Discusses some of the remarkable capabilities and fascinating behavior of plants. Describes several simple experiments that young scientists can accomplish with plants to demonstrate their ability to sense, react, and adapt to their environment. (JJK)

Provides seven fully developed library media activities that are designed to be used with specific curriculum units in art, health, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. Library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, evaluation, and follow-up are…

Describes a method of demonstration and modeling used to improve the science teaching ability of eight elementary teachers. Designed to increase teachers' knowledge of physics, the course documented changes in the teachers' knowledge and practice. Results are discussed in relation to case methods and cognitive-apprenticeship models of training.…

Reports results of an 18-item questionnaire mailed to all 730 school board presidents in the state of Ohio. Among the findings are that 52.8% of the presidents thought that "creation science" and 67.3% thought that evolution should be favorably taught in public schools. Only 13.7% thought that creation science was currently taught in…

Argues the urgency associated with school reform must be tempered by the fact that much reform is being guided by the rhetoric of a conservative ideology. Urges science educators to resist conservative ideological rhetoric that seeks to sway the masses. Science education must move beyond the positivistic, ahistorical, and depoliticized orientation…

Provides eight fully developed library media activities designed for use with specific curriculum units in music, reading and language arts (three activities), science, and social studies (three activities). Library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, evaluation, and follow-up are described…

Describes how students in grades 2-8 can make beakers from quart-sized oil containers and calibrate them in milliliters. In an second activity, students estimate the volume of water in four jars and use their beakers to measure the water in each. The estimates are compared to the true measurements. (PR)

Listed with examples are six levels of thinking. The design of lessons to teach higher order thinking is discussed. A sample lesson on spontaneous generation which uses this method is provided. (CW)

The improvement in student attitudes as the result of the use of videomicroscopy in the science classroom at the elementary, secondary, and college levels is discussed. The results of published research studies are reviewed. (CW)

Examined is the hypothesis that an important intellectual acquisition during adolescence is the ability to generate arguments that involve reasoning to contradiction. Implication for hypothesis teaching at the elementary grades is discussed. (KR)

Examined is the program and professional development process that has characterized past and current science curriculum reform efforts. Illustrated are fundamental educational reform problems. Discussed is the importance of teacher involvement in educational decision making. (KR)

Describes activities to help students understand pH scales and acid rain. (PR)

Examines the mathematics and science content knowledge of elementary teacher candidates, presents data showing elementary teacher deficiencies in this subject matter, and provides a conceptual approach to educating teachers in these subjects. Data are presented illustrating the effectiveness of these approaches in improving novice teacher's…

Reports on an investigation of young children's (n=15) spontaneously constructed or naive understanding of the particulate nature of matter to any formal instruction in the domain. Speculates that children first develop local frameworks particular to different classes of substances, then slowly expand those frameworks to include a wide range of…

Examined the relationship between prior knowledge, learning-strategy use, interest, learning goals, and conceptual understanding among fifth-grade science students. Results of student knowledge tests and a self-report measure of learning goals, interest, and strategy use indicated that the study variables were positively related to each other and…