Introduces questions and activities involving soap bubbles which provide students with experiences in prediction and logic. Examines commonly held false conceptions related to the shapes that bubbles take and provides correct explanations for the phenomenon. (ML)

Reports on a collaborative project for middle school science students involving physicians and teachers. Cites examples of specific programs conducted by the residents and highlights the benefits resulting from their lessons. Identifies the responsibilities of the physician and the teacher in facilitating successful programs of this type. (ML)

Provides: (1) a historical look at people's relationship with the heavens and at how the science of astronomy developed; (2) four activities; and (3) two ready-to-copy pages with student exercises. Activities include objective(s), recommended age level(s), subject area(s), list of materials needed, and procedures. (JN)

Presents: (1) a glossary with astronomy-related words; (2) a list of 25 questions about astronomy (with answers); and (3) a bibliography, listing children's books, reference books, audiovisual aids, posters, activity sources, software, and articles appearing in "Ranger Rick" magazine. (JN)

Reports findings of elementary and secondary science teacher surveys on science education research preferences. Top priorities were given to topics specifically related to the teaching process (such as emotional techniques, laboratory experiences, and science content). Tables and graphs contain summarized data for sixth-grade, junior, and senior…

Presents recent findings obtained by the Voyager 2 mission on Uranus. Updates information on the planet's moons, rings, atmosphere, and magnetic field. Illustrations and diagrams of selected aspects of Uranus are included. (ML)

Presents ideas for collecting objects on the school grounds or in the surrounding neighborhood. Objects include feathers/fur, leaves, galls, seeds, shells, spiderwebs, and litter. Also presents procedures for making impressions of bark, leaves, fossils, flora, and shadows. All activities can be adopted for students in kindergarten through grade…

Nonsense botany, an easy, amusing way of learning the principle of nomenclature, involves using English words (in Latin constructions) to describe a make-believe plant; a drawing of the plant accompanies the pseudoscientific name. Suggests that students use this technique (developed by the nineteenth century British humorist Edward Lear) when…

Examines science achievement and attitude scores of fifth-grade students obtained from the Second International Science Study. Compares these results to those obtained from students in 1970. Data related to biology, space sciences, sex differences, and other areas are highlighted. (JN)

Assessed the effectiveness of conducting an elementary science methods course based on the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) on the concerns and attitudes of 85 preservice elementary teachers. Results indicate that neither traditional nor CBAM methods courses proved superior in affecting concerns or attitudes of the preservice teachers.…

Investigated whether instructing children in the component skills underlying Piagetian transitivity tasks would increase their performance on both transitivity-related tasks and on reasoning tasks not directly related to transitivity. Results indicate that incorporating the quantification of certain abstract symbols, training can influence…

Outlines science education concerns and actions suggested by several recent national reports on schooling. Recognition of the changing nature of science and science/society issues is stressed. Recommendations include: developing culturally literate citizens; balancing science/technology in the curriculum; and acquiring such intellectual skills as…

Investigated the role of "a priori" ideas in planning experiments and data processing leading to inferences. Thirty-one students (ages 11-13) observed a "combustion/candle in a closed container" experiment and were asked to interpret sets of measurements. Findings, among others, show that children preferentially experiment on…

Propositions expressed by students during interviews prior to and after audiovisual instruction served as the basis for Concept Propositional Analysis (CPA) to assess cognitive structure. CPAs for two students are reported and aspects of Ausubelian principles are discussed. The method showed that new learning can be linked to previous…

Describes two one-week chemistry courses for intermediate-grade children and the principles upon which the courses are based. Includes course outlines which give course content, sequence, and the amount of time spent on each activity. (JN)