Research has shown that project-based learning promotes student interest in science and improves understanding of scientific content. Fostering student motivation is particularly important in accelerated science and technology programmes for talented students, which are often demanding and time-consuming. Current texts provide little guidance on…

For many middle school students, connections between their lives and concepts like chemical reactivity, microbial contamination, and experimental sampling are not obvious. They may also feel that, even if there were connections, understanding the monitoring and quality of natural resources is something for grown-ups and beyond their…

For many years, Earth science concepts have been taught as thematic units with lessons in nice, neat chapter packages complete with labs and notes. But compartmentalized Earth science no longer exists, and implementing teaching methods that support student development of holistic understandings can be a time-consuming and difficult task. While…

The author created a lesson in which students successfully practiced reading comprehension skills while developing an understanding of earthquakes. Not only did this lesson help students gain an understanding of the impact of earthquakes, a subject embedded into Missouri's eighth-grade science curriculum, but it also addresses one of the new…

Improving youth science comprehension in the United States is imperative to reverse current trends in student achievement and to meet an expected shortage of scientists in the future. This lag in achievement scores and need for future scientists is a problem. One challenge is to link inquiry-based learning and experiential education with…

This article describes an instructional model that science teachers can use to promote and support student engagement in scientific argumentation. This model is called the evaluate-alternatives instructional model and it is grounded in current research on argumentation in science education (e.g., Berland and Reiser 2009; McNeill and Krajcik 2006;…

With summer in full swing and the sun is naturally on our minds, what better time to take advantage of a host of free materials provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Sun Wise program. Sun Wise aims to teach students and teachers about the stratospheric ozone layer, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and how to be safe while in the Sun.…

With increased emphasis on state standards and assessments in science, one might question whether there is still a role for national science standards and benchmarks. This article makes a case for the importance of national guidelines and identifies key functions performed by the National Research Council's "National Science Education Standards"…

America's advantage has historically been its people's creativity, flexibility and entrepreneurship. But just as painters need to be proficient in technique and theory to produce great masterpieces, the next generation of Americans will likely require a solid grounding in mathematics and science for their creativity to be maximized in a world…

Describes a study of Norwegian science textbooks for grade 8 that indicates an individualistic image of science where individual scientists are discovering truth through experiment. Discusses the analysis of a science book with regard to ideologies, learning, and scientific method. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/YDS)

The Connecticut Science Teachers Association has identified science competencies for students completing grades 4, 8 and 12 in Connecticut schools for use by school districts as a guide for curriculum assessment and development. This list is not to be used as an instrument for testing and evaluation but should provide a reference for…

As teachers and principals prepare students to pass mandated academic tests, they should not overlook the role educational travel can play in motivating students to achieve. Travel brings curriculum to life and teaches lessons that students will remember--and need--throughout their lives. In this article, the author describes educational travel…

A consortium of Chicago-area school districts obtained special permission to administer the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) to consortium students so it could evaluate how its students stacked up against their international peers. TIMSS officials and the U.S. Department of Education are encouraging other districts and…

In 1991, the President of Illinois State University encouraged three Distinguished Professors, Drs. Dossey, Fitch, and Loepp (mathematics, science, and technology, respectfully), to establish an organization on campus called the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST). The originators of CeMaST immediately conceived a plan to…

This document describes some experiences in a science/technology/society (STS) program for an eighth grade science course at a small rural school in Iowa. The background information about the school and the general goal of the STS program are outlined. The curriculum structure of the program related to water as a reusable resource is presented.…