Sample records for science curriculum programs

  1. On track for success: an innovative behavioral science curriculum model.

    PubMed

    Freedy, John R; Carek, Peter J; Dickerson, Lori M; Mallin, Robert M

    2013-01-01

    This article describes the behavioral science curriculum currently in place at the Trident/MUSC Family Medicine Residency Program. The Trident/MUSC Program is a 10-10-10 community-based, university-affiliated program in Charleston, South Carolina. Over the years, the Trident/MUSC residency program has graduated over 400 Family Medicine physicians. The current behavioral science curriculum consists of both required core elements (didactic lectures, clinical observation, Balint groups, and Resident Grand Rounds) as well as optional elements (longitudinal patient care experiences, elective rotations, behavioral science editorial experience, and scholars project with a behavioral science focus). All Trident/MUSC residents complete core behavioral science curriculum elements and are free to participate in none, some, or all of the optional behavioral science curriculum elements. This flexibility allows resident physicians to tailor the educational program in a manner to meet individual educational needs. The behavioral science curriculum is based upon faculty interpretation of existing "best practice" guidelines (Residency Review Committee-Family Medicine and AAFP). This article provides sufficient curriculum detail to allow the interested reader the opportunity to adapt elements of the behavioral science curriculum to other residency training programs. While this behavioral science track system is currently in an early stage of implementation, the article discusses track advantages as well as future plans to evaluate various aspects of this innovative educational approach.

  2. The CHROME Honors Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, Eleanor

    2002-01-01

    The CHROME Honors Program was designed as a two-week residential program for 9th and 1Oth grade students participating in CHROME clubs. The curriculum focused on the health sciences with instruction from: (1) the science and health curriculum of the Dozoretz National Program for Minorities in Applied Sciences (DNIMAS) Program of Norfolk State University (NSU); (2) the humanities curriculum of the NSU Honors Program; (3) NASA-related curriculum in human physiology. An Advisory Committee was formed to work with the Project Coordinator in the design of the summer program.

  3. Curriculum Profiles: A Resource of the EDC K-12 Science Curriculum Dissemination Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Development Center, Inc, 2005

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to provide useful information for teachers and school systems engaged in the process of examining and choosing science curriculum materials appropriate for their settings. The curriculum profiles include summaries of selected programs available for K?12 science curriculum programs. Each profile describes a number of…

  4. Science CAP: Curriculum Assistance Program. [Multimedia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DEMCO, Inc., Madison, WI.

    Science Curriculum Assistance Program (Science CAP(TM)) is a multimedia package developed to create a model for preserving classroom science activities that can be shared and customized by teachers. This program is designed to assist teachers in preparing classroom science activities for grades five through eight, and to foster an environment of…

  5. Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Development Program and Calculus and the Bridge to Calculus Program: 1993 Awards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA. Div. of Undergraduate Education.

    The Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Development Program of the National Science Foundation supports the development of courses in all disciplines to improve the quality of undergraduate courses and curricula in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. The purpose of the program in Curriculum Development in Mathematics: Calculus and…

  6. Curriculum and Course Materials for a Forensic DNA Biology Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elkins, Kelly M.

    2014-01-01

    The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) requires accredited programs offer a "coherent curriculum" to ensure each student gains a "thorough grounding of the natural…sciences." Part of this curriculum includes completion of a minimum of 15 semester-hours forensic science coursework, nine of which…

  7. Life Science Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1614.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

    This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a life science course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…

  8. Carroll County hands-on elementary science

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Herlocker, H.G.; Dunkleberger, G.L.

    1994-12-31

    Carroll County Hands-on Elementary Science is a nationally recognized Elementary Science Curriculum which has been disseminated in forty states, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Saipan, and Samoa. The curriculum is a non-textbook, process-based, constructivist approach to teaching science. Unique features of this curriculum include its teacher-written daily lesson plan format, its complete kit of science supplies, and its complete set of Spanish materials. In order to be included by the National Diffusion Network, Hands-on Elementary Science collected data to support the following claims: the program enhances teacher and student attitudes toward science; the program changes both the amount and themore » type of science instruction; the program is adaptable and transportable; the teacher training component is effective. The poster display will feature sample activities, data which demonstrates the effectiveness of the staff development plan, and samples which show the degree to which the program supports selected state curriculum frameworks.« less

  9. The Growing Classroom: A Garden-Based Science and Nutrition Curriculum for 2nd through 6th Grades. Book 2: Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Appel, Gary; And Others

    This guide for teaching science is Book Two in Project Life Lab's (Santa Cruz, California) three-part curriculum for a garden-based science and nutrition program for grades 2-6. The curriculum is designed for use as an integrated program, but the books can be used independently. It is suggested that the use of student journals can greatly enhance…

  10. Guidelines for Science Curriculum in Washington Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duxbury, Alyn, Ed.

    This document contains guidelines for science curriculum in Washington State schools. Statements of philosophy and program goals are presented and explained. Four major program goals (which address societal demands) operationally describe science education toward the learning of: (1) factual and theoretical knowledge; (2) applied science skills;…

  11. The Maps in Medicine program: An evaluation of the development and implementation of life sciences curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Malley, Jennifer

    There has been a downward trend in both science proficiency and interest in science in the United States, especially among minority students and students of a disadvantaged background. This has led to a downturn in the number of individuals within these groups considering a career in the sciences or a related field. Studies have identified many potential causes for this problem including the current structure of science curriculum, lack of teacher preparedness, and the lack of quality education and support for those students currently underrepresented in the sciences. Among the solutions to this problem include redesigning the science curriculum, offering high-quality professional development opportunities to teachers, and creating programs to give support to individuals currently underrepresented in the sciences, so that they may have a better chance of pursuing and obtaining a science career. The Maps in Medicine program (MiM) has been designed to incorporate all of the aforementioned solutions and apply them to the current science education problem. The Maps in Medicine (MiM) program was established at the University of Missouri -- Columbia, and is funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Newly developed MiM curricula and student activities are intended to promote positive attitude changes in those students who are currently underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, with the program also providing professional development to high school science teachers. It was important to determine if the MiM program's solution to the science education problem has been successful, and so the program evaluation piece was integral. A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate the MiM program. Formative evaluation results indicated a positive response from teachers and students regarding curriculum and professional development, and student activities. These results have also lead to the identification of appropriate improvements for the program, and will assist with the program's overall goal of national dissemination of MiM curriculum.

  12. Teachers' sense-making of curriculum structures and its impact on the implementation of an innovative reform-based science curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beckford-Smart, Meredith

    This study discusses the social interactions involved in teachers' enactment and use of new science curricula. The teachers studied participated in the LiFE program, a university-school partnership, which is an inquiry based science and nutrition education program. In this program fifth and sixth grade students learned science through the study of food. The program used the study of food and food systems to teach life sciences and nutrition through inquiry based studies. Through the partnership teachers received professional development which aimed to deepen their conceptual understandings of life science and develop skills in implementing inquiry-base teaching. Using qualitative research methods of ethnography and narrative inquiry to study teachers' sense-making of messages from curriculum structures, the intention was to explore how teachers' sense-making of these structures guided their classroom practices. Two research questions were addressed: (a) How do teachers make sense of curriculum given their perceptions, their school context and their curricular context; (b) What influence do their identities as science teachers/learners have on their enactment of an innovative science curriculum. I used comparative analysis to examine teacher's beliefs and identities as teachers/learners. In the process of studying these teachers an understanding of how teachers' stories and identities shape their use and enactment of science curriculum came to light. The initial analysis revealed four distinct teacher identities: (a) social responsibility teacher/learner; (b) experiential teacher/learner; (c) supportive institution teacher/learner; and (d) turning point teacher. Besides these distinct teacher identities three cross cutting themes emerged: (a) creating environments conducive to their teaching visions; (b) empowering student through science teaching; and (c) dealing with the uncertainty of teaching. The information gathered from this study will illuminate how these different teacher stories shaped their teaching practices and enactment of science curriculum. Curriculum developers and policy makers struggle to understand how their messages can be communicated clearly to their readers and users. Many argue that curriculum materials are not used the way they are intended. Others argue the messages read from policy and curriculum materials and artifacts are ambiguous and unclear. This study did not argue that teachers do not use the curriculum materials correctly. This study focused on teachers' sense-making of curriculum materials so we can get a better understanding of the role curriculum resources can play in reform.

  13. Factors Impacting on Teachers' Job Satisfaction Related to Science Teaching: A Mixed Methods Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, S.; Mustafa, M.

    2015-01-01

    Science teachers' job satisfaction is identified as a major factor that affects the quality of a science program. This research investigated to what extent a science program supports science teachers in terms of curriculum materials or extracurricular activities. It also examined the relationships among schools' curriculum support, the number of…

  14. Career Orientation: Grade 7 and 8: A Unified Approach: Science Careers. Activity Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cincinnati Public Schools, OH.

    Career orientation in the science curriculum introduces students to science-related careers and opportunities and enables them to prepare an educational program if they choose a science career. The curriculum guide is designed to aid junior high school science teachers in relating the seventh and eighth grade science curriculum to careers in…

  15. Symposium: The Role of Biological Sciences in the Optometric Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    And Others; Rapp, Jerry

    1980-01-01

    Papers from a symposium probing some of the curricular elements of the program in biological sciences at a school or college of optometry are provided. The overall program sequence in the biological sciences, microbiology, pharmacology, and the curriculum in the biological sciences from a clinical perspective are discussed. (Author/MLW)

  16. Fort Benton Science Curriculum Outline.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fort Benton Public Schools, MT.

    The science curriculum for the Fort Benton school system was developed with funds under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to give students the background of a modern and forward-looking program in science taught in an imaginative, investigative, and inquiry-oriented fashion. The science curriculum guide outlines a planned…

  17. Curriculum Reviews.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Science and Children, 1981

    1981-01-01

    Reviews four science curriculum materials. "Human Issues in Science" presents social consequences of science and technological developments. "Experiences in Science" contains duplicating masters to supplement basic science programs. "Outdoor Areas as Learning Laboratories" includes activities for local environments. "The Science Cookbook" uses…

  18. Curriculum Framework (CF) Implementation Conference. Report of the Regional Educational Laboratory Network Program and the National Network of Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Regional Consortia (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, January 26-27, 1995).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palmer, Jackie; Powell, Mary Jo

    The Laboratory Network Program and the National Network of Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Regional Consortia, operating as the Curriculum Frameworks Task Force, jointly convened a group of educators involved in implementing state-level mathematics or science curriculum frameworks (CF). The Hilton Head (South Carolina) conference had a dual…

  19. Some Trends in the Evolution of Science Curriculum Centres in Asia. Occasional Papers No. 12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maddock, M. N.

    Recent trends in science education associated with the evolution of science curriculum development centers in the Asian region are reviewed. These trends, and factors influencing them, are discussed under the following headings: science education and curriculum development centers; adaptation phase; shifts toward indigenous programs; science…

  20. Science as the Center of a Coherent, Integrated Early Childhood Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    French, Lucia

    2004-01-01

    This article describes the ScienceStart! Curriculum, an early childhood curriculum that takes coherently organized science content as the hub of an integrated approach. ScienceStart! maps onto the typical preschool day and may be adapted for use in full-day or half-day preschool programs. It is designed to support the important developmental…

  1. A Learning Research Informed Design and Evaluation of a Web-Enhanced Object Oriented Programming Seminar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Georgantaki, Stavroula C.; Retalis, Symeon D.

    2007-01-01

    "Object-Oriented Programming" subject is included in the ACM Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs in Computer Science as well as in Curriculum for K-12 Computer Science. In a few research studies learning problems and difficulties have been recorded, and therefore, specific pedagogical guidelines and…

  2. Cybersecurity Curriculum Development: Introducing Specialties in a Graduate Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bicak, Ali; Liu, Michelle; Murphy, Diane

    2015-01-01

    The cybersecurity curriculum has grown dramatically over the past decade: once it was just a couple of courses in a computer science graduate program. Today cybersecurity is introduced at the high school level, incorporated into undergraduate computer science and information systems programs, and has resulted in a variety of cybersecurity-specific…

  3. Data Science Programs in U.S. Higher Education: An Exploratory Content Analysis of Program Description, Curriculum Structure, and Course Focus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Rong; Sae-Lim, Watinee

    2016-01-01

    In this study, an exploratory content analysis of 30 randomly selected Data Science (DS) programs from eight disciplines revealed significant gaps in current DS education in the United States. The analysis centers on linguistic patterns of program descriptions, curriculum requirements, and DS course focus as pertaining to key skills and domain…

  4. Chemical Science and Technology I. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ballinger, Jack T.; Wolf, Lawrence J.

    This study guide is part of an interdisciplinary program of studies entitled the Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum. This curriculum integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology, and electronic technology with the objective of training technicians in the use of electronic…

  5. Science 25. Curriculum Guide. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Northwest Territories Dept. of Education, Yellowknife.

