This packet was designed to help teachers maximize a visit to a zoo's Africa exhibit. The packet provides two levels of activities, grades 3-5, and grades 6-8, for use before, during and after the visit. Activities are designed to enhance skills taught in science, social studies, language arts, reading, art, and math. A multi-grade background…

Two classroom case studies are used to investigate common concerns about the use and value of Science-Technology-Society (STS) themes as curriculum organizers. The author discusses the fear that a focus on STS may de-emphasize science concept learning in the overall curriculum, and suggests that this may be appropriate at the middle school level.…

This activity guide for teachers interested in using the intense interest many children have in space exploration as a launching point for exciting hands-on learning opportunities begins with brief discussions of the space environment, the history of spacewalking, the Space Shuttle spacesuit, and working in space. These are followed by a series of…

As part of a larger project aimed at exploring how students' conceptual growth results from interacting with the teacher and the assigned readings associated with a course, this study focused on how prospective elementary teachers conceptualized two concepts, evaporation and condensation in a Concepts in Earth Science Course. In the conceptual…

This book provides a collection of papers that address issues central to university ideals: the teaching of values, the role of philosophy and literary studies in their sister disciplines (especially history), the precarious balance between research and teaching, the defense of intellectual autonomy, and the public responsibility of the…

This report represents an effort to stimulate regional discussion and delineate issues of relevance for educators concerned with science education in the Pacific Northwest. It suggests topics of inquiry germane to the context of national initiatives and regional, state, and local challenges. Information is needed to understand "where we…

This paper outlines a three semester hour undergraduate, core course in Scientific Inquiry that increases student knowledge and advances student skills in understanding science as knowledge, process, and human enterprise. This course was developed as a bridge between science and the humanities and a bridge for entry-level students in the…

This report provides quantitative data to assist in decisionmaking while United States science and technology is in transition. This 1998 report features new data and analyses. In addition to enhanced international comparisons and a chapter on the significance of information technologies, features of this report include improved international…

The JASON Curriculum Project materials are designed to prepare teachers and students for an exploration around the Galapagos Islands via satellite transmission of live images and sound. This curriculum package contains five units, 25 lesson plans, and over 50 activities, along with teacher background material, student worksheets and readings, a…

A discussion of second language learning through science content focuses on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning at the elementary and secondary levels. Principles for integrating language and content instruction are identified, and the benefits of the language-across-the-curriculum approach for ESL learners are examined as they relate to…

Using hands-on activities and the "Plan, Do, Review" approach, this physics curriculum for 3-year-old children is designed to develop an early interest in and enthusiasm for science and to excite children about learning in general. The curriculum is designed to be implemented biweekly in preschool or child care programs but may also be…

These American Indian standards for science education were developed in close alignment with the 1995 "National Science Education Standards," but tailored specifically for use in schools serving American Indian students. This document applies most of the science concepts of the U.S. national standards to American Indian life and issues,…

This brief paper describes a project, the Curriculum Development in Teaching Science to Students with Disabilities Project, which provides training to teachers and teacher educators. Participants receive information on teacher education, methods, materials/programs, organizations, media resources, evaluation/assessment alternatives, World Wide Web…

Instructional materials are provided for a course that covers basic concepts of physics and chemistry. Designed for use in a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners, the course describes applications of these concepts to real-life situations, with an emphasis on applications of…

As Thailand's exports to other Asian countries and to the West increase, the status of English as the language for trade and communication has gained more importance. Initial investigation of postgraduate (science and engineering) students' needs at Chulalongkorn University indicates that the skills the students want to improve most are listening,…