This article examines cognitive models of peer learning in school and the implications that these models have for the teaching of science in primary schools. The article is a product of the European Commission, Socrates Comenius 2.1 funded project "The Implementation of Scientific Thinking in (Pre) Primary Schools Settings (STIPPS)" project…

By changing the venue from festival to a required academic exposition, the traditional science fair was transformed into a "Science Expo" wherein students were guided away from cookbook experiments toward developing a question about their environment into a testable and measurable experiment. The revamped "Science Expo" became a night for students…

Field experiences are critical to teacher learning and enhance the effectiveness of methods courses; however, when methods courses are offered in the summer, traditional school-based field experiences are not possible. This article describes an alternative campus-based experience created as part of an elementary science methods course. The Summer…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of instruction (application) including interactive computer animation accompanied by teacher and student-prepared concept maps on primary students' biology achievement during instruction, as well as revealing attitudes towards science as a school subject. A quasi-experimental…

This booklet accompanies a videotape covering the same material. It is intended as a guide to performing 16 science demonstrations with young children. Section titles are: "Surface Tension", "Budding Botanist", "Mystery Matter", "Young Rock Stars", "What a Gas!", "Zounds...What Sounds!", and "Brrrrr...Cool Science." Included is a section…

Project AIMS (Activities to Integrate Mathematics and Science) has as its purpose the integration of subject matter in grades K-9. Field testing of the curriculum materials produced by AIMS indicates that this integration produces the following beneficial results: (1) mathematics becomes more meaningful, hence more useful; (2) science is…

This collection of 18 learning activities pages focuses on the subject areas of science, language arts, mathematics, and social studies. The science activities pages concern the study of earthquakes, sound, environmental changes, snails and slugs, and friction. Many of the activities are in the form of experiments for the students to perform.…

Facts, activities, and student worksheets about dinosaurs are presented. General information about dinosaurs (when they lived and what they were like) and fossils (how they are created and what information they can provide) is followed by a worksheet and answer sheet. A timeline of the dinosaur age and a classification chart which divides…

A specific teaching strategy to effect conceptual change used with a single class of fifth grade students was evaluated. The Rand McNally SCIIS "Communities" unit used in this study can be characterized as a conceptual change strategy because it is organized around a three-phase learning cycle designed to move students from…

Reports on a replication study to determine the relative effectiveness of two methods of instruction in teaching classificatory concepts and to determine whether maturity of children was related to level of understanding. (GS)

Presented are activities relating science and Halloween. (PB)

Provides excerpts from a Teacher's Guide that accompanies an aviation coloring book for children. (MLH)

Presents a collection of humorous statements made by elementary school youngsters on reports and tests pertaining to the aerospace sciences. (MLH)

Discusses the adoption, by the Samoan elementary school system, of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) materials. Lists the SCIS courses being used and described some SCIS experiments performed by the Samoan students. (MLH)