Considers whether it is possible to account for the phenomenon of uptake by looking at some of the discoursal features of the interactive work that goes on between an instructor and his students in biology lessons in the context of nonnative English-speaking instructors working with nonnative English-speaking students in a tertiary-level…

Traces the history of legal rulings leading up to the Edwards vs. Aguillard decision by the Supreme Court that it is unconstitutional to mandate "balanced treatment" and "equal time" for teaching creationism along with evolution in school science classes. Contains 17 references. (WRM)

Discusses advances in hypermedia as an instructional tool for earth system science education as a mechanism for designing user-friendly and structured classroom units. Proposes two models as a foundation for materials development: (1) the Learning Cycle Model; and (2) the Investigation/Experimentation Model. (Author/CCM)

Argues that science students often perceive physical events, the nature of scientific knowledge, and the nature of learning processes in different ways from science teachers and scientists, and that science teachers need to account for these differences in planning their science teaching. Contains 40 references. (WRM)

Investigates how the design, creation, and revision of animated models that tell a science story can assist young bilingual children in science learning. Findings show that the animated software provided students with access to a world that is normally unavailable in real time; they were also able to manipulate science concepts and connect…

Examines how elementary school students improved their scientific discourse on a computer-networked database environment called Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments (CSILE). Results showed that system affordance specially designed for jointly written discourse in the discussion-note based (D-CSILE) configuration significantly…

Examines how one Korean kindergarten used picture books to facilitate children's creativity. Describes students' responses to literature-based science activities related to a picture book. Concludes that good picture books can unleash children's minds from conventional science activities and that the development of the children's ideas depended on…

Reports on a study of seventh-grade life science students who received Science-Technology-Society (STS) instruction in their life science classes (n=264) versus students who received only instruction in life science content (n=136). Finds that the model of STS instruction employed significantly increased students' participation in citizenship…

Presents a theory of learning in science based on students deriving conceptual linkages among multiple models which represent physical phenomena at different levels of abstraction. Finds that high school students who were exposed to derivational links among three models for basic electricity performed better when solving both qualitative and…

Describes the ChemKits initiative devised by private colleges in Kansas to help high school science teachers meet their needs for laboratory equipment. Discusses conclusions from three years of running the ChemKits teacher-education program. (WRM)

Describes the physical and chemical structure of zeolites and presents a series of experiments demonstrating some of the properties of these chemicals, including investigations of the hardness of tap water and the water-softening capabilities of various laundry detergents. Contains 13 references. (WRM)

Describes an activity in which students gather information on a field trip to South Stradbroke Island in Australia and conduct a symposium on whether it would be suitable to build a resort on the island. Students role-play the viewpoints of various special interest groups that would be involved in the controversy. (Author/WRM)

Describes an activity on charting 6th and 7th grade students' ideas about a potential science project. Summarizes a five week project on creating a new ride or redesigning existing rides in an amusement park, including research and sketches, final drawings, models of rides, and class presentations. (YDS)

Describes Discover the USA, an interdisciplinary unit for middle school students that uses trip-planning software and World Wide Web-based resources to teach organizational, research, writing, computer, and practical math and geography skills. Students plan a 1-month road trip in the United States, then take the trip, keeping records of routes,…

Identifies both epistemic and political shortcomings in the portrayal of science found in curricular multicultural science education. This approach denies the unique characteristics of Western science as it ignores the particular strengths of other systems of thought and has the unexpected political effect of reaffirming scientism. Discusses a…