Computer-based tools that enable students to collect, display and analyse data in real time have catalysed the design of a laboratory curriculum that allows students to master a coherent body of physics concepts while acquiring traditional laboratory skills. This paper describes "RealTime Physics", a sequenced introductory laboratory curriculum…

The USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey is a valuable teaching tool for soil science education. By incorporating the Web Soil Survey into an undergraduate-level course, students are able to use the most detailed digital soil survey information without the steep learning curve associated with geographic information…

This study reports on a science professional development initiative with elementary school teachers in Canada. Grades 4 and 5 teachers were involved in the implementation and modification of science kits, together with corresponding professional development activities. Each kit was aligned to specific outcomes in the curriculum and provided a…

As environmental changes become a significant societal issue, elementary science curricula need to develop students' understanding about the key concepts of energy and climate change. For teachers, developing quality learning experiences involves establishing what their students' prior understanding about energy and climate change are. A survey…

Science and mathematics curricula have undergone major changes in the United States during the past 30 years. Many of the science courses developed and implemented in the 1960s were expensive, difficult, and too theoretical for students. Mathematics curricula suffered similar problems. Indonesia's 1994 curriculum-reform effort can learn from these…

This paper describes a curriculum unit developed in the domain of geometrical optics which has been incorporated into an activity-based physics course for prospective elementary teachers. The instructional goal was to help students develop a set of powerful ideas that could be applied both verbally and diagrammatically to account for optical…

This project is designed to engage students in investigating specific environmental problems through concrete activities and direct experiences. In doing so, it fosters an awareness of the importance of informed concern about environmental issues. This resource is directed toward accomplishing the following goals: promoting students' understanding…

Education is in the midst of a major effort to restructure its programs so learners will be prepared for the dramatic global changes which continue to occur at accelerating rates. This document, which focuses on environmental education, serves as a vehicle to model a multi-dimensional approach: reflecting a broad range of instructional objectives,…

Since 1985 the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has supported Project 2061, a long-term effort to improve education in science, mathematics, and technology. This document is the report of a year-long evaluation of Project 2061 conducted from fall 1995 to fall 1996. The evaluation focused on the impacts that two major…

This book is a joint publication of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Society of Protozoologists and is the result of efforts to find a way in which protozoa research can be used to teach biology. This program puts cutting edge science into the hands of science teachers and enables students to experience a variety of…

While improved student achievement remains the ultimate goal for systemic reform activities, it may take several years for reforms to manifest themselves in measurable student performance outcomes. Included in this 8-panel brochure is a set of intermediate benchmarks that can be used to determine if states, school districts, and regions are making…

Since 1991, the National Science Foundation has conducted a series of annual competitions for awards to states under the Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) program. This document reports on the progress of 21 SSI initiatives through the 1992-93 academic year. In chapter 1, "Introduction," a framework for assessing systemic reform is…

Many students face chemistry courses with a sense of fear and foreboding because it is a required course. Yet at the same time, fundamentals of chemistry have become intertwined in countless professions to say nothing of its growing importance in our everyday lives. Educators must bridge this dichotomy between attitude and importance. This paper…

This guide is intended to provide educators responsible for selecting elementary science curriculum materials for high ability learners with both quantitative and qualitative assessment data for 27 science curricula or materials. The review process attempted to balance sound practices of curriculum development (using standards required for any…

The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC) helps teachers by offering a broad assortment of services that enable them to quickly locate educational resources. This document is one in a series of print catalogs designed to give educators information about curriculum resources available for teaching math and…