This curriculum unit, developed by the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, was designed for use in the elementary level foreign language immersion program. It is geared toward the first grade science classroom. The unit includes instructional and performance objectives, necessary vocabulary lists, optional language structure sections,…

This study examined the relative effects of homogeneous versus heterogeneous ability grouping on performance and attitudes of students working cooperatively during interactive videodisc instruction. After two cooperative training sessions 80 fourth through sixth grade students, classified as high and low ability, were randomly assigned to…

The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), is conducting the third phase of ENLIST Micros. ENLIST Micros: Phase I developed a set of training materials that present the knowledge and skills that science teachers need to use microcomputers in science teaching. Phase II developed a model…

This document tackles issues in science education through the perspective of classroom practitioners and the philosophy of constructivism to attempt to provide a reasonable, positive rationale and description of current science education reform. Case studies are presented to provide an account of the ways that some primary classrooms function and…

The world faces two converging crises, a lack of biological literacy and a rapid increase in environmental degradation. In order to insure a secure and safe environment for future generations of organisms, all humans must be taught the basic biological and physical processes that sustain life. This project seeks to fill the chasm in the general…

Based on classroom experience and grounded in current research in reading, learning theory, and cognitive psychology, this book presents practical approaches to helping secondary school students develop the ability to reason with facts and concepts. The book also focuses on inference and implication. The first part of the book explains and…

This hearing was held to review the educational benefits of the U.S. Space Program. Testimony was given by three panels of experts related to this topic. The three panels consisted of: (1) Daniel S. Goldin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Dan Brandenstein, Captain, U.S. Navy, NASA Astronaut; and Damon Butler,…

From a science perspective, inquiry-oriented instruction engages students in the investigative nature of science. Inquiry involves activity and skills, but the focus is on the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy a curiosity. This digest further describes the distinguishing features of inquiry-oriented science instruction and…

The Comprehensive Instructional Management System (CIMS)-Science program is designed to support teachers in teaching the "New York State Elementary Science Syllabus." The curriculum emphasizes a hands-on inquiry approach to learning and includes an assessment component comprised of written tests and performance-based tests, designed to…

This book probes the possibilities of interdisciplinary learning and integrated curriculum through the structuring and expressive powers of language. The 15 essays in the book explore the issues of bridging the gap between the two cultures of science and humanities, demystifying science for learners, teaching students to construct and explain…

This monograph outlines important issues that surround the topic of children's science books. In the introduction, the role of books in hands-on science curricula is discussed. In the title essay of the collection, F. J. Rutherford argues against the reliance on textbooks in elementary school science, but yet feels that books are an essential part…

Identifying and providing the most appropriate classroom environment for living organisms can be time consuming, expensive, and sometimes seemingly impossible. This document, a collection of 2-4 page articles from "Sciences and Children," provides useful information on the collecting and culturing of plants and animals. Among the 43 chapters are:…

This document contains a project report and curriculum materials from a project that developed a model for basic math, reading, and science instruction to prepare educationally disadvantaged adults for entry into science-related training programs. The 15-week curriculum consists of reading instruction, applied basic mathematics, universal…

A project of the Center for the Study of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, this yearbook combines the two major trends/concerns impacting the future of educational development for the next decade: knowledge and thinking. The yearbook comprises the following chapters: (1) "Toward the Thinking Curriculum: An Overview" (Lauren B.…

This paper seeks to explore how beginning elementary school teachers (N=161) in Singapore conceive the scope and nature of science and to understand the relationship between those views and their present approach to, as well as their past experience of, science teaching and learning. Results of an inquiry into the teachers' views indicate that…