The author felt comfortably settled in her career. She had been teaching middle school science for seven years. She attended cutting-edge classes in college, received a master's degree in educational technology, earned a license in administration, and had attended a variety of classes and professional development workshops. Looking back, she…

"Science for all" is not just a theme that befits the democratic society. It also exemplifies the best methodology for teaching science to children at the middle school level. For many years, teachers have grappled with trying to determine what type of grouping would most benefit their students. This article presents a strategy that highlights why…

Describes a project where students build their own catapults and modify them to solve four problems. Suggests the unit be integrated with a social studies unit on the Middle Ages. (PR)

At the beginning of each year, teachers have the daunting task of deciding which concepts and skills to teach their students. Many teachers feel the pressure to teach "the whole book". This pressure comes in multiple forms. There is ever-increasing pressure to perform well on state, national, and international exams. An added pressure is the…

This issue of Carnegie Quarterly focuses on a middle grades life science project in which students work together in groups to explore the properties of DNA. The project, entitled HumBio, was developed to capture young people's interest in science by promoting an understanding of their own biology so they can see how their health and well-being are…

Proposes a revised learning cycle model termed the Metacognitive Learning Cycle which emphasizes formal opportunities for teachers and students to talk about their science ideas. Analyses two different pedagogical classroom approaches, the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) approach and the metacognitive approach, and observes changes in…

The Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) is an interdisciplinary science program that began as a curriculum reform effort in the mid-1960s. This historical study provides insights into the FAST project and contributes to an understanding of the dynamics of survival of curricular and instructional innovations. Data collection methods…

This paper reviews the efforts to put science education into contexts that are considered more meaningful and useful than the classical approach. It focuses on S/T/S (science/technology/society) projects funded by the National Science Foundation, and especially on a project at the University of Iowa. Some of the features of S/T/S programs are…

This document contains most of the evaluation instruments and instructions for evaluation used in the 1973-76 field test of Levels I, II, and III of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Human Sciences Program, a 3-year, interdisciplinary science program for 11- to 14-year olds. Since the materials were retrieved from teachers guides,…

This teacher's manual provides general and specific guidelines for use of Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT) Physical Science Curriculum materials at the junior high-middle school level. TGT is an innovative instructional model which focuses on the learning of basic skills, information, and concepts, rewarding students in small teams rather than at the…

Reviews various factors of articulation within and between middle and secondary schools and suggests three approaches to solve articulation problems: (1) early and frequent evaluation; (2) establishing a positive social climate; and (3) extending science content using, for example, an interdisciplinary approach. (SK)

Designed for middle and junior high school students, the Human Sciences Program (HSP) represents a three year, interdisciplinary program which focuses on the role of the natural sciences in promoting the cognitive, psycho-social, and moral development of early adolescents. The materials consist of modules of activities designed around major themes…

The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Human Sciences Project developed, produced, and field tested 13 interdisciplinary, non-traditional, non-text science curriculum modules for early adolescents, ages 11 to 14. The Human Sciences Data File- HSPALL (ED 211 383) contains evaluation data from the 1973-1976 field testing of the Human…

The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Human Sciences Project developed, produced, and field tested 13 interdisciplinary, non-traditional, non-text science curriculum modules for early adolescents, ages 11 to 14. A codebook (ED 211 382) contains the frequencies for the value of 23 variables for each of the 3,173 student-activity…

The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Human Sciences Project developed, produced, and field tested 13 interdisciplinary, non-traditional, non-text science curriculum modules for early adolescents, ages 11 to 14. The Codebook for Human Sciences Activity Characteristics on Reviewer Evaluation File--HSACRE (ED 211 384) contains 8 variables…