Presents two sets of astronomy activities for elementary students: (1) constructing scale models of the solar system which depict relative distances and diameters, and (2) demonstrating the effects of factors responsible for the seasons. (WB)

The life patterns, behaviors, and functions of the social insects, the honeybees, are presented in this publication. Illustrations and information are offered on the topic areas of: (1) the honeybee society (explaining the jobs of the queen, worker, and drone bees); (2) the hive (describing how the hive is constructed, how new bees develop, and…

This text, which focuses on coastal oil production, the countries and the people involved, is designed for use in upper elementary science, social studies, or math courses concerned with energy-related topics. The first half of the text is the Teacher's Guide. It presents an overview of the main ideas for each lesson, strategies for…

The use of the inquiry approach in the teaching of elementary science is examined and advocated in this publication. The position that an inquiry approach is the best way to teach and learn science is upheld and its influence on the development of positive attitudes towards science is stressed. Section titles include: (1) "A Tale of Two Teachers"…

Many words which have been treated in the denotative sense are actually connotative in nature. That is to say that citing a definition or stating a fact should not be a learning goal. Rather, a "conceptualization" should be what teachers are striving for. A series of activities dealing with density have been provided for demonstrations or…

Data collection and recordkeeping are the topics discussed in this instructional aid. Examples are given of creative ways of recordkeeping developed by children. Justification for the process is presented, such as the kinds of skills that can be developed by keeping science records. The evaluation of childrens' work is discussed and suggestions…

The reform movement in science education as characterized by the development of new science curricula in the 1960s is analyzed in this information bulletin. An overview of the historical context and the financial extent of the movement is presented. Perspectives on the curricula are offered in a question format. The questions include: (1) what did…

This issue of "Investigations in Science Education" (ISE) provides analytical abstracts, prepared by science educators, of research reports in the area of student attitudes toward the high school science laboratory, environmental problems, science instructional procedures, and science classes; and teacher attitudes in a preservice…

Research suggests that students at all grade levels perform better in school when parents support teachers and become involved in the school's functioning. Surveys indicate that many parents want to help their children but do not know how. Offered are activities that can be shared with parents of elementary children. Suggestions for an activity…

Abstracts and abstractors' critiques of 10 published research reports related to curriculum, instruction, problem solving and teacher education are presented. Aspects addressed in the studies include: (1) verbal aptitude and the use of study questions; (2) the treatment of evolution in biology textbooks; (3) descriptions of characteristics of…

Presented are abstracts and abstractors' analyses of nine studies related to curriculum and instruction. These studies focused on: (1) the status of environmental education in Kansas; (2) attitudes of Israeli students toward two versions of a curriculum titled Agriculture as Environmental Science; (3) interrelationships among teacher intentions,…

This document was developed to help teachers locate computer software to enhance the teaching of traditional physics at all educational levels. It contains a table listing approximately 900 packages. The table is organized by type of computer (Apple II, Atari, Commodore, IBM PC, Macintosh, and TRS-80) and is alphabetized first by publisher and…

Abstracts and abstractors' critiques of nine published research reports related to problem solving, elementary school science, science process skills, and curriculum and instruction are presented. Aspects addressed in the studies include: (1) problem-solving skills of high school chemistry students; (2) spatial puzzles and the assessment of…

Abstractor's analyses of science education research studies are presented in this issue of Investigations in Science Education. The first group of studies relates to research on teacher education (priority of perceived needs common to science teachers and how these might be used to develop inservice programs, determining the level of awareness and…

Project AIMS (Activities that Integrate Mathematics and Science) produces a variety of curriculum materials that deal with the integration of learning experiences, problem solving activities, and the use of cooperative learning. This document is a compilation of the AIMS newsletters published during the 1986-87 academic year. Each of the ten…