Discusses the issue of mandatory genetic screening. Poses the question of the benefits, drawbacks, and motives involved. Provides a discussion activity to be used in high school biology classes consisting of a hypothetical situation and several questions. (CW)

Defines scientific theory. States that life science textbooks often misrepresent theory in their presentations. Presents an analysis of "Prentice Hall Life Science," a textbook adopted by several states including California, and two other popular texts. Criticizes these texts for equating myths, beliefs, legends, and theories, and their…

Reports on a study designed to determine the effectiveness of two video programs with an audience of varied ages, grade levels, and developmental levels. Indicates that a significant difference was found between concrete, transitional, and formal operational students on pretest scores and developmental levels and results on the posttest. (RT)

Discusses people's relationship with oceans, focusing on ocean pollution, use, and protective measures of the sea and its wildlife. Activities included are "Mythical Monsters"; "Globetrotters"; "Plastic in the Sea"; and "Sea of Many Uses." (RT)

Reports on students' study and drawing of five electronic circuit diagrams. Concludes that the success of the students depended upon the amount of detail in the instructional diagrams. (RT)

Describes an experimental setup using a microcomputer for demonstrating the circadian movement of petioles. Discusses experiments that were performed using this apparatus and factors that relate to these plant movements. Includes graphs that have been obtained. (CW)

Suggests an approach and methodology for analyzing field and laboratory populations. Describes an experiment using mustard to show how competition and inequality can be assessed. Discusses the variables responsible for determining the abundance of organisms. (CW)

This article describes a computer simulation of bacterial physiology during growth in a chemostat. The program was designed to help students to appreciate and understand the related effects of parameters which influence plasmid persistence in bacterial populations. (CW)

Reports on a portable video color camera that is fully suited for seeing ultraviolet images and offers some expanded viewing possibilities. Discusses the basic technique, specialized viewing, and the instructional value of this system of viewing reflectance patterns of flowers and insects that are invisible to the unaided eye. (CW)

Describes an experiment involving pineapples and gelatin that allows students to investigate the conditions that typically render an enzyme functionless, similar to the effect of nerve gasses. Discusses the materials, procedures, and results, drawing analogies to the effects of a nerve gas. (CW)

Describes research findings concerning children's difficulties with the concepts of circuit, current, and electrical energy. Discusses some possible approaches to instruction. (CW)

Presents a refined method for designing a valid and reliable Likert-type scale to test attitudes toward the generation of electricity from nuclear energy. Discusses various tests of validity that were used on the nuclear energy scale. Reports results of administration and concludes that the test is both reliable and valid. (CW)

Discusses the teaching of electron configurations and various systems used to help students write them correctly. Presents an approach to this type of instruction which uses diagrams and mnemonic devices. Examples of exercises which encourage the use of this method are provided. (TW)

Discusses the photochromic behavior of mercury(II) bis(dithizonate) in providing a colorful demonstration of the effect that visible light can have on the conformation and bonding of molecules in solution. Provides a description of the demonstration itself, along with the preparation needed to complete it. (TW)

Provides a running commentary on a chemistry instructor's first day in a first course in chemistry. Focuses on the use of fire and chemists' attempts to explain this phenomenon. Provides the ongoing descriptions of the experiments, a summary of the observations, and the key comments made by the instructor. (TW)