Two different concepts of STS--the emerging academic discipline of Science and Technology Studies and the social movement Science, Technology and Society--are explored through analysis of two textbooks from non-English-speaking countries. Each textbook represents one of the two STS concepts. Discussion of text organization is augmented by complete…

Reports on a study of the views of teachers and staff on the introduction of individual investigative work into the precollege, advanced-level chemistry courses in Great Britain. Contains 21 references. (DDR)

Details the experiences of a teacher who spent a month on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship. Reports observations of developing El Nino conditions and presents related classroom activities. (DDR)

Evaluated the "ThinkerTools Inquiry Curriculum," a computer-enhanced, middle school science curriculum, to determine the impact of including the Reflective Assessment Process. Found that students' performance improved significantly on both physics and inquiry assessments. Controlled comparison revealed that students' learning was greatly…

Describes a set of Mathcad instrument simulations and documents that introduce important concepts for instrumental analysis. Enables students to adjust parameters and optimize an instrument in a timely fashion. (DDR)

Small group teaching is an excellent method for developing communication skills, critical thinking, and other higher level cognitive and attitudinal processes. Recognizes the wide variety of teaching techniques available to achieve these goals. Contains 18 references. (DDR)

Presents a study that compares an introductory high school biology curriculum, Biology: A Community Context (BACC), with traditional curricula. Discusses the differences between standards-based BACC and traditional instruction. Identifies the instructional method in BACC as investigative inquiry and the activities proceed from concrete to more…

During the past three years, staff at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy have developed a partial reconstruction of Whitehead's "one subject matter," a course reconnecting biology, chemistry, earth and space sciences, and physics into an integrated science program. Staff successfully overcame dilemmas regarding thematic…

Describes a laboratory exercise that takes advantage of the abundant number of species of goldenrod galls that exist in the environment to explore a question concerning the behavior of the female gall-forming insects as they lay eggs on the goldenrod plant. (ZWH)

Describes how to approach block scheduling of science classes. Discusses the planning process, specific activities that work well in longer science classes, and techniques for motivating students. (DDR)

Assesses students' learning of evolution by natural selection within four different sections of an introductory biology course where each section used a different combination of curricular materials and instruction. Reports that comparisons between sections support the use of paired problem-solving instructional strategy in conjunction with the…

Argues that educational materials produced by corporations and industry associations tend to give a corporate view of environmental problems, often casting doubt on the scientific basis for environmental regulation and promoting superficial solutions that have minimal impact on their operations. Contains 30 references. (Author/DDR)

Examines those theories of learning that have laid the groundwork for classroom approaches that encourage students to become active learners. Summarizes the National Science Education Standards (NCES) Teaching Standards B. (DDR)

Reports the results of a study on teacher use of community resources to provide background for program development. Focuses on the Hanford Education Consortium in Washington. Discusses the implications that the results of the study have for the ongoing design of a program for sharing community expertise with schools. (DDR)

Presents an overview of a course in systems engineering and creative systems at Loughborough University. Explains the way that creativity is encouraged, the use of systems understanding, and a model for design processes. Includes examples of projects and student work. (DDR)