This guide is Unit 1 of the four-part series Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The goal of this unit is to help students establish the relevance of the topic of nuclear waste to their everyday lives and activities. Particular attention is…

This book is designed to be a source of ideas and motivation to encourage curiosity in children, provide opportunities to develop scientific processing skills, find out about cultures around the world, and explore science concepts. This resource incorporates multicultural literature and approaches into the teaching of science concepts in the…

This document examines children's and adults' knowledge of observational astronomy and characterizes the kinds of mental models students form when asked questions in astronomy. Mental models were grouped into three categories: intuitive, synthetic, and scientific. Implications for the design of curricula and for instruction are identified. In…

This report describes how the National Network of Eisenhower Regional Consortia and the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse are accomplishing their stated objectives. The report is organized into sections beginning with information about how to access the network. The topics of the remaining sections include: (1) Collaboration and Communication; (2)…

Many primary school teachers feel a lack of confidence in teaching science and technology. This paper aims to demonstrate useful and practical strategies for non-specialist science teachers to use in stimulating a positive scientific attitude among primary school students. It proposes that teachers should strive to develop children's natural…

Science teachers need to select tenets from the philosophy of education which stress student attainment of vital context, abilities, and attitudes. This paper discusses diverse schools of philosophical thought in terms of how each might relate to improving the science curriculum. For example, a science teacher who is a realist emphasizes that one…

This teacher's guide to microgravity contains 16 student science activities with full background information to facilitate an understanding of the concepts of microgravity for teachers and students. Topics covered in the background sections include the definitions of gravity and microgravity, creating microgravity, the fluid state, combustion…

This genetics curriculum was conceived to fill the void in the general public's awareness of the importance of heredity and environment in health. The module contains a teacher's manual, student manual, and appendix. Topics are presented in a manner that is intended to be culturally sensitive and meaningful, and to reflect the concerns of the…

Cognetics provides an exciting cooperative learning experience for students that develops both thinking skills and content knowledge. In Cognetics, teams of students in grades 3 to 12 create solutions to problems. This set contains a student manual and a teacher's manual. The teacher's manual explains the concept of cognetics and then provides…

This guide makes the case for a decision-making focus in the science curriculum as a response to concern over preparing scientifically literate students. The student activities are organized by guided activities and independent exercises. Themes of the guided activities include xenotransplants, immunizations, household cleaning products, ozone,…

The purposes of this guide are to demonstrate how to apply the National Science Education Standards to the real world of the middle school classroom and to serve as a tool for collaboration among principals, state and local administrators, parents, and school board members. Different sections focus on science teaching standards, professional…

This study of physics problem-solving identifies reasoning mechanisms that enable the problem-solver to achieve the transformation to a physics structure of the problem situation. Elaboration is explored as a mechanism in fulfilling this transformation by providing beginning problem-solvers with elaborations that they failed to infer. A card…

This study reports one investigation to better understand teachers' perspectives about teaching Science, Technology, and Society (STS). The study examined five teachers' perceptions of STS topics taught or not taught in their local schools. These teachers completed a summer workshop or an academic year class on STS. The curricula in the two STS…

Using hands-on activities and the "Plan, Do, Review" approach, this physics curriculum for 4-year-olds is designed to develop an early interest in and enthusiasm for science and to excite children about learning in general. The curriculum is designed to be implemented biweekly in preschool or child care programs but may also be presented…

This book is the report of the UNESCO/APEID Regional Workshop on Science and Technology Education at Lower Secondary Level. Part I is the Source Book which has three chapters. Chapter 1 is on emerging policy and strategy aspects for science and technology education at the lower secondary level. Chapter 2 discusses the implications for teacher…