The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the importance of being able to understand complex computational models for everyday life. To make sense of the evolving predictive models of the COVID-19 pandemic, global citizens need to have a firm grasp of both systems thinking (ST) and computational thinking (CT). ST is the ability to understand a problem…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) urge science teachers to include engineering practices and ideas in their already full science curriculum, but many teachers do not know where to start. Only 7% of high school science teachers report feeling "very well prepared" to teach engineering. The…

Solar energy is clean, free, and abundant worldwide. The challenge, however, is to convert it to useful forms that can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. This article presents an activity for physical science classes in which students learn firsthand how solar energy can be used to produce electricity specifically for transportation. The…

Integrating engineering and science in the classroom can be challenging, and creating authentic experiences that address real-world problems is often even more difficult. "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012), however, calls for high school graduates to be able to undertake more complex engineering design projects related…

Teachers typically teach subjects separately, but integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculums that focus on real-world practices are gaining momentum (NAE and NRC 2009). Before release of the "Next Generation of Science Standards" ("NGSS") (NGSS Lead States 2013), 36 states already had a…

In looking at successful inquiry activities, patterns in pedagogical approach emerge (Meyer et al. 2011). This article discusses one such approach--the design challenge. A design challenge can be defined as an activity in which students are given an explicit task to create a product that meets a defined goal. However, simply asking students to…

Introduces the American Renaissance in Science Education (ARISE) project. Discusses factors influencing the project's success. (YDS)

Describes secondary-school minicourses which provide an opportunity for examination of the interactions between science, technology, society and the investigation of science principles. The need for such minicourses is justified through the demands placed on citizens to rationally evaluate alternate solutions to problems confronting society which…

Presents a project-based curriculum, Foundations of Science (FOS), that integrates the physical and biological sciences. Consists of three years of integrated science based on: integrating science disciplines, project-based science, inclusion of authentic problems, and routine uses of technology. (nine references) (JRH)

Presents the EnergyNet Energy Audit Project, a project-based curriculum on energy education. Includes ideas for working with the community and cost analysis. (YDS)

Examines the interest level of Chilean students in physics and technology in light of unacceptable performance levels in these areas. Relevant thermodynamics problems applicable to students' daily lives generated more interest. Discusses the importance of presentation to student acceptance of the curriculum. (AIM)

Describes the Solutions model used at Shelley High School in Idaho which gives students the opportunity to gain practical experience while tackling community problems. This approach is built on the three fundamentals of an integrated curriculum, a problem-solving focus, and service-based learning. Sample problems include increasing certain trout…

Supports the use of a science experiment option in the high school curriculum to enhance student learning. Presents a science experiment rubric and connects the use of science projects with standards. (DDR)

Authors discuss "the scientific method" and assert that laboratory scientists ask questions but seldom state formal hypotheses to be answered by controlled experiments. Authors suggest that experimental results should not be viewed as fact, and students should not be required to memorize the steps of the scientific method. (PR)

A survey of 167 chemistry professors was conducted to answer this question. Results pointed toward more concentration on mastery of basic concepts such as stoichiometry and problem solving while striving for greater relevancy to current societal problems. (CP)