We describe the development, design, implementation, and preliminary classroom results of an innovative curriculum, "Focus on Energy," that supports learning about energy in Grades 4-5. The curriculum is grounded in the concepts of science as practice, model-based reasoning, and learning progressions, and builds on students' pre-existing…

Background: Around the world, efforts are underway to include engineering design as part of elementary science instruction. A common rationale for those efforts is that Engineering Design-based Science Teaching (EDST) is a productive pedagogical approach for developing students' understanding of core science concepts. Effectively utilizing EDST…

Thirty preservice teachers enrolled in a field-based science methods course were placed at a public elementary school for coursework and for teaching practice with elementary students. Candidates focused on building conceptual understanding of science content and pedagogical methods through innovative curriculum development and other course…

While research has shown that elementary (K-5) students are capable of engaging in the scientific practice of explanation construction, commonly-used elementary science curriculum materials may not always afford them opportunities to do so. As a result, elementary teachers must often adapt their science curriculum materials to better support…

A series of aspects regarding the aria of teaching sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, geography) in pre-universitary learning is presented. This paper underlines the importance of prerepresentations of students in teaching-learning process in pre-universitary learning, assuring in this way a desirable direction of the reform in…

This book examines learning science from multiple perspectives--especially a child's. The whimsical character of Mary Froggins guides readers through the steps of igniting students' natural sense of wonder, incorporating brain research, integrating science concepts with other subjects, and applying science to daily life. The authors demonstrate…

AN ANALYSIS OF A FIELD TEST OF SCIENCE LEARNING MATERIALS FOR ABLE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IS REPORTED. THE LEARNING MATERIALS FIELD TESTED AND EVALUATED WERE UNGRADED INDEPENDENT STUDY KITS. THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR MAXIMUM SUITABILITY REGARDLESS OF TEACHER OR SCHOOL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE LEARNING MATERIALS INVOLVED CONCEPT FORMATION IN THE TOPICS OF…

This document is the final report to develop a new elementary science curriculum. It contains information related only to the development phase of the Conceptually Oriented Program in Elementary Science (COPES) and was written for an audience that includes all who are interested in curriculum development as it was experienced in this project. The…

REPORTED IS AN INVESTIGATION OF CONCEPTS INCLUDED WITHIN A CONCEPTUAL SCHEME--THE BIOLOGICAL CELL--WHICH ARE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR STUDY BY CHILDREN IN GRADES 2-6. SUB-PROBLEMS WERE (1) TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING AS INDICATED BY OBJECTIVE TEST SCORES, (2) TO DETERMINE WHETHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES EXIST BETWEEN PUPILS AT…

A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND GUIDELINES FOR SCIENCE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ARE PRESENTED IN THIS VOLUME. THE BOOKLET CONSISTS OF THREE SECTIONS PLUS AN APPENDIX. IN THE FIRST SECTION A SCIENCE EDUCATOR PROPOSES A PLAN FOR SCIENCE TEACHING COMPATIBLE WITH THE NATURE OF SCIENCE, CULTURAL CHANGES, AND THE EXPANDING BODY OF KNOWLEDGE. THE CHOICE OF…

Investigated level of concept attainment of selected energy concepts for possible inclusion in the Nigerian Primary Science Project. Subjects (N=450) were taught energy concepts at descriptive, comparative, and quantitative levels. Suggests the need to describe these levels for particular grades and match curriculum with students' thinking…

Describes a study designed to compare the gradual development of children's understanding of shadows with Piaget's stages, categorize pupil responses in the shadow tasks, identify typical pupil responses in each category, and enumerate curriculum implications from the investigation. (GS)

Reported is a study which formed part of the development of a conceptually oriented curriculum in elementary science. A new approach to the introduction of concepts of energy was presented at the second grade level (three second-grade classrooms). A sequence of five lessons, in audiotutorial format, covering energy concepts selected, were…

This workshop is based upon work and findings of the Learning in Science Project, a research project which investigated problems and difficulties in the teaching and learning of science. The workshop program, including activities which have been shown to impact on teacher thinking, is designed to focus attention on learning problems in classrooms,…