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Journal Article
As teachers make the transition to inquiry-centered science, they discover a need for new assessments. In response to this need, a group of 125 elementary teachers embarked on a three-year investigation of science assessment. This project was a compo...
Journal Article
Charles W. Eliot’s Legacy to Science Education
Had Charles W. Eliot—a young Harvard graduate trained in chemistry—accepted an offer in 1865 to become a superintendent of the Merrimac Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, the history science teaching in American high schools might have been very dif...
Journal Article
Last year the authors embarked on a study to find out whether more student-centered instruction was occurring in block-scheduled biology classes than in those of traditional duration and whether the student-centered strategies recommended by the Stan...
Journal Article
Science education reform is a topic that has gained increased exposure with such headline-making proposals as SS&C and Goals 2000. While these are only two of the many recent reform initiatives, efforts to maximize science teaching and learning exper...
Journal Article
A Permanent Agenda for Science Teachers
It may seem a singular act of arrogance for us to suggest that a permanent agenda for science teaching exists. Trends come and go, and veteran professionals have seen the recurrence of familiar ideas. But the persistence of learning as a motivating f...
Journal Article
When the mathematical structure of physics is used instead to show the relationships between ideas and concepts, without the algebraic manipulations and computations, students are not intimidated. This type of physics—taught in their own language w...
Book Chapter
Modern Science and the Book of Genesis
Many religious people, including scientists, hold that God created the universe and the various processes driving physical and biological evolution and that these processes then resulted in the creation of galaxies, our solar system, and life on Eart...
Book Chapter
Before middle grades, a student’s experience with objects, motion, and energy centers on exploring one thing at a time. Understanding energy, distinguishing between different kinds of energy, and learning about the nature of energy and energy tran...
Book Chapter
This section uses protozoa to help students either review already acquired lab skills or learn entirely new ones. As students are led through the investigations in this section, they are encouraged to observe and compare biological processes among th...
Book Chapter
This section enables students to model the fundamental life processes of many organisms, including humans, by using microorganisms. The section also explores some of the operating principles of cellular physiology and organismic biology using protozo...
Book Chapter
Interacting with other Organisms
Life on Earth forms a complex web. Each organism depends on others for its health and well being. This section explores how such relationships are essential for maintaining balanced ecosystems. Students conduct investigations into mutualistic and par...
Book Chapter
All species of organisms live in communities and occupy ecological niches. Protozoa, by contrast, live in a wide variety of habitats, including soils, water, and inside other organisms. This section explores the varied habitats of protozoa, especial...
Book Chapter
Life thrives or perishes depending upon its ability to adapt to changes in the environment. Over time, living organisms develop adaptive strategies that enable them to meet the demands precipitated by those changes. In this section, students explore ...
eBook
How to... Ask the Right Questions (e-Book)
Questions, questions, questions! They are a large part of a teacher’s stock-in-trade. We use questions to help students review, to check on comprehension, to stimulate critical thinking, to encourage creativity, to emphasize a point, to control cla...
Journal Article
Testing the Waters: The standards saturate schoolwide water theme
In a small rural school in southwest Missouri, coordination of a schoolwide water theme provided students with science learning experiences with a Science-Technology-Society orientation reflecting many of the Standards. Together, teachers incorporate...