To promote a justice-oriented approach to science education, we formed a research-practice partnership between middle school science teachers, their students, curriculum designers, learning scientists, and experts in social justice to co-design and test an environmental justice unit for middle school instruction. We examine teacher perspectives on…

Examines a free choice program and ways seventh graders choose their own activities in five science categories: (1) Mechanical; (2) Physics; (3) Chemistry; (4) Biology, and (5) Combinational. Results suggest that the challenge format for the activities allows students to practice what they have learned and consolidate their knowledge. (HM)

Reports an investigation concerning whether additional concrete experiences with objects will foster the logical development of blind children. The success of the Adapting Science Materials for the Blind (ASMB) units for various goals and various learner groups are discussed and tentative conclusions drawn. Significant gains were made. (EB)

Reports on an investigation designed to study the ability of 11 to 17 year old students to control variables when presented with science problem situations in three types of question formats (free response, multiple choice, screen question). (HM)

Compares the effectiveness of interactive free choice learning experiences to and combined with the lecture-demonstration approach in teaching sixth-grade children (N=50) to criticize and control experiments. Results contradict Piagetian theory regarding the importance of interactive experiences and exposure to materials in fostering these…

Four tasks which are frequently used to evaluate adolescent reasoning skill: (1) the pendulum task; (2) the ramp problem; (3) the cart experiment; and (4) the invisible magnetism experiment are analyzed to determine the Piagetian concepts that each measures. (CP)

Examines the implementation of Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), which can incorporate modeling tools and hand-held devices. Describes WISE design team practices, features of the WISE learning environment, and patterns of feature use in WISE library projects. (SOE)