Describes the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in Pennsylvania which seeks to develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary to improve the relationship of man to nature and man and man. The facility is utilized for elementary student activities, teacher workshops, handicapped programs, and college university groups. (DS)

Introduces the National Science Education Standards and suggests that the Standards be used as a mechanism for bridging formal and informal science education. Based on a review of the educational effectiveness of science museums, specific science content from the Standards is outlined as potentially useful in informal settings for increasing…

Presented are the results of a survey of approximately 1300 centers across the United States and Canada. Discussed are management and ownership, setting, size, budget, staffing, annual use, acreage, and facilities. (CW)

Visitors to an interactive science center were observed while assembling a large-scale lock and key kit. Males, and those who had previously watched another visitor, were faster at initial assembly of the lock, but for males this speed advantage disappeared in a reassembly test. Discusses what counts as "understanding" an exhibit.…

Describes a Physics Exploration Center, a space where students solve lecture-related homework problems in a hands-on facility. (CCM)

Lists contact and exhibit information for science and technology centers in the United States. (WRM)

Describes the efforts of two teachers to construct a pond and woods on school grounds. The teachers used specialized student teams for working on a wetland study and the building project. An advisory committee including teachers, the principal, and the custodian worked through maintenance issues. Relates teaching surprises associated with the…

Describes "QUEST", an Internet resource developed by The British Natural History Museum to stimulate young children's interest in science. (Author)

This investigation sought to identify the motivations that comprise teachers' agendas when leading student fieldtrips to science museums or similar sites. A survey distributed to upper elementary teachers resulted in a variety of open-ended responses that were analyzed and coded to identify recurring themes. In addition, ten teachers planning to…

A university, medical school, and science center along with numerous K-12 public schools, university departments, local businesses, funded grant projects, and federal, state and private grants all work in concert to produce a unique partnership focusing on outreach to public school teachers and students. This article shares the history, work,…

In 1949 the newly-inaugurated president of Northern Illinois University (NIU), Dr. Leslie Holmes, announced his intention to establish a program in outdoor teacher education. The program would provide opportunities for teaching and experiential learning in a naturalistic setting. Two years later, NIU acquired a 66-acre camp near Oregon, Illinois,…

Activities in the ecology of New England's tidepools are provided in this field trip guide for elementary school teachers. Resources, curriculum materials, and services are identified that are available through the New England Aquarium's Department of Education. This packet contains: (1) pre-trip activities (offering a vocabulary list,…

Researchers examined two independent museum education studies conducted at the same large science center in Toronto, Canada, and considered the implications of both studies for museum education. Study "A" explored museum development practice and its relation to casual visitor understandings of key concepts. Study "B" engaged…

Describes the "Space Camp" program for boys and girls at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center (Huntsville, Alabama), including typical activities. Includes address for obtaining information on participation in the program. (JN)

Describes the function of the children's museum in the life of a community and in the experience of a visitor. Included are the emotional experiences of the museum personnel as they moved to change their facility. (SA)