Following on from taking part in the successful "Getting Practical: improving practical work in science across the primary-secondary transition" CPD project, Uplands Community College with Wadhurst and Ticehurst Primary Schools in East Sussex worked together on developing the CPD--focusing on effective practical work across the…

Introduces a curriculum model for teaching physical science to the pre-service elementary school teacher entitled "Powerful Ideas in Physical Science (PIPS)". This model was developed by members of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and is inquiry-based, hands-on, and discrepant-event based. (Author/MM)

This paper summarizes the findings of a twenty year old pre-engineering program that is aimed at improving both the recruitment and retention of under-represented students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Wright Science Technology and Engineering Preparatory Program (STEPP) was initiated in 1988 for…

To experience the world of professional science, students must have access to the scientific community and be allowed to become real scientists. A partnership involving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Lewis Center for Educational Research has produced Jupiter Quest, an engaging curriculum…

The Comprehensive Instructional Management System (CIMS)-Science program is designed to support teachers in teaching the "New York State Elementary Science Syllabus." The curriculum emphasizes a hands-on inquiry approach to learning and includes an assessment component comprised of written tests and performance-based tests, designed to…

This article describes the influence of recently adopted high-stakes testing on the curriculum and instruction of 12 secondary science student teachers (or interns). The study, which used a postpositivist, qualitative method with researcher as participant as the university supervisor, focused on interns' abilities to implement hands-on,…

This report documents the creation and evaluation of materials for the Carroll County, Maryland, elementary school science curriculum. Based on a 1983 pilot study and implementation of this program, funding was secured from the National Science Foundation for evaluation of the program. The principal investigating agency was the Carroll County…

This paper describes the background and development, provides an overview, and discusses the evaluation of the Carroll County, Maryland, elementary school science program emphasizing a hands-on approach to science. It uses locally developed materials designed at each grade level and focuses on process skills instead of concepts. The program…

For many Head Start teachers and staff, the word "science" conjures up uncomfortable feelings and memories. The purpose of this project--a collaborative effort of California State University, Long Beach and the Head Start Program of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)--was to prepare Head Start staff to become more capable,…

This chapter is a part of a book that recounts the year's work at the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi. Rather than an "elitist" laboratory school for the children of university faculty, the dual-language ECDC is a collaboration between the Corpus Christi Independent School District…