While interdisciplinary approaches in the STEM subjects are widely advocated there are concerns that disciplinary learning can be compromised, especially in mathematics. The Interdisciplinary Mathematics and Science (IMS) project is a three-year longitudinal study in four Victorian primary schools that has developed a pedagogical approach to…

Mobile devices, augmented reality (AR), and outdoor games can be mobilized to promote Education for Sustainable Development and, thus, to sensitize to nature conservation. The EduCITY project combines mobile learning, AR, and environmental sensors towards sustainability education and creates opportunities for citizens to contribute to their city's…

For more than 20 years, traditional medicine of Mexico, the U.S. Southwest and other countries has been taught as a series of academic course at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in the United States. These courses focus on traditional uses of healing plants and rituals for students in higher education and the community. These courses…

Prior studies on scaffolding for investigative inquiry practices (i.e. forming a question/hypothesis, collecting data, and analyzing and interpreting data [21]) revealed that students who received scaffolding were better able to both learn practices and transfer these competencies to new topics than were students who did not receive scaffolding.…

Human beings do not usually recognize plants although they exist widely in their environment. This condition has been described as plant blindness in literature. The main purpose of this study is to examine pre-service elementary teachers' awareness of plants. Moreover, the study examined from which sources student-teachers gained knowledge about…

This article is a special blend of research, theory, and practice, with clear insight into the origins of Cosmic Education and cosmic task, while recalling memories of student explorations in botany, in particular, episodes from Mr. Leonard's teaching. Mr. Leonard speaks of a storytelling curriculum that eloquently puts perspective into dimensions…

The Kodaikanal years were from late 1942 to March, 1944, a period of internment for Maria Montessori against her will in India. Yet in these remote hills, a fanfare and training course emerged, and so did the inspiration for an in-depth unification principle for the elementary program which we now loosely call Cosmic Education. These two…

AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) is collaborating with BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) in the development of a curriculum unit for eighth grade students that connects fundamental chemistry and biology concepts to better prepare them for high school biology. Recognizing that teachers play an influential role in…

Visits to gardens can contribute not only to children's science learning, but also to meeting other curricular objectives. When school groups visit a garden, they do so with curricular objectives in mind. However, little work has been done on the early experiences of children in gardens. What do children bring to such visits? How do they interpret…

This paper reports on a study that investigated the alternative conceptions of students in a biology and geology teacher education course regarding plant nutrition. Data were collected from first year and final year students using a questionnaire that had both multiple choice and descriptive items. Findings indicate common features related to the…

The aims of this study were to diagnose students' misconceptions concerning photosynthesis and respiration in plants, and to investigate reasons behind these misconceptions. The subjects were 45 ninth grade high school students and 11 high school teachers. Data were collected by interview technique. All of the interviews were audiotaped and…

Wild foods are ubiquitous motivational tools for teaching botany, environmental education, cultural foodways, and survival. Edible wild plants are wild plants endowed with one or more parts that can be used for food if gathered at the appropriate stage of growth and properly prepared. The components of this definition are discussed with…

In order to name and classify a plant they see, children use their existing mental models to provide the plant with a name and classification. In this study, pupils of a range of ages (4,8,11 and 14 years old) were presented with preserved specimens of six different plants (strictly, five plants and a fungus) and asked a series of questions about…

The study reported in this paper intended to trace what Chinese children think about life and identify their naive theories. Fifty-eight 5-year-old children in Taiwan from 39 kindergartens were interviewed using a semi-structured instrument. Results indicate that preschool children have preconceptions about the concept of life even before entering…

This paper discusses the benefits of having gardens at schools. School gardens are a practical and effective way to connect children with nature, teach hands-on science and environmental education, and beautify barren school grounds. In order for all United States schools to establish gardens, school ground improvement must become an important…