The "Biotechnology Discoveries and Applications" guidebook aims to provide teachers with an overview of the recent advances in genetics and biotechnology, allowing them to share these findings with their students. The annual guidebook introduces a wealth of modern genomic discoveries and provides teachers with tools to integrate exciting…

Microbial fuel cells are a current research area that harvests electricity from bacteria capable of anaerobic respiration. Graphite is an electrically conductive material that bacteria can respire on, thus it can be used to capture electrons from bacteria. When bacteria transfer electrons to graphite, an electrical potential is created that can…

Describes the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program from the point of view of its possible contribution to environmental education for elementary school children. Ecological examples are used in the description. (AL)

Describes the development, evaluation, and use of Laboratory Explorations in Biology" as an integral part of the Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL) Inquiry Role Approach". Student and teacher reactions are described, and an example of student evaluation of peers' achievement is given. (AL)

Describes how adaptation projects are used to produce BSCS materials specifically designed for the local flora, fauna, educational system, biological problems and culture of other countries. (BR)

Three elementary school science curriculum projects, Elementary Science Study (ESS), Science - A Process Approach (S-APA), and Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS), are compared concerning the biologic content each project contains. The reviewer found a lack of activities designed to represent functions at the cellular level. Two projects…

Introduces biology teachers to the central ideas of Piaget's theory of intellectual development. Also presents a scheme of biology instruction and classroom procedures based on a Piaget-related theory of learning. (PEB)

Describes the rationale for and the nature of the Environmental Studies materials, with special emphasis on their use by biology teachers. (AL)

The results of using laboratory instruction as part of the total biology program in the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study are reported. (Author/SA)

Reports degree of relationship between assessments of teachers' procedural and verbal behavior made independently by teacher self report, student checklists, and the observations of an outside observer. (AL)

Analyzes several factors in an impact study of Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) and states that its major impact has been to make curriculum change respectable. (LS)

A field trip to a science activity center in Southwest England for secondary school students is described. (BB)

Presents task analysis of the laboratory inquiries of the BSCS Yellow Version. Three important deficiencies are identified: (1) Students do not identify and formulate problems; (2) Students get little chance to conduct investigations; and (3) Post-laboratory discussions are not indicated. (MA)