This guide is designed to help teachers develop an inquiry-oriented program for studying the animal kingdom in which live animals are collected locally, studied, observed, and then released completely unharmed back into their natural habitats. This book addresses such concerns of life science teachers as the environmental soundness of methods and…

This guide is designed to help after-school and in-school programs create and implement high-quality, technology-enriched learning activities. It contains hands-on lessons, worksheets, and sample activities that have proven effective at inspiring young people's curiosity and creativity. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the issues, including…

This paper describes an ongoing high school science teacher professional development project, Beyond Final Form Science, that focuses on developing teachers' ideas of scientific inquiry and inquiry pedagogy. It analyzes the first several months of the project, highlighting analyses of teachers' interactions during monthly professional development…

Science education standards urge less emphasis on memorizing decontextualized scientific facts and more emphasis on students investigating the everyday world and developing deep understanding from their inquiries. This paper describes work in developing science curriculum materials that support current reform movements. It includes assumptions for…

This paper presents a national study in which K-8 preservice and inservice teachers participated to gain information about their students' views of science. This project primarily focuses on engaging the teachers in classroom research. The first section includes specific components and the results of the project. The second section describes the…

This study investigated how six mentor teachers understood and negotiated their roles as mentors in an elementary professional development school (PDS). Data were collected over 18 months from mentor and intern journals, field notes, interviews, e-mails, meeting minutes, and transcripts from PDS meetings. Each teacher participated in interviews…

Results of a previous study indicated no difference in preservice teacher attitude/achievement using lecture/inquiry approaches. This study was replicated, also examining effects of sex and students' (N=471) previous science training. Although results for science understanding were not significant, analysis of attitude change indicates that…

Laboratory exercises from five chemistry curricula were examined to determine organization (integration of laboratory work with other parts of a course) and tasks required of students (assessed in terms of inquiry skills and behaviors required for the laboratory work). Implications and suggestions for instruction are included. (Author/JN)

Discusses three general characteristics and four criticisms of meta-analysis (statistical analysis of the summary findings of many research studies). Illustrates application of meta-analysis on research studies relating to school class size and achievement and inquiry teaching of biology. (JN)

Describes how students use paper-strip molecules in hands-on activities to show the synthesis of larger organic molecules from smaller molecules. Focuses initially on condensation molecules involving the functional groups in alcohol and carboxylic acids. (DDR)

This study compared effects of two approaches to hands-on science, supported inquiry science (SIS) and activity-based science, in six urban and two suburban fourth-grade general education classrooms involving 172 students, 33 of whom had learning disabilities (LD). The study found that students with and without LD demonstrated greater concept…

If children are required to make their own sense, then attempting to impart knowledge will fail altogether or result in only superficial short-term learning. Curriculum structure, load in science, and assessment must change for a constructivist approach to flourish in the classroom. Teachers must serve as a guide to students exploring science as a…

Describes a workshop to provide parents, their elementary school children, and elementary teachers with a common science learning environment. It included 45 activities/demonstrations with directions and learning notes. The primary goal was to promote inquiry through involvement and interaction with each other, discovery, discussion, and thinking…

Discusses a hands-on, teacher-library media specialist collaborative model for implementing the inquiry approach to the research process into the classroom and school library media center. Highlights include student research journals, including timelines; brainstorming; questioning; skimming for information; and sample questioning worksheets. (LRW)

Explains a hands-on, classroom teacher/library media specialist collaborative model for implementing the inquiry approach to the research process into the classroom and school library media center. Topics include the investigation phase; source notes; primary sources; interviews; community resources; storyboards; and peer conferences. (LRW)