable days upon pupil behavior in order to test the teacher folklore maxim that pupil behavior is linked to the weather. Identifies the strength and order of weather variables which are predictive of the number of disruptive pupil referrals. (KO)

Describes an activity in which students use actual weather data to construct statistical experiments to determine whether a particular month of the year is colder than in the past. Students work in groups to make generalizations, formulate hypotheses, apply statistical methods to test the hypotheses, and draw conclusions. (MDH)

Asserts that how people respond to risk is determined by how they perceive risk. Four-hundred and seven secondary school students answered questions concerning different dimensions of natural hazards (most likely to occur, loss of life, and others). Although the students possessed a high level of awareness much of their information was inaccurate.…

Reports a study that compared the effects of three methods of instruction, use of hands-on activities, hands-on activities in combination with computer-assisted instruction (CAI), or text-based activities, on student achievement and attitude. Results indicated students receiving a combination of hands-on activities with CAI scored significantly…

Problems ask students to calculate the pressure against a billboard in high winds and the velocity of water flowing from a reservoir through a cylindrical pipe. Problem solutions incorporate computer tools such as spreadsheets. (MDH)