Features the concepts of optics and geometry of eclipses. Presents the "eclipse rule," suggesting classroom activities in which students derive this rule. Includes some triangles activities for outdoors that illustrate eclipsing and sighting phenomena. (ET)

Administered questionnaires to 35 science teachers to test the hypotheses that teachers holding constructivist beliefs are more likely to detect alternative conceptions, have a richer repertoire of teaching strategies, use more effective teaching strategies for inducing conceptual change, and report frequent use of effective teaching strategies.…

Demonstrates the need for a three-dimensional model as an aid for teaching students why eclipses do not occur every two weeks, as falsely indicated by two-dimensional models such as books, chalkboards, and computer screens. Describes procedure to construct the model. Indicates question related to seasons likely to arise from such a model and…

Presents a lesson, Scientific Literacy Is a Lifetime Skill, that provides thought and discussion on science as an aspect of everyday life. Uses concept mapping to help students explore from their perspective the relationship between formal science education and real-world situations. (JRH)

Argues that, by not considering examples drawn from students' everyday lives, a teacher is detracting from science itself. A challenge is made to Conceptual Change Learning Model advocates and users to embrace the idea of conceptual fitting based upon context as well as conceptual change when considering how students learn. (ZWH)

Describes the use of a "Rube Goldberg machine contest" to help students learn physics. (PR)

Describes a drama where students play the parts of NASA employees in charge of planning a space mission to one of the planets. (PR)

The purpose of this article is to indicate another way of looking at duality and to propose an alternative approach to the teaching of quantum theory at the introductory level. (MVL)

Describes the process of analysis for determining a teacher's conception of teaching science using interviews. Representations of a teacher's conception of teaching science include a grid for analyzing different themes in a teacher's conception, a brief summary of the themes, and a longer written interpretive summary. (23 references) (Author)

San Francisco's Exploratorium contains over 650 interactive exhibits that invite visitors (including 67,000 students on field trips yearly) to explore natural phenomena through individual hands-on inquiry and discovery. The museum's hidden agenda is helping schools incorporate inquiry and discovery into classrooms. Internet connections to Science…

Scientific reasoning of four elementary age students with mild mental retardation was investigated using structured interviews during tasks involving properties of air and electricity. Discourse analysis was employed to describe students' preconceptions about the natural world and how those preconceptions might be influenced by empirical evidence.…

Attempts to determine, using estimations and current power-law relationships, whether a newspaper report concerning the statement that a single 40,000-kg truck does as much damage to the highway as 9,600 cars is true. Provides a mathematical and graphical possible solution. (MVL)

Provides simple techniques for demonstrating and recording the effect of the changing shapes of moving objects when viewed through a moving slot. Includes a puzzle. A computer shareware program (IBM compatible) that simulates the distortions is available from the author. (MVL)

An examination of high-school biology textbooks reveals that the majority of authors and publishers place concepts dealing with ecology and environmental principles in the final chapters of the book. Suggests it is time to move away from a phylogenetic approach and focus on ecological concepts throughout textbooks. (LZ)

Described a probe that can assess the learners' understanding of scientific ideas in conditions that do not demand closure on a single interpretation, and where learners can demonstrate certainty or otherwise in several possible alternatives. Can be used in monitoring conceptual change when intuitive understanding of scientific phenomena is to be…