Presents an activity in which students are assigned occupations that rely on specific minerals. To obtain the needed minerals, students learn how to trade services and commodities. Includes details on preparation, modeling behaviors, and printed materials. (DDR)

Explores the development and status of earth-science education in the United States. Compares the U.S. case with those of Israel, England, and Wales. Discusses the need to share common concerns and visions between cultures and communities. Contains 45 references. (Author/WRM)

Students love a good story. That is why incorporating literary fiction that parallels teaching goals and standards can be effective. In the interdisciplinary, thematic six-week unit described in this article, the authors use the fictional book "The Deep Time Diaries," by Gary Raham, to explore topics in paleontology, Earth science, and creative…

In 1986, Lake Nyos, a volcanic lake in Cameroon, released a huge amount of carbon dioxide gas, killing over 1,700 people in the surrounding area. This case study, developed for use in a limnology or aquatic biology course, explores that event, introducing students to concepts relating to lake formation, thermal stratification, and dissolved gases.…

The authors surveyed 15 secondary school teachers in 5 states about how they designed and implemented long-term stream monitoring in their classrooms and the problems and benefits they encountered. The authors surveyed students involved in the stream monitoring projects to obtain their perspective. Teachers reported that stream monitoring provided…

Faculty at Columbia University's Earth Semester created the interdisciplinary Riparian Area Management Project to help students integrate information and skills from life sciences, geosciences, social sciences, and humanities focused coursework. Structured as a "consulting" contract, students were required to make a policy recommendation…

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Libraries initiated its spin on digital libraries as a partner in a W. M. Keck Foundation grant awarded to the university in 1997. The overall grant ($2,250,000) supported a variety of earth science-related projects at UNR. The UNR Libraries's portion ($450,000) funded establishment of the W. M. Keck Earth…

Gill-breathing freshwater snails (Family "Pleuroceridae") are ecologically important, abundant in many streams in the United States, and easy to collect and maintain under classroom conditions. These snails can be used in classroom tests to demonstrate effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms. In more advanced classes, students can cage the…

This study investigated associations between teacher-student interaction and students' attitudes towards chemistry among 497 tenth grade students from three independent schools in Singapore. Analyses supported the reliability and validity of a 48-item version of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI). Statistically significant gender…

Researchers who have investigated the public understanding of science have argued that fictional cinema and television has proven to be particularly effective at blurring the distinction between fact and fiction. The rationale for this study lies in the notion that to teach science effectively, educators need to understand how popular culture…

Difficulties in students' understanding of the spherical model of the Earth have been shown in previous studies. One of the reasons for these difficulties lies in beliefs and preliminary knowledge that hinder the interpretation of the scientific knowledge, the other reason may lie in the low level of verbal and visuo-spatial abilities. The study…

In an ideal world, curricula would be designed in response to the developmental needs of learners, but this may not be the reality of the current situation. States have a variety of standards, and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for student performance on tests that are intended to align with these standards. As a result, student…

At many colleges and universities undergraduates pursuing nonscience majors complete introductory science courses which are structured to provide a broad overview of the field. Commonly such courses include large lecture sections which meet twice a week, and small lab sections that are held once a week. A survey was developed to evaluate the…

A suite of networked computer tools within a pedagogical framework was designed to enhance earth science education at the high school level. These tools give students access to live satellite images, weather maps, and other scientific data dealing with the weather, and make it easy for students to make their own weather forecasts by creating…

Presented in both English and French, Science 10 is an integrated academic course that helps students in Alberta, Canada better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills common to biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth sciences. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting…