Analyzes the role of standards in science curriculum development and professional development. Discusses the difficulty of interpreting standards and describes experiences from a curriculum forum. (YDS)

Describes a process used to develop a constructivist, student-created curriculum. Focuses on how objectives were accomplished by forming an alliance with a computer teacher to carry out a collaborative project for high school and elementary school students. (DGM)

The awakening of public interest in curriculum has come at a time when, within the education profession, the conventional wisdom about teaching and learning has itself undergone a major transformation. New Constructivist theories of knowing have emphasized the social nature of the construction of knowledge: students learn by "putting it into…

Describes a constructivist chemistry laboratory approach based on students' personal experiences where students had the opportunity to develop their own experimental processes. Points out both the fruitfulness and difficulties of using a graduate student as a teaching assistant. (YDS)

This book is designed to help the teacher become a reflective practitioner in the multicultural science classroom. The ideas presented are grounded in constructivist theory and emphasize a multicultural approach to science education. The first section, "Addressing Diversity," deals with issues germane to the science education needs of…

Offers background on constructivism as a means of reconceptualizing the ways in which students learn. Given this concept of learning and the Montessori emphasis on contextualized learning, investigates the potential role of the Internet and the World Wide Web in the classroom, including examples of classroom use and career development. (Author/SD)

Good teachers know that science is more than just a collection of facts in a textbook and that teaching science goes beyond the mere transmission of information. Actively engaging students in the learning process is critical to building their knowledge base, assessing progress, and meeting science standards. This book shows teachers how to…

United States state history is a required component of the upper elementary social studies curriculum in all 50 states. Noting that few resources exist on the subject of state history, this book aims to show teachers how to plan a state unit using a culturally relevant, social constructivist pedagogy with connections to literacy, a focus on…

Describes three computer-based lessons using constructivist learning principles. Includes a telecommunications lesson using an online vendor, an interactive video lesson on van Gogh's paintings, and a CD-ROM lesson on ancient lands. Includes figures depicting screens from all three lessons. (CFR)

This project paper for the 1994-95 Klingenstein Fellows Program at Teachers College, Columbia University (New York), examines the philosophical and pedagogical underpinnings of an interdisciplinary law-related curriculum for secondary students. The proposed interdisciplinary law-related curriculum focuses on issues of human rights, civil liberties…

This book is a collection of research papers and respected philosophical statements on how secondary school students learn science best. Taken together, these papers serve as the basis for the Project on Scope, Sequence, and Coordination of Secondary School Science (SS&C). This book explains where the learning ideas of the SS&C Content…

This guide provides suggestions for using technology (i.e., computers and anything that attaches to computers) as instructional tools in environments that support learning. Chapter 1 offers an overview of learning principles based on constructivist theory, including what constructivism offers the classroom, the role of the student, the role of the…