Within the framework of social reconstructivism and multicultural education, this paper explores issues of teaching mathematics, and to a lesser degree, science, to provide the best equitable education for all students. Today's classrooms are increasingly multicultural, and students bring to their classrooms rich personal, social, intellectual,…

Two studies (which followed up a 4-year longitudinal study) examined the impact of hypertext on students' learning in science and English classes. The first study compared the impact of HyperCard stacks and regular textbook presentations of ideas in biology on ninth-grade students assigned to study these materials. Students in the second study, 10…

This book explores what can be accomplished when effective classroom techniques for teaching students to become good thinkers are combined with effective strategies to engage students in thoughtful learning of the regular secondary school science curriculum. The technique of lesson design and instruction that results is called infusing critical…

This book presents a collection of papers offering practical strategies that teachers can use to enhance student performance at all levels. The authors identify and describe the most effective teaching approaches for helping students learn history, civics, geography, and science. The book extends the notion of diversity by examining different…

From the late 1950s through today, hands-on science has been promoted as a method of science instruction. Currently, recent national science reform efforts seek to temper its role. However, no consensus has been reached on the relationship of hands-on science to student achievement, though this has been researched since the turn of the 20th…

This paper discusses assessment in science in the context of current discussions of standards and high stakes testing. Setting standards is always challenging, and care is needed to make the standards for science achievement neither too high nor too low. States must be careful to establish standards that are clearly written and that have high…

This study aimed to help the teachers clarify and understand the nature of science (NOS), as well as classroom practice through the implementation of the constructivist teaching model. Ten elementary science teachers were involved in a year-long in-service program that included a series of intervention courses. Following the intervention courses,…

This CD-ROM is a handbook for educators, health professionals, and professionals serving socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. The Assess-Don't Guess curriculum provides the tools for understanding environmental threats, related health issues, environmental regulatory agencies, the basic risk of prioritization, and the ways to resolve…

These teaching guides are meant to supplement the seventh season (1996-97) of the PBS Series "Scientific American Frontiers". Episode 701 is entitled "Inventing the Future: A Tour of the MIT Media Lab" and the teaching guide contains information and activities on a virtual pet dog, computers of the future, a smart car designed…

Students work in pairs or small groups to identify and categorize various objects. One student is blindfolded and the other student chooses five objects for his/her partner to identify. The blindfolded student has to describe and try to identify the object based solely on touch. Both students then record their data, describing the objects first as…

Many of today's popular sports are based around the use of a ball yet none are alike. In fact, they are all designed with specific characteristics in mind. In this activity, students investigate different balls' ability to bounce and represent the data they collect graphically. This activity uses a time frame of 100 minutes. (Author/SOE)

Depending upon the climate, the features of a house will be different to satisfy particular needs: hot, cold, windy, and/or rainy weather. In this activity, students investigate different types of roofs found on various houses in different environments throughout the world. Books and photos are used to provide information. Models of the houses are…

In this activity, students conduct several simple lab activities to learn about the five fundamental load types that can act on structures: tension, compression, shear, bending, and torsion. In Part One, students play the role of molecules in a beam subject to various loading schemes. In Part Two, students break foam insulation blocks by applying…

After a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works, students create a parachute using different materials that they think will work best. They then test their designs, which is followed by a class discussion to highlight which paper material worked best. This activity requires a 60-minute time period for completion. (Author/SOE)

Since the inception of "GOALS 2000: Educate America Act" (1994), the nation at large has been implementing standards for systematic reform. Teachers and teacher candidates must become "techno-savvy" overnight in order to comply with these reform initiatives as their level of expertise in educational technology will ostensibly affect their lesson…