Since only a few of the original landforms, streams, natural ecosystems, wild plants or animals still exist in our cities and suburbs, schools can help to fill this void by creating diverse learning environments around school buildings. Among the suggestions are a wet area, tall or short grass prairies, a boulder field, vegetable garden plots,…

Describes a research program that has active areas of research ranging from hydrology, water chemistry, geology, gene cloning, satellite image analysis and remote sensing, and molecular biology. Provides information on selection procedures, design of program, benefits, and names of participants. (RT)

Discusses the period of transition and self examination of the museology of science. Defines the main issues and limits of the museum as a means of transmitting a scientific culture and scientific ways. (Author/RT)

Addiss and Erickson's book should be useful to any art educator, whereas the work by Hooper-Greenhill should be useful to museum educators in any discipline. Both books work well as introductory texts or refresher courses, and the usefulness of each is enhanced through reference to the other. (SLD)

Compared is the modern science center and the traditional museum. The science center was evaluated through systematic observations which described visitors activities not as random manipulations, but as learning activities that lead to both enjoyment and understanding. (KR)

The most successful science-and-technology center exhibits owe as much to the evaluation of visitor reactions as they do to budgets and planning. Explores different types of visitor-evaluation studies and shares examples of successful exhibit designs built upon visitor evaluations, including children's physics exhibits and jellyfish as living art.…

Identifies five types of museum accessibility: (1) physical; (2) socio-cultural; (3) economic; (4) sensory; and (5) intelligence/learning accessibility. Considers ways to coordinate museum services to ensure accessibility for potential museum patrons who are disabled. Describes various programs launched by the National Museum of Natural History in…

A university, medical school, and science center along with numerous K-12 public schools, university departments, local businesses, funded grant projects, and federal, state and private grants all work in concert to produce a unique partnership focusing on outreach to public school teachers and students. This article shares the history, work,…

The Mathematics and Science Center serving five school districts in Richmond, Virginia, has developed devices and materials that teachers can borrow to produce mini-gardens in the classroom. Article gives directions for construction of a soil mixer and root-view box. (BR)

The Roberson Center for the Arts and Sciences in Binghamton, New York, brings art, music, drama, and science to public school children. (DW)

Explanations of a marine mammal rescue program and information on seals and sea lions are presented in this curriculum package for intermediate grade teachers. Activities are highlighted which focus on the natural history of harbor seals. This unit contains: (1) pre-trip activities (including fact sheets and worksheets on the different types of…

Reviews a study which investigated children's predictions and explanations of the formation of images through pinholes by use of extended light sources. Interviews with 9- to 13-year-old children at a science center revealed that a prevalent model for image formation involved light that traveled from the sources as a whole. (ML)

The Lawrence Hall, a science museum and teaching center in Berkeley, California, is providing thousands of students and teachers with hands-on experience with personal computers. This article describes how Lawrence Hall promotes computer awareness and provides science instruction through microcomputer-controlled interactive museum exhibits.…

Sunrise Museum's Science Hall in Charleston, WV, offers 30 hands-on exhibits that introduce children to science. Museum programs use a 9-foot soft-sculptured, unzippable doll to teach children about nutrition and basic anatomy and recruit representatives from local businesses and industry to conduct weekend science workshops. (LP)

Reviews the work of the Program Evaluation and Research Group (PERG) at Lesley College in evaluating informal, nonschool science programs for elementary students. Compares PERG's findings with other published literature about elementary school programs in extraschool science institutions and discusses issues that apply to all such programs from…