The purposes of this study were to determine the impact of a professional development program on the confidence levels and classroom practices of the participants and their attitudes toward the environment. The program had immersed teachers in a watershed study that took them from the headwaters of a 310-mile river to its confluence with the Ohio…

This study explores whether the development of students' understanding of matter as something that occupies space and has weight involves conceptual change and restructuring rather than only simple belief revision. Based on an analysis of how the concepts in students' initial matter theory (henceforth MT1) may differ from the concepts in the…

This booklet gives a history of human observations of Mars, including observations made from U.S. unmanned spacecraft. Also included is a discussion, "Encountering a New World: How to Explore a Planet," which contains classroom discussion questions and four classroom activities. The classroom activities include: (1) How to explore a…

The Maryland Pilot Earth Science and Technology Education Network (MAPS-NET) project was sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to enrich teacher preparation and classroom learning in the area of Earth system science. This publication includes a teacher's guide that replicates material taught during a graduate-level…

The impact of curriculum change on student career preference was examined; specifically, the influence of the courses students take in geology or earth science in middle school or junior high on their career preferences was investigated. A sample of 545 high school students (average age = 16.74 years) was surveyed. A survey instrument with…

One of a series of general interest publications on science topics, the booklet provides those interested in rock collecting with a nontechnical introduction to the subject. Following a section examining the nature and formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, the booklet gives suggestions for starting a rock collection and using…

One of a series of general interest publications on science topics, the booklet provides those interested in geysers with a nontechnical introduction to the subject. Separate sections examine the nature and workings of geysers--why geysers erupt, where they occur, the cause of volcanoes and hot springs, the deep circulation of water in geyser…

Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin provides authenticity to a historical account of early work in the field of lightning. Present-day theories concerning the formation and propagation of lightning are expressed and photographic evidence provided. (CP)

Explains the distribution of air pollutants as related to such meteorological conditions as temperature inversions, ground inversion, and wind velocity. Uses a power station to illustrate the effect of some of the meteorological conditions mentioned. (GS)

Discusses a symposium which centered on the interfaces between the biosphere and the geosphere, and the effects of industry at those interfaces. Topics include the food crisis, the nitrogen cycle, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and the transformations of metals in ecosystems. (MLH)

Examines the gravitational effects and the way that local conditions interact with these effects to produce the tides characteristic of the British seas. Presents some effects of tides including the possibility of harnessing tidal energy and the effect of tidal friction on the use of the earth as a clock. (GS)

Describes the major emphases in hydrology as those that relate broadly to 'environment' and pollution problems as well as continued work in flood management. (BR)

Describes the diversity in the usage of the term "community" by ecologists and paleoecologists. (BR)

Some general information on stars is provided in this National Aeronautics and Space Administration pamphlet. Topic areas briefly discussed are: (1) the birth of a star; (2) main sequence stars; (3) red giants; (4) white dwarfs; (5) neutron stars; (6) supernovae; (7) pulsars; and (8) black holes. (JN)