INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED BY QUESTIONNAIRE FROM SUPERVISORS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS IN 51 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT IOWA TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF SCIENCE PROGRAMS IN IOWA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. EQUAL NUMBERS OF SMALL-, MEDIUM-, AND LARGE-SIZED SCHOOLS WERE SELECTED. DATA COLLECTED AND ANALYZED INCLUDED (1) THE AVAILABILITY OF EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, BOOKS, AND…

Describes a laboratory activity that is adaptable to several levels of biology students. Discusses methods for obtaining hellgrammites, performing the experiment, and analyzing the data. Includes sample charts and graphs. (CW)

Described is a study designed to introduce students to the behavior of common invertebrate animals, and to use of the chi-square statistical technique. Discusses activities with snails, pill bugs, and mealworms. Provides an abbreviated chi-square table and instructions for performing the experiments and statistical tests. (CW)

Lists and reviews 10 recently published books from Mexico and Spain that can assist Spanish-speaking students in understanding life science, sexuality, computers, and computer programming. Gives age levels and brief descriptions of each book. (CW)

Focuses on what life is like in the three major regions of the ocean: (1) the sunlit surface waters; (2) the dim mid-waters; and (3) the dark ocean depths. Five activities and three pages of ocean organisms for copying are included. (Author/RT)

Describes an activity designed to help children understand why there is a limit to the size of animals that live on land. Details the materials and set-up for this activity. Contains a reproducible, three-part activity sheet to accompany the activity. A key for the teacher is included. (CW)

Describes two computer simulation programs, "Nerve Physiology" and "Frog Heart," as practical alternatives to the use of live animals in class experiments. Discusses the potential of computer simulation as a feasible alternative to experiments with animals in the classroom laboratory. (CW)

Presents a model system designed for the electrophysiological investigation of single unit activity in intact anaesthetized animals. Illustrates how information is coded into action potential patterns by sense organs. Uses the ampullary electroreceptor of the brown bullhead catfish as an example. (Author/CW)

Describes a five year research project in plant ecology by successive teams of students. The aim was to identify environmental factors which were determining the distribution of the vegetation on a pitheap. Includes descriptions of vegetation, soil properties, and computer assisted analysis of results. (Author/CW)

Outlines an adaptive framework for the study of plants and their pollinators in which both partners in the ecological relationship are seen as maximizing fitness through efficient use of the other as a resource. Suggests experimental projects to examine the validity of these assumptions giving an evolutionary emphasis. (Author/CW)

Assessed the level of cognitive demand inherent in the manner in which students were held accountable for activities and tasks in seventh grade life science classes. Notes that most tasks placed minimal cognitive demand on students, as they involved copying or simple step-by-step procedures. (SKC)

Describes a lesson designed to help young students conceptualize cholesterol and its effects on the body. Provides young students with a concrete way to understand how cholesterol builds up in blood vessels and restricts blood flow. Includes a simple illustrative experiment for children to perform themselves. (CW)

Presents criteria for having students make their own games which are used by the class to review material covered in life science. Students are required to use recycled materials in producing the game and its accessories. Samples of some of the games produced are included. (TW)

Activities, experiments, computer programs, equipment, procedures, demonstrations, and teaching techniques are provided for a wide variety of topics in the biological and physical sciences. They include an improved apparatus for measuring rate of photosynthesis, procedures for making rainbows and measuring stomatal openings, and others. (JN)

A study of academic success among graduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign examines the use of different measures of success, which take into account differences in aspiration and include students currently enrolled, in assessing the performance differences of men and women. (MSE)