What happens when university curriculum developers are mixed with motivated elementary teachers? ? An awesome learning collaboration that benefits researchers, teachers, and students! That's what the authors discovered when they--university researchers involved in the Physics for Elementary Teachers (PET) project--teamed up with local elementary…

Describes activities resulting from combining summer science and recreation programs, with emphasis on recreation for elementary school children. (CP)

Suggests areas of consideration when "custom fitting" a science program to a school district, its teachers, students, and resources of time, space, and equipment. (CS)

Provides recommendations for developing programs for gifted students. Describes the development of an operational talented and gifted program for elementary students in Connecticut, called Operation Mind Stretch. (MA)

Describes in detail a public school program exclusively for gifted children, grades K-12. Discusses criteria for entry into the program, provides profiles of the students, and explains evaluation of student progress. (MA)

Main reasons for not using recently developed curriculum materials in elementary schools include misunderstandings about their psychological bases, and lack of trained teachers and curriculum coordinators in school districts. Efforts should be directed to improve these conditions. (PS)

Outlines and discusses elements for designing elementary school science programs, considering: goals and objectives; scope; sequence (arrangement dependent on logic, topic, hierarchy, developmental psychology, or combinations); instructional strategies; evaluation; and inservice education. Also suggests that textbooks serve as points to begin the…

Compares eight states on their inservice teacher training programs, changes in the science curricula (including instruction requirements, skill lists, and/or syllabi development), curriculum evaluation, budget-program/personnel commitments, and resources for assistance. These states include Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon,…

With the number of popular medical and forensics programs on television and many references in the media today, even elementary students can comfortably throw around terms such as "cells," "DNA," and "artificial products." However, their questions on these topics often go unanswered, or they are left with misinformation regarding these concepts.…

Presents a framework to help schools make environmental education integrated. The framework is also designed to help teachers decide if and what activities would be appropriate for their classes and to show how decisions can be made which relate environmental education within and across grades. (Author/EB)

Addresses issues related to the mortality of elementary science programs, considering role of curriculum planners, teachers, and building principals. Gives examples of factors responsible (in the form of a "10 most wanted poster") with at least one countermeasure for each. (JM)

Briefly describes an instructional program based on the individual needs of students that was designed for grades K-8. (EB)