Summaries of 20 selected instructional films for elementary, intermediate, and secondary students are presented. Subjects include the solar system, lighting, insects, health, friendship, fairy tales, fire hazards, glassmaking, and foreign countries. Film adaptions of "The Wizard of Oz" and two stories by Mark Twain are also reviewed. (PP)

A study was conducted to examine the characteristics of students enrolled in an introductory biology course at a predominantly Black, southern university. Characteristics studied were ability, aptitude, locus of control orientation, cognitive style, number and enjoyment of spatial experiences, attitudes toward biology, and family background…

Describes a study using experimental and control classes to test the effect of exercises in creative thinking. The tenth-grade students were able to increase their ability to think creatively. (Author/SA)

Compared the effect of a traditional "Star Show" program and a "Participatory Oriented Program" in a small, educational planetarium on elementary school students' (N=556) achievement and attitudes. Results indicate that the latter, activity-oriented program is superior to the "Star Show" program. (JN)

Outlines laboratory procedures, demonstrations, teaching suggestions, and content information related to chemistry. Topics include polarizing power; calorimetry and momentum; microcomputers in school chemistry; a constant-volume dispenser for liquids, floating magnets, and crystal lattices; preparation of chromium; and solvent polarity and…

Suggesting advantages of using forests to teach succession, briefly outlines procedures for gathering evidence of succession including numbers, ages, and sizes of trees. Five plot studies conducted by students at the University of Victoria are also described. (DC)

Describes a 10-step model for analyzing lessons involving data processing, including a set of activities for early elementary and middle school grades. Each set provides examples of relevant questions, directions, and explanations. (Author/DC)

Proposes the use of schoolyard activities as a viable alternative to extended field trips for field investigations in biology. Describes and provides examples of different approaches including a problem oriented technique, Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS), and a sourcebook sponsored by the Council for Elementary Science…

Suggests that current approaches to mechanics following Newton's laws will not improve by better presentations due to conceptual difficulties of the approaches. Offers an alternative way of setting up mechanics which avoids some of the conceptual pitfalls but still requires mathematical ability. (Author/SK)

Two presentations at the 1981 International Conference on Chemical Education are summarized: (1) current and future rationales for chemistry instruction and use of Gowin's V for more effective chemistry teaching and (2) creative adaptability toward challenges of chemistry content, society, and the individual, focusing on learning chemistry by…

Describes an interdisciplinary classroom activity to explain the effect of the ocean on local weather incorporating principles from physics, chemistry, mathematics, and meteorology. (DS)

Explores several options and advantages of using microcomputers in science teaching. Describes programs for calculating pH, Maxwell-Boltzman distribution of velocities in a gas, atomic orbitals, and lattice energies. Also suggests use of microcomputers in the areas of simulations, scoring tests, and controlling stock. (DS)

Provides directions for constructing a wooden or metal weather vane. Also describes the construction of a "Boomerang Drum," a machine which can store and release energy, and suggests activities for use with it. (DS)

Provided are details for a game designed to help secondary school or college students understand the types of problems encountered in applied hydrobiology and the financial and time constraints involved in their solution. (PB)

Describes experiments using solid state detectors in modern physics courses. The apparatus involved is simple and inexpensive, avoiding costly electronics, and the very high efficiency of plastic detectors in particular makes them ideally suited for work with very weak radioactive sources. (Author/SK)