    This science curriculum is an activity-oriented program in which an attempt has been made to provide sufficient information for non-science specialists to enable them to offer an effective course at the grades 10 and 11 levels. This curriculum offers a solution to the unique needs of life in the Canadian Northwest Territories. The role of…

  6. Materials and Fabrication Methods I. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindberg, Andrew; And Others

    This study guide is part of a curriculum entitled Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum, a program of studies which integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology, and electronic technology. The purpose of this national curriculum development project was to provide a framework for…

  7. Mi-STAR: Designing Integrated Science Curriculum to Address the Next Generation Science Standards and Their Foundations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gochis, E. E.; Huntoon, J. E.

    2015-12-01

    Mi-STAR (Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform, http://mi-star.mtu.edu/) was funded by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to reform K-12 science education to present science as an integrated body of knowledge that is applied to address societal issues. To achieve this goal, Mi-STAR is developing an integrated science curriculum for the middle grades that will be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Similar to the geosciences, the curriculum requires the integration of science, engineering and math content to explore 21st-century issues and demonstrates how these concepts can be used in service of society. The curriculum is based on the Mi-STAR Unit Specification Chart which pairs interdisciplinary themes with bundled NGSS Performance Expectations. Each unit is developed by a collaborative team of K-12 teachers, university STEM content experts and science education experts. Prior to developing a unit, each member on the team attends the on-line Mi-STAR Academy, completing 18+ hours of professional development (PD). This on-line PD program familiarizes teachers and experts with necessary pedagogical and content background knowledge, including NGSS and three-dimensional learning. With this background, teams use a staged, backwards design process to craft a multi-week unit based on a series of performance based tasks, or 'challenges' that engage students in actively doing science and engineering. Each unit includes Disciplinary Core Ideas from multiple disciplines, which focus on local and familiar examples that demonstrate the relevance of science in student's lives. Performance-based assessments are interwoven throughout the unit. Mi-STAR units will go through extensive pilot testing in several school districts across the state of Michigan. Additionally, the Mi-STAR program will develop teacher professional development programs to support implementation of the curriculum and design a pre-service teacher program in integrated science. We will share preliminary results on the collaborative Mi-STAR process of designing integrated science curriculum to address NGSS.

  8. Space Science Curricula

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    Johnson High School, Huntsville, Alabama started an international magnet program in 1987. One of the courses in the curriculum was in space science. They appealed to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) when they couldn't find a suitable textbook, nor locate other classes in space science to provide a guideline. MSFC agreed to help and placed the school under an official 'Adopt-A-School' program. MSFC's chief scientist and others at the space center helped prepare a very comprehensive space science program. Examples of the subjects covered include problems of space travel, materials processing in space, technology utilization, robotics, space colonization, etc. MSFC followed up by working with Johnson High to determine if the curriculum is generally usable and workable. If it is, MSFC may make it available to other schools. MSFC not only developed the space science curriculum; they continue to support the program by sponsoring hands- on activities and tours of space research facilities.

  9. Leading change: curriculum reform in graduate education in the biomedical sciences.

    PubMed

    Dasgupta, Shoumita; Symes, Karen; Hyman, Linda

    2015-01-01

    The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine houses numerous dynamic graduate programs. Doctoral students began their studies with laboratory rotations and classroom training in a variety of fundamental disciplines. Importantly, with 15 unique pathways of admission to these doctoral programs, there were also 15 unique curricula. Departments and programs offered courses independently, and students participated in curricula that were overlapping combinations of these courses. This system created curricula that were not coordinated and that had redundant course content as well as content gaps. A partnership of key stakeholders began a curriculum reform process to completely restructure doctoral education at the Boston University School of Medicine. The key pedagogical goals, objectives, and elements designed into the new curriculum through this reform process created a curriculum designed to foster the interdisciplinary thinking that students are ultimately asked to utilize in their research endeavors. We implemented comprehensive student and peer evaluation of the new Foundations in Biomedical Sciences integrated curriculum to assess the new curriculum. Furthermore, we detail how this process served as a gateway toward creating a more fully integrated graduate experience, under the umbrella of the Program in Biomedical Sciences. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  10. Light: Teacher's Curriculum Guide for the Thirteen-College Curriculum Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Aleyamma; Ragland, Leon

    This booklet is a teacher's manual in a series of booklets that make up the core of a Physical Science course designed for the freshman year of college and used by teachers in the 27 colleges participating in the Thirteen College Curriculum Program. This program is a curriculum revision project in support of 13 predominantly Negro colleges and…

  11. Science and Engineering Graphics I. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Craig, Jerry; Stapleton, Jerry

    This study guide is part of a program of studies entitled Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum. The SET Curriculum was developed for the purpose of training technicians in the use of electronic instruments and their applications. It integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology,…

  12. Science, Math, and Technology. K-6 Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, J. R.; And Others

    Science, Math and Technology is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) science (with activities on observation, comparisons, and the scientific method); (2) technology (examining simple machines, electricity, magnetism, waves and forces); (3) mathematics (addressing skill…

  13. Teacher change and professional development: A case study of teachers engaged in an innovative constructivist science curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akura, Okong'o. Gabriel

    This study examined both the changes that elementary school teachers experienced when they implemented a reform-based science curriculum and the impact of professional development on this transformation. The research involved a case study of three purposefully selected teachers implementing the Linking Food and the Environment (LIFE) program during the 2002--2003 school year. The LIFE program is a curriculum designed to enhance science literacy among learners from high poverty urban environments. While the study was grounded in the tradition of critical theory (Carspecken, 1996), the theoretical perspective of hermeneutic phenomenology (van Manen, 1990) guided data collection and analysis. Extensive observations of the teachers were made in order to capture and record the teacher change phenomenon. Data were recorded by means of field notes, audio and videotapes, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and video Stimulated Recall (SR) interviews. Emerging themes relating to teacher change, knowledge interests, constructivist pedagogy, and professional development illustrated how teachers grapple with various aspects of implementing a reform-based science curriculum. The teachers in this study were similar to those in earlier investigations, which found that sustained professional development programs involving mentoring and constant reflection enable elementary science teachers to change their instructional strategies from the technical-realist orientation towards the practical-hermeneutic and emancipatory-liberatory orientations. The study has implications for science curriculum developers and designers of professional development programs.

  14. Hydromania II: Journey of the Oncorhynchus. Summer Science Camp Curriculum 1994.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moura, Joan; Swerin, Rod

    The Hydromania II curriculum was written for the third in a series of summer science camp experiences targeting students in grades 4--6 who generally have difficulty accessing supplementary academic programs. The summer science camp in Portland is a collaborative effort between Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the US Department of Energy (DOE), and the Portland Parks and Recreation Community Schools Program along with various other cooperating businesses and organizations. The curriculum has also been incorporated into other summer programs and has been used by teachers to supplement classroom activities. Camps are designed to make available, affordable learning experiences that are funmore » and motivating to students for the study of science and math. Inner-city, under-represented minorities, rural, and low-income families are particularly encouraged to enroll their children in the program.« less

  15. Physics of Mechanical, Gaseous, and Fluid Systems. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dixon, Peggy; And Others

    This study guide is part of a program of studies entitled Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum. The SET Curriculum integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology, and electronic technology. The objective of this curriculum development project is to train technicians in the use of…

  16. Ethics Instruction in Library and Information Science: The Role of "Ethics across the Curriculum"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Bernie Todd

    2010-01-01

    Ethics is an important element of most graduate professional training programs. In the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) the inclusion of ethics in the curriculum is supported by a position paper by library educators and is monitored in the accreditation of graduate programs. Despite the many LIS programs which claim to integrate…

  17. Chemistry - Part III, An Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Teacher's Curriculum Guide for the Thirteen-College Curriculum Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Booker, Edward; And Others

    This booklet is a teacher's manual in a series of booklets that make up the core of a Physical Science course designed for the freshman year of college and used by teachers in the Thirteen College Curriculum Program. This program is a curriculum revision project in support of 13 predominantly Negro colleges and reflects educational research in the…

  18. The Gas Laws and the Kinetic Theory: Curriculum Guide for the Thirteen-College Curriculum Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Army; And Others

    This booklet is both a teacher's manual and a student's manual in a series of booklets that make up the core of a Physical Science course designed for the freshman year of college and used by teachers in the 27 colleges participating in the Thirteen College Curriculum Program. This program is a curriculum revision project in support of 13…

  19. Elementary School Teachers as "Targets and Agents of Change": Teachers' Learning in Interaction with Reform Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Metz, Kathleen E.

    2009-01-01

    This article examines teachers' perspectives on the challenges of using a science reform curriculum, as well as their learning in interaction with the curriculum and parallel professional development program. As case studies, I selected 4 veteran teachers of 2nd or 3rd grade, with varying science backgrounds (including 2 with essentially none).…

  20. NUCLEAR SCIENCE CURRICULUM PROJECT, PROJECT I, INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    CAMAREN, JAMES

    ON THE PREMISE THAT A KNOWLEDGE OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE IS ESSENTIAL FOR INTELLIGENT DECISION-MAKING REGARDING ITS USES, THE NUCLEAR SCIENCE CURRICULUM PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED. ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM THAT CAN BE EFFECTIVELY USED IN SCIENCE CLASSES TO PROVIDE AN UNDERSTANDING OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIETY. THOUGH TEACHER…

  1. Measuring Science Curriculum Improvement Study Teachers' Attitudinal Changes Toward Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hovey, Larry Michael

    Investigated were three questions related to the relationship between a science teacher's attitude regarding the use of a newer science program, in this instance the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS): (1) Could the Projective Tests of Attitudes, originally designed for fifth-grade students, be modified for use with adults? (2) Is there a…

  2. Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST)--A Structured "Inquiry" Oriented Junior Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dekkers, John; Rouse, Fae

    1977-01-01

    Provides a detailed description of the three-year Foundational Approaches in Science Education curriculum developed at the University of Hawaii. The program utilizes a spiral approach with topics in ecology, physical science and relational study. Sample units and implementation suggestions are provided. (CP)

  3. Children's Literature and the Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ediger, Marlow

    2010-01-01

    A quality children's literature program needs to be correlated with ongoing science lessons and units of study. It can enhance and enrich the science curriculum. Pupils tend to enjoy reading library books and the the literature may assist pupils to explore topics in greater depth. In addition to science experiments, demonstrations, and…

  4. Animal Science Basic Core Curriculum. Kansas Postsecondary Farm and Ranch Management Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albracht, James, Ed.

    Thirty-six units of instruction are included in this core curriculum in animal science for postsecondary farm and ranch management programs. Units of instruction are divided into seven instructional areas: (1) Livestock Types, (2) Livestock Programs, (3) Nutrition, (4) Animal Health, (5) Animal Breeding, (6) Animal Improvement, and (7) Livestock…

  5. Learning with Otis. A Conservation Education Activities Book, Grade 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haley-Oliphant, Ann; Behrens, Larry

    The Learning with Otis program is designed to provide elementary school teachers with practical conservation education activities which should be infused into the existing curriculum on a regular basis. Although many of these activities are science-oriented, the program is not, and should not be considered a science curriculum exclusively. This…

  6. Theme: The Role of Science in the Agricultural Education Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agricultural Education Magazine, 2002

    2002-01-01

    Thirteen theme articles discuss integration of science and agriculture, the role of science in agricultural education, biotechnology, agriscience in Tennessee and West Virginia, agriscience and program survival, modernization of agricultural education curriculum, agriscience and service learning, and biotechnology websites. (SK)

  7. Education for Survival; A Social Studies and Science Curriculum Guide for Grades 1, 2, 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grubman, Ruth W.; And Others

    This book is one of a series on Education For Survival and integrates a conservation curriculum into a social studies and science program for grades 1, 2, and 3. It was developed to help lead young people to an awareness of environmental problems which confront our society. The first chapter presents a resume of all social science curriculum units…

  8. Assessment of the Joint Food Science Curriculum of Washington State University and the University of Idaho by Graduates and Their Employers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Stephanie; McCurdy, Alan; Roy, Sharon; Smith, Denise

    2006-01-01

    Thirty-two recent graduates from the joint food science program of Washington State Univ. (WSU) and The Univ. of Idaho (UI) and 12 of their employers participated in a survey study to assess food science program outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the joint curriculum in its ability to prepare undergraduate students for critical…

  9. Into the Curriculum. Interdisciplinary: Celebrating Our Animal Friends: An Across-the-Curriculum Unit for Middle Level Students [and] Music: Program Notes [and] Reading-Language Arts: Letters: Written, Licked, and Stamped [and] Science: Plants in Families [and] Science: Physics and Holiday Toys (Gravity) [and] Social Studies: Learning about Geography through Children's Literature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillen, Rose; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Presents six curriculum guides for elementary and secondary education. Subjects include interdisciplinary instruction, music, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. Each guide provides library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, a…

  10. Materials and Fabrication Methods II. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindberg, Andrew; Bay, Robert

    This study guide is part of a program of studies entitled Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum. The SET Curriculum integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology, and electronic technology with the objective of training technicians in the use of electronic instruments and their…

  11. Secretarial Science. Curriculum Guides for Two-Year Postsecondary Programs. Volume II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges, Raleigh.

