Explains the educational challenges in the southeast United States that cause negative attitudes among students toward science. Targets safety; introduction to laboratory equipment; learning to construct graphs, tables, and charts; and learning the steps of experimentation as the objectives of classroom instruction. Identifies the assessment of…

Describes how a primary teacher handled an argument among her students over what to do about army worms defoliating an apple tree, thereby illustrating how she cultivates a classroom community that nurtures democracy. Such stories of morally coherent practices counter the bureaucratic insistence on a narrowly construed outcomes-based education.…

Introduces the Envirobox Project that involves six classes from diverse regions of the United States where each class sends a shoebox including environmental samples to others. Explains the planning and preparation procedures of the project. Uses an interdisciplinary approach in the project which incorporates language arts, mathematics, social…

Discusses the use of Quest, an internet activity that encourages higher-order thinking. Led by Dan Buettner and his team of "adventurers," students can tour with the Quest team as they explore different countries (AsiaQuest, MayaQuest, AfricaQuest, and GalapagosQuest). Provides examples of how three different teachers utilized Quest. (CMK)

Describes a curriculum design approach, "the ill-structured problem," based on real life situations, that was used for a summer gifted foreign language program for fifth- and sixth-grade students in the Chesapeake Public Schools, Virginia. Elements of problem-based learning are described, including the problem comes first, the problem is…

Argues that the unit operations laboratory provides an ideal setting to help chemical engineering students become better engineering practitioners. Describes a summer program at the Colorado School of Mines that incorporates experience into a unit operations laboratory. (DDR)

A study examined use of a problem-solving intervention to teach classroom skills to a student with moderate intellectual disabilities. The student was taught targeted skills in a resource room and was able to successfully generalize the skills to regular classrooms. Teachers indicated the student's behavior significantly improved during the…

Describes the investigative case-study approach in biology, a variant of problem-based learning. Students develop questions that lend themselves to scientific investigation and develop their own investigative approaches. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

Discusses criteria for good assessment practices derived from research-based models in cognitive psychology and expert-novice studies. Describes an assessment system for a problem-based curriculum in economics and business administration at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands), reports on a study of improving assessment practices, and…

Reviews studies examining the effects of theoretically-based Logo environments on young children's metacognitive processing and the extent to which sociocognitive processes mediate those effects. Findings suggest that Logo fosters development of metacognitive processing, in part by engendering high-level conflict resolution. Implications are…

Notes that the Internet can offer young children developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. Details four categories of opportunities: (1) information gathering, research and virtual field trips; (2) global communication; (3) publishing; and (4) interactive sites. Provides guidelines for site selection, notes concerns regarding children's…

Identifies and quantifies the chemistry conceptions used by students when solving chemical equilibrium problems requiring application of LeChatelier's Principle, and explores the feasibility of designing a paper and pencil test to accomplish these purposes. Eleven prevalent incorrect student conceptions about chemical equilibrium were identified…

Discusses the meaning of a "contextual approach" to teaching physics. Advances a model of contextual physics teaching that can also be applied to other science disciplines. (Contains 54 references.) (Author/WRM)

In April 2000, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics will release "Principles and Standards in School Mathematics," a revised document stressing conceptual understanding and reasoning. NCTM standards specify that curricula should emphasize five mathematical processes: problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication,…

A study examined the teaming efforts of a master-level, preservice, transdisciplinary team as reflected in a conversation during a planning meeting. The use of problem solving, conflict avoidance, role expansion, and role release techniques are described. Implications are discussed for intervention teams in the schools and preservice preparation…