Examines the design and construction of a mini-sextant and its use in demonstrating Fresnel reflection, geometric optics, and several common optical techniques. A sidebar explains the basic use of the mini-sextant as a navigational tool. (WRM)

Recently, it was proposed that a curricular aim of science education should be to engender an understanding of the nature of the scientific enterprise among students, as well as a knowledge of the technical contents of science. Seven diagnostic instruments were designed and administered to students (between the ages of 9 and 16) in an effort to…

This paper explains the results of a survey of students' ideas about food as a scientific concept. The survey found that high school students in Singapore (n=66) displayed an anthropocentric view of food that was not generally applied across living organisms in heterotrophs (animals) or autotrophs (plants) as a whole. It is also noted that…

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) "The Primates," including information…

Presented is the position that the only goal for nonscience majors is scientific literacy, and that this goal can only be achieved through separate science courses for nonmajors. Two approaches to accomplish this and some issues of concern are examined. (KR)

Presents the five goals and supporting outcomes that represent students' knowledge and habits of mind resulting from participation in a pre-K through grade-13 science education programs in Ohio. The five goals are in the following areas: (1) the nature of science, (2) the physical setting, (3) the living environment, (4) societal perspectives, and…

Presents excerpts from the publication, "Science with Young Children," in which Bess-Gene Holt maintained that children (and adults) can experience science as a way of life. Other topics include sexism on the part of the science teacher and the concept of the child's "personal ecology." (BB)

Describes a Science-Technology-Society (STS) course implemented in Iowa that utilizes the National Science Teachers Association guidelines for STS courses. (PR)

Describes activities to help students inductively develop a broad understanding of the nature of science--its process, product, and technological relationships--without going into an in-depth treatment of the history, philosophy, or sociology of science. (PR)

Criticizes introductory biology texts for merely describing living things in terms of what they can do as whole organisms and neglecting to consider the nature of life on a micro-scale. Presents possibilities for including such discussions in an introductory biology course. Contains 14 references. (WRM)

Explains the scientific concepts, technical designs, and materials that make up incandescent light sources. (WRM)

This paper builds upon the poetics of scientific discourse which provide extraordinary insights into the workings of the scientific imagination and into the ways it is both colonized and liberated by the medium of social and ideological transfer--metaphor. The paper examines what constructivism is teaching us about the role metaphor plays in…

This 23-minute videotape takes children, grades K-4, on a tour of the nine planets of our solar system and explains vital statistics and interesting facts about each. Key terms such as rotation, revolution, and orbit, are explained. A hands-on activity that can be used to demonstrate how Saturn's moons actually create its beautiful rings is also…

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 an Insect an Insect?,"…

Presents suggestions for a schoolwide Olympic curriculum that uses an interdisciplinary approach and takes advantage of student interest in the Olympic games. (JRH)