Examines curriculum change from a historical perspective, focusing on forms of knowledge/ways of knowing. Discusses curriculum development in relation to sociology of knowledge, tracing history of change as science matured. Suggests that school science is a social construct, questioning the manipulative use and responsibility for scientifically…

Discusses various issues related to science education reform in Great Britain. The principle concern is over the extent to which content of both courses/examinations provides children with skills/attitudes relevant to their needs in the modern world. Although all agree that changes are needed, reforms may prove elusive. (JN)

Students develop and use actual instrumentation in this course which focuses on analog computers, digital electronics, computer interfacing, and online computer techniques. Includes a student handout on the design of a bridge amplifier unit. Mimeographed experiment directions are available from the authors. (SK)

Course topics for and instructional strategies used in an undergraduate nuclear war course are provided. Strategies include use of documentaries, cartoons, and fiction films to enhance reality of concepts being discussed. The course was successful as judged by oral/written student evaluations. (JN)

"Perspectives on Nuclear War" is an interdisciplinary course offered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on an experimental basis during the 1981-82 academic year. Course scope/structure (including lecture schedule), readings, and requirements are provided. Suggests that similar courses should be developed and installed in curricula…

Describes a course on the nuclear age taught at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Almost all of the material covered has some political content, from weapons design and doctrine to decisions related to arms control. A list of reading resources used in the course is included. (JN)

Describes an interdisciplinary course on nuclear war offered at George Mason University (Virginia). Includes listing of the technical and nontechnical topics addressed in the course, instructional strategies, evaluation/grading methods, characteristics of students taking the course, and course evaluation. (JN)

Discusses the interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary nature of the BSCS Human Sciences Program and problems associated with the development, dissemination, and use of such curricula. Poses a series of questions related to these problems and discusses influences of single-issues pressure groups on science teaching. (JN)

Presents a botany unit designed to provide understanding of a plant life cycle, plant parts and functions, and variety within the plant world. The unit is organized according to plant morphology (structure). Each section includes concepts fostered, suggestions for focused discussions, experiments, and activities to support concept development.…

Identifies issues related to science/mathematics education in precollege schooling. Issues discussed are products of a conceptual analysis and synthesis of reports, surveys, and other documents issued by scientific/professional societies within the past decade. Issues relate to curriculum, instruction, learning, educational quality, teachers, and…

Reviews Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS) materials. The program, consisting of 97 nonsequential biology/ecology activities (games, simulations, crafts, experiments, data analyses), teach environmental concepts and an understanding/appreciation of the environment. Indicates effectiveness of the materials in motivating students,…

Discusses how the science faculty at one rural Massachusetts school responded to the state mandate requiring basic competency testing for all students. The approach taken (includes unit on Connecticut River) does not call for major changes in science course format, only in broadening definition of the responsibilities of science teaching.…

Traces the history of physiology at the University of Michigan, focusing on facilities, curriculum program and instruction, classic experiments, and faculty. Contributions of Henry Sewall and Warren Plimpton Lombard are discussed at some length. (JN)

An alphabetical list of 44 references (books and articles) on various aspects of creationism, creationism-evolution controversy, and Darwinism is presented. (JN)

Surveys factors which may contribute to problems in elementary school science, including among others, teacher attitudes, teacher preparation, learning styles, and inaccessibility of most scientific literature to individuals without formal training in science. Offers possible solutions to these problems. (JN)