The development of communication skills is a key component in any science program. However, students do not see the connections between writing and science. In particular, students lack the enthusiasm when the time comes to write lab reports. Students say that they do not see why they should have to write dry, boring lab reports following an…

As part of a series of documents describing assessment of student learning in various curriculum areas in South Carolina, this document reviews the assessment of student learning in the science classroom. The report begins with a discussion of effective science learning, and outlines the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that encompass science…

The Ann Arbor Public Schools and University of Michigan partnership created the Foundations of Science (FOS) course, designed to integrate the high school science sequence into a three-year project based upon real-life science investigations. Specially designed software, information technology, and Internet resources were utilized. Student…

In this investigation we employed a case study approach with qualitative and quantitative data sources to examine and discover the characteristics of the processes used by a midwestern U.S. school system to adopt and implement a new K-6 science curriculum. Analysis of data yielded several results. Elementary teachers received what they requested,…

High school students (n = 45) participated in a 5-day research immersion study on juvenile scalloped hammerhead sharks in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. Self-surveys were used to evaluate scientific concepts and skills taught during the program. There was a significant shift in students' perceived level of understanding for all categories of concepts…

Faculty members from the University of South Dakota attended the Curriculum Reform Institute offered by the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, WI, during the summer of 2002 to design a course sequence for elementary education majors that better meets their needs for both content and pedagogy based on the science education standards. The special…

Field Trip to the Moon uses an inquiry-based learning approach that fosters team building and introduces participants to careers in science and engineering. The program components include the Field Trip to the Moon DVD [not included here], Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Activities, and…

The Field Trip to the Moon program uses an inquiry-based learning approach that fosters team building and introduces young people to careers in science and engineering. The program components include the Field Trip to the Moon show (either on DVD or presented in a planetarium dome) and workshop investigations. The compelling show provides…

The SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) is a coalition of educators, business leaders, governors, and policymakers seeking comprehensive and lasting improvement in education in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. SERVE'S Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education provides support to…

In this document, a description is given of a one activity inservice session intended for teachers kindergarten through grade six. The objective of this activity is to identify the launch angle of a catapult as the variable controlling the distance a projectile will travel. The activity conducted by participants of this workshop deals with the…

The "Robot Roadshow Program" is designed to increase the interest of elementary school children in technical disciplines, specifically math and science. The program focuses on children from schools categorized as rural or underserved, which often have limited access to advanced technical resources. We developed the program using robots…

As a profession, engineering is not well understood by the general public. Engineers are perceived as "geeks" who love math and who have few interests outside of technical work. In short, the engineering profession has an image problem. In order to counteract this negative stereotyping, an engineering course for non-majors was developed…

School in the Park is an innovative museum-based educational effort to engage students in their community during the school day. Since 1999 several hundred students have been educated each year in museums and the zoo in San Diego. This is more than a field trip, it is changing the way that education is provided. Challenging the Classroom Standard…

Background: This article concerns learning with high school students and the effect of snorkeling and coral reef monitoring at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The effectiveness of classroom learning, student-reef relationships and reef trips were investigated. Purpose: This paper presents selected student accounts of reef educational…

This paper examines the special challenges that English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students face in succeeding in science classrooms in U.S. schools. Particular focus is on how students in one experimental classroom (a Grade 2 and Grade 3 two-way bilingual English-Spanish class in a small western city) learned to apprehend scientific meaning with…