Despite the expressed need for high-quality science education, very little research has been conducted on what middle school science learning opportunities look like in practice. This study was conducted in support of "Strengthening Science Education in California", a research, policy, and communications initiative. Partners in this…

Steps to simplify and evaluate software selection are provided, with specific guidelines for selection criteria. Included are four sample evaluations of educational courseware. (MD)

Reprinted from the "The Computing Teacher," this collection of nine articles presents information on computer software selection and evaluation. The articles include: (1) "The DISC Model for Software Evaluation and Support Material Design" (Shelley Yorke Rose and Carol Klenow); (2) "Selecting Computer Software--We Take It…

The importance of engaging students in science and helping them to become informed citizens has been highlighted by many groups invested in science education. This report describes a project that furthers both academic and civic goals through the integration of a service learning component into an undergraduate course. This nonmajors class covers…

Describes three criteria for evaluating educational software; classification of software types, the presence or absence of process skills, and educational practices. This article provides background for a software evaluation form to appear in a subsequent issue. (CW)

Registrants of college chemistry (Chem 103) whose permanent address indicated they lived in Maryland, Washington, D.C., or northern Virginia, were invited by letter to participate in a pre-course refresher consisting of listening to as many as seven audiotutorial tapes on the basic concepts and calculations of chemistry. Sixty-nine percent of…

To assist school districts in selecting science instructional materials, the California State Department of Education has developed detailed descriptions of state-adopted elementary programs and texts. This guide includes an annotated index of all adopted materials and separate descriptions for each program or series. The index contains a listing…

This Evaluation Brief examines the BSCS approach to improving secondary science education, and illuminates some of the lessons learned from its five years of work with districts across the nation. It highlights selected findings from the full study report and discusses the broader implications for the field. Specifically, this Brief examines the…

The author discusses how plumes of smoke in the air can give us an indication of how atmospheric temperature varies with height. (MN)

Information on the solar eclipse of February 26, 1979, is presented, along with techniques for viewing eclipses. (BB)

Describes an experiment illustrating a lesson in wave interference using bright colors in a soap film. Illustrations provided. (MA)

Presents a crossword puzzle with 99 answers designed as a final exam in neurophysiology. Includes the puzzle, clues, and answers. (MA)

Assesses the current state of computer-assisted instruction in schools. Reviews educational issues of teacher productivity, teacher preparation, software selection, and curriculum integration. Examines legislative actions directed at greater computer use in classrooms. (JM)

Development of numerous materials projects and programs is a continuing characteristics of environmental education. Most have been modest, local in scope, and short-lived. But in recent years many have become more ambitious, substantive, and sophisticated, more effectively designed and better positioned to make significant educational impacts on…