Details a project in which students explore and study the poisons in their environment by asking and finding answers to their own research questions. Includes some suggestions for involving students successfully in inquiry-based learning. (DDR)

Uses data from a survey of Perth lower secondary science teachers to reveal low levels of inquiry and determine the nature of the laboratory work undertaken by their students. Contains 29 references. (DDR)

Describes an introductory astronomy course designed for non-science majors. Uses the project-based learning approach and requires students to construct 3-D models for three astronomical phenomena. (YDS)

Discusses how technology-enhanced service-learning can help teachers address national standards. Describes a three-step process (preparing students for service- learning, reflecting on the experience, and taking action through communication) to strengthen service-learning. Uses the Internet to enhance environmental community projects. Includes a…

Recommends using authentic science conferences as a way of teaching about critical issues in science, how scientists work, and the role of conferences. Includes classroom activities of inquiry-based investigations in which students present their collected data at a conference. (YDS)

Describes a teacher's method of motivating her sixth- and seventh-grade students to become interested in interview pieces with authors. Provides a worksheet that encourages student engagement with the interview questions. (TB)

Investigates whether studying about the nature(s) of science contribute to a prospective teachers' effectiveness as a teacher. Argues that a course studying the cultural wars over science contributes to prospective teachers' professional growth because it elicits tacit beliefs about school science as it introduces more complex understanding.…

Discusses Isabel Beck's and Margaret McKeown's research on reading history texts, Linda Levstik's investigation into narrative, and Samuel Wineburg's studies on the expert thinking of historians. Contends that these three research agendas suggest ways to construe and adapt the inquiry method in teaching history. (CMK)

Explores questions concerning reflective inquiry in the elementary social studies classroom. Offers an example social studies lesson which applies the principles of reflective inquiry. (CMK)

Inquiry-based teaching and assessment approaches are superior to standardized tests for measuring students' progress. Historical thinking skills employed in Leopold von Ranke's 19th-century seminars have been refined to consider point of view, credibility of evidence, historical context, causality, and multiple perspectives--benchmarks of…

Presents an activity that teaches macroscopic bone anatomy, muscle anatomy, and the creation of movement through model building that encourages cooperative learning and inquiry. (ASK)

Presents classroom inquiry-based investigations to investigate wound healing in plant tissues and cells. Students create their own research problems and the investigations can be related to the National Science Standards. (SAH)

Examines how, through discourse processes, a third grade teacher and her students came to situationally define science in their classroom. Uses a discourse analytical approach to examine the classroom members' experimentation logic, their explanations and scientific decisions, and their accounts of events. (Contains 82 references.) (Author/YDS)

Demonstrates a model system that recreates seasonal processes on Mars. Lists necessary materials and explains the construction of the demonstration. Provides discussion questions. (Contains 11 references.) (YDS)

Despite criticisms of teacher education, recent evidence indicates that teachers with the most preparation are the most confident and successful. Teacher education reforms creating more tightly integrated programs with extended clinical preparation interwoven with coursework on learning and teaching produce more effective, resilient teachers.…