    The second of three volumes in a postsecondary secretarial science curriculum, this manual contains course syllabi and abstracts of twenty-three courses included in the curriculum. Business and related courses abstracted include Introduction to Business, Business Mathematics, Business Law 1, Economics 1, and Survey of Data Processing Systems.…

  12. Analog and Digital Electronics. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavanaugh, Vince; Greer, Marlin

    This study guide is part of an interdisciplinary curriculum entitled the Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum devised to provide basic information to train technicians in the use of electronic instruments and their application. The program of study integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics,…

  13. Mentoring BUGS: An Integrated Science and Technology Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrell, Pamela Esprivalo; Walker, Michelle; Hildreth, Bertina; Tyler-Wood, Tandra

    2004-01-01

    The current study describes an authentic learning experience designed to develop technology and science process skills through a carefully scaffolded curriculum using mealworms as a content focus. An individual mentor assigned to each 4th and 5th grade girl participating in the program delivered the curriculum. Results indicate mastery of science…

  14. Core II Materials for Rural Agriculture Programs. Units E-H.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biondo, Ron; And Others

    This curriculum guide includes teaching packets for 21 problem areas to be included in a core curriculum for 10th grade students enrolled in a rural agricultural program. Covered in the four units included in this volume are crop science (harvesting farm crops and growing small grains); soil science and conservation of natural resources…

  15. Food Science 7075. Curriculum Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education Services.

    This curriculum guide was developed as a resource for teachers to use in planning and implementing a competency-based instructional program on food science in the 11th and 12th grades. It contains materials for a 2-semester course, based on the North Carolina Program of Studies (revised 1992); it is designed to help students learn about the…

  16. Electronic Components, Transducers, and Basic Circuits. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mowery, Donald R.

    This study guide is part of a program of studies entitled the Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum developed for the purpose of training technicians in the use of electronic instruments and their applications. The program integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical technology, and…

  17. Biology Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1646.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

    This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a biology course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…

  18. Physics Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1661.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

    This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a physics course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…

  19. Chemistry Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1660.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Louisiana State Dept. of Education, Baton Rouge. Div. of Academic Programs.

    This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a chemistry course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…

  20. Pre-College Science Curriculum Activities of the National Science Foundation. Report of Science Curriculum Review Team, Volume II-Appendix.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.

    Presented is a detailed study of National Science Foundation (NSF) programs in pre-college science education. The development of policies and operational procedures are traced over the past quarter century and their impact on management practice analyzed. The report is presented in two parts: Volume 1, the findings and recommendations, and Volume…

  1. Family and Consumer Sciences Technology-Life-Careers Core Curriculum. A Curriculum Guide. A Family and Consumer Sciences Education Course of Study for Grades 6-7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City.

    This curriculum, part of a coordinated exploratory vocational core program, is an activity-oriented instructional course that enables students in grades 6-7 to explore careers and skills related to consumer and occupational roles. The curriculum consists of five units: (1) independent living skills; (2) families; (3) child care; (4) textiles…

  2. A case study of systemic curricular reform: A forty-year history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laubach, Timothy Alan

    What follows is a description of the development of a particular inquiry-based elementary school science curriculum program and how its theoretical underpinnings positively influenced a school district's (K-12) science program and also impacted district- and state-wide curriculum reform initiatives. The district's science program has evolved since the inception of the inquiry-based elementary school science curriculum reform forty years ago. Therefore, a historical case study, which incorporated grounded theory methodology, was used to convey the forty-year development of a science curriculum reform effort and its systemic influences. Data for this study were collected primarily through artifacts, such as technical and non-technical documents, and supported and augmented with interviews. Fifteen people comprised the interview consortium with professional responsibilities including (a) administrative roles, such as superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, and curriculum consultants/coordinators; (b) classroom roles, such as elementary and secondary school teachers who taught science; (c) partnership roles, such as university faculty who collaborated with those in administrative and classroom positions within the district; and (d) the co-director of SCIS who worked with the SCIS trial center director. Data were analyzed and coded using the constant comparative method. The analysis of data uncovered five categories or levels in which the curriculum reform evolved throughout its duration. These themes are Initiation, Education, Implementation, Confirmation, and Continuation. These five categories lead to several working hypotheses that supported the sustaining and continuing of a K-12 science curriculum reform effort. These components are a committed visionary; a theory base of education; forums promoting the education of the theory base components; shared-decision making; a university-school partnership; a core group of committed educators and teachers; evidences of success; national and state reform initiatives; a core group of administrators; longevity of the science program; district support (philosophical, financial, and emotional); and community support all contributed to the initiation, education, implementation, confirmation, and the continuation of the systemic curricular reform. The underlying component, or grounded theory generated by the study, that ties these experiences together is the "theory base" that concurrently evolved in the local school district and in a nearby university.

  3. A Global Approach to STEM Education: ASTA Science Teachers Exchange--Japan 2015

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teaching Science, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The new Australian Curriculum includes among its three cross-curriculum priorities a focus on Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia. The Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA)'s Science Teachers Exchange--JAPAN program provides teachers with direct, personal insight into one of Australia's key Asian neighbours.

  4. Innovations in science education: infusing social emotional principles into early STEM learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garner, Pamela W.; Gabitova, Nuria; Gupta, Anuradha; Wood, Thomas

    2017-10-01

    We report on the development of an after-school and summer-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum infused with the arts and social emotional learning content (STEAM SEL). Its design was motivated by theory and research that suggest that STEM education is well-suited for teaching empathy and other emotion-related skills. In this paper, we describe the activities associated with the development and design of the program and the curriculum. We provide expert-ratings of the STEAM and social emotional elements of the program and present instructor and participant feedback about the program's content and its delivery. Our results revealed that infusing the arts and social emotional learning content into science education created a holistic STEM-related curriculum that holds potential for enhancing young children's interest in and appreciation for science and its applications. The data also suggested that the program was well-developed and, generally well-executed. However, experts rated the STEAM elements of the program more positively than the SEL elements, especially with regard to sequencing of lessons and integration among the lessons and hands-on activities, indicating that program revisions are warranted.

  5. A Curriculum for a Master of Science in Information Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Yang W.; Pierce, Elizabeth; Talburt, John; Wang, Richard Y.; Zhu, Hongwei

    2007-01-01

    The first Master of Science in Information Quality (IQ) degree is designed and being offered to prepare students for careers in industry and government as well as advanced graduate studies. The curriculum is guided by the Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Graduate Degree Programs in Information Systems, which are endorsed by the Association for…

  6. Nevada Underserved Science Education Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nicole Rourke; Jason Marcks

    2004-07-06

    Nevada Underserved Science Education Program (NUSEP) is a project to examine the effect of implementing new and innovative Earth and space science education curriculum in Nevada schools. The project provided professional development opportunities and educational materials for teachers participating in the program.

  7. Solar cell and photonics outreach for middle school students and teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilchrist, Pamela O.; Alexander, Alonzo B.

    2017-08-01

    This paper will describe the curriculum development process employed to develop a solar cell and photonics curriculum unit for students underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Information will explain how the curriculum unit was piloted with middle and high school teachers from public schools in North Carolina, high school students from underrepresented groups in an informal science program, and workshop settings. Measures used to develop the curriculum materials for middle school students will be presented along with program findings documenting students' urban versus rural interest in STEM, career aspirations, and 21st century learning skills in informal learning settings.

  8. A Combined Research/Educational Curriculum in Smart Sensors and Integrated Devices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Auner, G. W.; Siy, P.; Naik, R.; Wenger, L.; Liu, G-Y.; Schwiebert, L. J.

    The researchers are developing a new curriculum which integrates ongoing research efforts in the Center for Smart Sensors and Integrated Devices into a cooperative educational and traineeship program. A forerunner to this program was initiated with funding by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Combined Research and Curriculum Development (CRCD)…

  9. Chemistry - Part III, An Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Student Workbook for the Thirteen-College Curriculum Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Booker, Edward; And Others

    This booklet is a student manual in a series of booklets that make up the core of a Physical Science course designed for the freshman year of college and used by teachers in the 27 colleges participating in the Thirteen College curriculum Program. This program is a curriculum revision project in support of 13 predominantly Negro colleges and…

  10. A Field-Based Curriculum Model for Earth Science Teacher-Preparation Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dubois, David D.

    1979-01-01

    This study proposed a model set of cognitive-behavioral objectives for field-based teacher education programs for earth science teachers. It describes field experience integration into teacher education programs. The model is also applicable for evaluation of earth science teacher education programs. (RE)

  11. A Structured Educational Curriculum Including Online Training Positively Impacts American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination Scores.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Dympna M; London, Daniel A; Siperstein, Allan; Fung, John J; Walsh, Matthew R

    2015-01-01

    To assess the effect of a structured postgraduate year 1 educational curriculum, including online surgical training, on American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores. This was a retrospective cohort study. The study was performed in an academic surgical residency program in a tertiary care hospital, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. The participants were 140 surgical postgraduate year 1 residents from 2000 to 2009. Interns from 2000 to 2004 were grouped together and completed a self-directed learning curriculum. Interns from 2005 to 2009 participated in a structured educational curriculum that included lectures and the use of an online program. Lectures were based on the American College of Surgeons curriculum. The online program consisted of 8 to 12 hours of assigned tutorials and quizzes that corresponded to the lectures and 3 multiple-choice (MC) examinations. Use of a structured educational curriculum led to improved ABSITE scores (66 ± 9%) compared with that of those who had no curriculum (55 ± 10%, p < 0.001). Several variables positively correlated with the ABSITE score: United States Medical Licensing Examination step 1 score (p < 0.001), monthly quiz scores (p = 0.003), average MC examination scores (p = 0.005), lecture attendance (p = 0.02), and time spent online (p = 0.04). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the step 1 United States Medical Licensing Examination score, time spent online, and MC examination score are predictive of total the ABSITE score. When ABSITE subscores (basic science and clinical science) were compared, the online curriculum had a greater effect on basic science subscores, whereas lectures had a greater effect on clinical science subscores. Providing surgery residents a structured curriculum with lectures and an online component positively impacts ABSITE scores. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Special Project Examination in Integrated Science - Ordinary Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wimpenny, David

    A science achievement test for the General Certificate of Education (GCE, England) was developed for students enrolled in the curriculum of the Schools Council Integrated Science Project. This document contains discussions of the testing program and a copy of the 1973 test. After an overview of the curriculum project and issues related to…

  13. Implementing an Affordable High-Performance Computing for Teaching-Oriented Computer Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abuzaghleh, Omar; Goldschmidt, Kathleen; Elleithy, Yasser; Lee, Jeongkyu

    2013-01-01

    With the advances in computing power, high-performance computing (HPC) platforms have had an impact on not only scientific research in advanced organizations but also computer science curriculum in the educational community. For example, multicore programming and parallel systems are highly desired courses in the computer science major. However,…

  14. K-6 Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, J. R.; And Others

    A unified science approach is incorporated in this K-6 curriculum mode. The program is organized into six major cycles. These include: (1) science, math, and technology cycle; (2) universe cycle; (3) life cycle; (4) water cycle; (5) plate tectonics cycle; and (6) rock cycle. An overview is provided of each cycle's major concepts. The topic…

  15. Nuclear Science in the Undergraduate Curriculum: The New Nuclear Science Facility at San Jose State University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ling, A. Campbell

    1979-01-01

    The following aspects of the radiochemistry program at San Jose State University in California are described: the undergraduate program in radiation chemistry, the new nuclear science facility, and academic programs in nuclear science for students not attending San Jose State University. (BT)

  16. Linking the Components of a University Program to the Qualification Profile of Graduates: The Case of a Sustainability-Oriented Environmental Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansmann, Ralf

    2009-01-01

    A university Environmental Sciences curriculum is described against the background of requirements for environmental problem solving for sustainability and then analyzed using data from regular surveys of graduates (N = 373). Three types of multiple regression models examine links between qualifications and curriculum components in order to derive…

  17. A Phenomenological Examination of Perceived Skills and Concepts Necessary for Teaching Scientific Thinking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kapetanis, Ana Cristina

    The use of high stakes testing to improve educational outcomes falls short in many settings. Proposals for improvement include providing more opportunities for students to extend their thinking, gaining experience in the social nature of science, and learning how to interpret, explain, and justify results. This phenomenological qualitative project study took place in a small independent school in the southeastern United States that lacked a cohesive elementary science program and was looking to create a vertically aligned science curriculum based on constructivism. The research question asked what skills and concepts teachers believed should be included in an elementary science program in order for students to learn scientific inquiry to be better prepared for middle and upper school science subjects. Using focus groups, observations, and interviews of a small sample of 4 teachers, data were collected, transcribed, and categorized through open coding. Inductive analysis was employed to look for patterns and emerging themes that painted a picture of how teachers viewed the current science program and what attributes they felt were important in the creation of a new curriculum. The findings revealed that teachers felt there was lack of a vertically aligned science curriculum, availability of resources throughout the school, and consistent support to provide an effective science program. The recommendations called for developing an elementary science program that includes all strands proposed by the National Science Education Standards and would provide students with opportunities to engage in scientific inquiry, conduct detailed observations, and learn to support conclusions using data. The implications for positive social change include development of programs that result in integrated science learning.

