Citizen science programs are becoming increasingly popular among teachers, students, and families. The term "citizen scientist" has various definitions. It can refer to those who gather information for a particular science research study or to people who lobby for environmental protection for their communities. "Citizen science" has been called…

A robotics team from Muncie, Indiana--the PhyXTGears--is made up of high school students from throughout Delaware County. The group formed as part of the FIRST Robotics program (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an international program founded by inventor Dean Kamen in which students work with professional engineers and…

Described are several physics activities developed by a high school: research corner, exploring an invention, construction projects, archives report and archives update, short term research and design projects, essay contest, and special projects. (YP)

Programs should emphasize application, stress useful work, encourage student participation in planning, cross discipline barriers, and relate to real, human, and social problems. They should accommodate differences in student interests and abilities, teacher preference, and local conditions. (DF)

Discusses how teachers turn an idea into a meaningful lesson. Suggests class brainstorming, using community resources, library searches, and further classroom activities. (YP)

Reviews the results of the 47th Annual Science Talent Search sponsored by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the Westinghouse Foundation. Describes some of the projects done by students. Lists the names and schools of the 16- to 18-year-old winners. (CW)

Presented is book two in a series of six books in the University of Illinois Astronomy Program which introduces astronomy to upper elementary and junior high school students. This guidebook is concerned with how celestial bodies move in space and how these motions are observed by astronomers. Topics discussed include: a study of the daily motion…

This guide is designed to encourage people to keep animals of all kinds in the classroom and to use them in teaching language arts, mathematics, and social studies, as well as science and nature study. The booklet is divided into four sections. The first section contains an account of a year with desert animals in an ungraded classroom of six- to…

Describes some of the adaptations of science exercises found in the program Adapting Science Materials for the Blind. This program enables blind and other visually impaired pupils to participate in the activities of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study. (JR)

Presented is book four in a series of six books in the University of Illinois Astronomy Program which introduces astronomy to upper elementary and junior high school students. This document terms the analysis of light as an essential clue to understanding astronomical phenomena. Topics discussed include: thm behavior of light; the wave model and…

Addresses the need for a good science program to teach students to integrate both the analytical and the creative pathways of inquiry. Also compares the specific functions of the brain's right (creative) and left (analytical) hemispheres as related to science. Suggests how to design a creative sense-gathering activity, and offers several sample…

Reports on the development of science curricula projects. Lists features that can be applied to programs developed at the local level. Includes programs from the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, Educational Development Center, and Technical Education Research Centers. (RT)

There are ways in which elementary teachers in general and rural elementary teachers in particular can overcome inadequate science preparation and can upgrade the science program resources of their small schools. Parents and children should be involved in obtaining free and inexpensive science-related materials throughout the year. These can be…