To encourage students to become involved in the inventive and imaginative dimensions of biology, students are asked to invent: a useful product, way to use old newspapers, insect repellent, organism attracter, organelle separater, way to measure rate of hyphal growth, and method to measure strength of spider web. (DC)

Presents historical mathematics to students. Suggests allowing students to have two methods of problem solving with a graphing calculator to allow for a visual result. Indicates that students should have more than one opportunity to experience a solution to a problem, a variety of contexts for the problem, and an opportunity to communicate. (ASK)

Presents a summary of the studies done by the Edinburgh Centre for Mathematical Education (ECME) on the use of practical activities in secondary schools. Argues that teachers may remain doubtful about the benefits of practical activities until they try them for themselves. (ASK)

Discusses how teachers and instructional designers can encourage critical thinking in students through epistemic games, reflective knowledge-generating activities that can be created for any knowledge domain. Provides examples for various subjects. Presents a method for organizing instructional material into appropriate epistemic forms and for…

Constructivist theory argues that students construct knowledge for themselves and that each knows the world in a different way. The problem for education is how students can construct an "objectified" knowledge. Outlines an integrative framework for the description of information and problem-solving procedures and a problem-solving…

This activity was created to address a lack of problem-solving activities for elementary children. A "monorail" activity from the Evening Science Program for K-3 Students and Parents program is presented to illustrate the problem-solving format. Designed for performance at stations by groups of two students. (LZ)

Proposes the utilization of graph theory to solve optimization problems. Defines the notion of spanning trees and presents two algorithms to determine optimization of a spanning tree. Discusses an example to connect towns by power transmission lines at minimum cost. (MDH)

Details a lesson that utilizes trigonometric identities to determine the optimal angle between the atoms of covalent bonds. Generates a proof of the optimal angle for a molecule with four identical atoms bonded to a central atom that has a complete valence shell. (DDR)

"Cognitive Tutor[R]", a full-year course, covers organizing single variable data, simplifying linear expressions, mathematical modeling, solving systems with linear equations, problem-solving using proportional reasoning, and powers and exponents. Students work at their own pace to develop problem-solving skills. The duration of each…

In this article, the authors share an episode from an after-school program and focus on eight of the twenty-four urban, sixth-grade students who volunteered to work on mathematical problem solving. When students are given a supportive environment, open-ended tasks, and thoughtful teacher questioning, their reasoning can develop naturally. By…

This article reports on a study that investigated students' metacognitive engagement in both out-of-school and classroom settings, as they participated in an amusement park physics program. Students from two schools that participated in the program worked in groups to collectively solve novel physics problems that engaged their individual…

The curriculum guide is intended to provide creative and academic enrichment for gifted students in regular classrooms of grades 3, 4, 5, and 6. Introductory information includes a discussion of the Three Stage Model, characteristics of the able student, and instructions for using the guide. Individual lesson plans are provided for the following…

A class project to design a robe for the pastor of Church of England primary school was undertaken to give children a first-hand problem-solving experience and increase their involvement in the church activities. Much mathematics and communication was required to complete this cooperative learning task. (MDH)

Describes a project for first and second graders involving gathering and interpreting survey data from another student they have never met to identify the student at the end of the project. Includes sample curricular goals and instructional strategies. (MKR)

This bulletin is one of a series on the place of subjects in the elementary school curriculum. The first of the series showed how subject matter is introduced into the program in a modern school. The other bulletins in the series discuss how various skills, such as reading, creating in art, and writing are developed in the modern school program.…