Details the construction and design of two kinds of sundials appropriate for school or home use. (Author/WRM)

Over the past decade, much has been learned about the ocean's secrets and especially about the creatures of the deep sea. The deepest parts of the oceans are currently the focus of many new discoveries in both the physical and biological sciences. Middle school students find the deep sea fascinating and especially seem to enjoy its mysterious and…

Many students in introductory science courses at both the secondary and tertiary levels learn science as a miscellaneous collection of facts, concepts, and equations that must be memorized to pass examinations. One way to show students that they actually can "do" science is to have them use an observable event to generate a relationship that can…

Chi (2005) proposed that students experience difficulty in learning about physics concepts such as light, heat, or electric current because they attribute to these concepts an inappropriate ontological status of material substances rather than the more veridical status of emergent processes. Conceptual change could thus be facilitated by training…

This paper shows how the patterns of variation created in the teaching were critical in helping a class of Primary 3 students in Hong Kong to learn about the colour of light, so that the students attained conceptual rather than procedural knowledge. A "Learning Study" approach was adopted, which is a Lesson Study grounded in a particular…

Stickybear's Science Fair: Light is a tool for teaching science skills using computer software. To enhance the use of software printed lesson plans are also provided including worksheets, labs, templates, and other materials needed to complete the activities. There are 12 lesson plans. Each of the lesson plans includes activities, an area focus, a…

This is the first volume of a two-volume minicourse in astrophysics. It contains chapters on the following topics: planetary atmospheres; X-ray astronomy; radio astrophysics; molecular astrophysics; and gamma-ray astrophysics. Each chapter gives much technical discussion, mathematical treatment, diagrams, and examples. References are included with…

This is the second of a two-volume minicourse in astrophysics. It contains chapters on the following topics: stellar nuclear energy sources and nucleosynthesis; stellar evolution; stellar structure and its determination; and pulsars. Each chapter gives much technical discussion, mathematical treatment, diagrams, and examples. References are…

Elementary Science Study (ESS) units were examined by elementary teachers on a science writing team to identify energy education concepts within the existing curriculum in Minnesota. The outline of energy education concepts is given here along with some energy education science activities for elementary students. The activities are structured into…

This instructional guide, intended for student use, develops the concept of light through a series of sequential activities. A technical development of the subject is pursued with examples stressing practical aspects of the concepts. Included in the minicourse are: (1) the rationale, (2) terminal behavioral objectives, (3) enabling behavioral…

Present educators, architects, engineers, and building product manufacturers with a medium of common interest for discussion of mutual school construction problems, objectives, needs, ideas, capabilities and limitations. Contents include--(1) modern wood construction, (2) school room in a steel mill, (3) masonry in new school design, (4) the…

Reviews a study which investigated children's predictions and explanations of the formation of images through pinholes by use of extended light sources. Interviews with 9- to 13-year-old children at a science center revealed that a prevalent model for image formation involved light that traveled from the sources as a whole. (ML)

Discusses the range of wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum considered to be the visible portion. Describes a demonstration designed to help students understand the relation between the wavelength measurements on a spectrophotometer such as the Spectronic 20 and the actual colors of light being used. (TW)

This article presents some of the optics and mathematics related to what causes a rainbow, why it is brighter inside than out, and why more than one rainbow may appear. (PK)

Describes an apparatus (called the "Rainbow Cup") used for demonstrating the colored rings produced by constructive interference in soap films. Discusses construction of the Rainbow Cup and gives hints for its use in the classroom, especially in relation to classroom humidity. (JM)