Many people erroneously believe that an object carried by another moving object will, if dropped, fall in a straight vertical line. This belief may stem from a perceptual illusion in which objects dropped from a moving carrier are perceived as falling straight down or even backward. (Author/RD)

Evaluated was air instructional technique utilizing planetarium facilities to teach the concept of day and night to 207 first-grade students. Test results indicate that the methods was not highly effective. (SL)

Discusses references from the McGuffey Readers pertaining to the sun, the predator-prey relationship, the habits and characteristics of birds and animals, and the composition of the earth. (MLH)

Describes an interview-type study of 15-year-old chemistry students that revealed a poor understanding of the mole concept, and discusses the major features of their misunderstandings. (MLH)

The workshop that is the subject of this report, one in a series of workshops made possible through a grant to the CFE from the National Science Foundation, is the starting point for that effort. The center's mission is to promote evidence-based policy analysis that both responds to current needs and anticipates future ones. This one-day workshop…

Starting from a situated cognition perspective, this paper reports on the activity of 9th grade students who are interpreting the shape of a graph arising from the motion of a bouncing ball. In an unfamiliar context, informed by previous knowledge of similar experiments, the obstacle of understanding why the graph does not start from the origin is…

Discrepant questioning is a teaching technique that can help students "unlearn" misconceptions and process science ideas for deep understanding. Discrepant questioning is a technique in which teachers question students in a way that requires them to examine their ideas or models, without giving information prematurely to the student or passing…

Arts in elementary schools have often been separated from the core curriculum and offered as enrichment activities that are considered beneficial but not essential. This paper highlights how teaching science through the arts can help students more deeply understand core scientific concepts. Specific examples in the paper depict lessons of…

"Bug City" is a video series created to help children (grades 1-6) learn about insects and other small critters. All aspects of bug life are touched upon including body structure, food, habitat, life cycle, mating habits, camouflage, mutualism (symbiosis), adaptations, social behavior, and more. Each program features dramatic microscopic…

The information provided in this booklet is meant to give the necessary background information so that the science of black holes can be taught confidently to elementary students. The featured activities can be used to engage and excite students about the topic of black holes in different disciplines and in a number of ways. Activities include:…

Advocates the use of cartoons in science textbooks as a means of presenting scientific concepts in a humorous manner and motivating students. Five cartoons from the Project Physics textbook are presented with descriptive comments. (JR)

An analysis of the effectiveness of a variety of rhetorical and stylistic presentational modes. (CH)

Discusses physical phenomena which can be demonstrated by using a coffee cup, involving the short-range field, alpha-particle scattering, standing waves, and Bohr's closed electron orbits. Indicates that observation of the physics of the classroom in everyday objects can attract student interest in physics learning. (CC)

Summarizes the Darwin theory of x-ray diffraction in thin crystals or crystals with a mosaic texture and its modified application to crystals with three-dimensional electrostatic dipoles. Indicates that the dynamical theory is brought into its present relevance by the improvement of single crystal growth techniques. (CC)