Teachers and students alike report difficulties with the measurement unit called mole. This article tries to demonstrate that mole and the corresponding quantity are not exceptional. Mole lacks the context of a given amount because the unit measures the relative number of atoms compared with those present in a standard. Discusses history of…

For most students textbooks are the main source of their information about scientific concepts; however, there are a number of errors which frequently appear in textbooks and are consequently transmitted to both teachers and students. Some of these errors which may represent widespread misconceptions of teachers are outlined. (Author)

This paper describes the current approach used in Israel for teaching photosynthesis to junior high school students. Authors identify two types of problems, psychological and instructional, that children experience in understanding photosynthesis. Presents a foundation and sequence for a new approach to teaching photosynthesis. (18 references) (PR)

The speed of light is a fundamental characteristic of the universe. So many processes are related to and dependent upon it that, if creationist claims were true, the universe would be far different from the way it is now. The speed of light has never been shown to vary based on the direction from which it was measured. (PVD)

Presents the history of the theory of evolution and states that the creationist world view had been abandoned by even religious scientists before 1859. Argues that the public's perception of evolution could be improved by presenting a more complete picture of the theory's development, emphasizing the contributions of Christian--often…

Argues that by examining which concepts of a particular area of physics are fundamental and which are defined, teachers can choose concepts for investigation that progress logically and should minimize students' misconceptions and confusion. (Author)

Presents examples of evaluation studies of visitor interactions with science museum exhibits. Example one involves application of existing findings about naive notions of motion to task of engineering a novel encounter with parabolic trajectories. Example two is a student project evaluating a prototype exhibit on light pipes and concludes that…