  18. Teacher Professional Development through a Collaborative Curriculum Project--An Example of TPACK in Maine

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allan, Walter C.; Erickson, Jeryl L.; Brookhouse, Phil; Johnson, Judith L.

    2010-01-01

    Maine's one-to-one laptop program provides an ideal opportunity to explore conditions that optimize teacher integration of technology-focused curriculum into the classroom. EcoScienceWorks (ESW) is an ecology curriculum that includes targeted simulations and a code block programming challenge developed through an NSF-ITEST grant. The project was…

  19. Increasing Participation in the Earth Sciences A 35 year Journey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blueford, J. R.

    2006-12-01

    In the 1970's the fact that woman and ethnic minorities men made up approximately10% of the workforce in the geosciences created concern. Determining ways to increase the participation became a topic of discussion amongst many of the geosciences agencies in the United States. Many created scholarships and work opportunities for students. One of the most successful projects was the MPES (Minority Participation in the Earth Science) Program implemented by the U.S. Geological Survey. A key factor in its success was its outreach programs which used employees to work in elementary schools to get children excited about earth sciences. Successive years added teacher workshops and developing career day presentations to help school districts increase the awareness of the earth sciences. However, cutbacks prevented the continuation of these programs, but from the ashes a new non-profit organization of scientists, the Math Science Nucleus, developed curriculum and implementation strategies that used Earth Sciences as a core content area. Using the power of the internet, it provided teachers and parents around the world content driven curriculum. The Integrating Science, Math, and Technology Reference Curriculum is used around the world to help teachers understand how children learn science content.

  20. A Leadership Model for University Geology Department Teacher Inservice Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheldon, Daniel S.; And Others

    1983-01-01

    Provides geology departments and science educators with a leadership model for developing earth science inservice programs. Model emphasizes cooperation/coordination among departments, science educators, and curriculum specialists at local/intermediate/state levels. Includes rationale for inservice programs and geology department involvement in…

  1. Perceptions of Critical Thinking, Task Value, Autonomy and Science Lab Self-Efficacy: A Longitudinal Examination of Students' CASE Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Velez, Jonathan J.; Lambert, Misty D.; Elliott, Kristopher M.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to begin examining the impact of the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE). Under development since 2008, the curriculum is intended to integrate core academics and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) into agricultural education programs. This longitudinal descriptive correlational study…

  2. Enhancing Middle School Science Lessons with Playground Activities: A Study of the Impact of Playground Physics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedman, Lawrence B.; Margolin, Jonathan; Swanlund, Andrew; Dhillon, Sonica; Liu, Feng

    2017-01-01

    Playground Physics is a technology-based application and accompanying curriculum designed by New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) to support middle school students' science engagement and learning of force, energy, and motion. The program includes professional development, the Playground Physics app, and a curriculum aligned with New York State…

  3. When Are Students Ready for Research Methods? A Curriculum Mapping Argument for the Political Science Major

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergbower, Matthew L.

    2017-01-01

    For many political science programs, research methods courses are a fundamental component of the recommended undergraduate curriculum. However, instructors and students often see these courses as the most challenging. This study explores when it is most appropriate for political science majors to enroll and pass a research methods course. The…

  4. Chemical Science and Technology II. A Study Guide of the Science and Engineering Technician Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ballinger, Jack T.; Wolf, Lawrence J.

    This study guide is part of a program of studies entitled the Science and Engineering Technician (SET) Curriculum developed to provide a framework for training technicians in the use of electronic instruments and their applications. This interdisciplinary course of study integrates elements from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, mathematics,…

  5. Elementary Science Curriculum, Grade 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stoneham Public Schools, MA.

    This is one of a set of curriculum guides for the Stoneham Elementary School Science Program (see SE 012 153 - SE 012 158). Each guide contains a chart illustrating the scope and sequence of the physical, life, and earth sciences introduced at each grade level. For each of the topics introduced at this grade level an overview of the topic, a list…

  6. Innovations: The Social Consequences of Science and Technology. Final Evaluation Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tolman, Richard R.

    The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study designed, developed, and field-tested a series of nine curriculum resource units for a semester program called "Innovations: The Social Consequences of Science and Technology (IST)." The units were designed for use by students and teachers in the 11th and 12th grades and at the junior college…

  7. Animal Science Technology. An Experimental Developmental Program. Volume II, Curriculum Course Outlines.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brant, Herman G.

    This volume, the second of a two part evaluation report, is devoted exclusively to the presentation of detailed course outlines representing an Animal Science Technology curriculum. Arranged in 6 terms of study (2 academic years), outlines are included on such topics as: (1) Introductory Animal Science, (2) General Microbiology, (3) Zoonoses, (4)…

  8. Elementary Science Curriculum, Grade 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stoneham Public Schools, MA.

    This is one of a set of curriculum guides for the Stoneham Elementary School Science Program (see SE 012 153 - SE 012 158). Each guide contains a chart illustrating the scope and sequence of the physical, life, and earth sciences introduced at each grade level. For each of the topics introduced at this grade level an overview of the topic, a list…

  9. Learning Medical School Biochemistry Through Self-Directed Case-Oriented Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morley, Colin G. D.; Blumberg, Phyllis

    1987-01-01

    Describes an alternative medical school curriculum for the first two years of preclinical basic science studies. Discusses student and faculty selection for the program. Details the format for teaching biochemistry in the Alternative Curriculum, including program structure, content organization and exams. Evaluates the success of the program. (CW)

  10. TTIP: Texas Teacher Internship Program 1994 Curriculum Implementation Plans.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walenta, Brian T., Ed.

    The Texas Teacher Internship Program (TTIP) is a competitive program for science, technology and mathematics teachers who serve as summer interns at industry and university sites in order to experience real world applications of the subjects they teach. This document contains curriculum implementation plans developed by the teachers to illustrate…

  11. Yes! The Business Department Teaches Data Processing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nord, Daryl; Seymour, Tom

    1978-01-01

    After a brief discussion of the history and current status of business data processing versus computer science, this article focuses on the characteristics of a business data processing curriculum as compared to a computer science curriculum, including distinctions between the FORTRAN and COBOL programming languages. (SH)

  12. DESCRIPTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL PROGRAM FOR MORE ABLE LEARNERS AS PRESCRIBED IN THE CALIFORNIA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, ARTICLE 23, SPECIALLY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR MENTALLY GIFTED MINORS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    SHORE, ROBERT E.

    THE SAN RAFAEL MORE ABLE LEARNER CURRICULUM WAS GEARED TO A SELECT GROUP OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT ATTEMPTED "TO DEEPEN APPRECIATIONS, ATTITUDES, AND UNDERSTANDINGS THROUGH INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND TO DEVELOP PROFICIENCIES AND SKILLS IN SELECTED AREAS IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES." THE CURRICULUM OFFERED A…

  13. The Pennsylvania Academy for the Profession of Teaching; Rural Fellowship Program: A Science Curriculum Development Partnership. Project "Prepare Them for the Future."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beisel, Raymond W.

    This report describes development of the "Prepare Them for the Future" project, a K-3 activity-oriented science curriculum. The program, funded through two grants, was driven by the need to boost the distressed labor-based economy in rural western Pennsylvania. Data showed a drop of 1,100 coal-mining jobs between 1980 and 1986 in Indiana…

  14. Examining occupational therapy education through faculty engagement in curriculum mapping and pedagogical reflection.

    PubMed

    MacNeil, Cheryl; Hand, Theresa

    2014-01-01

    This article discusses a 1-yr evaluation study of a master of science in occupational therapy program to examine curriculum content and pedagogical practices as a way to gauge program preparedness to move to a clinical doctorate. Faculty members participated in a multitiered qualitative study that included curriculum mapping, semistructured individual interviewing, and iterative group analysis. Findings indicate that curriculum mapping and authentic dialogue helped the program formulate a more streamlined and integrated curriculum with increased faculty collaboration. Curriculum mapping and collaborative pedagogical reflection are valuable evaluation strategies for examining preparedness to offer a clinical doctorate, enhancing a self-study process, and providing information for ongoing formative curriculum review. Copyright © 2014 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

  15. Mississippi Curriculum Framework for Postsecondary Funeral Services Technology Programs (Program CIP: 12.0301--Funeral Service and Mortuary Science). Postsecondary Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mississippi Research and Curriculum Unit for Vocational and Technical Education, State College.

    This document, which is intended for use by community and junior colleges throughout Mississippi, contains curriculum frameworks for the course sequences in the state's funeral services technology program. Presented in the introduction are a program description and suggested course sequence. Section I lists baseline competencies for the funeral…

  16. The effects of integrated mathematics/science curriculum and instruction on mathematics achievement and student attitudes in grade six

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, Mary Denise

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether integrating mathematics and science curriculum and teaching practices significantly improves achievement in mathematics and attitudes towards mathematics among sixth grade students in South Texas. The study was conducted during the 2001--2002 school year. A causal-comparative ex post facto research design was used to explore the effects of integrated mathematics and science classrooms compared to classrooms of traditional, isolated mathematics and science teaching practices on student achievement and student attitudes. Achievement was based on the Spring 2002 Mathematics portion of the standardized Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) Texas Learning Index (TLI) scores and individual student's mathematics Grade Point Average (GPA). Measurement of student attitudes was based on the results of the Integrated Mathematics Attitudinal Survey (IMAS), created by the researcher for this study. The sample population included 349 Grade 6 mathematics students attending one middle school involved in a pilot program utilizing integrated mathematics/science curriculum and teaching practices in a South Texas urban school district. The research involved 337 of the 349 sixth grade students to study the effects of mathematics/science curriculum and teaching practices on achievement and 207 of the 349 sixth grade students to study the effects of mathematics/science curriculum on attitudes concerning mathematics. The data were analyzed using chi square analyses, independent samples t-tests, and the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical significance was determined at the .05 level of significance. Significant relationships were found when analyzing the proficiency of mathematics skills and individual growth of mathematics achievement. Chi square analyses indicated that the students in the integrated mathematics/science classrooms were more likely to exhibit individual growth and proficiency of mathematics skills based on the results of TAAS. Independent samples t-tests indicated that students in the integrated mathematics/science program scored significantly higher than the students in the traditional program in mean achievement scores and in mean growth of scores based on the results of TAAS. No significant differences were found when comparing mathematics anxiety scores between students in the integrated mathematics/science program and the traditional program. However, additional significant differences were identified when students in the integrated mathematics/science program scored higher than the students in the traditional program when analyzing the overall mean student attitude scores concerning mathematics and the mean scores of attitudinal values of mathematics in society.

  17. Integrated Technical Curriculum. Curriculum Developed for Project Second Chance II: Tech Reading, Tech Science, Tech Math, Automotive.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sorensen, Mary K.; And Others

    This integrated technical curriculum is designed to enroll and retain adult high school noncompleters in occupational programs by providing them with the remedial and content-area reading instruction needed for success in an automotive program. The following topics are covered in the four units: (1) skills for reading technical materials (basics…

  18. Curriculum Design Issues in Developing a Doctor of Philosophy Program in Aeronology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Jeffrey A.

    1997-01-01

    Aviation education institutions (75 of 105 surveyed) expressed their preferences for the elements of a Ph.D. program in aeronology (nonengineering aerospace/aeronautical sciences). A research/practitioner model, core curriculum, and second area of specialization were supported. (SK)

  19. Marginalized Student Access to Technology Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurtcu, Wanda M.

    The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a teacher can disrupt an established curriculum that continues the cycle of inequity of access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum by students in alternative education. For this paper, I will focus on the technology components of the STEM curriculum. Technology in the United States, if not the world economy, is developing at a rapid pace. Many areas of day to day living, from applying for a job to checking one's bank account online, involve a component of science and technology. The 'gap' in technology education is emphasized between the 'haves and have-nots', which is delineated along socio-economic lines. Marginalized students in alternative education programs use this equipment for little else than remedial programs and credit recovery. This level of inequity further widens in alternative education programs and affects the achievement of marginalized students in credit recovery or alternative education classes instead of participation technology classes. For the purposes of this paper I focus on how can I decrease the inequity of student access to 21st century technology education in an alternative education program by addressing the established curriculum of the program and modifying structural barriers of marginalized student access to a technology focused curriculum.

  20. Water Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, J. R.; And Others

    Water Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) atmosphere (highlighting the processes of evaporation, condensation, convection, wind movement and air pollution); (2) water (examining the properties of liquids, water distribution, use, and quality, and the water…

  1. Biological Sciences Curriculum Study Newsletter Number 39, BSCS Biology: A World View.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, George M.

