This is a National Trial Print of a unit on petroleum developed for the Australian Science Education Project. The package contains the teacher's edition of the written material and a script for a film entitled "The Extraordinary Experience of Nicholas Nodwell" emphasizing the uses of petroleum and petroleum products in daily life and…

Reported is a study to identify the degree to which students with reading difficulties could perform if provided with supplementary audiovisual instruction programs. Fifty-two seventh grade students enrolled in an individualized science program developed by the Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS) were the participants in the study. The…

Reported is a study of the effect of selected modes of feedback on teacher behavior in a microteaching situation. Forty students enrolled in an elementary school science methods course participated in this study. Four groups were randomly organized into three treatment groups and one control group. One treatment group received verbal feedback from…

As a part of the interim unit materials in the series produced by the Australian Science Education Project, this teachers' guide is composed of five sections: an introduction to nature in the balance, tests, excursion activities, options, and research activities. Options are under the headings: The Changing Face, Australian Soils, Distribution of…

This student guide is divided into two sections: "Mice and Men" and "Environmental Balance," and constitutes parts three and four of the first year of the Portland Project, a three-year, integrated high school science curriculum. Part One of the guide deals with topics such as cell, reproduction, embryology, genetics, genetic…

The purpose of this study was to determine if elementary teachers' attitudes toward science and science education would become more positive if: (1) they participated in a four-week workshop on new science curricula; (2) the training they received was directed toward Elementary Science Study (ESS), Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS), or…

Reviews the Crustal Evolution Project (CEEP) for the development and evaluation of geology materials to supplement existing science curricula. (SL)

The development and administration of a scientific literacy test designed to measure achievement of the objectives of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) project is described. Students who had completed the six year SCIS curricula were compared with those who had used other science materials. SCIS subjects scored significantly higher…

Results of 11 studies of classroom practices used with activity-based elementary science programs were combined quantitatively using a composite category system. One finding reported is that teachers trained in program use spent less time talking and more on activities than untrained teachers using the programs. (Author/JM)

This booklet examines some of the ways in which integration of science and mathematics might be viewed and achieved in the elementary curriculum. Several existing programs that exemplify the integration of science and mathematics are reviewed. Programs include Activities Integrating Mathematics and Science (AIMS), Great Explorations in Math and…

Considers the development of science curricula from World War II and how the emphasis has changed to conceptualization of science knowledge in order to encourage intellectual activity. As well, this change has led to an improved climate for curriculum innovation. (Author/RK)

Examined interactive effects of direction source (teacher, student, or group direction), allocated time, reading ability, and study orientation on student achievement (N=1108) on three Individualized Science Instructional System (ISIS) minicourses. Results (among others) indicate superiority of student-directed approach over teacher/group-directed…

Summarizes results of the meta-analysis of 105 research studies dealing with effects of new science curricula on student performance. Twenty-seven different new science curricula involving one or more measures of student performance were included in the analysis. Positive performance patterns were found in all new curricula examined. (JN)

Compared performance on Piagetian tasks to determine differences between students (N=52): (1) external subjects having access to manipulatives and those not having access, and between internal subjects having access to manipulatives and those not having access. Indicates access to manipulatives benefits those exhibiting externality with respect to…

Describes a high school biology course using 17 learning activity packages for individualized instruction based on the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Yellow Version. Topics discussed in detail include the learning activity packages, the use of computers, and evaluation of the program. (CS)