With the passage of Goals 2000, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Education Science Reform Act of 2002, Congress has put a priority on a science curriculum for children that is based on research on the best practices in science education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, teachers "need to know what programs and…

Within America's school systems, sometime between kindergarten and secondary education, a wide variation appears among the achievement levels of different children. The learning gap between high-achieving high schoolers and dropouts is certainly no secret to educators. Huge sums of federal funds and foundation support have been injected into K-12…

Describes a program initiated by a high school chemistry teacher in which high school honors chemistry students do chemistry demonstrations for local elementary school students. The program has had great success in sparking enthusiasm and interest in chemistry among both high school and elementary school students. (DKM)

Presents excerpts from "Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies." Defines and explains 10 thematic strands that form the basis for the standards. Includes integrated content from history, geography, other social sciences, and the humanities. (CFR)

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, federal legislators, the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and local businesses and community members, a consortium of 20 suburban Chicago school districts formed learning networks to master Goal 5 of the Goals 2000…

Asserts that early geographers were mostly white, wealthy males who used science and measurement as instruments of control. Presents a review of "Feminism and Geography: The Limits of Geographical Knowledge," by Gillian Rose. Concludes that feminists need to challenge the predetermined boundaries of disciplinary thinking. (CFR)

Discusses the importance of research to the school-library media specialist. Topics include levels of knowledge that help with informed decision-making; ways to overcome the gap between research and practice, including writing for scholarly journals; the need for publishing research from practitioners; and development of a research agenda for the…

Introduces a theme issue focusing on teaching critical thinking through college psychology courses. Defines critical thinking and asserts that "learning to think" has been called the central purpose of education. Refers to the Goals 2000 program and its emphasis on thinking skills. (CFR)

Reports on interviews with three music educators about interdisciplinary teaching methods. Asserts that students' musical curiosity must be satisfied to help create well-rounded musicians. Includes a teaching example demonstrating the three basic physical characteristics of sound. (CFR)

Reports on an interview with the president, past president, and president elect of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) about the impact of the national standards movement and the future of social studies education. Discusses the Goals 2000 national standards projects and their relationship to NCSS Social Studies Standards efforts.…