During the past three years, staff at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy have developed a partial reconstruction of Whitehead's "one subject matter," a course reconnecting biology, chemistry, earth and space sciences, and physics into an integrated science program. Staff successfully overcame dilemmas regarding thematic…

Describes a laboratory exercise that takes advantage of the abundant number of species of goldenrod galls that exist in the environment to explore a question concerning the behavior of the female gall-forming insects as they lay eggs on the goldenrod plant. (ZWH)

Describes how to approach block scheduling of science classes. Discusses the planning process, specific activities that work well in longer science classes, and techniques for motivating students. (DDR)

Assesses students' learning of evolution by natural selection within four different sections of an introductory biology course where each section used a different combination of curricular materials and instruction. Reports that comparisons between sections support the use of paired problem-solving instructional strategy in conjunction with the…

Argues that educational materials produced by corporations and industry associations tend to give a corporate view of environmental problems, often casting doubt on the scientific basis for environmental regulation and promoting superficial solutions that have minimal impact on their operations. Contains 30 references. (Author/DDR)

Examines those theories of learning that have laid the groundwork for classroom approaches that encourage students to become active learners. Summarizes the National Science Education Standards (NCES) Teaching Standards B. (DDR)

Reports the results of a study on teacher use of community resources to provide background for program development. Focuses on the Hanford Education Consortium in Washington. Discusses the implications that the results of the study have for the ongoing design of a program for sharing community expertise with schools. (DDR)

Presents an overview of a course in systems engineering and creative systems at Loughborough University. Explains the way that creativity is encouraged, the use of systems understanding, and a model for design processes. Includes examples of projects and student work. (DDR)

Illustrates the need for new avenues for making the findings of science, particularly ecology, understandable to the broadest possible audience. Proposes using unorthodox means such as poetry for conveying information. (DDR)

Recommends a number of investigations using video-capture and two readily available, non-pathogenic larval Digeneans with contrasting life cycles and behavior. The activities support the hypothesis that parasites exhibit behavior that increases their chances of a host infection. (DDR)

Recommends the use of an ecosensitive approach to driving lessons as an avenue to reinforce ecological principles. This approach is useful to driving education teachers as well as to interdisciplinary teams of teachers. (DDR)

Reports on a comparative study of attitudes toward the aims of practical work given by science teachers from Egypt, Korea, and the United Kingdom. Finds that all three groups express a common attitude towards the aims of practical work that reflect an acknowledgement of the methods by which scientists make new knowledge. Contains 42 references.…

Presents stories that illustrate how children learned lessons about the nature of science. These lessons include such ideas as observing closely and keep records, accessing resources, and collaborating with each other. Describes the use of a classroom bird station and nature walks in accomplishing the goals. (DDR)

It is increasingly important in the twenty-first century for graduates to be able to take their place in the changing world scene and to be adaptable and creative within the organisation that employs them. This paper describes some of the initiatives introduced into the curriculum of a first-year science course, taken by 1300 students at the…

This study examines the effectiveness of a new constructivist curriculum model (Powerful Ideas in Physical Science) in improving prospective teachers' understanding of science concepts, in fostering a learning environment supporting conceptual understanding, and in promoting positive attitudes toward learning and teaching science and chemistry in…