Describes scientific and technical accomplishments of Africans in developing the calendar, surgery, and gynecology and of Native Americans in developing astronomy, architecture, and agriculture. (Contains 93 references) (PR)

Describes a plastic soda bottle water rocket launching system used in a first-grade class. Encourages teachers to introduce the concept of rockets with two books, "Trouble in Space" (Rose Greydanus) and "Space" (James Seevers). (PR)

Investigates relationships between drawing skills of children ages four to eight and their ability to identify materials. Regression of measures of aesthetic drawing, developmental drawing, design making, symbol creation, and developed schemata found a positive correlation between total drawing scores and material identification scores; age…

Presents the results of an analysis of science-classroom lab talk which focuses on topics and manner of talk as an approach to understanding the social context of undergraduate lab work. Argues that lab instructors should pay attention to how "scientific" the lab talk is, and to sociability among students. Contains 32 references.…

Traces the history of legal rulings leading up to the Edwards vs. Aguillard decision by the Supreme Court that it is unconstitutional to mandate "balanced treatment" and "equal time" for teaching creationism along with evolution in school science classes. Contains 17 references. (WRM)

Argues that science students often perceive physical events, the nature of scientific knowledge, and the nature of learning processes in different ways from science teachers and scientists, and that science teachers need to account for these differences in planning their science teaching. Contains 40 references. (WRM)

Describes a study of Greek high school students' (n=116) perceptions of the ozone layer. Finds that students have a good understanding of the position and purpose of the ozone layer in terms of protection from ultraviolet rays, but students also hold misconceptions linking the ozone layer to the greenhouse effect and other forms of local…

Quantitative and qualitative studies of public understanding of science conducted in many countries provide important insights into the extent to which lay citizens understand important scientific concepts, and the ways in which they seek and use scientific knowledge. Identifies some dimensions of "citizen science" and examines their implications…

Presents a theory of learning in science based on students deriving conceptual linkages among multiple models which represent physical phenomena at different levels of abstraction. Finds that high school students who were exposed to derivational links among three models for basic electricity performed better when solving both qualitative and…

Examines the extent and nature of Year 10 students' model-based reasoning in a laboratory investigation that considered the influence of six factors on electrical resistance. Finds that spontaneous use of the electron-drift model of metals in explanations increased over the duration of the task, but the explanations were restricted to mainly…

Describes the physical and chemical structure of zeolites and presents a series of experiments demonstrating some of the properties of these chemicals, including investigations of the hardness of tap water and the water-softening capabilities of various laundry detergents. Contains 13 references. (WRM)

Attempts to find connections and bridges between social constructivism and Piagetian constructivism so that both may be enriched, to the benefit of science teaching. (Contains 95 references.) (Author/WRM)

Examines the effectiveness of a standards-based science intervention program on the science achievement and attitudes of middle-grade students attending a five-week academic enrichment program. Finds that students' achievement and attitudes were higher following participation in the program. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/WRM)

Describes the development and use of two computer simulations for investigating systems thinking and environmental problem-solving in children (n=92). Finds that older children outperformed younger children, who tended to exhibit magical thinking. Suggests that seemingly isomorphic environmental problems may not be interpreted as such by children.…

Proposes that instruction targeted at conceptual change should be designed to consider cognitive development and capitalize on what is known about social development. Examines instructional strategies (Concept Oriented Reading Instruction, Discussion Webs, collaborative writing, learning logs, and divided page journals) that promote middle school…