The Water in Africa Project was realized over a 2-year period by a team of Peace Corps volunteers, World Wise Schools (WWS) classroom teachers, and WWS staff members. As part of an expanded, detailed design, resources were collected from over 90 volunteers serving in African countries, photos and stories were prepared, and standards-based learning…

This qualitative study examined a preschool classroom serving a child considered to be at-risk (i.e., with indications of prenatal drug exposure). For a period of one semester, the investigator collected field notes through observations and taped sessions with little direct interaction with the children. Taped discussions and interviews with the…

Twenty-four year old Jens Jensen came to the United States, settled in Chicago (Illinois), and promptly fell in love with the Midwest's prairie landscape. Although some thought that prairie was boring, monotonous, and ordinary, Jensen saw great beauty in the tree-filled groves, long winding rivers, natural rock formations and waterfalls, and the…

The concept of physical and chemical change is far from being the clearest and most self-explanatory concept in the world. If a number of chemists are asked to define physical and chemical change, there may well appear to be a fair degree of uniformity in their answers, until a few examples are suggested. When chemists are asked to place a variety…

Summarized is a land use planning unit which culminates an environmental science course and focuses on inventory and data collection, data reduction, data synthesis, and decision making. Mini units address issues related to natural areas, urban systems, model cities, and future growth. (DC)

Offers a comparative and transnational study of environmental contacts between California and Australia. Analyzes concepts of the ideal society, the influence of isolation, distant markets, and climate similarities, using world system and cultural landscape theories. Discusses key exchanges of plants and policies regarding irrigation and…

Because of increased recreational use of alpine environments in the western United States, this lesson plan integrates the themes of location, place, and human-environment interaction in order to teach avalanche hazard awareness. Presents classroom activities and research topics to enhance student awareness of snow avalanche hazards. Provides…

Examines the differences between three instructional systems: learning styles, neuro-linguistic programming, and "Suggestopoedia." Topics include the philosophical basis of each system; teaching methodologies; the use of multimedia; the use of time; environmental settings; and approaches to human emotion, individual sociological differences, and…

A discussion of college student leadership retreats looks at the factors that should be considered in planning a retreat. These include the physical environment of the site, establishment of norms and expectations for the group, and demographic and personal characteristics of the participants that are likely to affect group interaction. (MSE)

Discusses sustainable school design and its benefits to the environment, offering examples of illustrative schools. Provides suggestions on site selection (such as using smaller sites and recycling existing buildings), sharing facilities with the community, and construction elements that improve environmental impact (such as flexibility,…

A final-year student teacher from the University of Southern Queensland (Australia) describes her student teaching experiences in a one-room school in the isolated town of Birdsville, focusing on the harsh natural environment, the demands of a multiage classroom, and positive attributes of the small school and community involvement. (SV)

Inquiry can be implemented in various ways, ranging from simple classroom discussions to longterm research projects. In this article, the authors developed a project in which high school students were introduced to the nature and process of scientific discovery through a two-week guided inquiry unit on "limnology"--the study of fresh water, which…

We report a study of three prospective secondary science teachers' development of theories-in-action as they worked together in a group to explore collisions using both physical manipulatives and a computer simulation (Interactive Physics). Analysis of their investigations using an existing theoretical framework indicates that, as the group moved…

The article explores the complexities of educational scale-making. "Educational scales" are defined as the spatial and temporal orders generated as pupils and teachers move and are moved through educational systems; scales are "envelopes of spacetime" into which certain schoolbased identities (and not others) can be folded.…

Academic libraries are at a crossroads, facing increasing competition from other student services within their institutions and from commercial entities that duplicate their services. Examining some broader trends in education leads to suggestions as to how libraries might re-examine legacy services and assumptions and consider new directions.…