THE LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH IS WORKING ON AN EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT TO EXAMINE METHODS OF INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION IN SCIENCE AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL. AT THIS TIME, THE EXPERIMENT IS FOCUSED UPON NON-READERS IN GRADES K-3. EACH STUDENT RECEIVES A TAPE CARTRIDGE AND A PLASTIC BOX CONTAINING…

This collection of student activities for grades four through twelve presents action-oriented experiences with hardy aquatic organisms as the foundation for a laboratory-oriented science program. The format is characterized by pre-lab, post-lab, and student sections. Pre-lab topics include level, concepts, facts, suggested prerequisite skills,…

This teacher's guide suggests activities that provide opportunities for upper elementary students to explore, by direct experiment, many of the properties of light. Equipment is listed and construction of a light source is detailed. Instructions are given for setting up a classroom with electrical equipment. Activities are described in units…

Described are several ways literature can be used to teach science. Literature can enhance the learning of science by providing students with more appealing materials which will motivate them to pursue their interests and explore real-life issues. Appealing materials increase student interests in science and stimulate higher-order thinking while…

The purpose of this study was to investigate various demographic and attitudinal factors influencing occupational choice among black college freshmen attending Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana. The goal was to determine if differences in background or attitudes existed which might have predisposed certain blacks to choose technically…

Three computer programs are presented that allow the high school student to explore and understand the physical forces involved in orbital flight at a greater depth than is usually possible. For each program, introductory material is given including the physics and mathematics involved. This is followed by the computer program in BASIC language.…

Implementation of curriculum innovations requires that teachers have both knowledge of the change and commitment to use it. In order to determine what type of teacher is most likely to perceive and practice a curriculum innovation effectively, an in-service project was set up and studied. Nineteen elementary school teachers with varying degrees of…

Since teacher attitude is an important factor in implementing curriculum change, teacher education programs are designed to communicate the spirit and philosophy of new curriculum programs. This study attempted to determine which factors contribute most to teacher attitudinal change. Sixty elementary school teachers from 7 adjoining Texas school…

In-service teacher education programs are designed to increase teachers' subject matter competency and to develop positive attitudes toward new curriculum plans. This study of such a program attempts to answer two questions: (1) What type of program most efficiently achieves the aims and (2) How are the results affected by location of the program,…

This study involved examining an instructional unit with regard to its concept content and appropriateness for its target audience. The study attempted to determine (1) what concepts are treated explicitly or implicitly, (2) whether there is a hierarchical conceptual structure within the unit, (3) what level of sophistication is required to…

Alaska is one of the most ideal settings for teaching science. In most of the rural areas, science materials are in abundance starting almost at the school's door steps to a distance as far as a person would like to go. Therefore, it is quite possible to develop science projects for all grades. Some of the projects can be done in the simplest ways…

Activities concerning the development of the science curriculum of Project ABLE are summarized. The science curriculum attempts to relate science content to vocational areas where applicable, but emphasizes generalizations which the student will apply in his specific vocational field. Intended for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students, the…

This teacher's guide has been written for the elementary classroom teacher as an aid and not as a course of study. The guide lists units of study that might be undertaken in any classroom and indicates objectives, activities, teaching aids, and reference materials that will be helpful in the development of the unit. Topics covered include…

Two introductory biology courses which are given as service courses for agriculture students have been broken down into small conceptual units (mini-courses). Students cannot fail the course and are awarded a C grade when they have reached a predetermined level of mastery in each level for any unit, they may revise the unit and retake the test. If…

Very little material exists for utilizing the computer in the physics classroom, and even that little is not widely known. It is hoped that this monograph will provide some stimulus both to innovation and to discussion of the role of the computer in physics education. The paper describes how this might be achieved with a detailed account of one…