Describes a kit designed as a leisure time activity for teenagers and adults who have had little previous experience of magnetism and electricity. The kit may be useful for homework, small group work, or as a training course for nonscientist science teachers. (PR)

Provides instructions for making telescopes. The design and instruction sheets given to students are provided. (PR)

Clarifies the issues of animal rights as they effect animal use in research and education through an examination of the current use of animals, a historical look at animal use, and a consideration of the philosophical underpinnings of the animal rights and pro-use viewpoints. (PR)

Describes a contest where sixth-grade students observe the results of a week of planning, folding, testing, and comparing their best paper frog designs and hopping techniques. This integrated unit helps children unleash their imaginations and develop problem-solving skills. (PR)

Provides a poster containing activities that are part of the International Space Year. Describes activities in which students visit a local planetarium and re-create a National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) space flight using reports, articles, NASA slides, and videos. Lists organizations, publications, and other resources related to…

Describes a collaborative natural history class/science club program designed to offer science-oriented students the chance to expand their classroom knowledge of camping skills, first aid, environmental awareness, and survival techniques by participating in hands-on environmental activities. (MDH)

Explores the potential for and limitations to learning science when middle-school students interact with computer simulations designed by scientists and built by professional programmers. Findings suggest that computer simulations can be used effectively when teachers use learning needs to guide choice of pedagogical style and alternate…

Points out that college freshmen expect major changes in the academic environment as they move from secondary school. Recommends that faculty use this opportunity to show students how to think for themselves. (DDR)

Evaluates the effects of the scaffold explanation-based approach to collaborative discussion on students' understanding of photosynthesis. Forty-eight fourth- and fifth-grade students were divided into groups of high, average control (AC), and average intervention (AI). Students worked collaboratively and individually on two reasoning tasks.…

Surveys 80 women teaching K-16 science regarding their most memorable science classes and teacher behaviors of most significant science teachers. Discusses results in three categories: activity-based instructional techniques, instructor relationships, and knowledge and appreciation of science content. Lists 10 recommendations to promote women's…

Describes how to place mathematical equations modeling population growth into a spreadsheet that performs calculations quickly and easily. Suggests experiments that can be performed with the spreadsheets. (WRM)

Compares the science locus of control and the past science experiences of a group of preservice teachers who had declared an academic concentration in science with elementary education majors in general. Finds that the science-concentration group reported more favorable science experiences from kindergarten through college. Contains 14 references.…

Examines the effects of previous experiences in science learning on prospective elementary teachers' interest and confidence in teaching science. Reports on the effect of an inquiry-based science methods course on teacher interest and confidence. Finds that elementary school experience, plus the number of science courses taken in college,…

Summarizes 10 documents and 9 journal articles recently added to the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. Among topics covered are relationship of health to school performance, community-based child development in Nepal, whole-language approach workshops, conference proceedings, science instruction, job satisfaction, day care…

This case study follows an instructor and her students (33 elementary teachers) as they experience for the first time a graduate-level science course delivered via compressed-video technology. The focus is on teacher learning and coping strategies. Data were gathered from videotaped records of classes, informal interviews with students and site…