    Included are progress reports from forty-two countries, ranging from accounts of complete adaptation and implementation of Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) materials to notes of preliminary contact with BSCS programs. Countries represented are: Afganistan, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Central America, Ceylon, Chile,…

  2. Life Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, J. R.; And Others

    Life Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) past life (focusing on dinosaurs and fossil formation, types, and importance); (2) animal life (examining groups of invertebrates and vertebrates, cells, reproduction, and classification systems); (3) plant life…

  3. BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES CURRICULUM STUDY NEWSLETTER.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MAYER, WILLIAM V.; AND OTHERS

    RESEARCH STUDIES CONCERNED WITH THE APPROPRIATENESS AND EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM STUDY (BSCS) MATERIALS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS NEWSLETTER. BSCS TESTS WERE ANALYZED AND RELATED TO OTHER TESTING INSTRUMENTS USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE BSCS PROGRAMS. DATA COLLECTED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TEST NORMS WERE ALSO USED IN A…

  4. Plate Tectonic Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, J. R.; And Others

    Plate Tectonics Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) volcanoes (covering formation, distribution, and major volcanic groups); (2) earthquakes (with investigations on wave movements, seismograms and sub-suface earth currents); (3) plate tectonics (providing maps…

  5. A Mohawk Vision of Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Mary

    1996-01-01

    Discusses the Ahkwesahsne Science and Math Project, a holistic bioregional curriculum designed to help students of the Mohawk culture in Canada. The program aimed to stress the local ecosystem and develop a curriculum based in Mohawk culture while encouraging the students to also pursue the advanced levels of math and science. (AIM)

  6. Rock Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, J. R.; And Others

    Rock Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) chemistry (introducing the topics of matter, elements, compounds, and chemical bonding); (2) characteristics (presenting hands-on activities with rocks and minerals); (3) minerals (emphasizing the aesthetic and economic…

  7. The Empire Strikes Back--Putting the "E" into STEM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loughran, Melissa

    2017-01-01

    The challenge schools face when creating a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program is how to incorporate the "E" into the curriculum. The author's school was meeting the National (U. K.) Curriculum Science, Technology and Maths learning objectives, so how could they justify adding another subject into the mix…

  8. "Comets, Origins, and Life:” Promoting Interdisciplinary Science in Secondary and Middle Schools in the Washington, DC and Saint Louis, MO Metro Areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonev, Boncho; Gibb, E. L.; Brewer, G.; Novak, R.; Mandell, A. M.; Seaton, P.; Price, J.; Long, T.; Bahar, S.; Edwards, S. S.

    2010-10-01

    Developing a full-year program to support secondary and middle school science education is a key part of the "broader impact” component of NSF Grant AST- 0807939 (PI/Co-PI Bonev/Gibb). This program is realized at two stages: (1) a professional development course for teachers is offered during the summer; (2) during the subsequent academic year we collaborate with educators in lessons planning or curriculum development as demanded in their particular schools. We successfully offered the course “ Comets, Origins, and Life: Interdisciplinary Science in the Secondary Classroom ” (45 contact hours; 3 credits) in the summers of 2009 and 2010 at the Catholic University of America. This class demonstrates how a complex hypothesis - for the delivery of water and prebiotic organic matter to early Earth - is being tested by integrating astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, and Earth and planetary science. Collaborations with participants from the 2009 class include curriculum development within the Earth Science program in Prince Georges county, MD and strengthening science in Washington DC public schools. Our next step is to offer our class in the Saint Louis, MO area. The main challenge in our work with educators is not to present them with "interesting information", but to fit what we offer within the very particular curriculum expectations of their school districts. These curriculum expectations often vary from district to district and sometimes from year to year. We gratefully acknowledge the support by the NSF, allowing to fully integrate our research area into education. We also gratefully acknowledge our collaborations with the Goddard Center for Astrobiology and the Howard B. Owens Science Center (both in MD) in developing our class curriculum. Educators interested in this program can contact Boncho Bonev (bonev@cua.edu; for the Washington DC and Baltimore, MD areas) and Erika Gibb (gibbe@umsl.edu; for the Saint Louis, MO area).

  9. Ocean Sciences as a Foundation for Curriculum Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rakhmenkulova, I.; Gorshkalev, S.; Odriozola, A.; Dominguez, A.; Greely, T.; Pyrtle, A.; Keiper, T.; Watkins, J.

    2005-05-01

    The GK-12 OCEANS program is an initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF). This program provides marine science graduate students within the College of Marine Science, USF, weekly interactions with K-12 teachers and students in Pinellas County schools with the overall purpose of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of science teaching. The GK-12 OCEANS program provides hands-on and minds-on ocean science learning inquiries. Campbell Park Elementary is a Marine Science attractor school designed to provide a child-centered approach to learning that integrates marine science activities into the daily curriculum while meeting the required state education standards. In 2003-04 a GK-12 Fellow helped third and fourth grade teachers design new teaching curricula that integrated ocean sciences. The current 2004-04 Fellow and teachers are implementing the new curriculum, assessing feasibility and impact on students' learning. One characteristic of the new curriculum includes several field trips to local natural settings during which students have the opportunity to collect data the way scientists do, and use real scientific instruments and approaches. The information collected is then used in different activities within the classroom. These activities encourage the students to use inquiry as the basis of their learning experience, in which the application of scientific thinking and methods are keys. This process also requires the students to apply skills from other disciplines such as writing, reading, and math. Towards the end of the school year the students have the opportunity to highlight their accomplishments through two projects, 1) a hall display of different ocean zones, which includes habitat characteristics and species adaptations, and 2) a marine science experiment presented at the school science fair. The results and accomplishments from the implementation of these new curricula will be presented at the conference.

  10. Integration and Experience in the Secondary Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horwood, Bert

    This report describes and evaluates the TAMARACK integrated curriculum package implemented in a high school classroom in Ontario (Canada). The program integrates environmental science, physical education, and English through experiential instruction. The highlights of the program were producing a magazine of oral history, wilderness trips in…

  11. The Innovative Immersion of Mobile Learning into a Science Curriculum in Singapore: an Exploratory Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Daner; Looi, Chee-Kit; Wu, Longkai; Xie, Wenting

    2016-08-01

    With advancements made in mobile technology, increasing emphasis has been paid to how to leverage the affordances of mobile technology to improve science learning and instruction. This paper reports on a science curriculum supported by an inquiry-based framework and mobile technologies. It was developed by teachers and researchers in a multiyear program of school-based research. The foci of this paper is on the design principles of the curriculum and its enactment, and the establishment of a teacher learning community. Through elucidating the design features of the innovative curriculum and evaluating teacher and student involvement in science instruction and learning, we introduce the science curriculum, called Mobilized 5E Science Curriculum (M5ESC), and present a representative case study of how one experienced teacher and her class adopted the curriculum. The findings indicate the intervention promoted this teacher's questioning competency, enabled her to interact with students frequently and flexibly in class, and supported her technology use for promoting different levels of cognition. Student learning was also improved in terms of test achievement and activity performance in and out of the classroom. We propose that the study can be used to guide the learning design of mobile technology-supported curricula, as well as teacher professional development for curriculum enactment.

  12. Integrating writing into an introductory environmental science curriculum: Perspectives from biology and physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selkin, P. A.; Cline, E. T.; Beaufort, A.

    2008-12-01

    In the University of Washington, Tacoma's Environmental Science program, we are implementing a curriculum-wide, scaffolded strategy to teach scientific writing. Writing in an introductory science course is a powerful means to make students feel part of the scientific community, an important goal in our environmental science curriculum. Writing is already an important component of the UW Tacoma environmental science program at the upper levels: our approach is designed to prepare students for the writing-intensive junior- and senior-level seminars. The approach is currently being tested in introductory biology and physics before it is incorporated in the rest of the introductory environmental science curriculum. The centerpiece of our approach is a set of research and writing assignments woven throughout the biology and physics course sequences. The assignments progress in their degree of complexity and freedom through the sequence of introductory science courses. Each assignment is supported by a number of worksheets and short written exercises designed to teach writing and critical thought skills. The worksheets are focused on skills identified both by research in science writing and the instructors' experience with student writing. Students see the assignments as a way to personalize their understanding of basic science concepts, and to think critically about ideas that interest them. We find that these assignments provide a good way to assess student comprehension of some of the more difficult ideas in the basic sciences, as well as a means to engage students with the challenging concepts of introductory science courses. Our experience designing these courses can inform efforts to integrate writing throughout a geoscience or environmental science curriculum, as opposed to on a course-by-course basis.

  13. Student Science Training Program in Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science. Final Report to the National Science Foundation. Artificial Intelligence Memo No. 393.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abelson, Harold; diSessa, Andy

    During the summer of 1976, the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory sponsored a Student Science Training Program in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science for high ability secondary school students. This report describes, in some detail, the style of the program, the curriculum and the projects the students under-took. It is hoped that this…

  14. Molecular pathology curriculum for medical laboratory scientists: A report of the association for molecular pathology training and education committee.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Sara; Bennett, Katie M; Deignan, Joshua L; Hendrix, Ericka C; Orton, Susan M; Verma, Shalini; Schutzbank, Ted E

    2014-05-01

    Molecular diagnostics is a rapidly growing specialty in the clinical laboratory assessment of pathology. Educational programs in medical laboratory science and specialized programs in molecular diagnostics must address the training of clinical scientists in molecular diagnostics, but the educational curriculum for this field is not well defined. Moreover, our understanding of underlying genetic contributions to specific diseases and the technologies used in molecular diagnostics laboratories change rapidly, challenging providers of training programs in molecular diagnostics to keep their curriculum current and relevant. In this article, we provide curriculum recommendations to molecular diagnostics training providers at both the baccalaureate and master's level of education. We base our recommendations on several factors. First, we considered National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences guidelines for accreditation of molecular diagnostics programs, because educational programs in clinical laboratory science should obtain its accreditation. Second, the guidelines of several of the best known certifying agencies for clinical laboratory scientists were incorporated into our recommendations. Finally, we relied on feedback from current employers of molecular diagnostics scientists, regarding the skills and knowledge that they believe are essential for clinical scientists who will be performing molecular testing in their laboratories. We have compiled these data into recommendations for a molecular diagnostics curriculum at both the baccalaureate and master's level of education. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Moral Education: The Missing Link to Science, Technology and Society Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeidler, Dana Lewis

    Progressive approaches to science education incorporate a social dimension based on an interdisciplinary curriculum. The importance of such an approach has been recognized by educators and many science-techonology-society (STS) programs have been developed as a response to this social need. However, such programs may fall short of their mark…

  16. Biologie 200. French Immersion Program and Franco-Manitoban Schools. Manitoba Science Assessment 1992. Final Report = Biologie 200. Programme d'immersion francaise et ecoles franco-manitobaines. Evaluation en sciences Manitoba 1992. Rapport final.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manitoba Dept. of Education and Training, Winnipeg. Curriculum Services Branch.

    This report describes the June 1992 assessment of the Biologie 200 curriculum in schools in Manitoba, Canada. It contains a description and analysis of the test results and the teacher survey. The report also includes recommendations on ways to improve the Biologie 200 curriculum and how it is taught in the French Immersion program and…

  17. Educators' Curriculum Guide. Quality Assurance and Animal Care: Youth Education Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Busboom, Jan R.; Newman, Jerry A.; Shulaw, William P.; Jeffreys, J. Bradford

    This curriculum guide contains a six-unit, two-level program combining animal science and veterinary care for youth club leaders and members in grades three through twelve. The Facilitator and Educator/Leader Introductions describe the program, the goals, and the students who will participate. The six lesson plans contain what the lesson is about,…

  18. Students as Mentors and Owners of Geoscience and Environmental Education: Advancing the Science of Climate Change in the Public Schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuster, D. A.; Thomas, C. W.; Smith, J. S.; Wood, E. J.; Filippelli, G. M.

    2007-12-01

    The importance of K-12 educational programs and resources that seek to share the science of climate change has recently come into focus. During the fall 2006 AGU meeting, we presented the conceptual framework used to guide both the curriculum and year-one programs of Students as Mentors and Owners of Geoscience and Environmental Education: The Global Warming Road Show. Currently this dynamic, three-phase, tiered mentoring program selects and empowers a diverse population of 11th and 12th grade students from a large urban high school in the Midwest to teach a curriculum on climate change to 7th graders from a local feeder school. In December 2007 we will complete year-one of the program and will present an overview of 1) students' conceptual representations of climate change, 2) the most recent curriculum and programs, and 3) the ongoing program evaluation. We will synthesize these three areas and reflect on how to improve upon year-two of both the curriculum and the program. During various stages of the program, students have constructed concept maps, written in journals, created lesson plans, and participated in focus group interviews. These materials are being analyzed to provide a brief overview of high school students' initial conceptualizations of climate change. During the intensive 2007 summer workshop, these 11th and 12th grade students were supported by university scientists and science educators, secondary science teachers, and museum educators as they attempted to better understand climate change and as they reflected on how to effectively teach this topic to 7th graders. During the fall semester of 2007, the workshop graduates are scheduled to teach 25 to 30 7th graders a five week climate unit. The program will culminate with the 11th and 12th grade student-mentors working with the 7th graders to create a "Road Show," which will be presented to other 7th and 8th graders within the same school district. To ensure that this program is current, a team of scientists and science educators supplemented and further developed a well known and tested 15-year-old curriculum (Great Explorations in Math and Science, 1990) with recent data and analysis focusing on key concepts of climate change. The updated curriculum was structured using two driving questions: - How do we know the earth has experienced climate change in the past, including the ice ages and the age of the dinosaurs? - How do we know that humans have an impact on climate? Science educators and scientists also worked together to create templates that prompted the 11th and 12th grade students to first reflect on their understandings of climate change and then on how they would teach their younger peers. As students work with experiments, data sets, and news-media articles, they are also prompted to reflect on discrepancies between primary science sources and secondary media sources (Drake and Nelson, 2005). An evaluation team observed the summer workshops, administered surveys, reviewed the adapted curriculum, and participated in planning sessions. The evaluators are in the process of analyzing these multiple indicators to examine the extent to which the program aligns with its stated goals. The initial formative evaluation findings suggest that students were active participants in the workshop and that they enjoyed their experience. Areas of year-two development include improved communication and collaboration between university and secondary school units.

