The increasing loss of biological diversity, resulting from the loss of genetic diversity, the extinction of species, and the destruction of ecosystems, constitutes a crisis of global proportions. The resources being committed to its resolution are relatively small. This document summarizes a survey of U.S.-based organizations involved in…

One in a series of publications on Illinois' State Goals for Learning, this report identifies what students are expected to know in the biological and physical sciences by the time they complete their elementary and secondary education. A sample set of learning objectives is provided to assist districts in the development of their own objectives.…

Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) is an interdisciplinary environmental science program which emphasizes the foundational concepts and methods of the physical, biological, and earth sciences, and relates these concepts to issues about the human use of the environment. This document stresses that evaluation is an integral part of…

Many feel that secondary school graduates are not prepared to compete in a world of rapidly expanding technology. High school and college students in the United States often prefer fantasy to science. This book offers a strategy for overcoming student apathy toward the physical sciences by harnessing the power of the cinema. In it, ten popular…

Acid rain is a term for rain, snow, or other precipitation produced from water vapor in the air reacting with emissions from automobiles, factories, power plants, and other oil and coal burning sources. When these chemical compounds, composed of sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide, react with water vapor, the result is sulfuric acid and nitric acid.…

This study provides information about the biology and life science classroom teaching environments in Southern Alberta. Responses (N=53) to questionnaires sent to junior and senior high school teachers in rural and urban settings revealed information regarding school facilities, texts and reference materials, field trips, outdoor education…

The life science curriculum is designed to promote the development of healthy living habits. Emphasis is placed on problems of major concern in the daily life of students and on significant problems in modern society. The curriculum is designed for students enrolled in the coordinated vocational education and training for disadvantaged and…

This teacher's guide contains parts three and four of the four-part first year Portland Project, a three-year secondary integrated science curriculum sequence. Part three of the guide deals with topics such as the cell, reproduction, embryology, genetics, genetic diseases, genetics and change, populations, effects of density on populations,…

Describes an approach to teaching population genetics and evolution and some of the ways models can be used to enhance understanding of the processes being studied. Discusses the instructional plan, and the use of models including utility programs and analysis with models. Provided are a basic program and sample program outputs. (CW)

Discusses why creation science could be discussed in a high school biology class. Examines the debate that exists between scientific creationists, biblical literalists, and traditional scientists regarding the teaching of creation science in schools. Describes how discussion of this debate could help students understand the nature of science. (CW)

Describes a field trip activity to measure changes in elevation across the dunes of a barrier beach, measure wind velocity along the transect line, and observe the distribution of ground cover in the study area. Discusses equipment, materials, procedures and follow-up activities for each study. (CW)

Presents a model, organizational procedures and evaluative findings of a science curriculum development program. Inservice teachers co-operatively developed modular science courses for underachievers, lists of science skills and attitudes, and materials for environmental science, physical science and biological science courses. (ML)

This activity book is part of a series designed to take a concept or idea from the existing school curriculum and develop it in the context of the Great Lakes using teaching approaches and materials appropriate for students in middle and high school. The theme of this book is life in the Great Lakes. Students learn about shorebird adaptations,…

Presented is an activity which uses the annual process of abscission and leaf drop to illustrate all of the phases of the scientific method. Procedures, hypothesis formation, and typical results and conclusions are discussed. Alternative activities are suggested. (CW)

Described is a series of workshops designed to familiarize teachers with the social and legal background, principles of humane care, ethical considerations, and philosophies that influence animal use in the classroom. Discussed are the value of dissection, alternatives to dissection, and student reactions to dissection. (CW)