Attitudes and policy developments in the United States on use of animals in education are reviewed, and the legislative position outlined. The influence of science competitions and national teacher associations on practice is discussed. The common invasive experimentation on sentient animals by young and inexperienced students is provoking…

The reasoning abilities to be expected of the concrete operational and formal operational student, the percentage of secondary science students that are capable of each type of reasoning pattern, and effective strategies to teach science to concrete reasoners are described. Implications for curriculum development are discussed. (KR)

Design and implementation of two courses that will better prepare teachers to teach science in the elementary school are described. An interdisciplinary course in chemistry and biology and a companion science methods course were developed and taught by faculty members from the biology, chemistry, and education departments of Rollins College. An…

Activities from the book "Connecting with Nature" are presented. Topics include experiences, connecting, the affinity-sensation network, and microorganisms. Students are led through activities and are asked to sense, enjoy, validate, match, resonate, appreciate and honor, trust, and celebrate a particular nature area. (KR)

The results of a National Research Council report on the status of biology education in the United States are discussed. Poorly trained and supported teachers, a curriculum that seems designed to snuff out interest, inappropriately used standardized tests, and textbooks that are often inaccurate and misleading were found. Recommendations are…

The debate on the educational value of dissection versus the value of animal life is examined. Interactive videodisc (IVD) technology is described in light of its potential for laboratory simulations. The design of the IVD-based dissection simulation, The Interactive Frog Dissection, is presented. (KR)

Describes the use of cross-age tutoring in which sixth-grade students are used to teach first-grade students about plants. Provides a list of praise words used by the sixth graders and discusses the mutual benefits received by the students. (MDH)

Illustrates the concept of phototropism and the development of root systems using a classroom-constructed clinostat. Provides instructions to construct the clinostat and tips to promote plant growth. (MDH)

The problem-solving behaviors and genetics concepts employed by experts and novices during interaction with the computer simulation CATLAB, were examined. Thirteen subjects (3 experts and 10 novices) investigated a common hypothesis on a specific genetic trait during the computer activity. Using naturalistic research methods, general patterns of…

Discusses Joseph Schwab, a reformer who worked on the Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS), noting how BSCS texts implemented his ideas, and the reformer Gerald Holton's ideas, arguing for a science curriculum that includes social dimensions, attitudes associated with inquiry, and processes employed to construct scientific knowledge. (SM)

Discussed are the results of a test administered to nonmajor biology students on the topic of natural selection. The description of student conceptions, effects of instruction, and the effects of a belief in evolution are included. (KR)

Explains how radiographs (from X-rays) can be used in elementary and middle-school curricula. (PR)

Surveyed 232 college students in an introductory biology course on their attitudes and perceptions on aspects of biology that they should have covered in high school science. Results indicated majority of students felt very or somewhat familiar with the topics covered in the survey. A sizable majority of students were only somewhat familiar with…

Describes using a local college for the teaching of the recommended Advance Placement laboratories as a way to increase greatly needed course time and to increase the amount of equipment available. (PR)

Describes exercises to examine the global carbon cycle. Students are asked to predict consequences of increased carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and to suggest ways to mitigate problems associated with these higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. A comparison modeling exercise examines some of the variables related to the success…