This document presents highlights from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Science Assessment for grades 4, 8, and 12. This is the premier issue of a series aimed at bringing these test results to a broader audience. Results are presented through easy-to-understand graphs and examples of test questions with student answers.…

Natural Resources for Grade 3 is a "hands-on" environmental activities unit designed for teachers to use with their students. Activities are chosen from natural resource programs such as Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Aquatic Wild, and Project WET. The activities address natural resource themes and meet the Virginia Standards of…

Recent research shows that of all the subjects in the curriculum, primary (elementary) teachers in Great Britain felt least confident about technology. This book presents stories from history along with accompanying projects to teach technology in the primary grades. By focusing on technology in history, students were steered away from the…

This book approaches the development of science fair projects from the point of view that science should be enjoyable, interesting, and thought-provoking. The scientific concepts introduced here will later help young students to understand more advanced scientific principles. These projects develop skills such as classification, making measured…

This guide is designed to help teachers develop an inquiry-oriented program for studying the animal kingdom in which live animals are collected locally, studied, observed, and then released completely unharmed back into their natural habitats. This book addresses such concerns of life science teachers as the environmental soundness of methods and…

This monograph focuses on the chemistry of cleaning and enables teachers to introduce their students to the concepts and processes of industrial chemistry and relate these concepts to the consumer products students encounter daily. This teacher resource module is organized into sections that provide information on how to use the resource module,…

This monograph focuses on the chemistry of polymers and enables teachers to introduce their students to the concepts and processes of industrial chemistry and relate these concepts to the consumer products students encounter daily. This teacher resource module is organized into sections that provide information on how to use the resource module,…

This report presents the results of a three-year educational partnership that supports a unique interdisciplinary team approach to professional development. The Sage Colleges collaborated with two school districts (City School District of Albany and Niskayuna Central School District) to enable educators to align content and standards; draw upon a…

This paper describes a collaborative research project conducted by two first grade teachers. The project focuses on the use of hands-on science activities and the relationship between a teacher and a mentor teacher. An integrated curriculum with science as the central theme is employed and further developed through the joint efforts of the two…

Clarkson University's Space Grant Program provides an opportunity for students to consider engineering as a career option and aims to increase science literacy, promote critical thinking skills, and positive science attitudes. These goals are met through an adopt-a-school project which is described in detail to provide a model program for science…

The middle school years can be important for developing student attitudes about learning, school, and careers. However, it is often difficult to involve parents in working with middle schools to help adolescents form positive attitudes toward school and science. This exploratory study investigates a method of potentially having all of a teacher's…

This activity provides arenas in which students can brainstorm and discuss the different types of materials used to build houses in various climates. Small models of houses are built and tested against different climates. This activity requires a 75-minute time period for completion. (Author/SOE)

Working in teams of four, students build a tetrahedral kite following a specific set of directions and using specific provided materials. Students use basic processes of manufacturing systems-- cutting, shaping, forming, conditioning, assembling, joining, finishing, and quality control--to manufacture a complete tetrahedral kite within a given…

In this activity, students work with specified materials to create aqueduct components to transport two liters of water across a short distance in the classroom. The goal is to build an aqueduct that will supply Aqueductis, a Roman city, with clean water for private homes, public baths, and glorious fountains. By introducing various ideas and…

This paper reports on a study that examined the effects of formative experiences on the attitudes of preservice elementary teachers towards science and science teaching. Students in the science sequence of an elementary teacher preparation program wrote autobiographical essays about their experiences in science. These essays (n=56) were analyzed…