  19. Marine Activity Dynamics (M.A.D.). Unit S.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhode Island State Dept. of Education, Providence. Education Information Center.

    This curriculum guide describes an activity-oriented marine study program, designed for use with middle school children (grade 5). The content focuses primarily upon the life sciences, with some emphasis on chemistry and geology. Following the development of a rationale for the inclusion of marine sciences in the school curriculum, a middle…

  20. Universe Cycle. K-6 Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, J. R.; And Others

    Universe Cycle is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) earth (providing activities on the physical shape of the earth and landform formations; (2) geography (emphasizing map reading skills); (3) universe (exploring the components, processes and future projects for the…

  1. Science. A Guide to Curriculum Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connecticut State Dept. of Education, Hartford.

    The purpose of this guide is to aid K-12 curriculum planners in the development and implementation of well-defined programs of study in science suitable for their local school districts. Among the national trends reflected in this guide are the interdisciplinary approach; the use of performance-based student assessments; the utilization of diverse…

  2. Science, Levels 7-12. Secondary Core Curriculum Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Utah State Board of Education, Salt Lake City. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

    This document presents the core science curriculum standards which must be completed by all students as a requisite for graduation from Utah's secondary schools. Contained within are the elementary and secondary school program of studies and high school graduation requirements. Each course entry for grades 7-12 contains: course title, unit of…

  3. Catalyzing curriculum evolution in graduate science education.

    PubMed

    Gutlerner, Johanna L; Van Vactor, David

    2013-05-09

    Strategies in life science graduate education must evolve in order to train a modern workforce capable of integrative solutions to challenging problems. Our institution has catalyzed such evolution through building a postdoctoral Curriculum Fellows Program that provides a collaborative and scholarly education laboratory for innovation in graduate training. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Health in the Family and Consumer Sciences Curriculum: Full Circle?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richards, Virginia; Kettler, Mary C.; Brown, Elfrieda F.

    1999-01-01

    Analysis of documents from 19 college home economics/family and consumer sciences programs demonstrated the evolution of health core curriculum from emphasis on sanitation, nutrition, and food preparation to hospital-related health care. Today's emphasis on health care costs and wellness has shifted emphasis to home health care and prevention. (SK)

  5. TechXcite: Discover Engineering--A New STEM Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sallee, Jeff; Schmitt-McQuitty, Lynn; Swint, Sherry; Meek, Amanda; Ybarra, Gary; Dalton, Rodger

    2015-01-01

    TechXcite is an engineering-focused, discovery-based after-school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program. The free curriculum is downloadable from http://techxcite.pratt.duke.edu/ and is comprised of eight Modules, each with four to five 45-minute activities that exercise the science and math learned in school by using…

  6. Health Science Education. Vocational Education Program Courses Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Applied Tech., Adult, and Community Education.

    This document contains vocational education program course standards (curriculum frameworks and student performance standards) for exploratory courses, practical arts courses, and job preparatory programs offered at the secondary and postsecondary level as part of the health science education component of Florida's comprehensive vocational…

  7. Changes in Elementary Student Perceptions of Science, Scientists and Science Careers after Participating in a Curricular Module on Health and Veterinary Science

    PubMed Central

    Shin, Soo Yeon; Parker, Loran Carleton; Adedokun, Omolola; Mennonno, Ann; Wackerly, Amy; SanMiguel, Sandra

    2015-01-01

    This study examined to what extent a curriculum module that uses animal and human health scientists and science concepts to portray science and scientists in a relevant and authentic manner could enhance elementary students’ aspiration for science careers, attitudes to science, positive perceptions of scientists, and perceived relevance of science. The curriculum was developed by a research-based university program and has been put into practice in two early elementary classrooms in an urban school in the Midwest. An attitudinal rating survey and the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) were used to assess pre to post changes in student attitudes toward science, perceptions of scientists, perceived relevance of science, and aspiration for science careers. Findings indicated that the implementation of this curriculum contributed positively to student attitudes toward science, decreased students’ stereotypical images of scientists, and increased student aspirations to become a scientist. PMID:26726271

  8. Art, Chaos, Ethics, and Science (ACES): a doctoring curriculum for emergency medicine.

    PubMed

    Van Groenou, Aneema A; Bakes, Katherine Mary

    2006-11-01

    ACES (Art, Chaos, Ethics, and Science) is a curriculum developed by 2 residents and a faculty mentor at the Denver Health Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program. The goal of the ACES curriculum is 2-fold: (1) to discuss areas of clinical consequence typically outside the scope of the regular academic curriculum, such as ethical dilemmas and the challenges of professionalism; and (2) to encourage reflection on our roles as caregivers on a personal, public health, and political level. Each bimonthly "doctoring roundtable" session focuses on one of these goals, bringing local and national leaders in the field to the forum to enrich discussion. Attending physicians from academic and private settings within the residency, residents at all levels, rotating medical students, and, for the past year, emergency department nurses participate in the meetings. Thus far, regular voluntary participation has been the only measure of the ongoing program's success. In this descriptive article, we discuss the aim of the program, the curriculum, and how the ACES program enriches the residency's educational goals. Recent accreditation requirements for residency training programs mandate educational experiences that allow residents to demonstrate competency in professionalism and ethical principles. The ACES curriculum developed a unique niche in our residency, creating an open forum for passionate discussion of challenging clinical encounters, unpressured reflection on ethics and decisionmaking, and constructive personal and professional development.

  9. The Effects of Activity-Based Elementary Science Programs on Student Outcomes and Classroom Practices: A Meta Analysis of Controlled Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bredderman, Ted

    A quantitative synthesis of research findings on the effects of three major activity-based elementary science programs developed with National Science Foundation support was conducted. Controlled evaluation studies of the Elementary Science Study (ESS), Science-A Process Approach (SAPA), or The Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) were used…

  10. Living in Space. A Preschool Aerospace Curriculum Module.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young Astronaut Council, Washington, DC.

    This program is designed to be an extension of the regular curriculum providing preschool children with a firm foundation and life-long appreciation for space and space-related topics. The program delivers both classroom and at-home family activities which emphasize age-appropriate language, math, art, science, nutrition, and health concepts…

  11. Seeking Teachers for Underwater Robotics PD Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGrath, Beth; Sayres, Jason

    2012-01-01

    With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), ITEEA members will contribute to the development of a hybrid professional development program designed to facilitate the scale-up of an innovative underwater robotics curriculum. WaterBotics[TM] is an underwater robotics curriculum that targets students in middle and high school classrooms…

  12. Curriculum Designs for Tech Prep Clusters. PACE '94.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoon, Kenneth J., Ed.; Wiles, Clyde A., Ed.

    This booklet contains descriptions of various Tech Prep programs developed by PACE (Promoting Academic Excellence In Mathematics, Science & Technology for Workers of the 21st Century). Each entry includes general program descriptions, curriculum outlines, and course descriptions. The clusters and their specialty areas described in the booklet are:…

  13. The George Engelmann Mathematics & Science Institute. 1993 Annual Report Science Scholar Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Missouri Univ., St. Louis. George Englemann Mathematics & Science Inst.

    This publication is a comprehensive report on the George Engelmann Mathematics and Science Institute's Science Scholar program (SSP) and its activities in 1993. The SSP provides high achieving high school students an introductory, 4-week summer curriculum designed to demonstrate the connecting thread running through all scientific thought. The 52…

  14. A Proposed Concentration Curriculum Design for Big Data Analytics for Information Systems Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molluzzo, John C.; Lawler, James P.

    2015-01-01

    Big Data is becoming a critical component of the Information Systems curriculum. Educators are enhancing gradually the concentration curriculum for Big Data in schools of computer science and information systems. This paper proposes a creative curriculum design for Big Data Analytics for a program at a major metropolitan university. The design…

  15. BioMaPS: A Roadmap for Success

    PubMed Central

    Fister, K. Renee

    2010-01-01

    The manuscript outlines the impact that our National Science Foundation Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences program, BioMaPS, has had on the students and faculty at Murray State University. This interdisciplinary program teams mathematics and biology undergraduate students with mathematics and biology faculty and has produced research insights and curriculum developments at the intersection of these two disciplines. The goals, structure, achievements, and curriculum initiatives are described in relation to the effects they have had to enhance the study of biomathematics. PMID:20810948

  16. Development of a flexible higher education curriculum framework for geographic information science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veenendaal, B.

    2014-04-01

    A wide range of geographic information science (GIScience) educational programs currently exist, the oldest now over 25 years. Offerings vary from those specifically focussed on geographic information science, to those that utilise geographic information systems in various applications and disciplines. Over the past two decades, there have been a number of initiatives to design curricula for GIScience, including the NCGIA Core Curriculum, GIS&T Body of Knowledge and the Geospatial Technology Competency Model developments. The rapid developments in geospatial technology, applications and organisations means that curricula need to constantly be updated and developed to maintain currency and relevance. This paper reviews the curriculum initiatives and outlines a new and flexible GIScience higher education curriculum framework which complements and utilises existing curricula. This new framework was applied to the GIScience programs at Curtin University in Perth, Australia which has surpassed 25 years of GIScience education. Some of the results of applying this framework are outlined and discussed.

  17. Curriculum and course materials for a forensic DNA biology course.

    PubMed

    Elkins, Kelly M

    2014-01-01

    The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) requires accredited programs offer a "coherent curriculum" to ensure each student gains a "thorough grounding of the natural…sciences." Part of this curriculum includes completion of a minimum of 15 semester-hours forensic science coursework, nine of which can involve a class in forensic DNA biology. Departments that have obtained or are pursuing FEPAC accreditation can meet this requirement by offering a stand-alone forensic DNA biology course; however, materials necessary to instruct students are often homegrown and not standardized; in addition, until recently, the community lacked commercially available books, lab manuals, and teaching materials, and many of the best pedagogical resources were scattered across various peer-reviewed journals. The curriculum discussed below is an attempt to synthesize this disparate information, and although certainly not the only acceptable methodology, the below discussion represents "a way" for synthesizing and aggregating this information into a cohesive, comprehensive whole. Copyright © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  18. Primary Students' Attitudes Towards Science. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Science Teachers Association (Cincinnati, Ohio, March 27, 1977).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hofman, Helenmarie Herbert

    Comparison of the attitudinal responses of eight-year-old children who studied science in a National Science Foundation sponsored program, "Science Curriculum Improvement Study," with responses of eight-year-old children who studied science using a textbook series, "Concepts in Science," showed no differences. However, both programs did appear to…

  19. Biomedical Science, Unit III: The Circulatory System in Health and Science. The Heart and Blood Vessels; Blood and Its Properties; The Urinary Tract. Student Text. Revised Version, 1976.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project, Berkeley, CA.

    This student text presents instructional materials for a unit of science within the Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project (BICP), a two-year interdisciplinary precollege curriculum aimed at preparing high school students for entry into college and vocational programs leading to a career in the health field. Lessons concentrate on the…

  20. Biomedical Science, Unit III: The Circulatory System in Health and Science. The Heart and Blood Vessels; Blood and Its Properties; The Urinary Tract. Instructor's Manual. Revised Version, 1976.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project, Berkeley, CA.

    This instructor's manual presents lesson plans for a unit of science within the Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project (BICP), a two-year interdisciplinary precollege curriculum aimed at preparing high school students for entry into college and vocational programs leading to a career in the health field. Lessons concentrate on the…

  1. Biomedical Science, Unit III: The Circulatory System in Health and Science. The Heart and Blood Vessels; Blood and Its Properties; The Urinary Tract. Laboratory Manual. Revised Version, 1976.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project, Berkeley, CA.

