This digest makes the case for using poetry in the teaching of science. Poems can braid curriculum areas, breaking through boundaries and weaving concepts together. The digest contains a list of poets and poems on science, as well as lists of ERIC and World Wide Web resources. (MM)

This ERIC Digest points out gaps in the educational reform process that educational researchers experience. An overview of known and unknown facts of reform with the vision of the National Science Education is presented. Characteristics of needed research are also explained. (YDS)

This ERIC Digest is designed for teachers in grades K-12 to share a rationale for teaching about oceans and briefly introduce the kinds of resources available to assist with such efforts. Topics include: (1) Why teach about oceans?; (2) Where can I get resources for teaching about the ocean?; (3) Who is doing marine education in my area?; (4) What…

This digest explains how the study of watersheds can serve to connect concept and skill development across subject areas and grade levels for curriculum reform and standards-based assessment. Specific resources are organized into watersheds in the curriculum, connections to National Standards, watershed concepts and activities, watershed education…

This digest highlights the increasing importance of teaching evolution in school science classes as evidenced in recent reform efforts including the National Science Education Standards and Project 2061. Barriers that hinder student understanding of evolution are presented followed by instructional strategies to overcome these obstacles. Also…

Modern technology in life and health sciences brings a new understanding to the study of cells and as a result, the National Science Education Standards emphasize understanding of science and technology. This ERIC Digest describes the central role of cell biology (cytology) in understanding these areas and explains conceptual difficulties and…

Many educators may or may not be familiar with the term constructivism, but probably recognize it as something to do with learning. The main tenet of constructivist learning is that people construct their own understanding of the world and in turn, their own knowledge. This ERIC Digest examines the constructivist view of learning and how it…

This digest provides an introduction to action research in science education and includes examples of how action research has been used to improve teaching and learning, as well as suggested resources for those seeking to incorporate action research into their own teaching or research. Action research is defined and is examined in science…

This ERIC Digest concerns the constructed knowledge (also called nave knowledge or prior conceptions) held by students and the changes required to alter students' framework to understand and believe the true science concepts involved. This process is called conceptual change. Theoretical framework of conceptual change, what exactly is conceptual…

This digest tries to sort out issues related to the question of whether students should be tracked in math or science. Tracking is differentiated from ability grouping, and a brief historical overview and literature review is provided. It is suggested that the answer to this question is neither yes nor no. (Contains 15 references.) (ASK)

This digest explains the concept of visual literacy in science and provides a guide to resources for further study. The case is made that the capacities to both understand and generate technical pictures are fundamental to scientific and technological literacy for students at many levels, from early elementary school to the university level.…

This digest discusses the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), conducted during the 1994-95 school year, in relation to teaching and suggests resources for further study. The digest includes a description of the study, data collection methods of the study, key results, and details of TIMSS-R, a repeat study…

American society and classrooms are culturally multifaceted. However, people of color are woefully underrepresented in many professions, particularly those related to the sciences and allied technical fields. An expanding gap, for example, continues to separate the degrees of participation in science programs and careers among European Americans…

This ERIC Digest identifies how the human genome project fits into the "National Science Education Standards" and lists Human Genome Project Web sites found on the World Wide Web. It is a resource companion to "Learning about the Human Genome. Part 1: Challenge to Science Educators" (Haury 2001). The Web resources and…

Exotic species are organisms transported by humans, wildlife, wind, and water into regions where they did not historically exist. This ERIC Digest describes available materials and resources for teaching and learning about these exotic species. Sixteen Internet sources are provided along with six videotape resources. The digest also provides…