There is a distinct divide between theory and practice in American science education. Research indicates that a constructivist philosophy, in which students construct their own knowledge, is conductive to learning, while in many cases teachers continue to present science in a more traditional manner. This study sought to explore possible…

The National Science Education Standards [National Research Council (1996) National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press] recommend that students understand the apparent patterns of motion of the sun, moon and stars by the end of early elementary school. However, little information exists on students' ability to…

Students have difficulties in physics because of the abstract nature of concepts and principles. One of the effective methods for overcoming students' difficulties is the use of analogies to visualize abstract concepts to promote conceptual understanding. According to Iding, analogies are consistent with the tenets of constructivist learning…

One of the most fun demonstrations in a freshman mechanics class is the levitation of a ball in a steady air stream even when the jet is directed at an angle. This and other demonstrations are often used to argue for the validity of Bernoulli's principle. As cautioned by some authors, however, it is important to avoid making sweeping statements…

We present an iterative procedure that does not rely on calculus to model heat flow through a uniform bar of metal and thus avoids the use of the partial differential equation typically needed to describe heat diffusion. The procedure is based on first principles and can be done with students at the blackboard. It results in a plot that…

The authors' purpose is to help students clarify the difference between scientific laws and scientific theories. Understanding the nature of science is important to our students; however, persistent misconceptions, such as misunderstandings about scientific laws and theories, are still present. In this two-part activity, students will have a…

Scientists understand that scientific ideas are subject to change and improvement. Fourth- through eighth- graders develop this understanding about the nature of science as they gather and examine fossil evidence from the Paleozoic era, record their findings, and read and write about science for authentic purposes as scientists do. Students…

The conceptual understanding of Archimedes' principle can be verified in experimental procedures which determine mass and density using a floating object. This is demonstrated by simple experiments using graduated beakers. (Contains 5 figures.)

Gas laws are taught in most undergraduate general chemistry courses and even in some high school chemistry courses. This article describes the author's experience of using the laboratory to allow students to "discover" gas laws instead of the conventional approach of using the lecture to teach this concept. Students collected data using Vernier…

The analysis a recently developed mass-elastic band process that will help in providing a better understanding of various aspects of chemical thermodynamics. These processes also include the use of a visual teaching aid at the introductory level, which helps students to think better.

Church documents, theology, leadership theory, and sociology come together in this article to present a pedagogy for Catholic schools that is deeply rooted in a personal faith and a contemporary understanding of the person. In order to construct a conceptual model of a pedagogy grounded in Christian spirituality, the meaning of the term "pedagogy"…

A novel approach to the Chemical Engineering curriculum sequence of courses at West Point enabled our students to experience a much more realistic design process, which more closely replicated a real world scenario. Students conduct the synthesis in the organic chemistry lab, then conduct computer modeling of the reaction with ChemCad and…

Periodic Table Target, a game for middle school or high school students, familiarizes students with the form of the periodic table and the biological significance of different elements. The Periodic Table Target game board is constructed as a class project, and the game is played to reinforce the content. Students are assigned several elements…

This exploratory study took place in the context of middle school information science in Greece, to examine possible relations between boys' and girls': value and efficacy beliefs about computers and information science; perceived parental support; perceived teacher expectations; and perceptions of the nature of information science instruction.…