Proposes an activity whereby science students develop critical thinking skills. Students are to debate the belief that the earth is flat. Guidelines are provided. (MA)

Presents an activity whereby students describe the path of Mars through a background starfield. Includes purpose, materials, pre-lab, and procedure. Also provides guidelines for making a dial-a-planet wheel. (MA)

Examines the physical bases for the appearance of the starfield from a moving reference frame. Concludes with a sequence of computer-generated figures to show the appearance of Earth's starfield at various velocities and that a "starbow" does not exist. (Author/GA)

Presents a guide to be used by students and teachers in conjunction with a television program about Einstein. Provides general information about special and general relativity, and the universe. Includes questions for discussion after each section and a bibliography. (MA)

Reviews six new children's books in the areas of astronomy, energy, mathematics, and physics. (GT)

Investigates the behavior of a simple pendulum attached to a fixed point inside a satellite moving in a circular orbit about the earth. It is found that the number of equilibrium positions depends on the length of the pendulum and the location of the point of attachment. (HM)

Described is an experiment that allows students to determine the distance to the moon by triangulation. Included is a description of parallax methods and photographic techniques. (CS)

Presents a critical review of research on student conceptions of the Earth and its place in the universe with regard to epistemological, historical, and cognitive aspects. The Copernican model drives the research questioning about the position of the Earth in the universe with little correlation of the model with the empirical level of…

Describes an activity, designed to comply with the National Science Education Standards, that integrates science and mathematics concepts. Mathematical modeling of the moon's phases is employed to show students the role of mathematics in describing scientific phenomena. (DKM)

Presents two views about the future of astronomy. Explains that government budget cuts and an oversupply of young scientists have decimated the employment prospects. Encourages students to train for a wide variety of careers and to become entrepreneurs who bring technologies to the consumer. (DDR)

Provides information about a summer camp with an astronomy focus for students in grades 4-8. Discusses planning, camp basics, telescope orientation, and other features of camp life. (DDR)

Describes a school-hosted, non-residence science day camp. Provides a list of guidelines for planning such a camp. (DDR)

Recommends the use of concept mapping in science teaching and proposes that it be presented as a creative activity. Includes a sample lesson plan of a potato stamp concept mapping activity for astronomy. (DDR)

Compares the problem-solving skills required for solving well-structured problems and ill-structured problems in the context of an open-ended, multimedia problem solving environment in astronomy. Assesses students' abilities in solving these problems with two sets of open-ended questions. Concludes that solving well-structured and ill-structured…

Describes an activity for observing sunspots with binoculars and other readily available materials. Introduces students to daylight astronomy. (KHR)