Many of us can remember back to a time in America when all that teachers expected us to do with our hands in the classroom was to fold them. But now that the power and effectiveness of hands-on instruction has been proven in a wide range of subject areas--particularly math--those days are over. Whether using traditional activities, such as…

Describes a specialized biology course designed to meet the needs of prospective elementary teachers. The original course was oriented towards hands-on activities for K-8 classrooms, improving prospective elementary teachers' attitudes toward science, and increasing self-efficacy in science teaching. Original goals were re-examined with the advent…

Explains a hands-on approach to teaching quantum mechanics that challenges the belief shared by many physics instructors that quantum mechanics is a very abstract subject that cannot be understood until students have learned much of the classical physics. (Contains 23 references.) (Author/YDS)

The British National Curriculum calls for children to work with living things. Discusses alternatives available for teaching children about bugs, most notably through models and live animals kept in school. Models prove valuable for introducing children to bugs and for stimulating them to ask scientific questions. Raises issues behind keeping live…

This survey reviews types of environmental monitoring as well as the general aims of the organizations who sponsor volunteer monitoring programs for school and community groups. These programs address educators' interest in involving students in authentic science experiences and provide interdisciplinary activities that link schools and…

Suggests ways to add exciting activities to science lessons in spite of budget cutbacks by relying on various forms of support which include having guest speakers like pharmacists, landfill engineers, and electricians; obtaining miscellaneous supplies from local hospitals, colleges, television stations, and grocery stores; and seeking out other…