The "Habitat" learning system was designed by TVOntario's Children's Programming department for junior-level students. It consists of 20 programs (each 15 minutes long), a teacher's guide, and a magazine for students. Three major objectives of the series were to (1) instruct children in scientific principles relating to habitats; (2)…

As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

ALMOST NO EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE SUBSTANTIATES THE CLAIM THAT THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY OF TEACHING SCIENCE IS BY BASING THE PRESENTATION UPON THE STRUCTURE OF A SCIENCE. RESEARCH IN THIS AREA HAS BEEN CLOUDED BY THE FAILURE TO CLEARLY SPECIFY THE ORDERED SEQUENCE OF MATERIALS AND INADEQUATE TESTS TO DETERMINE--(1) IF THE DESIRED ORDER…

Characterizes attempts to provide a research and development base for education in the United States on the basis of organizational development in the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research and Development Center. Article reprint may be ordered from the Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,…

This article examines the interrelated legal and scientific nature of the creationism controversy. It discusses "McLean vs. Arkansas Board of Education" and analyzes current tactics used by creationists, concluding that they are constitutionally impermissible. An approach is proposed that balances First Amendment interests with the need…

How might exemplary practice be represented by teachers' narratives? How might such representations be analyzed? How might theory and practice be related? "Analyzing Exemplary Science Teaching" is a text that seeks to combine educational theory and practice through analysis of a series of teachers' descriptions of "exemplary"…

This document represents the content of science education in California and includes the essential skills and knowledge students will need to be scientifically literate citizens in the 21st century. The standards include grade-level specific content for kindergarten through grade 8. A significant feature is the focus on earth science in the 6th…

This resource book presents 37 behavioral experiments that can be performed with commonly-found classroom animals including hamsters, gerbils, mice, goldfish, guppies, anolis lizards, kittens, and puppies. Each experiment explores the five steps of the scientific method: (1) Question; (2) Hypothesis; (3) Methods; (4) Result; and (5) Conclusion.…

Recently, the nature of science has enjoyed renewed attention in science education circles as a primary component of scientific literacy. This paper describes an investigation meant to assess the influence of a person's understanding of the nature of science on his or her decision-making regarding science- and technology-based issues, and to…

This paper describes the development, administration, and results of an instrument to assess changes in students' science abilities as they progress from ninth grade through twelfth grade. Standard science tests commonly in use in schools to measure high school science students' achievement are content specific. Although these tests are useful…

How do you get a fourth-grader excited about history? How do you even begin to persuade high school students that mathematical functions are relevant to their everyday lives? In this volume, practical questions that confront every classroom teacher are addressed using the latest exciting research on cognition, teaching, and learning. How Students…

Argues that gaming-simulation is an appropriate vehicle for conveying research knowledge to policymakers. The appropriateness of scientific inquiry as a means for dealing with problems of a systemic nature is discussed, and questions concerning the conveyance of research knowledge in a useful format are addressed. Thirty references are cited.…

Five types of models are discussed as they relate to their function in the sciences and science teaching. These include scale, analogue, mathematical, theoretical, and archetypal models. (SA)

Presents a model for teaching the principles of evolution. The model presents three major factors that direct changes and affect an individual's fitness. Uses and adaptations of the model are suggested. (Author/SA)

Before implementation of competency based teacher education, its shortcomings should be examined from the viewpoints of the source of the competencies, their effect on students and faculty, and their effect on school administration and student guidance. (MB)