Presents a lesson plan that uses information about traditional African iron-smelting to highlight the scientific contributions of non-European cultures. Includes a laboratory activity on the reduction of metal oxides with a multicultural perspective that helps students grasp some of the chemistry concepts involved in smelting. (JRH)

Gives a lesson plan for a mathematics activity using balloons which shows connections between the algebraic concepts of slope, linear functions, and power functions and the geometric concepts of circle, sphere, volume, and pi. Includes reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Presents an activity in which students draw a picture, analyze each line and curve, and write the symbolic equations represented by the graph. Includes reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Presents five lessons to demonstrate how graphing calculators can be used to teach the slope-intercept concept of linear equations and to establish more general principles about two-dimensional graphs. Contains a reproducible student quiz. (MKR)

Presents activities that use physical models to help students see the natural progression for steps in mathematical induction. Contains reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Presents an activity to construct a tester for electrical resistors. Contains discussion questions, extensions, curriculum correlations to health and art, and home links. Includes a reproducible student worksheet. (MKR)

Reports on a refresher training program that introduces experienced physics teachers to a reflective lesson-planning model and a more constructivist approach to physics teaching. Three instructional strategies developed by participants in the program and the corresponding suggestions made by their peers are presented and analyzed. (29 references)…

Provides activities that introduce the sine and cosine functions in a hands-on manner. Includes ideas for assessment. Contains reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Provides a teacher's guide and activity sheets designed to introduce students to three patterns of reasoning in inferential logic. Students learn to construct arguments from diagrams and, given an argument, illustrate the argument with a Venn diagram, then study the diagram to see if the argument is valid or invalid. (MKR)

Presents a global warming activity and extensions that direct students in visualizing changes that may occur as a result of the predicted sea-level rise. Includes a map of site-specific U.S. sea-level changes. (MCO)

Learning activities that expose students to the concepts of economics are presented, using concrete examples involving the daily activities of zoos and their visitors. The activities call for students to identify zoo expenses, evaluate decisions about zoo spending, and consider the financial and moral costs of treating animals humanely. (JDD)

A Lesson Plan Evaluation Form was developed to provide systematic quantitative data about classroom functioning in an elementary-level gifted program. Plans (n=137) from 15 teachers were analyzed, and useful information about program functioning was obtained in a cost-effective manner. Data obtained were consistent with data from more traditional…

Presents a class activity in which student describe and classify music as an introduction to writing classification essays. (SR)

Offers a model lesson that uses television commercials to foster in students a more sophisticated awareness of audience. (SR)

Presents activities involving multiple embedded figures beginning with the problem of counting the number of squares on a checkerboard. Offers several extensions and assessment suggestions. Includes student worksheets. (MKR)