Describes the use of concept cartoons as a teaching strategy. The cartoons represent scientific ideas in everyday situations and use published research to identify common areas of misunderstanding which then provide a focus for the concept cartoons. Cartoons provide teachers with good access to children's ideas, promote conceptual change,…

Presents the results of a survey of teachers on the use of games in science teaching. Teachers were more likely to use games in mathematics or language arts than in science. Findings indicate that if science games were more widely available, less expensive, and relevant to the National Curriculum, teachers would be more likely to use them as a…

Describes a teaching technique based on using children's questions as a formative and summative assessment tool with emphasis placed on children's answers as well as their questions. Children's explanations clearly show their thinking. Eliciting further explanations allows children to look deep into their understanding and construct meanings for…

Environmental education is often characterized by a concern with developing attitudes and behavior rather than developing environmental knowledge and concepts. Students may thus unknowingly hold and later teach environmental misconceptions. Discusses the use of interactive worksheets to provide a time-effective means of developing students'…

Announces the winners of an annual software contest for innovative software in physics education. Winning entries include an application to help students visualize the origin of energy bands in a solid, a package on the radioastronomy of pulsars, and a school-level science simulation program. Also includes student winners, honorable mentions,…

Presents a novel idea for teaching a scientific concept using a poem that describes the major perspectives on the origins of living systems as the medium of instruction. Addresses major concepts such as chemical evolution, DNA vs. RNA, protocell formation, coacervates, panspermia, and special creation. (Author/CCM)

Synthesizes the concept of "cultural border crossing" with "collateral learning," its cognitive explanation. Examines and advocates the efficacy of reanalyzing previously published interpretive data in light of this conceptual synthesis. Contains 59 references. (Author/WRM)

The extinction of farm animals and crops is rarely brought up during discussions of endangered species and biodiversity; however, the loss of diversity in crops and livestock threatens the sustainability of agriculture. Presents three activities: (1) "The Colors of Diversity"; (2) "Biodiversity among Animals"; and (3) "Heirloom Plants." Discusses…

Describes a laboratory activity in a liberal-arts physics course entitled "Galileo to Newton and Beyond" in which students examine the orbits of Earth and Mars from heliocentric and geocentric viewpoints. (WRM)

Presents evidence for students' qualitative and quantitative difficulties with apparently simple one-dimensional relative-motion problems, students' spontaneous visualization of relative-motion problems, the visualizations facilitating solution of these problems, and students' memories of the online computer simulation used as a framework for…

Lists 67 published or marketed chemistry games organized under the following categories: (1) general knowledge; (2) elements and atomic structure; (3) nomenclature, formulas, and equation writing; (4) chemical reactions; (5) solutions and solubilities; (6) organic chemistry, and (8) miscellaneous subjects. Includes a brief description of each…

Introduces puzzles that proved challenging and popular in the Mexican Chemistry Olympiad. Presents data showing that mainstream general chemistry students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln enjoyed the puzzles and were challenged by them. (WRM)

Describes a conceptual typology of models to help teachers select models appropriate to the cognitive ability of their students. Presents an example of how the systematic presentation of analogical models enhanced an 11th-grade chemistry student's understanding of atoms and molecules. Makes recommendations for teachers. Contains 28 references.…

Discusses the various conflicting trends in mechanics education that have appeared over the past two decades, especially as related to conceptual change teaching and learning. Proposes the theory of schemata as a means to resolve the conflict that exists within the literature. Contains 82 references. (Author/WRM)

Discusses excerpts from Jupit Scientific's publication, "The Bible According to Einstein: A Complement to the Holy Bible for the Third Millennium." (WRM)