Discusses some principles of biological taxonomy. The evolutionary principle in taxonomy and its limitations, and the difference in evolutionary patterns between plants and animals, are also discussed. (HM)

Describes symbiosis and its significance in the day-to-day lives of plants and animals. Gives specific examples of mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism in the relationships among fungus and plant roots, animals and bacteria, birds and animals, fish, and predator and prey. (MDH)

Suggests activities for studying the variety of life forms found and the interaction of living things during a class trip to the beach. (WRM)

REPORTED IS AN INVESTIGATION OF CONCEPTS INCLUDED WITHIN A CONCEPTUAL SCHEME--THE BIOLOGICAL CELL--WHICH ARE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR STUDY BY CHILDREN IN GRADES 2-6. SUB-PROBLEMS WERE (1) TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING AS INDICATED BY OBJECTIVE TEST SCORES, (2) TO DETERMINE WHETHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES EXIST BETWEEN PUPILS AT…

A two-part animism questionnaire was adminstered to 200 female undergraduates with extensive backgrounds in science. When students classified objects as "living" or "nonliving," 67 percent gave evidence of animistic thought. Yet when subjects identified statements which reflected their own definition of living, 66 percent…

Ranger Rick's NatureScope is a creative education series dedicated to inspiring in children an understanding and appreciation of the natural world while developing the skills they will need to make responsible decisions about the environment. Contents are organized into the following sections: (1) "What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur?,"…

The primary concern was the extent to which life science concepts occurred in selected secondary-school life science textbooks. Ecology concepts were the most widely and evenly distributed in junior high textbooks, and physiology terms were the most frequently occurring for senior high books. (MP)

Presents arguments against the recent "punctuated equilibrium" point of view expressed by evolutionists Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge. Reviews evidence for continuous and gradual change, as recently cited by four anthropologists in the July 9 issue of "Nature." (CS)

Discussed are problems revealed in student responses to a practical task which formed part of an advanced level examination. The frequencies with which some misconceptions about cell reproduction and genetics occurred are presented. The nature of these misconceptions is analyzed and their implications discussed. (CW)

Provides a graphing exercise designed to help students understand the coevolution of the physical environment and the biosphere during the last four billion years of Earth's history. The ideas are based upon the Gaia theory, which is the belief that the Earth is a self-regulating network of interdependent physical and biological systems. (ZWH)

Describes the personal thoughts, or everyday thinking, of high school science students about a question relevant to science: What is Nature? Finds that a rich breadth of perspectives typically characterized any one student's discussion of Nature, though the level of science integration within everyday thinking remained low. Contains 116…

Describes the construction and use of a shell-discovery kit for students to employ in actively investigating the natural world. (WRM)

Describes children's conceptions of the structure and function of the human digestive system based on an investigation carried out with children aged 4-10 (n=45). Finds that children possess biological knowledge as an independent knowledge domain from the age of four. Discusses acquisition of and barriers to scientific concepts related to human…

Critiques the scientific merit of a claim against evolution that is based on a calculation of the level of salt in the oceans. (WRM)

This book of life science activities introduces a new experimental animal--the WOWBug, "Melittobia digitata"--that is commonly found in nature but has never before been used in the precollege classroom. It includes 20 activities and experiments for grades 5-12, that cover topics from basic orientation to ecological interactions, from physical…