    This laboratory manual presents activities for a unit of science within the Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project (BICP), a two-year interdisciplinary precollege curriculum aimed at preparing high school students for entry into college and vocational programs leading to a career in the health field. These twenty-five laboratory…

  2. Montgomery Blair Science, Mathematics and Computer Science Magnet Program: A Successful Model for Meeting the Needs of Highly Able STEM Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stein, David; Ostrander, Peter; Lee, G. Maie

    2016-01-01

    The Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School is an application-based magnet program utilizing a curriculum focused on science, mathematics, and computer science catering to interested, talented, and eager to learn students in Montgomery County, Maryland. This article identifies and discusses some of the unique aspects of the Magnet Program…

  3. National and Legislative News. The National Science Foundation Program for 1973

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strassenburg, A. A., Ed.

    1973-01-01

    Presents an outline of the 1973 program and a summary of science education issues including curriculum developments at the graduate level. Discusses the controversy existing during hearings between the Foundation and the Committee on Science and Astronautics and between Congress and the Administration. (CC)

  4. Connecting to the Standards through Marine Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, Fort Hancock. New Jersey Sea Grant Coll. Program.

    Marine and related environmental science topics represent a rich resource of meaningful material for New Jersey's educators as they seek to develop standards-based instructional strategies. By adopting and integrating the marine environment science programs and curriculum materials developed by the Education Program at the New Jersey Marine…

  5. Contextualized science? An Indian experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koul, Ravinder

    1997-11-01

    This study asserts that science is contextualized and should therefore be taught as contextualized. Works of major philosophers in 20th century history, philosophy and sociology of science and recent developments in cognition are discussed in developing a foundation and outlining three themes for contextualized science: (a) science curriculum should emphasize scientific methodology through the generation and testing of knowledge in a specific context, (b) it should validate and evaluate everyday contextual experiences, and (c) develop a context for action by engaging in science, technology and society issues. School science is a major instrument for diffusion and utilization of scientific knowledge. In India, textbooks are often the only classroom source of information for students other than the teacher. The most widely used standard curriculum materials in Indian schools are the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks. For schools in the Hoshingabad district of Madhya Pradesh, the state prescribes NCERT materials and materials developed for the Hoshingabad Science Teaching Program (HSTP), a grassroots science education initiative. In this study, the investigation of these curriculum materials and interviews with educators (curriculum developers/textbook authors/teachers at New Delhi and Hoshingabad) are used to establish criteria for both the need and the feasibility of contextualized science. Results of the investigation indicate that the centralized NCERT system of curriculum development has undermined context specific treatment of subject matter in their textbooks. While HSTP attempted to contextualize science in rural schools, the present status of the program may be interpreted as either development and legitimization of another standardized curriculum, or, as the culmination of a gradual erosion and dissipation of conceptually valid and concrete educational practices. There are major situational and institutional constraints that impede the use of contextualized instructional materials. Furthermore, teachers' reflections on science in two curricula reveal limited conceptions on the nature of science and a preference for the abstract science of NCERT. The findings indicate that teacher understanding of methodological and epistemological point of view is essential but insufficient to provide a context for action. Teacher training must also incorporate ontological considerations in reform efforts to contextualize school science.

  6. Communication and Research Skills in the Information Systems Curriculum: A Method of Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lazarony, Paul J.; Driscoll, Donna A.

    2010-01-01

    Assessment of learning goals has become the norm in business programs in higher education across the country. This paper offers a methodology for the assessment of both communication skills and research skills within a curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Program. Program level learning goals assessed in this paper are: (1)…

  7. Restoration Science in New York Harbor: It takes a (large, diverse and engaged) village

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newton, R.; Birney, L.; Janis, S.; Groome, M.; Palmer, M.; Bone, E.; O'Neil, J. M.; Hill, J.; Dennison, W.; Malinowski, P.; Kohne, L.; Molina, M.; Moore, G.; Woods, N.

    2015-12-01

    The Curriculum + Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCE-RS) facilitates partnerships between scientists and middle school educators on ecological restoration and environmental monitoring projects. The educational model is designed to wrap around the student, including classroom instruction, field science, after-school programs and engagement with the student's community. Its pillars include: a teacher training fellowship at Pace University, student curriculum, a digital platform, afterschool and summer mentoring, and community exhibits. The digital platform includes a tablet app tailored to the project's field protocols and linked to a database shared across schools and partnering institutions. Through the digital platform, data is integrated into a single citizen-science monitoring project, teachers share curriculum and best practices, and students link directly to their peers at other schools. Curriculum development has been collaborative between scientists, science education specialists, and secondary school teachers. The CCE-RS is rooted in project-based learning: the New York Harbor School has engaged high school students in environmental monitoring and oyster restoration in the Harbor for about the last decade. The science partners (U. of Maryland and Columbia) have been working with students and other citizen scientists in outdoor science over about the last decade. Local partners in outside-the-classroom education include the New York Academy of Sciences, The River Project, which will provide field education services, and Good Shepherd Services, which provides after-school programming in schools serving primarily poor families. Scientists on the project engage directly with teachers and informal educators in curriculum development and citizen-science outreach. We present the lessons learned from our first cohort of Fellows, the pedagogical model, and the digital platform, which is extensible to other ecological restoration settings.

  8. Marine Science Technician Second Class, 15-2. Military Curriculum Materials for Vocational and Technical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

    This course, adapted from military curriculum materials for use in vocational and technical education, was designed to provide the theory portion of the Marine Science Technician Program. It includes a review of basic subjects, marine biology, oceanography, as well as meteorologic observations and recording. The course consists of a lesson book…

  9. THE HIGHER HORIZONS PROGRAM.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    OTHS, FLORENCE V.; STRUMPF, BENJAMIN E.

    SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR THIRD-, FOURTH-, AND FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN THE BRONX SCHOOLS WERE PREPARED. CURRICULUM AREAS FOR GRADES 3 AND 4 WERE--HEALTH, LANGUAGE ARTS, MUSIC, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE. IN SCIENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND SCIENCE IN EVERYDAY LIVING WERE EXPLORED. NEW TEACHERS WERE ORIENTED TO THE PROGRAM…

  10. Sparkling Science Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Denise

    1995-01-01

    Reviews five compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM) products and one video series that focus on science projects: (1) "Body Park" (Virtual Entertainment); (2) "The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System" (Microsoft); (3) "The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body" (Microsoft); (4) "Science Curriculum Assistance Program" (Demco); and (5)…

  11. Marine Science Exploration. Practical Arts. Instructor's Manual. Competency-Based Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keeton, Martha; McKinley, Douglas

    This manual provides curriculum materials for implementing a career exploration class in marine science occupations within a Practical Arts Education program for middle/junior high school students. Introductory materials include the program master sequence, a list of marine science occupations, and an overview of the competency-based instructional…

  12. Family and Consumer Sciences Education. Vocational Education Program Courses Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Applied Tech., Adult, and Community Education.

    This document contains vocational education program course standards (curriculum frameworks and student performance standards) for exploratory courses, practical arts courses, and job preparatory programs offered at the secondary and postsecondary level as part of the family and consumer sciences component of Florida's comprehensive vocational…

  13. The Humanities Approach to the Modern Secondary School Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Bernard S.

    The humanities curriculum described in this book is designed as a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to learning. Chapter 1 discusses a definition of the humanities; the segmented curriculum; student expectations; teacher training and the importance of the faculty; the humanities and the sciences; organizing a humanities program; advantages of…

  14. A Rationale for Building a Comprehensive Science Program for Inner-City Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Charles Arthur

    The intent of this dissertation was to develop a science curriculum from an inner-city perspective. Five units and a rationale for inner-city education are included. The units include both physical and biological science topics. The units are as follows: (1) Rationale for Building a Comprehensive Science Program for Inner-City Education; (2) With…

  15. [Bilingual Bicultural Curriculum for Grade Three.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Sung-Wen; Quinones, Juanita

    Designed to assist bilingual teachers in providing a coordinated program of studies for students in the Connecticut Migratory Children's Program and for other students whose native language is Spanish, this science curriculum for third grade is one of a series for pre-school through fifth grade. The overall focus of the guides is on Puerto Rican…

  16. Build IT: Scaling and Sustaining an Afterschool Computer Science Program for Girls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koch, Melissa; Gorges, Torie; Penuel, William R.

    2012-01-01

    "Co-design"--including youth development staff along with curriculum designers--is the key to developing an effective program that is both scalable and sustainable. This article describes Build IT, a two-year afterschool and summer curriculum designed to help middle school girls develop fluency in information technology (IT), interest in…

  17. A Pre-Engineering Program Using Robots to Attract Underrepresented High School and Community College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mosley, Pauline Helen; Liu, Yun; Hargrove, S. Keith; Doswell, Jayfus T.

    2010-01-01

    This paper gives an overview of a new pre-engineering program--Robotics Technician Curriculum--that uses robots to solicit underrepresented students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The curriculum uses a project-based learning environment, which consists of part lecture and part laboratory. This program…

  18. Water Quality-8th Grade Earth Science, or "Lets Get Relevant."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rezabek, Edward

    This document describes some experiences in a science/technology/society (STS) program for an eighth grade science course at a small rural school in Iowa. The background information about the school and the general goal of the STS program are outlined. The curriculum structure of the program related to water as a reusable resource is presented.…

  19. Curriculum Trends: Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Edwin P.; Teumac, Karen

    1984-01-01

    Brief descriptions and addresses are provided for the following: four handbooks for elementary principals on science programs, a study on women in science, a renewal of National Science Foundation funding for precollege-level science teaching projects, and a report outlining proposals for educational improvement in science. (TE)

  20. A Guide to Hands-on Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blueford, Joyce R.

    1989-01-01

    Provides guidelines for a custom-made science program that integrates science, math, and technology. Describes the curriculum which is divided into themes including the applied sciences, cycles of the universe, plate tectonics, rock, water, and life. (Author/RT)

  1. SCIENCE AT NOVA.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broward County Schools, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

    THE SCIENCE PROGRAM AT NOVA HIGH SCHOOL IS STRUCTURED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. THE JUNIOR HIGH PROGRAM EMPHASIZES THE ACCUMLATION, TABULATION, AND ANALYSIS OF DATA. THE SENIOR HIGH PROGRAM MAKES USE OF THESE PROCESSES IN THE INVESTIGATION OF VARIOUS SUBJECT AREAS. THE UNITS COMPOSING THE HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM ARE DESCRIBED. UNIT…

  2. Geoscience Education Programs in the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education: Different Acronyms with Similar Intent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singer, J.; Ryan, J. G.

    2014-12-01

    For the past three decades, the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) has administered a succession of programs intended to improve undergraduate STEM education for all students. The IUSE (Improving Undergraduate STEM Education) program is the latest program in this succession, and reflects an expanded, NSF-wide effort to make sustainable improvements in STEM education on a national scale. The origins and thinking behind IUSE can be in part traced back to precursor programs including: ILI (Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement), CCD (Course and Curriculum Development), UFE (Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement), CCLI (Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement), and TUES (Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM), all of which sought to support faculty efforts to investigate and improve curriculum and instructional practice in undergraduate STEM education, and to disseminate effective STEM educational practices for broad adoption. IUSE, like its predecessor programs, is open to all STEM fields, and as such is intended to support improvements in geoscience education, spanning the atmospheric, ocean, and Earth sciences, as well as in environmental science, GIS science, climate change and sustainability/resilience. An emphasis on discipline-based research on learning that had origins in the CCLI and TUES programs is a new priority area in IUSE, with the ambition that projects will take advantage of the integrated expertise of domain scientists, educational practioners, and experts in learning science. We trace and describe the history of undergraduate education efforts with an emphasis placed on the recently introduced IUSE program. Understanding the origin of DUE's IUSE program can provide insights for faculty interested in developing proposals for submission and gain a greater appreciation of trends and priorities within the division.

  3. Translating Current Science into Materials for High School via a Scientist-Teacher Partnership

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Julie C.; Bokor, Julie R.; Crippen, Kent J.; Koroly, Mary Jo

    2014-04-01

    Scientist-teacher partnerships are a unique form of professional development that can assist teachers in translating current science into classroom instruction by involving them in meaningful collaborations with university researchers. However, few reported models aim to directly alter science teachers' practices by supporting them in the development of curriculum materials. This article reports on a multiple case study of seven high school science teachers who attended an ongoing scientist-teacher partnership professional development program at a major Southeastern research university. Our interest was to understand the capacity of this professional development program for supporting teachers in the transfer of personal learning experiences with advanced science content and skills into curriculum materials for high school students. Findings indicate that, regardless of their ultimate success constructing curriculum materials, all cases considered the research grounded professional development supports beneficial to their professional growth with the exception of collective participation. Additionally, the cases also described how supports such as professional recognition and transferability served as affordances to the process of constructing these materials. However, teachers identified multiple constraints, including personal learning barriers, their classroom context, and the cost associated with implementing some of their curriculum ideas. Results have direct implications for future research and the purposeful design of professional development experiences through scientist-teacher partnerships.

