Exploring a technique for acquiring qualitative data from standardized instruments and using them in formative evaluation of new cirricula, this article discusses assets and limitations of the qualitative analysis technique as applied to a grade 10 science course. (JC)

The results of this study indicate that, for the astronomical concepts used, no significant difference in the cognitive domain will occur between the achievement of students who experience a participatory planetarium program and students who experience a traditional lecture-demonstration program. (Author/MK)

Guidelines are presented to help the classroom science teacher effectively deal with handicapped students. (SA)

Describes experiments intended to produce a better understanding of the holographic method of producing images and optical imaging by other optical systems. Application of holography to teaching physics courses is considered. (Author/SA)

Examines the state of school science in the elementary grades and offers suggestions for those principals who have determined that their schools are weak in science instruction. (IRT)

Describes the decline of public esteem for the scientist and interest in physics. Author discusses the difficulties in recruiting physics students and obtaining federal money. (MA)

In a replication of a Mount Sinai School of Medicine study, the authors at Texas Tech University School of Medicine found that gross anatomy should be considered a very relevant subject in a medical student's education and that other disciplines of anatomy should be reevaluated to increase their relevancy. Earlier findings did not find the…

Describes an exercise ideal for use in an introductory biology or microbiology course. Requires no special equipment, little expertise in microbiology, and provides a colorful demonstration of microbial interaction. (DDR)

Explains the use of a card lab to demonstrate how a population bottleneck impacts genetic diversity and the survival of a population. Uses a standard deck of playing cards to show how age structure can magnify bottleneck effects. (DDR)

Recommends a number of techniques and transitional activities to bridge the gap between traditional cookbook activities and the type of inquiry envisioned by the National Science Education Standards. Includes discussion on techniques related to safety and the habits of good scientists. (DDR)

Presents two simple and reliable ways for measuring protease activity that can be used for a variety of investigations in a range of biology class levels. The investigations use protease from a variety of sources. (DDR)

Suggests that further changes to the science curriculum should take place and argues that strategies for change must recruit the energies and talents of teachers if they are to be effective. (JRH)

Explores the current images that students have of scientists, student perceptions of science study in school, and student awareness of their use of science outside of school. Fifth grade students (N=117) were the subjects of this study that asked students to sketch scientists and school science. (DDR)

Describes using performance tasks as an assessment method to evaluate student achievement. Explains how to build a task-specific rubric and provides a list of do's and don'ts for teachers. (YDS)

Points out the importance of an understanding of a sense of scale and presents an activity that uses distance or time as a measure. The activity illustrates for students what the universe would look like at various scales. (DDR)