To enhance teaching and learning about Earth's climate and global climate change (GCC) in secondary science classrooms, the authors are engaged in a four-year, National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project to develop, implement, and evaluate a new four-week curriculum module grounded in the use of a data-driven, computer-based climate modeling…

Climate change is complex, requiring critical thinking on both local and global scales. Its effects vary dramatically around the world and require new strategies to help students grasp its complexity, scale, and interrelatedness. This article describes a project to help biology students think critically about climate change from a global…

Humans have long wondered about life in the universe. Are we alone? Is Earth unique? What is it that makes our planet a habitable one, and are there others like Earth? NASA's Kepler Mission seeks the answers to these questions. Kepler is a space-based, specially designed 0.95 m aperture telescope. Launching in 2009, Kepler is NASA's first mission…

Describes ways in which a student might use a programmable calculator to obtain air pollution data for a particular locale and outlines the teacher's role in preparing the Computer Simulated Experimentation. (JR)

Describes three main areas of computer application in science classrooms, discusses problems of selecting microcomputers (hardware) and programs (software) for classroom use, and evaluates the prospects for successful use of computers in science teaching. (Author/JN)

Science teachers face challenges that affect the quality of instruction. Tight budgets, limited resources, school schedules, and other obstacles limit students' opportunities to experience science that is visual and interactive. Incorporating web-based Java applets into science instruction offers a practical solution to these challenges. The…

Discussed are several suggestions for the maintenance of a science self-paced classroom. Topics include the use of computers for student self-assessment, teachers and students roles in the self-paced classroom, and laboratory setup and packaging in the self-paced science laboratory. (Author/DS)

Describes how spreadsheets can be used for helping students learn about direct current electrical circuits. (PR)

Presented are 10 intervention techniques for making science a hands-on experience for disabled students. Included are field trips, lab buddies, flexible rooms, customized lab equipment, lesson adaptation, precourse interviews, involving the class, computer-assisted learning, social considerations, and the team approach. (KR)

Presents a technique that allows high school biology students to view materials not normally seen in the laboratory environment using a computer and videodisk technology. (MDH)

Gives guidelines for using a microcomputer software evaluation instrument which focuses on policy issues, instructional quality, science subject-matter standards, and technical quality. The complete evaluation instrument is included. (JM)

Describes the use of a supercomputer in chemistry and physics instruction. The computer is used by high school students to create high quality, nearly 3-D graphic images of scientific phenomena. (PR)

Describes the use of a precalibrated stainless steel thermistor, interfaced with an Apple computer, in chemistry experiments. Discusses the advantages of "instant" temperature readings in experiments requiring that readings be taken at certain intervals. Outlines such an experiment which investigates freezing point depressions. (TW)

Describes an introductory meteorology course for nonacademic high school students. The course is made hands-on by the use of an educational software program offered by Accu-Weather. The program contains a meteorology database and instructional modules. (PR)