Introduces classroom and other activities for teaching the importance of the tropical rain forest. Includes some resources and reading materials. (YP)

Appraises current organic courses and discusses topics which could be strengthened or dropped. Criticizes the current structure of organic texts and stresses the need for inclusion of useful reactions and mechanisms only. (ML)

Reports the results of a laboratory safety survey of 37 schools in the Washington, DC area. Discusses the contents of the survey and the status of safety instructions and standards in secondary school chemistry laboratories. Cites efforts to improve instruction in the United States. (CW)

This article gives a brief description of the process of the removal of corrosion and millscale from the surfaces of ferrous metals by acid pickling. It suggests an experiment to illustrate this process including the procedure and a discussion of the results. (CW)

Reports on a study which sought to isolate physics topics perceived to be difficult and examine whether students' interest in mathematics had any significant relationship with the perceived difficulty. Concluded that students perceived more difficulty in mechanics, and a significant relationship existed between active interest in mathematics and…

Describes an experiment that provides a fundamental understanding of the kinetics of the enzyme papain. Discusses background, materials, procedures and results. Mentions analogous experiments that can be conducted with enzymatic contact-lens cleaning solutions. (CW)

Learning-disabled students deficient in classification and categorization require specific instruction in these skills. Use of a classification/categorization instructional model improved the questioning strategies of 60 learning-disabled students, aged 10 to 12. The use of similar models is discussed as a basis for instruction in science, social…

Presents elementary school children's poetry about a variety of scientific topics. Indicates that children make no false dichotomy between science and poetry. (JK)

Discusses the use of expert systems to teach problem-solving skills to students from grade 6 to college level. The role of computer technology in the future of education is considered, and the construction of knowledge bases is described, including an example for physics. (LRW)

Announces the incorporation of a laboratory information management system (LIMS) into the academic environment. Describes the applications of a computer-automated laboratory system at one university. Stresses the benefits to students of the use of such a system in terms of entry into the industrial environment and to professors in grading. (CW)

Considers the applicability of the simple emersion/weight-gain method for predicting diffusion coefficients, solubilities, and permeation rates of chemicals in polymers that do not undergo physical and chemical deterioration. Presents the theoretical background, procedures and typical results related to this activity. (CW)

Lists criteria for selecting quality computer software. Describes tutorial, drill and practice, test scoring, and simulations as innovative uses of microcomputers. Establishes a need for the use of computers and courseware as learning opportunities. Defines significant vocabulary terms and concepts to promote literacy. (RT)

Reports on students' study and drawing of five electronic circuit diagrams. Concludes that the success of the students depended upon the amount of detail in the instructional diagrams. (RT)

Describes research findings concerning children's difficulties with the concepts of circuit, current, and electrical energy. Discusses some possible approaches to instruction. (CW)

Describes an apparatus capable of measuring absolute temperatures of a tungsten filament bulb up to normal running temperature and measuring Botzmann's constant to an accuracy of a few percent. Shows that electrical noise techniques are convenient to demonstrate how the concept of temperature is related to the micro- and macroscopic world. (CW)