Students entering the new millennium will encounter challenges not known a decade ago. They must be equipped with skills that enable them to think for themselves, and be self-initiating, self-modifying, and self-directing. They will require skills that cannot be gained by learning content alone. Students must anticipate future challenges and…

In spite of the almost universal call for curriculum reform in science education that began over a decade ago, research indicates that very little change is actually happening in a large majority of schools. Perhaps the reason is that teachers need to see a relatively fast, easy way to get started. This article considers some desirable elements of…

This is a two-part curriculum package for teaching the structure of atoms. The first part--the Teacher's Guide--contains information necessary for using the equipment in a typical classroom including learning goals, vocabulary, math skills, and sample data for each activity. The second part of the package consists of photocopy masters for a set of…

This guide contains activities from the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center programs for children ages 8 to 12 years. The multisensory activities help students improve their observational skills and utilize activity sheets, journals, and hands-on projects to involve them. Children observe, draw, and photograph animals in their natural settings and…

This guide focuses on teaching hands-on, discovery-oriented physical science in the elementary classroom using children's literature. Each lesson is an integrated learning episode with a clearly defined science content objective which is supported and enriched through literature, writing, and mathematics. The three sections are: (1) "Properties of…

This report examines the current state of research on the achievement outcomes of Success For All, a program built around the idea that every child can and must succeed in the early grades, no matter what this takes. Success For All uses everything known about effective instruction for students at risk to direct all aspects of schooling and…

This handbook is designed to help readers understand the educational philosophy and practice of the PEACHES (Primary Explorations for Children and Educators in Science) and GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) programs, and to assist in using GEMS/PEACHES teachers' guides in schools and child care centers. The handbook outlines techniques…

The designing of multimedia chemistry courseware is a complex and challenging task for many instructional developers and writers especially in the initial stage of the prototype to be developed. As such, this paper provides insights gained into some practical design considerations in developing a multimedia courseware in chemical education at…

Earth is running out of space in landfills and non-renewable resources are being depleted. In this activity, students address the question, "How can we reuse some of our garbage so that we begin to throw away less?" Students brainstorm ideas for an effective board game format and design a game in which players try to come up with alternative uses…

This multimedia kit includes a teacher's manual, video, and activity packet. The unique interactive course uses safe, controlled dynamic experiments to teach kids about chemistry, the proper handling of chemicals, and responsible product stewardship. Students are asked to hypothesize about chemical substances, collect and analyze data, and share…

A research physicist and science educator who became a U.S. congressman explains the goals of a Science Committee review of U.S. policy on science and technology. The challenges faced by the nation in coping with technological advancements are described. Specific reforms needed include giving students a sense of the process of science and focusing…

Describes the outcomes of the consultation phase of a curriculum development project in science education in Great Britain. Raises issues which remain to be addressed in the future, including how science contributes to preparation for the world of work, and definitions of content. (DDR)

Presents a rubric scheme for assessing science process skills in an authentic science exercise. Discrete elements of each skill or task are identified in a binary fashion (yes/no) so that a scorer need only determine whether the element is present or absent. Thirteen science process skills are assessed with this scheme. (PR)

Shows how a memory aid can help teachers focus their short-term planning in terms of curricular and formative assessment. Delineates the essential elements of high-quality, short-term planning in science education. (DDR)

Describes changes in scientific research methods that have been brought about by the use of computers. Presents an example of the falling of a body in a fluid to show students how computers can be used to experiment with mathematical models and to automate experiments. Contains 11 references. (Author/WRM)