Surveyed students taking a natural resource conservation course to determine the effects of computer software that provides tools for creating and managing visual presentations to students. Results indicated that 94% of the respondents believed computer-aided lectures helped them and recommended their continued use; note taking was more effective,…

Eighth-grade students in bilingual classrooms explored the geometric concepts of reflection and rotation within a computer-based, dynamic, instructional environment. With initial differences controlled, treatment groups performed significantly better on concept formation and spatial visualization than did control groups receiving conventional…

Reports on a study of the higher-order thinking and subject matter understanding of 18 preservice art teachers. Finds that only some exhibited the higher-order thinking or in-depth understanding expected of specialists in visual art. Discusses implications for teacher preparation. (CFR)

Describes a geometry course that integrates transformation geometry into traditional high school geometry. Discussion of the scope and sequence of the course includes the topics of proof, congruence, translations, rotations, reflections, dilations, quadrilaterals, parallel lines, and similarity. (MDH)

Examines the proposed definition of biological literacy as the understanding of a small number of pervasive biological principles appropriate to making informed personal and societal decisions. Utilizes the content of a major daily newspaper to adjust biology instruction to focus on this notion of biological literacy. Discusses benefits and…

Five boys and five girls each in grades one through six (n=60 students) asked controversial questions in interviews, recognized the lack of social consensus on the controversial topics and made subtle distinctions between controversial and noncontroversial topics. Implications for discussion of controversial issues in the classroom are discussed.…

Argues that public schools often ignore the strategic and cultural resources, termed funds of knowledge, that Mexican-American households contain. These funds are a key to understanding the cultural systems of Mexican-American children and can be useful assets in the classroom. (SLD)

A study of 21 experienced non-mathematics teachers reflections on learning two mathematical concepts was conducted to examine ways that students process teacher explanations. Notebook and transcript extracts of the lessons indicated that the participants made a continued effort to assign meaning to the new material, experienced anxiety, and that…

Explains that many preconceptions and misconceptions ethnically different children bring to science instruction originate in their particular cultural heritage. In many cases these conceptions inhibit or interfere with the learning of scientific concepts. It is advised to impart to teachers with information about this source of difficulties in…

Proposes angle sense as a fundamental connector between mathematical concepts for middle grade students. Introduces the use of pattern blocks and a goniometer, a tool to measure angles, to help students develop angle sense. Discusses connections between angle measurement and the concepts of rational numbers, circles, area, number theory,…

Presents a series of activities that help students discover the Pythagorean Theorem and extension activities to explore various dissection proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. Includes reproducible worksheets. (MDH)

Describes two activities for helping elementary and middle school students develop energy consciousness: (1) Energy Chains and (2) The Energy Tank. The Energy Tank is an activity that has students build and race a two-liter soda bottle to reinforce the basic laws of energy conservation. (PR)

Presents an interdisciplinary approach to organizing primary school subjects of reading, writing, and mathematics around social studies concepts. The strategy known as the storyline strategy, developed at Jordanhill College of Education in Scotland, is based upon concept development and experiential learning. Illustrates the method with a chart…

Chemistry can be described on three levels: sensory, molecular, and symbolic. Proposes a particle approach to teaching chemistry that uses magnets to aid students construct molecular models and solve particle problems. Includes examples of Johnstone's model of chemistry phenomena, a problem worksheet, and a student concept mastery sheet. (MDH)

Discusses the use of writing to enhance learning in mathematics from a conceptual development perspective. Shuell's phases of learning are described as a general model for conceptual development and subsequently matched with Britton's categories for transactional-informative writing. Sample mathematics assignments for each writing category are…