To assess the effects of discussion on vocabulary learning, 38 children in two intact fifth-grade classes were divided into three subgroups and taught science vocabulary on three successive days. The discussion subgroup outperformed a non-discussion subgroup and a subgroup that anticipated involvement in discussion but was instructed without…

Identifies the properties and characteristics of supercritical fluids. Discusses the methodology for supercritical fluid chromatography including flow rate, plate height, column efficiency, viscosity, and other factors. Reviews instruments, column types, and elution conditions. Lists supercritical fluid data for 22 compounds, mostly organic. (MVL)

Presents a high school chemistry lab experiment using tin (II) chloride to explore the concepts of hydrolysis, Le Chatelier's principle, and electrolysis. Presents methodology and the chemistry involved. Offers questions for the students. (MVL)

Describes some reactions for the identification and application of cyanuric acid. Suggests students may find this applied chemistry interesting because of the use of cyanuric acid in swimming pools and diesel engines. Lists three tests for cyanate ion and two tests for cyanuric acid. (MVL)

Reviews research related to teaching and learning higher cognitive level objectives from a constructivist perspective. Examines several factors including the cognitive demands of academic work, classroom management, delivery of instruction, formal reasoning ability, grouping of students, and motivation to learn. Concludes that an active teaching…

This article aims to present the results obtained from science teachers about their attitudes toward students' conceptions and the use of teaching strategies based on these conceptions. The results may contribute to the planning of inservice courses. (Author)

Describes two general spreadsheet templates to carry out all types of one-equation chemical equilibrium calculations encountered by students in undergraduate chemistry courses. Algorithms, templates, macros, and representative examples are presented to illustrate the approach. (PR)

Conducted classroom observations to determine students' understanding of the nature of science and the intentionality of experiments. Topics discussed include: does science seek to explain, using models, proving that the theoretical explanation is correct, and discussions of different interpretations. Concludes that most students in the 14-16 age…

Presents suggestions for the implementation of constructivist teaching-learning strategies. Discusses the following topics: teacher's role; classroom management; planning; pedagogic skills, including negotiation and group work; and assessment. (JRH)

Examines the public's lack of understanding and interest in science. Places much of the blame on the perception of science as a dense yet pristine discipline divorced from everyday concerns. Criticizes the concept of science as independent of social construction and argues for instruction emphasizing relationships between science and society. (MJP)

Describes how the science fiction novel "Jurassic Park" has been used to provide the focus for summate discussions among gifted high school students participating in a state-sponsored, science-intensive summer program. Discusses adaptations of this approach for use in chemistry classes from the high school to intermediate college level. (JRH)

Proposes a model to explain secondary students' achievement in chemistry that uses the following predictor variables: students' attitude towards chemistry, understanding of science, scientific attitude, traditional cosmological world-view, cognitive style, and teachers' attitude towards the teaching of chemistry and understanding of science.…

Describes a successful effort by an elementary school and community to convert a classroom into a school science laboratory and stock the laboratory with science materials and apparatus. (PR)

Describes the creation and use of a science magazine, "Science Stew," that circulates among 17,000 elementary students and 900 teachers in a school district in Nova Scotia. The magazine highlights the wide variety of science that occurs in the district and provides opportunities for students and teachers to experience, discuss, and write about…

Preservation of our wetlands has been an issue for many years. Today, despite current laws and those adopted 200 years ago, the wetlands remain insufficiently protected and developed. A holistic guide and suggestions for the classroom are provided to aid in efforts directed at wetland education, research and management. (ZWH)