Describes a school district's refocusing of lesson plans in the natural sciences to teach students about the structure and function of the earth--a focus all but abandoned in many school programs. Details of the curriculum; the resources used; leadership initiatives; and obstacles to implementation are discussed. (PR)

Described is an undergraduate biology course which uses exercises for teaching critical thinking. A line-of-reasoning model is presented. Evidence for the effectiveness of this approach is presented. (CW)

Described are modifications made in a traditional introductory biology course and the resulting improvement in student achievement and attitude. The use of cooperative learning groups is stressed. (CW)

For the primary eye care practitioner in the 1990s and beyond, the basic biomedical sciences have supplanted physiological optics as the primary academic discipline underlying the practice of optometry. Several curriculum development options are available to incorporate the needed material, but a core curriculum is essential at all institutions.…

A portable and inexpensive blowfly trap, constructed from flower pots/buckets and mesh, suitable for introductory studies in blowfly succession is described. Investigations that examine species composition over time and the differences between baits are discussed. (KR)

Course of study, target student population, structure of matriculation examination, student outcomes and attitudes of student toward various components of this examination are described. It was found that this examination not only offers a fair, educationally valid assessment but also provides support and direction which result in more effective…

Describes a study designed to achieve the following goals: (1) compare the perceptions of learning environment in biology and chemistry classrooms by Jewish and Arab students; (2) identify gender effects in the Arab sample on learning environments; and (3) compare the perceptions of Arab students in rural and city schools. (ZWH)

Examines the impact of using the Macintosh-based knowledge organization tool, SemNet, with prospective elementary and middle school teachers enrolled in an upper division biology course. (ZWH)

The conceptual views of homeostasis held by students (n=300) in seventh grade life science, tenth grade biology, and college zoology were examined. A biographical questionnaire, the results from two Piagetian-like developmental tasks, and a concept evaluation statement of homeostasis were collected from each student. Understanding of the concept…

Presents ideas for getting the most out of an elementary school trip to the zoo. The article offers before, during, and after lesson plans which touch on biology (the life cycle), geography (continents and regions of the world), conservation (endangered species), ecology (natural communities), and career guidance (zoo jobs). (SM)

The ideological basis from which dissection activities spring is discussed. Speciesism, the widely held belief that the human species is entitled to certain rights and privileges, is examined as the cause for dissection activities occurring in biology classrooms. (KR)

The Directed Inquiry Approach to Learning Science Process Skills and Scientific Problem Solving [DIAL(SPS)2] is described. Concept mapping, advance organizers, Vee diagrams, the theme approach, and focusing are used to help students develop science process skills. (KR)

An activity that uses dandelions to show the phenomenon of geotropism is described. The process of sedimentation, which causes the bending, is observed at moderate magnification under a standard microscope. A list of needed materials, directions for the tissue dissection, and time-lapse photographs of the process are included. (KR)

Proposes the science demonstration of dissecting a cow's eye to integrate biology and physics in the study of optics and lenses. Reviews the anatomy of the eye, describes the visual process and covers topics as index of refraction of the cornea, microscopic receptors, the lens, and the retina. (MDH)

Reviews three books: "The Schoolhome: Rethinking Schools for Changing Families," by Jane Martin; "Godly Play," by Jerome Berryman; and "Five Kingdoms: An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth," by Margulis and Schwartz. (TJQ)