The National Research Council is coordinating the development of national standards for science education in grades K through 12. By the fall of 1994, National Science Education Standards will be completed and published. The standards will contain narrative descriptions of what all students should be able to do to engage and understand the natural…

Various aspects of the current evolution/creationism controversy are reviewed including the impact of attempting to remove evolutionary material from textbooks and including creationist material. A number of viewpoints, opinions, and references from current literature are cited. (DS)

Discusses the development of the concept of atomicity and some of the many which can be used to establish its validity. Chemical evidence, evidence from crystals, Faraday's law of electrolysis, and Avogadro's number are among the areas which show how the concept originally developed from a purely philosophical idea. (JN)

The National Research Council is coordinating the development of national standards for science education in grades K through 12. By the fall of 1994, National Science Education Standards will be completed and published. The standards will contain narrative descriptions of what all students should be able to do to engage and understand the natural…

Discusses a number of significant persons and ideas in the European development of notions relating to faunal succession. Major focus is on the 17th through the 19th centuries, from the onset of rational investigations of the earth to definition of the stratigraphic zone. (JN)

Discusses the nature of "right" and "wrong," considering how the terms apply to science in general and to the ideas of Einstein, Newton, and other scientists in particular. Indicates that, in one sense, the terms are not questions of science but matters of dogma. (JN)

Discusses the use of logarithm and reciprocal graphs in the college physics classroom. Provides examples, such as electrical conductivity, reliability function in the Weibull model, and the Clausius-Clapeyron equation for latent heat of vaporation. Shows graphs with weighting of points. (YP)

This paper describes the current approach used in Israel for teaching photosynthesis to junior high school students. Authors identify two types of problems, psychological and instructional, that children experience in understanding photosynthesis. Presents a foundation and sequence for a new approach to teaching photosynthesis. (18 references) (PR)

Based on the premise that knowledge of evolutionary theory is essential for understanding the natural world, this document was designed to assist science teachers and others as they consider the issues that influence the teaching of evolution. The position is taken that there is no conflict between data and sound theories based on science and…

Addressed to readers who know nothing of quantum theory, a hypothetical device containing some black boxes is described and relevant features of the device's behavior are presented. The conundrum posed by the existence of such a device is pointed out. An appendix explains what is in the black boxes. (SK)

Discusses how to stop a spinning object (such as rotating fan blades) by humming and the perception of curious blue arcs around a light. Background information, relevant research, and activities related to these two topics are provided. (JN)

Discusses various physics concepts/principles that can be illustrated by amusement park rides. Examples of rotational dynamics, energy conservation, acceleration, and others can be demonstrated by such rides as roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and a variety of rotating rides. (JN)

Presents the history of the theory of evolution and states that the creationist world view had been abandoned by even religious scientists before 1859. Argues that the public's perception of evolution could be improved by presenting a more complete picture of the theory's development, emphasizing the contributions of Christian--often…

Examines issues regarding the defensibility and utility of natural selection as a scientific theory, focusing on the process of population change over time. Topics considered include criticisms of Darwinian theory, tautology and the meaning of fitness, the ability of theories to predict and explain, and the sufficiency of natural selection. (DH)

Lavoisier showed that water was formed by chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. In Lavoisier's "Traite Elementaire" of 1789, he states that the reaction to form water requires exactly two volumes of hydrogen gas to react completely with one volume of oxygen gas. This was 20 years before Gay-Lussac studied the reactions between…