Investigates how microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) activities specifically designed to be consistent with a constructivist theory of learning support or constrain student construction of understanding. Analysis of students' discourse and actions reveal that students invented numerous techniques for manipulating data in the service of their…

Describes cooperation with the Saint Louis Zoo to provide opportunities for elementary school students to learn about bones, how animals move, what they eat, and how much they grow. Uses biofacts which include bones, skulls, and other parts to make the laboratory a hands-on experience for students. (YDS)

Illustrates one elementary teacher's efforts to better communicate developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) with parents. Parents completed surveys regarding their own educational experiences, whether or not their experiences encompassed DAP, and whether they wanted DAP for their own children. Most parents responded positively to DAP. Few…

Examines the nature of an ideal K-12 environmental science curriculum. Evaluates major biology textbooks with regard to ecology readings and laboratory activities in each text. (YDS)

Describes the effectiveness of cooperative learning on discipline problems, interdependence between students, and teacher-student interactions. Explains how to group students and introduces a laboratory activity on covalent and ionic bonds. (YDS)

Presents three Hispanic students' experiences with the writing center. Suggests that the writing center centers students by helping them find a voice in the academy and by empowering them in ways that traditional institutional authority does not. Lists four ways in which the writing center can help Hispanic students. (SG)

Three educational institutions had markedly different furniture needs--home-style furniture for college student residences, high-density storage for high school science labs, and computer lab furniture for a K-12 school district. However, all used a systematic approach to purchasing that involved users, knowledgeable colleagues, and technical…

Describes activities which utilize plastic drink bottles and are designed to foster the development of a wide range of biological and ecological concepts. Includes instructions for making a model compost column and presents a model that illustrates open versus closed ecosystems. (DDR)

Summarizes the development of information retrieval evaluation ideas, describes the design of the TREC (Text Retrieval Conference) experiments, and discusses the Okapi team's participation in TREC. Highlights include the Cranfield projects that tested the principles of information retrieval system design, test collections, weighting functions,…

Describes equipment presented at the International Low-Cost Instrumentation Conference. Discusses the case for hands-on experience, international perspectives on hands-on science, the pivotal role of teachers, cost-effective laboratory practices, and empowerment of the teacher. (JRH)

Discusses a number of important laboratory-related terms worthy of consideration and suggests a classification scheme that may be used to rate individual activities while implying a direction to enhance such exercises. Highlights implications of classifying laboratory activities and clarifying laboratory vocabulary. Contains 11 references. (JRH)

Describes a yearlong school-based project involving the Maui Public Health Department to define mosquito behavior and distribution. (KHR)

Describes the design of notable school laboratories, including the educational context and design goals. Includes information on architects, suppliers, and cost, as well as photographs. (EV)

Describes how to perform the Meselson-Stahl experiment using Lego building blocks. Demonstrates how the products of DNA replication pass on to new generations of cells. (YDS)

Describes a novel method for inducing and measuring cosmic ray showers using a low-cost, microcomputer-based laboratory system. Uses low counting-rate radiation monitors in the reproduction of Bruno Rossi's classic experiment. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/YDS)