Advances in biodesign, in which principles of engineering and technology are applied to the life sciences, are moving out of laboratories and into daily life. However, they have not made their way into K-12 classrooms. Today's students need to become familiar with biotechnologies so that they can make informed decisions about how they will be…

This article focuses on the experience of a bilateral educational aid project concerning a continuing professional development (CPD) programme for teachers with specific reference to Guinea-Bissau. The authors were keen to understand how teachers and school principals perceived the impact of this CPD programme on the quality of teaching and…

Teachers need to be able to design and implement problem-based learning (PBL) experiences to help students master the content and the processes in new mathematics and science education standards. Due to the changed population of learners within schools, it is also critically important that teachers in the elementary grades have the abilities to…

The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) was created to support teachers in implementing college and career readiness standards in order to teach literacy skills throughout the content areas. Teachers work collaboratively with coaches to further develop their expertise and design standards-driven, literacy-rich writing assignments within their…

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offer a vision of science teaching and learning that presents both learning opportunities and demands for all students, particularly student groups that have traditionally been underserved in science classrooms. The NGSS have addressed issues of diversity and equity from their inception, and the NGSS…

The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) was created to support teachers in implementing college and career readiness standards in order to teach literacy skills throughout the content areas.Teachers work collaboratively with coaches to further develop their expertise and design standards-driven, literacy-rich writing assignments within their…

This article focuses on the potential of free tools, particularly inquiry tools for influencing participation in twenty-first-century learning in science, as well as influencing the development of communities around tools. Two examples are presented: one on the development of an open source tool for structured inquiry learning that can bridge the…

Suggests using the planetarium as an educational resource for all ages. Discusses various planetarium teaching techniques and planetarium programs (with objectives) at Ball State University. They include programs for school children, college students, and the general public. (DH)

Describes the recent trend of establishing theater companies in science museums and zoos. Provides a brief history of science museums. Emphasizes that modern science museums and zoos are interactive. Examines the American Zoo as a model. Presents an overview of two museum theater groups and describes some of the current popular shows at other…

Retired chemists in Delaware have become involved in volunteer program to teach science to elementary and secondary students. A description of the program is provided. Also provided are descriptions of five lessons developed for the program. One of the lessons deals with birthday candles. (JN)

Details of the services offered by a school planetarium in upstate New York are provided. The use of computers includes a full-day simulation of a voyage to Mars and back, the finding of great-circle distances, and deriving sunrise and sunset times, moon positions, and eclipse seasons. (MP)

Argues that school science programs should develop scientifically literate individuals who understand how science, technology, and society influence one another and who can make informed decisions. Describes the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP), a diverse educational program used by students across the United States that…

Describes approaches to the implementation of environmental education in African countries. Emphasized are student activities and teacher education strategies associated with the Science Education Program for Africa (SEPA). (WB)

Presents letters written by students of the former Soviet Union and other countries of the Eastern Bloc to provide insight on the state of education before and after the fall of the communist regimes. (ZWH)

Describes a unique field experience, an outgrowth of a partnership with Seton Hall University and The Liberty Science Center (New Jersey), that immerses K-12 teachers in innovative methods of learning and teaching science. Notes the program helps teachers gain firsthand experience, use interactive exhibits at a science center, and adopt the…