"Access Nature" is an outdoor science curriculum that focuses on habitats. This curriculum targets students ages 6-14 and aims to develop environmental awareness, environmental leadership skills, and outdoor knowledge and skills. Specific adaptations for disabled students are also considered. Contents include: (1) "Introduction to…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and its results present an opportunity for educators all over the world to examine what is being done in their educational systems and how students achieve in a variety of math and science subjects. This CD-ROM serves as an electronic resource connected to TIMSS. The content information…

This paper summarizes one semester's use of a class LISTSERV with a graduate elementary science education course (n=9). Data were collected on student comments regarding the class LISTSERV from nonstructured interviews, E-mail inquiries, and an end-of-semester questionnaire. Student feedback indicated that student interest in communication…

This guide is designed to expand the use of agriculture as a medium for environmental education. It's goal is to increase communication and sharing among farms, parks, schools, museums and other educational settings that utilize agriculture for environmental understanding. An introduction provides an overview of agriculture and education.…

This document reports on a 6-year study of science education reform, the Scope, Sequence, and Coordination (SS&C) Project. The reform included teacher enhancement activities as well as curricular materials and was designed to help science students achieve the National Research Council's Science Standards (1995). The two components of the study…

Improvement of academic achievement requires both changes in school organizational structures and in curriculum and instruction. This study investigates the assumption of giving "minds-on" opportunities to reflect and "hands-on" opportunities to experiment and tests whether moving beyond the textbook makes science class more engaging for middle…

This educator's guide features activities for science, mathematics, and technology education. The activities in this curriculum guide were developed based on the hands-on approach. The guide starts with introductory information and is followed by five units: (1) "The Atmospheric Filter"; (2) "The Electromagnetic Spectrum"; (3)…

The second Utrecht/ICASE Symposium brought a variety of European colleagues together to discuss scientific literacy which has played an important role in curriculum development for the past 25 years. This proceedings contains papers presented at the symposium. Papers include: (1) "Teaching for scientific literacy: An introduction" (Elwin…

This document presents a sample of the Arkansas science curriculum and identifies the content standards for physical science systems, life science systems, and Earth science/space science systems for kindergarten students. Each content standard is explained and includes student learning expectations, kindergarten benchmarks, assessments, and…

The new advancement in genetics and reproductive technologies is one of the most relevant controversial topics concerning students in science education today. This study investigates the role of teachers in providing an environment for students in which they can interchange ideas and discuss ethical issues in science classrooms. This study…

The status and future direction of high school physics instruction is considered in this report. The text is supported by many tables and illustrations and is organized into six chapters. Chapters discuss physics enrollments and curriculum; demographics of the physics teacher population; current teaching conditions, resources, and activities; high…

Closing the Loop (CTL) is a science curriculum designed to introduce students to integrated waste management through awareness. This document presents five lesson plans focusing on developing an understanding of natural resources, solid wastes, conservation, and the life of landfills. Contents include: (1) "What Are Natural Resources?"; (2)…

Consistent with the current reform movement in science education, the purpose of this study was to examine how the introduction of an innovative curriculum influenced teachers' beliefs. Six teachers each implemented an Acids & Bases Curriculum Unit in a variety of middle school settings. The teachers were interviewed regarding their beliefs…

Most of America's pre-service science teachers enter their preparation programs without having conducted a single inquiry in which they have developed the question being investigated or the means to resolve it. This article describes a study in which twelve pre-service secondary science teachers developed their own investigations--from formulating…

This paper discusses how a quality program of science instruction can be developed and achieved. It emphasizes the principal's vital role in improving the science curriculum, claiming that principals should work with teachers to develop a high-quality set of objectives, learning opportunities, and evaluation techniques to modify the curriculum.…