Problem solving is a highly valued skill in chemistry. Courses within this discipline place a substantial emphasis on problem-solving performance and tend to weigh such performance heavily in assessments of learning. Researchers have dedicated considerable effort investigating individual factors that influence problem-solving performance. The…

Research has shown that video games can be good for learning, particularly for STEM topics. However, in order for games to be scalable and sustainable, associated research must move beyond considerations of efficacy towards theories that account for classroom ecologies of students and teachers. This study asks how a digital game called "Citizen…

This document features a lesson plan in which students work in teams to act out different ecosystem services, describe several free services that biodiversity provides to human, and explain how these services make life on earth possible. Samples of instruction and assessment are included. (KHR)

Describes a nine-week unit that focuses on student development of science-based contraptions that work. Students are allowed to design, construct, and test a device of interest that performs a simple task, such as picking up a paper towel or turning a page in a book. (ZWH)

This teachers' resource guide contains four sections in addition to an introduction. The first section is an interdisciplinary look at the major natural areas in and around Albuquerque. This is followed by a review of the city's cultural history and a glimpse into the interactions people of Albuquerque have had with their natural environment. The…

Describes a high school astronomy course oriented around activities and designed to be fun-centered.'' The course is presented in packet form in order to keep the units of study short and comprehensible. Modular scheduling systems and field work are utilized to stress the activities approach. (JR)

Described is a unit on rockets which begins with watching a film and ends with teams of students launching their own rockets. Activities teach students metric measuring, data collecting and graphing, report writing, and calculating, as well as group skills and model building skills. (DC)

Two teaching aids, on space flight and on natural selection and evolution of beaks in birds, are described. A simulated space instrument plaen was made and a space launch and other functions carried out. A simple experiment with match sticks was used to teach natural selection. (PS)

Outlines research undertaken with first year primary preservice teachers at Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK. Studies the influence of preservice teachers' prior educational experience and beliefs about the nature of--and relationship between--science and technology upon their planning for classroom activities incorporating both areas…

Included in this science activities energy package are 12 activities related to wind energy for elementary students. Each activity is outlined on a single card and is introduced by a question. Topics include: (1) At what time of day is there enough wind to make electricity where you live?; (2) Where is the windiest spot on your schoolground?; and…

This module consists of 4 handouts and 4 transparency masters to be used with a 35-minute tape on sex stereotyping and its effect on science and science education. The handouts are a list of women in modern science, a list of activities, an activity called the grading game in which students pretend they are teachers and list the names and grades…

This booklet of exercises and activities to help students learn the fundamentals of the metric system is designed for elementary, junior high school and senior high school students. It is organized under four topics (Length, Weight, Volume, and Putting it All Together Activities) and comes packaged with an ungraded thermometer, metric rulers, and…

Introduces the Magic in a Tube activity in which students formulate questions and practice science skills. (YDS)

Included in this science activities energy package are 14 activities related to solar energy for secondary students. Each activity is outlined on a single card and is introduced by a question such as: (1) how much solar heat comes from the sun? or (2) how many times do you have to run water through a flat-plate collector to get a 10 degree rise in…

A six-week multidisciplinary energy unit for an inner city middle school in Kentucky is described. This unit is designed to accommodate students with a wide range of reading and math skills. (MDR)