Describes an atom-building activity where students construct three-dimensional models of atoms using a styrofoam ball as the nucleus and pom-poms, gum drops, minimarshmallows, or other small items of two different colors to represent protons and neutrons attached. Rings of various sizes with pom-poms attached represent electron shells and…

Describes using tetrazolium chloride as a chemical test for seed germination. (PR)

Presents a series of activities and a discussion of William Harvey's research to help students understand blood circulation. (PR)

Describes the P- and S-waves associated with earthquakes and presents a game that is a seismic simulation. The object of the game is to locate the origin of an earthquake, which will be a student in the class. The game can be used for all age levels. (PR)

Describes a structure building activity using cocktail straws for helping students understand force and vectors. (PR)

Describes an inquiry lab that helps students discover the chemical nature of enzymes. (PR)

Presents three teaching ideas entitled (1) Rearview Mirrors; (2) Chills and Fevers; and (3) Science Activities and the Learner. The second idea presents a poem to help students with the relationship between Centigrade and Fahrenheit. The third idea presents activities on evaporation. (PR)

Suggests that adult games and children's games are not different entities but constitute a continuous spectrum, whether they are considered as play or learning. Illustrates how this continuity works with examples of real gaming activity observed during 30 years of teaching and experimentation. Concludes with practical considerations on the use of…

Illustrates contemporary approaches to construction technology programs which focus on thematic approaches and learning activities that integrate subject areas. Argues for thematic instruction in technology education and describes scope of programs, methods of teaching, thematic exploration of technology, interdisciplinary approaches, technology…

Investigates the effect of implementing cooperative versus individual learning and orienting activities during computer-based instruction (CBI). Results indicated that students who received instructional objectives performed significantly better on posttests than students who received either advance organizers or no orienting activities. Learning…

Computer-based simulations of scientific phenomena provide learner-centered environments within which students can explore systems, manipulate variables, and test hypotheses. Explains how simulations fit into the big picture of instruction and offers recommendations for developing a written guide for students, determining student accountability,…

Reviews the following software: "Pizza to Go,""A World of Animals,""First Start Science,""MediClip,""Zurk's Learning Safari,""Paul Parkranger," and "Forces and Motion." (PR)

Discusses and presents activities for learning about plant fossils. The first activity uses teacher-prepared "fossils" made from plaster of Paris. Students attempt to classify the plants. In the second activity, students observe actual plant fossils. (PR)

Presents detailed descriptions and diagrams for having students build their own syringe-powered rockets. Describes how the students can learn about variables that influence the stability of the rockets flight. (PR)

Argues that role-playing activities can be a powerful tool in mathematics and science education, particularly in the new sciences of complexity (i.e., the study of complex systems). Two role-playing activities are described, each designed to help students develop better intuitions on how complex phenomena can arise from simple interactions, and…