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…

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…

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…

This guide presents a module for college students on ribonucleic acid (RNA) and its role in biology. The module aims to integrate the latest research and its findings into college-level biology and provide an opportunity for students to understand biological processes. Four activities are presented: (1) "RNA Structure: Tapes to Shapes";…

This teacher's guide provides information and resources for helping to familiarize students with chemistry and its everyday applications around the world using inquiry and investigations. Contents include: (1) "Introducing Molecules in Living Systems"; (2) "Considering Life Processes"; (3) "Understanding the Structure of Biomolecules"; (4)…

This CD-ROM, Oyster Reef Communities in the Chesapeake Bay, describes oyster reefs, reef communities, and their roles in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Detailed descriptions of scientific research methods and techniques used to monitor and describe oyster reef communities as well as applications of the resulting data are provided. The CD-ROM was…

Many teachers and other educators have expressed a concern regarding the lack of student interest in many of the traditional science courses. To help rectify this problem a collaborative effort among educators and others concerned has led to the development of instructional materials that are more relevant to the lives of students. This document…

This teacher's guide is one in a series of Interdisciplinary Approaches to Chemistry (IAC). The purpose of this guide is to provide information and resources for helping to familiarize students with chemistry and its everyday applications around the world using inquiry and investigations. Contents include: (1) "Chemistry: A Human Activity"; (2)…

This teacher's guide is designed to provide science teachers with the necessary guidance and suggestions for teaching inorganic chemistry. The material in this book can be integrated with the other modules in a sequence that helps students to see that chemistry is a unified science. Contents include: (1) "Periodicity: A Chemical Calendar"; (2)…

This document describes methods for designing and building two types of rockets--rockets from paper and rockets from bottles. Devices used for measuring the heights that the rockets obtain are also discussed. (KHR)

Describes a method suitable for quantitative studies of plant water status conducted by high school or college students and the calculation of the relative water content (RWC) of a plant. Materials, methods, procedures, and results are discussed, with sample data figures provided. (CS)

The inventor's secret is a simple one--he sees applications for known materials that have occurred to no one else. Here are some suggestions for applying this secret to the elementary science program and thereby boosting motivation and creativeness in your students. (Author/RK)

This aerospace education learning packet contains information about the famous pilot, Charles A. Lindbergh. Posters, recommended teaching methods, tests with keys, and task cards are also included. (KHR)

Each year the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) produces new educational products that are used by NASA educational staff at NASA-sponsored workshops and events. Part of the series, "The Great Minds of Microgravity", Galileo, Newton, and Einstein, are the subjects of this brief. The materials include a brief…

Examines the state of school science in the elementary grades and offers suggestions for those principals who have determined that their schools are weak in science instruction. (IRT)