"Mathematics is one of the greatest cultural and intellectual achievements of humankind, and citizens should develop an appreciation and understanding of that achievement, including its aesthetic and even recreational aspects" (NCTM 2000, p. 4). In addition to NCTM, many professional organizations such as the National Research Council…

This article discusses how intensive, content-rich, multiple-day conferences for teams of youth and their adult coaches can be used to initiate the training and planning needed for teens to successfully serve as STEM teachers. The concepts are based on three 4-H "teens as teachers" projects that included 29-36.5 hour initial training…

The "Healthy Heart Race" activity provides a hands-on demonstration of cardiovascular function suitable for lay audiences. It was field tested during the United States of America Science and Engineering Festival held in Washington, DC, in October 2010. The basic equipment for the activity consisted of lengths of plastic tubing, a hand…

We present the most recent steps undertaken to reform the introductory algebra-based course at The George Washington University. The reform sought to help students improve their problem-solving performance. Our pedagogy relies on didactic constructs such as the" GW-ACCESS problem-solving protocol," "instructional sequences" and…

In this article, the authors report on an important symposium, Beyond BIO2010: Celebration and Opportunities, which was held at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, D.C. on May 21-22, 2010. This symposium was organized to assess what progress has been made in addressing the challenges and recommendations in the National Research…

Four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Howard University, Jackson State University, Talladega College, and Xavier University of Louisiana, participated in a project titled, Learning Communities for STEM Academic Achievement (LCSAA), whose goal was to increase the participation of African American students in the fields of…

Reports on the District of Columbia school system's competency-based curriculum plan for education accountability. (BB)

INFORMATION ON RECENT CURRICULUM REVISIONS IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCIENCE IS PRESENTED. THE CHAPTERS INCLUDE MATERIALS FROM PAPERS THAT WERE PRESENTED AT NINE REGIONAL CONFERENCES OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. THE INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER RELATES CURRICULUM MODIFICATION TO CHANGING SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND CONCOMITANT…

ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCIENCE COURSE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE REVIEWED. INFORMATION FOR THE REVIEWS WAS OBTAINED FROM PROJECT NEWSLETTERS, TEXT MATERIALS, ARTICLES ABOUT THE PROJECTS, AND CONVENTION REPORTS. PROJECT RESUMES INCLUDE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES, MAJOR THEMES, OBJECTIVES, UNIQUE FEATURES, AND DESCRIPTIONS OF…