Presents a potpourri of environmental education activities for grades K-12. Activities are grouped according to the subject areas of science, social studies, mathematics, language arts, and fine arts. (AIM)

Examines the scope and quality of reflection-in-action displayed by six beginning teacher specialists as they provided each other with support. Analyzes 12 videotaped peer-assistance sessions using self-selected pairs. The most reflective episodes occurred when the specialist engaged the ethic of inquiry, raising questions and enjoying multiple…

Three case studies provide insight into the sort of technological language that can be fostered in early childhood. The studies highlight how: (1) an early childhood teacher comes to think about and plan for technology education; (2) very young children can participate in technology education; and (3) primary grade children can become…

Discusses the metric system. Presents an activity in which students construct their own standards of measurement by taking advantage of materials available in the classroom. (MKR)

Describes an activity that enables students to understand that there are many substances and odors carried in the flow of water. Students identify and describe a variety of natural and introduced materials found in bodies of water, and observe the effects of silt, sand, gravel and odor sources on water. (DDR)

Shows how all primitive Pythagorean triples can be generated from harmonic sequences. Use inductive and deductive reasoning to explore how Pythagorean triples are connected with another area of mathematics. (KHR)

Describes an inquiry investigation to enable students to understand water cohesion, surface tension, and heating curves for water. The investigation includes several activities organized in a three-phase learning cycle: (1) exploration; (2) concept invention; and (3) concept application. (DDR)

Describes how to organize learning expeditions, based on wilderness expedition principles, to benefit schools and campuses. Outlines the principles for designing learning expeditions, how to apply the wilderness expedition model, and how the process can be put into effect. Emphasizes the importance of faculty training in making learning…

Describes computation of a continued radical to approximate the golden ratio and presents two well-known geometric interpretations of it. Uses guided-discovery to investigate different repeated radicals to see what values they approximate, the golden-rectangle interpretation of these continued radicals, and the golden-section interpretation. (KHR)

Too much classroom work is teacher-initiated, labor-intensive, abstraction-rich, and experience-lean. In contrast, science centers offer students a learner-initiated, discovery-rich opportunity to explore stimulating experiences, especially when second trips are made. Optimal learning occurs with a dynamic blending of abstract and experiential…

Describes one teacher's approach to teaching science in preschool and discusses the advantages of experiential learning in preschool science programs. (RJC)

Presents a guided discovery activity that uses fruit flies and can be implemented in introductory biology and nature of science classes to flesh out abstract lectures about life cycles, insect morphology, patterns and causes of animal behavior, and the nature of science. Discusses strengths and drawbacks and results of student evaluations of the…

Describes Maria Montessori's early learning "Casa" setting for young children and other models for educational programs for young children. Discusses the importance of setting in facilitating natural learning in young children and the five steps in the natural learning cycle--observation, participation, role-playing practice, eureka…

Presents an extension of Pick's theorem for simple closed polygonal regions to unions of simple closed polygonal regions. Students are guided to discover Pick's theorem from sets of data including numbers of boundary points and numbers of interior points. (Author/MKR)

When disequilibrium is integrated into the high school chemistry curriculum, students are challenged by phenomena that cause them to question previously held beliefs. They then develop possible explanations and design methods to test their hypotheses. Discovery learning encourages in-depth concept development, independent problem solving, and…