Ten examples of innovative and outstanding middle school/junior high science programs are described. These programs were selected using state criteria and at least four independent reviewers. While Project Synthesis offered a desired state, these examples of excellence provided views of what is already a reality. The goals of an exemplary science…

Girls and boys start off equal in mathematics and science performance and interest in school. They appear to do equally well in both subjects in elementary school. Once courses become optional in secondary school, the down hill spiral in enrollment of female students in mathematics and physical science begins, accompanied by decreases in…

Developed for use primarily with middle school age students, this introductory booklet provides a sample of innovative activities that integrate mathematics skills with science processes. The investigations employ a wide variety of readily available and easily understood materials. The 25 activities are sequenced from simple to complex according…

The Proceedings Journal contains 13 articles presented at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting as part of the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group program. Individual articles and their authors are: "A Descriptive and Analytical Study of Art Criticism Formats with Implications for Curricular Implementation" by…

This unit is based on the premise that science was developed for the purpose of describing and explaining natural phenomena. This means that an important part of teaching science consists of giving students the chance to practice their own descriptions and explanations. This unit was specifically designed to help middle school students acquire an…

This unit is based on the premise that science was developed for the purpose of describing and explaining natural phenomena. This means that an important part of teaching science consists of giving students the chance to practice their own descriptions and explanations. This unit contains many questions that require students to write out…

This is the report of a national survey of approximately 1,000 teachers and administrators from a sample of 425 schools nationwide. The report includes a description of the sample design, instrument development, data collection, file preparation, analysis procedures, and survey forms. Topics covered in the report include science and mathematics…

Energy activities and lesson plans for grades 6, 7, and 8 (grouped into seven units representing seven major conceptual schemes) are provided in this teachers' guide, with a unit at each grade level for each conceptual scheme. Conceptual schemes addressed include: (1) energy is the ability to do work; (2) energy comes from the sun; (3) energy can…

The Competency-based Middle School Program (grades 6-8) and the Competency-based Secondary School Project (grades 9-11) were funded by the South Carolina State Department of Education under the Elementary Secondary Education Act Title IV-C. These programs were to provide instruction based on the principles of mastery learning in helping middle…

Discusses the benefits of five short science courses offered to middle school age children and their parents. Reports on the participants' reactions, two to three years after taking the courses, to the course experiences, the influence of the courses on learning behavior, and the relationship between the parents and their children. (TW)

This study examines the underlying structure of the teacher language arts and science questionnaires from a project studying the impact of the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP). The dimensions of the questionnaire concerning practices and attitudes related to the MSPAP were studied, as well as the extent to which the on-grade…

Presented are activities that focus on gathering, using, and interpreting data about fingerprints as a basis for integrating mathematics and science. Patterns, classification, logical reasoning, and mathematical relationships are explored by making graphs, classifying fingerprints, and matching identical fingerprints. A parent-involvement activity…

In this study, we seek a better understanding of how individuals and their daily interactions shape and reshape social structures that constitute a classroom community. Moreover, we provide insight into how discourse and classroom interactions shape the nature of a learning community, as well as which aspects of the classroom culture may be…

This year-long case study examines how a struggling reader in a sixth-grade social studies class, a seventh grade mathematics class, and an eighth grade science class "transacted" with the reading task demands of her specific classroom. Through regular classroom observations and interviews, the researcher documents how each student responded to…

CEPUP in the Schools is a project of the Chemical Education for Public Understanding Program (CEPUP) at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California-Berkeley. CEPUP is a diverse educational program highlighting chemicals and their uses in the context of societal issues, so that learners experience the reality of science. This booklet…