Describes an inquiry-based biochemistry activity on the industrial applications of cellulase, which is known as biostoning, and used to soften denim jeans. (YDS)

Discussion of science education focuses on Internet resources for teachers, including lesson plans, as well as for students. Highlights include museum Web sites; NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) sites; curriculum resources for science education; sites about gender equity; and links to other resources. (LRW)

Describes the Physics Phones Home unit which is context-led and developed by the Supported Learning in Physics Projects. Teaches introductory magnetism; electric, magnetic and gravitational fields; and electricity and circular motion. (YDS)

The rapid rate of expansion of the disciplines of biotechnology, genomics, and bioinformatics emphasizes the increased interdependency between computer science and biology, with mathematics serving as the bridge between these disciplines. This paper demonstrates this inter-relationship within the context of a computational model for a biological…

Making magic in the classroom or library media center is as simple as imitating what choreographers do. Just as they demonstrate and teach a dance routine a few steps at a time before asking the performers to put all the steps together for a presentation, many teachers find that breaking a unit of study into several parts, or mini-lessons, is a…

The paper presents the conceptual framework that guided the development of the Lesson Plan Evaluation Rubric (LPER) instrument derived from the Four Stages of Lesson Planning (FSLP) strategy and the empirical results that provide the insight into the elements of lesson planning. Teachers from urban low-performing middle schools in one of the New…

Heritage in the Classroom consisted of workshops designed to assist teachers in developing lesson plans that use Louisiana cultural resources as content to address curriculum standards. Teachers created lesson plans and activities that were piloted during the 2001-02 school year. The Cultural Heritage Attitude Survey measured students' attitudes…

Simon's (1995) development of the construct of hypothetical learning trajectory (HLT) offered a description of key aspects of planning mathematics lessons. An HLT consists of the goal for the students' learning, the mathematical tasks that will be used to promote student learning, and hypotheses about the process of the students' learning.…

The Covenant between the Church of England and British Methodism now in place looks forward to a closer relationship between the two churches. An empirical study, carried out in the late spring of 2003, indicates differences in patterns of belief among the working clergy and ministers of both churches which might help or hinder further moves…

The IMS Learning Design specification (LD) was introduced as an answer to the shortcomings of existing learning technology specifications. The main difference with existing specifications is that LD is an abstract, conceptual model that is able to express various pedagogical approaches whereby content can be adapted to personal needs and…

In this article, the author shares some of the lessons he has learned from experimentation with various strategies to enhance student learning. He contends that all effective classroom strategies begin with the students and must be consistent, yet flexible. Each day should provide opportunities for students to debrief about where they are in terms…

Teachers can build on students' familiarity with and respect for the Harry Potter books to create source-based vocabulary lessons. The idea is to work with the Latin roots that J. K. Rowling uses to create original names for places, people, and magical charms and then to extend students' knowledge through exploration of additional English words…

"Animals" is a three-part lesson plan for young learners with a zoo animal theme. The first lesson is full of activities to describe animals, with Simon Says, guessing games, and learning stations. The second lesson is about desert animals, but other types of animals could be chosen depending on student interest. This lesson teaches…

To keep students motivated, the author outlines several principles for developing listening comprehension lessons. When learners focus on a clear learning objective, retention improves. Other recommendations include keeping the same topic and objective for several activities and selecting relevant, authentic material with a clear layout and…

Replacement performance role plays are a different type of role play. Rather than memorizing or writing a dialogue, this activity asks learners to listen and consider other possible responses. Students decide which character will be replaced and what they will do differently. Even shy learners or ones with lower proficiency levels can be involved…