We are developing a new activity-based unit on global warming and the environment as part of the "Explorations in Physics Curriculum." We describe the current status of this unit, which focuses on helping students understand the greenhouse effect and its relationship to global warming. We outline several problems encountered in testing the unit…

At the University of Cambridge, UK, we have developed, used, and evaluated a new exercise in Process Dynamics and Control incorporating a Web-based experiment physically located at MIT. We describe the experimental equipment, the interface used, the new exercise, and report on the student evaluation. The successful realization of this exercise…

Developmental changes in the understanding and use of the logic of experimental control were addressed with three tasks in a longitudinal study. In all three tasks, understanding of experimental control was assessed by production measures (children were asked to test potential causal relations in a multivariable situation) and by choice/evaluation…

This compilation of four journal articles (Instructor, September 1980; Science and Children, September 1980; and Science Teacher, September 1980 and March 1981) focuses on volcanoes, particularly Mount St. Helens in Oregon. The first article, "The Earth is Alive!" describes the eruptions of Mount St. Helens, provides basic information on…

A learning cycle consists of three phases: exploration; conceptual invention; and expansion of an idea. These phases parallel Piaget's functioning model of assimilation, disequilibrium and accomodation, and organization respectively. The learning cycle perceives students as actors rather than reactors to the environment. Inherent in that…

The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the third year of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide is a four-part unit…

The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the third year of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This teaching guide, designed to be used in…

The first (exploratory) phase of the Learning in Science Project focused on science teaching/learning in the Form 1 to 4 level (ages 10 to 14) and sought to identify problems and difficulties in several areas. Provided in this paper are comments obtained during structured/unstructured interviews (from students, ex-students, teachers, headmasters,…

Education is a process of adapting to change, and the rate of change is especially rapid in science today. This curriculum in human biology is an alternative to the New York State courses in general and Regents biology, and it has been designed to focus on change from the standpoint of the urban student. It is designed to provide students with…

This book includes 25 science activities in the fields of environmental science, soil science, life science, and physical science. The activities are designed to be used in outdoor settings. Each activity is composed of two parts--an explanatory section for the teacher and a student lab sheet. The teacher explanatory section begins with a brief…

Designed to present interesting facts about science and to heighten the curiosity of primary age students, this book contains activities about the natural world and numerous black and white illustrations. The activities specifically focus on space science and allow the children to view themselves as future space scientists. Section one contains…

To cope with some social problems, Japanese educational planners are drafting some proposals for research into innovations in the educational system. This paper reports on some research recently done which looked into the relationships of the Japanese educational environment and the reasoning/thinking skills and process skills of students in…

This physical science activity module was designed to facilitate developing concepts related to sound. It is intended for use primarily in elementary grades but may be useful at higher grades. It provides students with hands-on experience and observational skill development. The package provides: (1) a teacher background sheet; (2) an activity…

Many educators feel that elementary school science programs should concentrate on phenomena and concepts that are literally tangible. This document serves as the teaching manual which accompanies the Capsela modular system of manipulative and motorized models. The experiments in the manual are intended to provide a structured approach to using the…

This collection of articles, originally published in national and international journals, is fifth in a series devoted to trends in teaching chemistry. The volume is divided into nine sections, each with an introduction explaining why papers have been selected and outlining their particular interest. Section I provides a list of atomic masses,…