One area explored in the second (in-depth) phase of the Learning in Science Project was "children's science," defined as views of the world and the meanings for words that children have and bring with them to science lessons. The investigation reported focuses on students' thinking regarding their views on friction. Students (N=47) were…

This teaching guide for motor development in the primary grades describes various areas of concern in motor development and suggests activities for the development of young children in each area. Section I discusses the importance of motor development. The next six sections define and describe particular areas of motor development and suggest…

The papers in this document represent preliminary results of a study which is part of a 3-year project being conducted by the Educational Testing Service in cooperation with the New York City Board of Education, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This document is divided into seven sections: (1) Introduction, (2)…

Why and how architecture and interior design can stimulate exploratory locomotion is discussed in terms of research and testing into human response. Two kinds of locomotion are defined, exploratory and habitual, with regard to locomotion and behavior responses to the architectural environment. Measuring responses with a hodometer is outlined with…

Describes experiences with turtle graphics to demonstrate motion in a constant gravitational field. Provides the computer program and typical diagrams. (YP)

Introduces two hands-on experiences, related to rotational motion and moment of inertia. Discusses the experimental procedures and provides figure of apparatus. (YP)

Describes the implementation of a trajectory-plotting program for a microcomputer; shows how it may be used to demonstrate the focusing effect of a simple electrostatic lens. The computer program is listed and diagrams are included that show comparisons of trajectories of negative charges in the vicinity of positive charges. (TW)

This teaching unit is designed to help students in grades 5 to 8 explore the concepts of measurement, ratios, and graphing in the context of designing a dragster. The units in the series have been developed to enhance and enrich mathematics, science, and technology education and to accommodate different teaching and learning styles. Each unit…

This 15-minute VHS videotape introduces an interdisciplinary math, science, and language arts project for eighth grade. Students learn about and apply laws of motion, linear functions, and technical reporting as they design and present an ultimate roller coaster. The project is organized in five phases that generate knowledge about design…

This CD-ROM consists of simulation software that allows students to conduct countless experiments using 20 Java simulators and curriculum units that explore light and color, forces and motion, sound and waves, static electricity and magnetism, current electricity, the nature of matter, and a unit on underpinnings. Setups can be designed by the…

Discusses the nature of naive conceptions and the influence of these conceptions on students' interpretations of instructional events. Also discusses implications of this research for designing instruction to facilitate the reconciliation of naive conceptions with scientific theories. (JN)

Microcomputer-based instrumentation packages enable computers to collect continuous analog data, convert data to digital form for processing, and display results on monitor. Discusses classroom advantages of these packages, describes one package for teaching harmonic motion, and provides a list of currently available packages (including vendor and…

Students investigate the concept of motion by making simple paper airplanes and flying them in the classroom. Students are introduced to conversion factors to calculate various speeds. Additional activities include rounding decimal numbers, estimating, finding averages, making bar graphs, and solving problems. Offers ideas for extension such as…

Discussed is the idea that models should be taught by emphasizing limitations rather than focusing on their generality. Two examples of gas behavior models are included--the kinetic and static models. (KR)

Outlines 39 physics demonstrations that utilize simple objects such as coffee and soda cans to illustrate scientific concepts. (12 references) (MDH)