Reports on a first-year laboratory sequence known as the Interdisciplinary Laboratory (ID Lab) introduced at Harvey Mudd College. The course seeks to illustrate commonality of investigative methods and laboratory techniques in biology, chemistry, and physics and introduce discipline-specific principles. Provides details of the experiments…

In this article I have addressed the need for change from the traditional, technical skills model of the practicum in teacher-education programs, to a practicum that has a broader educative focus. Following a description of the implementation of a practicum experience with an emphasis on inquiry, I consider data from a three-year study designed…

ZAPs are short, self-contained computer programs that encourage students to experience psychological phenomena in a vivid, self-explanatory way, and that are meant to evoke enthusiasm about psychological topics. ZAPs were designed according to principles that originate from experiential and discovery learning theories. The interactive approach…

This article introduces "medium-based" design -- an approach to creating "exploratory learning environments" using the method of "extending a medium". First, the characteristics of exploratory learning environments and medium-based design are described and grounded in related work. Particular attention is given to "extending a medium" --…

Children are naturally curious, and try to make meaning of the world around them. They love to watch things grow and take note of dramatic changes in science and nature. The authors discuss how one can support children's investigations, as well as their growing capacity to notice and understand growth and change. The authors present some exciting…

This article presents an explorative study, which is part of a comprehensive project to examine the impact of epistemological beliefs on metacognitive calibration during learning processes within a complex hypermedia information system. More specifically, this study investigates: 1) if learners differentiate between tasks of different complexity,…

In this article, the author examines the character of the conversations generated in an elementary teacher group as they worked on mathematical problems together and analyzed their students' work. Two distinct forms of talk--"exploratory" and "expository"--were found. The first type of talk occurred most prominently when discussions centered on…

This book is a developmental and sequential program of activities designed for grades K-8 to: (1) build a base of awareness, understanding, and skills required for conflict prevention and resolution; (2) give students practice using a variety of strategies for managing and resolving conflict; (3) create opportunities for students to apply those…

Learning centers are areas in a classroom, such as a corner in the room, that define a specific focus or afford a unique learning opportunity. Learning takes place when students reinforce skills by using the skills in interesting, meaningful, relevant, and social contexts. Learning centers can aid this reinforcement by giving students…

The goal of this unit is to increase elementary students' understanding of water, water management, and water-related issues. Topics included in the guide are conceptual framework, the learning cycle, and tips about classroom management and cooperative learning. In Chapters 1-4, 63 student lessons are included that cover topics such as the…

This article presents a teaching methodology for free radical theory and discusses the role of antioxidants in human health. Free radicals are a normal byproduct of respiration, which allows the body to use oxygen, liberate energy, and dispose of harmful substances. The body's antioxidants and nutritional antioxidants quench most of the free…

There is a need to expand the notion of acceptable thinking practices to include nontraditional thinking and wonder. Such an approach can help students learn to deal with ambiguity. The unique design of ambiguous thought evokes wonder, discovery, interrelationships, and new connections. Ambiguous thinking refrains from making unequivocal…

Richard Hugo's thinking about teaching creative writing can enhance the composition classroom: he offered both practical pointers about writing and advice about self-discovery for all writers. His pedagogy was directed at the most common elements in all writers--their humanity and their relationships to language, ideas, and feelings. "The…

The dissemination and synthesis of critical, but scattered, existing knowledge concerning the human costs of J.V. Stalin's once-acclaimed achievements are contained in this seed document. The document is primarily for teachers who are free to expand, contract, modify, or delete the seed suggestions provided according to the characteristics of…

Suggestions are given relating to having plants and animals in the classroom to stimulate development of the understanding of the concept of being alive, a concept not really understood by children under age nine. The research reviewed promotes firsthand experiences to help form concepts of living and nonliving, of identity and causality. (EB)