Ecosystems are available to educators as interactive units and as such the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and the Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning (EEE) put considerable emphasis on ecosystems. This ERIC Digest describes the NSES and EEE guidelines for grades 5-8 and 9-12 to provide a basic ecosystem…

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), led by a panel of K-12 science teachers, has developed a new position statement, "Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom." This statement examines the issues surrounding the integration of animals into the K-12 science curriculum and highlights key…

This book is a reference and guide for teachers and parents who may not be aware of the resources available to help their students succeed. This book examines the many aspects of gifted thinking in relation to math and science and features competitions and curricula that can be easily adapted to students lifestyles outside of the classroom.…

This document aligns Oregon state educational benchmarks and standards with Oregon Zoo resources. Benchmark areas examined include English, mathematics, science, social studies, and career and life roles. Brief descriptions of the programs offered by the zoo are presented. (SOE)

Imaging and visualization tools have assisted Earth scientists in answering age old questions by changing their orientation while reshaping the questions they ask. Imaging and visualization are powerful instructional tools still in the early phases of curricular infusion in the science education setting. This paper calls for a collaboration…

This paper states that there is a tradition of inquiry learning in science that dates at least to the 1950s and early 1960s. Inquiry learning approaches are still in fashion in that the teacher facilitates learning and a hands-on approach to actively involve students. Process approaches are still being used, and the aspects of science education…

Since 1983, the Maryland University Project in Physics and Educational Technology (M.U.P.P.E.T.) has been investigating the implication of including student programming in an introductory physics course for physics majors. Many significant changes can result. One can rearrange some content to be more physically appropriate, include more realistic…

Papers from the proceedings of the 2000 Annual Meeting of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science (AETS) include: (1) "A Quantitative Examination of Teacher Self Efficacy and Knowledge of the Anture of Science" (Chun, Sajin and Oliver, J. Steve); (2) "Investigating Preservice Elementary Teachers' Self-Efficacy…

This booklet describes Project 2061 and the strategies and tools for the improvement of education. It is divided into five sections: (1) Clear and Specific Learning Goals, which explains scientific literacy and defines the benchmarks for science literacy; (2) Preparation and Support for Teachers, which explains Project 2061 professional…

Although pressure forms the basis for understanding topics such as the internal structure of the earth, weather cycles, rock formation, Bernoulli's principle, and plate tectonics, the presence of this concept in the school curriculum is at a minimal level. This paper suggests that the ideas, misconceptions, and perceptions of students have to do…

The philosophy of science is considered one of the important elements in the transformation of science education into the 21st century. This paper focuses on the integration of the philosophy of science into science teacher education by analyzing the theoretical framework of three didactical units. The first unit aims to teach a set of central…

This document contains the proceedings of the Scholarly Inquiry in Flexible Science Teaching and Learning Symposium which was held April 5, 2002. UniServe Science aims to enhance the quality of higher education and science instruction in Australia. (YDS)

Learning styles is a common strand found throughout recent science education reform recommendations. The objective of this study was to examine the influences of teacher beliefs regarding their intent to implement a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of different learning styles in the science classroom. Ajzen's (1985) Theory of…

The goal in the development of this Arizona standard was to assure that the six strands and five unifying concepts are interwoven into a fabric of science that represents the true nature of science. Students have the opportunity to develop both the skills and content knowledge necessary to be scientifically literate members of the community.…

The Illinois Science Assessment Framework is designed to assist educators, test developers, policy makers and the public by clearly defining those elements of the Illinois Learning Standards that are suitable for state testing. It is not designed to replace a local science curriculum and should not be considered a state science curriculum. The…