Collaboration is often emphasized as one of the key twenty-first century competencies to promote scientific literacies through many representational modes. However, collaborative interactions have been often characterized as a coordinated, synchronous, and symmetrical activity in terms of the same level of knowledge with little attention paid…

In light of the challenges facing science educators and special education teachers in Singapore, this study entails design-based research to develop participatory learning environments. Drawing upon Vygotskian perspectives, this case study was situated in an informal workshop around the theme of "day and night" working for Special Needs…

The stars closest to Earth are not particularly remarkable or exciting. They are average stars typical of the spiral arms of our Milky Way galaxy. In fact, until recently, most astronomy and Earth science textbooks ignored all but the largest of them to focus on distant, more exotic objects like red supergiants or black holes. The recent discovery…

One of the fundamental learning goals of introductory astronomy is for the students to gain some perspective on the scale and structure of the solar system. Many astronomy teachers have laid out the planets along a long strip of paper or across a school grounds or campus. Other activities that investigate the motion of the planets are often…

Physical models in the classroom "cannot be expected to represent the full-scale phenomenon with complete accuracy, not even in the limited set of characteristics being studied" (AAAS 1990). Therefore, by modifying a popular classroom activity called a "planet walk," teachers can explore upper elementary students' current understandings; create an…

Describes a two-hour physics laboratory experiment modeling the phenomena of eclipsing binary stars developed by the Air Force Academy as part of a week-long laboratory-oriented experience for visiting high school students. (BT)

An activity that shows how mathematics can be used to model events in the real world is described. A way to calculate the area of the sun covered by the moon during a partial eclipse is presented. A computer program that will determine the coverage percentage is also included. (KR)

Describes a classroom lesson on comets that uses modeling and guided imagery to spark students' curiosity. Comet models are built using chunks of rock salt, polystyrene balls, and tinsel. Abstract ideas are made more concrete with a guided imagery story called Comet Ride! Includes an introduction to the use of parallax to measure the distance of…

Describes a project making a model of the celestial sphere that will show how the ancients imagined the universe. (PR)

Presents several classroom ideas to help students understand their relationship to and their place in the universe as well as how difficult it would be to find life beyond Earth. Lists activities for children including the "Map Procedure," the "Model Procedure," and "Good Ol' Sol." (CW)

This document consists of a collection of classroom activities as they appeared in the "Aviation and Space Education News" from 1988 to 1991. The 45 activities in the document are organized in the following sections: (1) Aeronautics; (2) Earth Science; (3) Space Science; (4) Life in Space; (5) Rockets; and (6) Models. Each activity is…

Intended for teachers of the gifted, the book contains a compilation of teacher-developed units written for use with students from preschool through high school. Units are divided into four sections: one for each of four theoretical models--Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Guilford's Structure of the Intellect, Taylor's Multiply Talents…