This digest discusses the origins of Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, his definition of intelligence, the incorporation of the theory into the classroom, and its role in alternative assessment practices. Gardner defines intelligence as the "capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more…

This manual presents a variety of ideas for environmental education projects that range in duration from two weeks to several years. All of the projects are designed to make learning interesting and relevant to the lives of students by enabling them to develop a sense of connection to their world and a framework that empowers them to make positive…

This paper describes the effects of the implementation of constructivist techniques with interactive computer simulations on conceptual understanding of plant nutrition and critical thinking skills in heterogeneously grouped secondary biology classrooms. The study focused on three strategies for teaching plant nutrition: (1) traditional; (2)…

The principal purpose of this empirical study was to identify factors in the backgrounds and college experiences of American undergraduate students that affect their interest in studying science and in pursuing science-related careers. Four-year longitudinal data were obtained from 27,065 freshmen who entered 388 four-year colleges and…

This document consists of a collection of classroom activities as they appeared in the "Aviation and Space Education News" from 1988 to 1991. The 45 activities in the document are organized in the following sections: (1) Aeronautics; (2) Earth Science; (3) Space Science; (4) Life in Space; (5) Rockets; and (6) Models. Each activity is…

This report describes the findings of the 1990 National Science Foundation (NSF) Workshop on the Dissemination and Transfer of Innovation in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education, and the resulting recommendations for action to the NSF, to university administration and faculty, to professional societies and journals, and to industry. The…

This curriculum guide integrates the concepts of chick embryology into mathematics, science, and language arts lesson plans for Grades 4 and 5. The four lessons comprising the unit can be utilized in sequence or as independent lessons within the classroom curriculum. Lesson 1 enables students to identify the parts of an egg. Lesson 2 examines the…

The 36 tests cited in this bibliography are used to assess knowledge of the physical environment and various environmental issues. There are achievement tests for students in elementary and secondary grades. Some of the tests are course or curriculum related. Also included are measures for all ages which relate to individuals' interests and…

This course of study is aligned with the California State Science Framework and provides students the biology content needed to become scientifically literate and prepared for post-secondary science education. The course of study is divided into four sections. The first section provides an overview of the course and includes a course description,…

A comparison was made of student understandings of marine science and marine resource concepts in two geographically distant but similar sociocultural regions of the United States. The study is based on the nature of ecological events, students' understanding in the context of meaningful learning, and the cultural context in which learning takes…

The hypothesis that when true group tasks feature ill-structured problems, interaction will predict learning that involves higher-order thinking skills was tested with middle school students with a strategy called complex instruction. Complex instruction is designed for heterogeneous classrooms in which teaching objectives are conceptual and…

An ethnographic study was conducted with the goal of comparing the botanical knowledge of nine sixth grade students with the botanical concepts developed in the elementary textbook series, Science, by Silver Burdett, 1985. The extent to which the child's conceptual framework resembles that of the scientist and the extent to which the textbook…

Using available data and analyses on the current situation in science and technology education, it was determined that science and technology education in the United States is lacking in two critical areas: recruitment and training of scientists and engineers, and nurturing a general scientific/technological literacy useful in all facets of daily…

The effects of a 3-week summer workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and seven seminars held in the following academic year on the learning environments of 40 participating teachers' high school biology and chemistry classes were assessed. In this 1988-89 program, the 40 teachers visited 10 industries and agencies to observe…

Designed to focus on teaching for higher-level cognitive learning, this study measured student perceptions of psychosocial aspects of their classroom learning and involved a team of six researchers. The study consisted of an intensive 10-week investigation of two above-average science teachers in a suburban high school in Perth, Western Australia.…