This study describes one kindergarten classroom in which informational books and other nonfiction resources were used in the context of a long-term scientific study. Children became proficient in locating information and interpreting content-specific textual features in the process of making sense of their scientific observations and sharing them…

"How much popcorn will our classroom hold?" This intriguing question sparked a terrific integrated science and math exploration that the author conducted with fifth-and sixth-grade students. In the process of finding the classroom's volume, students developed science-process skills (e.g., developing a plan, measurement, collecting and interpreting…

The case study examined two groups of grade 7 students as they engaged in four inquiry phases: posing a question and collecting, analyzing, and representing data. Previous studies reported analyses of statistical reasoning on a single inquiry phase. Our goal was to identify the modes of statistical reasoning displayed during group discussions in…

This case study examines the alignment between the Intended Curriculum, Implemented Curriculum and Achieved Curriculum of a fourth grade inquiry based unit, "Food Chains and Webs." Specifically addressed are how the curriculum was modified to meet state standards, how teachers were trained, and how assessment of curricular implementation was…

This article reports on a research effort that investigated whether the use of Microcomputer-Based Labs (MBLs), implemented within an inquiry-based activity sequence on phase transformations (melting and freezing), contributes to the development of fourth grade (9-10 year-old) students' conceptual understanding and ability to construct and…

This resource book contains 18 magic number tricks that spark the interest and imagination of students as they are led through a variety of mathematical computations and discoveries. Following each activity, students are asked to write about their discoveries and create their own magic tricks. A matrix of skills for all the activities and lists of…

One of the challenges issued by the National Science Education Standards is for students to learn the content and process of modern scientific inquiry by engaging in research and entering science competitions. The Rockefeller University Precollege Science Education Outreach Programs (Science Outreach) provide access for about 70 students from…

The purpose of this study was to assess a model inquiry-oriented environmental science course offered to preservice elementary education majors at the University of Montana in order to investigate the effects of environmental science classes on preservice elementary education majors. The guiding questions for the study (N=125) were: What learning…

Teaching is a profession where aspiring practitioners enter the field with preconceived beliefs and conceptions about teaching and learning acquired during the 12 years or more they spent within the educational system. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of an educational reform environment on the development and retention of…

This resource guide is a source of current information for teachers, principals, administrators, science curriculum specialists, parents, and those involved in systemic reform of science education. These curriculum materials and other resources support inquiry-based science teaching that fosters an understanding of science concepts through…

'Scientific Investigation' was the first of the four Attainment Targets which prescribed the science component of the national curriculum in England and Wales in 1991. Following a brief historical account of the origins of scientific investigation as a curriculum objective, this paper comments upon the attempt by the central government to define a…

Confronting recent design challenges, instructional designers have latched onto adaptive procedural techniques from outside the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) field. This discussion of rapid prototyping (RP) examines the perspectives of: (1) the prototype as the designer"s cognitive tool; (2) the designer as co-inquirer; and (3) the…

The Teaching Facilitator portion of the Mathematics for Tomorrow project seeks to help a small number of teacher-leaders acquire the skills, beliefs, and knowledge they will need to lead their peers in ongoing inquiry and investigation into mathematics teaching practice. This descriptive study examines the experiences, beliefs, and concerns of…

The subject of this theoretical study emerges from the identification of a gap in the theories of first, second, and third order change. Through synthesis and critique of existing theory (Bateson, 1972; Watzlawick, Weakland, and Fisch, 1974; and Bartunek and Moch, 1987), an integrated three-part theory of change is proposed to include continuous…

The role and content of social studies curriculum for elementary and secondary students is examined and compared with preceding curricula of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The premise is that today's social studies is too narrow and does not encompass enough humanistic perspective; resulting in the need for teachers to re-evaluate the social studies…