Given the current emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and its key attributes, middle school is an optimal time to implement STEM-based curricula. However, the interdisciplinary and open-ended nature of STEM projects often makes implementation difficult. In this article, we describe a professional development…

Create a light and sound show to entertain friends. Design an improved safety device for a car. Develop a 2-3 minute voice-over for a sports clip explaining the physics involved in the sport. Modify the design of a roller coaster to meet the needs of a specific group of riders. Design an appliance package for a family limited by the power and…

The national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Initiative favors a curriculum shift from the compartmentalization of math and science classes into discrete subject areas to an integrated, multidisciplinary experience. Many states are currently implementing programs in high schools that provide greater integration of math,…

This second-year student manual contains 140 brief related science lessons applying science and math to trade activities in the field of stationary engineering. The lessons are organized into 16 units: (1) Introduction to Stationary Engineering, (2) Engineering Fundamentals, (3) Steam Boilers, (4) Boiler Fittings, (5) Boilerroom System, (6)…

This teachers guide to be used with the second-year student manual, "Stationary Engineering Science Manual--2," contains 140 lesson plans, corresponding to the lessons in the student manual. The lessons are brief and each involves concrete trade experiences where science is applied with 26 lessons also involving mathematical problems…

Describes a competency-based, modular laboratory course emphasizing the synthesis and characterization of polymers and directed toward senior undergraduate and/or first-year graduate students in science and engineering. One module, free-radical polymerization kinetics by dilatometry, is included as a sample. (CS)

Describes a senior level chemical engineering course at Purdue University that parallels an industrial process development department. Stresses the course organization, manager-engineer contract, evaluation of students, course evaluation, and gives examples of course improvements made during the course. (CW)

Discusses how, in two three-week sessions, the Terre Haute (Indiana) college offers selected students a hands-on approach to all aspects of engineering from design and lab work to technical writing. Describes a group project requiring students to study and experiment with simple research problems. Lists 20 project ideas. (MVL)

This document contains a set of model competency-based education (CBE) assessments that provide three types of assessment for students in grades 1-8 in science. Types of assessment include: traditional: multiple choice, short-answer, and open-ended items; performance-like: more authentic forms that involve students outside of the classroom; and…

More than 20,000 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and more than 6,000 college and university faculty are directly involved in National Science Foundation (NSF) education projects. Building on more than 4 decades of knowledge and experience, NSF today is able to provide vigorous leadership in the nation's efforts to strengthen science,…