  4. Developing a Culturally Sensitive Curriculum: Teaching Native American Children about Psychological and Behavioral Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warzak, William J.; Dogan, Rebecca K.; Godfrey, Maurice

    2011-01-01

    The SEPA (Science Education Partnership Award) is a NIH (National Institutes of Health) program to provide science education to children K-12. In 2009, the NIH provided a supplement to develop a curriculum to inform students about factors that affect the mental health of native Americans. The goal of the current project was to develop a behavioral…

  5. The University of Alabama's Integrated Science Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rainey, Larry; Mitrook, Kim

    This program, supported by the Center for Communication and Educational Technology at the University of Alabama, incorporates the perspectives of biology, earth/space science, chemistry, and physics into an innovative science curriculum for the middle grades. Students are engaged for 20 minutes 3 times a week by an on-air instructor who is doing…

  6. Promoting children's agency and communication skills in an informal science program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wulf, Rosemary; Hinko, Kathleen; Finkelstein, Noah

    2013-01-01

    The Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) program at the University of Colorado Boulder brings together university and community institutions to create an environment where K-12 students join with university educators to engage in inquiry-based scientific practices after school. In our original framing, these afterschool activities were developed to reinforce the traditional learning goals of the classroom, including mastering scientific content, skills and processes. Recently, the primary focus of the PISEC curriculum has been shifted towards the development of students' scientific identity, an explicit objective of informal learning environments. The new curriculum offers students more activity choices, affords opportunities for scientific drawings and descriptions, and provides incentive for students to design their own experiments. We have analyzed student science notebooks from both old and new curricula and find that with the redesigned curriculum, students exhibit increased agency and more instances of scientific communication while still demonstrating substantial content learning gains.

  7. Incorporation of Scientific Ballooning into Science Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chanover, N.; Stochaj, S.; Petty, C.

    1999-12-01

    We are augmenting the science curriculum of the Roswell Independent School District in Roswell, NM, to take advantage of the proximity of a NASA scientific balloon base. The basic science related to balloon experimentation is being incorporated into the K-12 science curriculum via the discussion of topics such as atmospheric properties, weather, phases of matter, plotting skills, and communications in the context of a high-altitude balloon flight. These efforts will culminate in the construction of balloon-borne instruments by high school students, which will be launched during the spring of 2000. A demonstration flight, launched in the spring of 1999, was used to build student enthusiasm and community support for this program, which is funded by the NASA/IDEAS program.

  8. PROPOSED CURRICULUM PROGRAM FOR TEXAS MIGRATORY CHILDREN.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Education Agency, Austin.

    A SPECIAL CURRICULUM IS ENVISIONED WHICH WOULD INCLUDE AN 8-HOUR SCHOOL DAY FOR 6 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. EMPHASIS WOULD BE PLACED ON ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS, AND SOCIAL STUDIES. STUDENT PROGRESS WOULD BE DETERMINED BY STANDARIZED TESTS, OR TESTS DESIGNED FOR THE SPECIAL CURRICULUM. GRADE PLACEMENT WOULD BE USED IN SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE, PHYSICAL…

  9. A Comparison of the Effects of Individualized Science Instruction with Traditional Science Instruction in Junior High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heffernan, Daniel F.

    The Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS), operationally defined to be an individualized program, and the New York State Science Syllabus, defined to be the traditional program, were used as methods of instruction with 104 eighth-grade pupils. The students were randomly organized into groups according to the Solomon Four-Group Design.…

  10. Simple Problems and Integrated Technology: Making Connections beyond the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joseph, Roberto; Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon

    2008-01-01

    Last year, the Centennial Ave. Elementary School in Roosevelt, New York received a new shipment of the New York State Science 21 kits. The new science program from the previous year was out, and the new science program for this year was in. As consulting university professors, the authors' task was to help the third grade teachers bring Science 21…

  11. Biomedical Science, Unit II: Nutrition in Health and Medicine. Digestion of Foods; Organic Chemistry of Nutrients; Energy and Cell Respiration; The Optimal Diet; Foodborne Diseases; Food Technology; Dental Science and Nutrition. Student Text. Revised Version, 1975.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project, Berkeley, CA.

    This student text presents instructional materials for a unit of science within the Biomedical Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project (BICP), a two-year interdisciplinary precollege curriculum aimed at preparing high school students for entry into college and vocational programs leading to a career in the health field. Lessons concentrate on…

  12. Exploring ecology through science terms: A computer-supported vocabulary supplement to the science curriculum in a two-way immersion program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herrera, Francisco Javier, Jr.

    This study set out to examine how a web-based tool embedded with vocabulary strategies, as part of the science curriculum in a third grade two-way immersion classroom, would aid students' academic vocabulary development. Fourteen students (seven boys, seven girls; ten of which were English learners) participated in this study. Students utilized web pages as part of their science curriculum on the topic of ecology. The study documented students' use of the web pages as a data-gathering tool on the topic of ecology during science instruction. Students were video and audio taped as they explored the web pages. Results indicated that through the use of the intervention web pages students significantly improved their knowledge of academic English target words.

  13. An Evaluation of a Classroom Science Intervention Designed to Extend the Bicycle Helmet Safety Message

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McPherson, Moira N.; Marsh, Pamela K.; Montelpare, William J.; Van Barneveld, Christina; Zerpa, Carlos E.

    2009-01-01

    Background: Wizards of Motion is a program of curriculum delivery through which experts in Kinesiology introduce grade 7 students to applications of physics for human movement. The program is linked closely to Ministry of Education curriculum requirements but includes human movement applications and data analysis experiences. Purpose: The purpose…

  14. Curriculum Development for Quantitative Skills in Degree Programs: A Cross-Institutional Study Situated in the Life Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matthews, Kelly E.; Belward, Shaun; Coady, Carmel; Rylands, Leanne; Simbag, Vilma

    2016-01-01

    Higher education policies are increasingly focused on graduate learning outcomes, which infer an emphasis on, and deep understanding of, curriculum development across degree programs. As disciplinary influences are known to shape teaching and learning activities, research situated in disciplinary contexts is useful to further an understanding of…

  15. NASA supported research programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Libby, W. F.

    1975-01-01

    A summary of the scientific NASA grants and achievements accomplished by the University of California, Los Angles, is presented. The development of planetary and space sciences as a major curriculum of the University, and statistical data on graduate programs in aerospace sciences are discussed. An interdisciplinary approach to aerospace science education is emphasized. Various research programs and scientific publications that are a direct result of NASA grants are listed.

  16. Technology for Science: Overview of the Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crismond, David; And Others

    Technology for Science is a National Science Foundation funded program that is developing and testing curriculum units for teacher materials built around a series of design-oriented science problems called "challenges," mainly for ninth-grade general and physical science classes. Technology for science challenges have a clear connection…

  17. Tryon Trekkers: An Evaluation of a STEM Based Afterschool Program for At-Risk Youth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eckels Anderson, Chessa

    This study contributed to the body of research that supports a holistic model of afterschool learning through the design of an afterschool intervention that benefits elementary school students of low socioeconomic status. This qualitative study evaluated a science focused afterschool curriculum that was designed using principles from Risk and Resiliency Theory, academic motivation theories, science core ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards, and used environmental education philosophy. The research question of this study is: how does an outdoor and STEM based afterschool program impact at-risk students' self-efficacy, belonging and engagement and ability to apply conceptual knowledge of environmental science topics? The study collected information about the participants' affective experiences during the intervention using structured and ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews. Observations and interviews were coded and analyzed to find patterns in participants' responses. Three participant profiles were developed using the structured observations and ethnographic observations to provide an in depth understanding of the participant experience. The study also assessed the participants' abilities to apply conceptual understanding of the program's science topics by integrating an application of conceptual knowledge task into the curriculum. This task in the form of a participant project was assessed using an adapted version of the Portland Metro STEM Partnership's Application of Conceptual Knowledge Rubric. Results in the study showed that participants demonstrated self-efficacy, a sense of belonging and engagement during the program. Over half of the participants in the study demonstrated a proficient understanding of program concepts. Overall, this holistic afterschool program demonstrated that specific instructional practices and a multi-modal science curriculum helped to support the social and emotional needs of at-risk children.

  18. Integrating the Teaching of Space Science, Planetary Exploration And Robotics In Elementary And Middle School with Mars Rover Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bering, E. A.; Ramsey, J.; Smith, H.; Boyko, B. S.; Peck, S.; Arcenaux, W. H.

    2005-05-01

    The present aerospace engineering and science workforce is ageing. It is not clear that the US education system will produce enough qualified replacements to meet the need in the near future. Unfortunately, by the time many students get to high school, it is often too late to get them pointed toward an engineering or science career. Since some college programs require 6 units of high school mathematics for admission, students need to begin consciously preparing for a science or engineering curriculum as early as 6th or 7th grade. The challenge for educators is to convince elementary school students that science and engineering are both exciting, relevant and accessible career paths. This paper describes a program designed to help provide some excitement and relevance. It is based on the task of developing a mobile robot or "Rover" to explore the surface of Mars. There are two components to the program, a curriculum unit and a contest. The curriculum unit is structured as a 6-week planetary science unit for elementary school (grades 3-5). It can also be used as a curriculum unit, enrichment program or extracurricular activity in grades 6-8 by increasing the expected level of scientific sophistication in the mission design. The second component is a citywide competition to select the most outstanding models that is held annually at a local college or University. Primary (Grades 3-5) and middle school (Grades 6-8) students interested in science and engineering will design and build of a model of a Mars Rover to carry out a specific science mission on the surface of Mars. The students will build the models as part of a 6-week Fall semester classroom-learning or homework project on Mars. The students will be given design criteria for a rover, and be required to do basic research on Mars that will determine the operational objectives and structural features of their rover. This module may be used as part of a class studying general science, earth science, solar system astronomy or robotics or as a multi-disciplinary unit for a gifted and talented program. A written report on the science objectives and design features of the Rover is required. The program includes specific learning objectives in research skills, language arts (reading scientific literature, preparing a verbal presentation and writing a report), mathematics, science and engineering.The model will be mostly a mock-up, constructed at a minimal cost (estimated cost of less than 10-25) of mostly found objects and simple art supplies.

  19. From the Ground Up: Building an Undergraduate Earth Systems Curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Head, W. D.; Alexander, S. E.; Moore, S. W.; Melton, F. S.

    2006-12-01

    It is rare that an interdisciplinary group of educators has the opportunity to design a science curriculum without the constraints of pre-existing academic departments. In 1994, California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) acquired 1,387 acres from the U.S. Department of the Army and began construction of a new campus. CSUMB was developed as a four-year undergraduate university distinctive in its mission to serve the diverse people of California. Inspired by the Earth System Science Education program initiated by NASA and the University Space Research Association, CSUMB embarked upon the development of an interdisciplinary Earth systems curriculum that placed a strong emphasis on experience-based learning, integration of science, policy, and technology, outreach to minority students, and partnerships with the local community. Our cornerstone program is the Bachelor of Science in Earth Systems Science & Policy. It is built on a pyramid- style framework that includes integration, systems approach, and applied technologies (base of the pyramid); junior entry course, case studies, concentrations, service learning, student internships, and research experiences (middle of the pyramid); and senior capstone projects (apex of the pyramid). However, to succeed, new and innovative programs must constantly evaluate where they have been, where they are, and where they need to go to meet the needs of their students today and their students of the future.

  20. TTIP Texas Teacher Internship Program: 1996 Curriculum Implementation Plans.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walenta, Brian T., Ed.

    In 1989, the Texas Alliance for Science, Technology, and Mathematics Education began placing teachers at industry sites as part of its Texas Teacher Internship Program (TTIP). TTIP is a competitive program for science, technology, and mathematics teachers who serve as summer interns at industry and university sites in order to experience…

  1. How well do middle school science programs measure up? Findings from Project 2061's curriculum review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kesidou, Sofia; Roseman, Jo Ellen

    2002-08-01

    The purposes of this study were to examine how well middle school programs support the attainment of key scientific ideas specified in national science standards, and to identify typical strengths and weaknesses of these programs using research-based criteria. Nine widely used programs were examined by teams of teachers and specialists in research on teaching and learning. Reviewers found that whereas key ideas were generally present in the programs, they were typically buried between detailed or even unrelated ideas. Programs only rarely provided students with a sense of purpose for the units of study, took account of student beliefs that interfere with learning, engaged students with relevant phenomena to make abstract scientific ideas plausible, modeled the use of scientific knowledge so that students could apply what they learned in everyday situations, or scaffolded student efforts to make meaning of key phenomena and ideas presented in the programs. New middle school science programs that reflect findings from learning research are needed to support teachers better in helping students learn key ideas in science. The criteria and findings from this study on the inadequacies in existing programs could serve as guidelines in new curriculum development.

  2. Culturally responsive middle school science: A case study of needs, demands, and challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woodrow, Kelli Ellen

    2007-12-01

    Culturally responsive programming has been proposed as a remedy for the well-documented disconnect between schools and the ethnically and culturally diverse students who attend them. These programs often focus on creating instructional materials and pedagogical practices that are aligned with the knowledges, perspectives and practices of these students. This study builds on that literature and examines the needs, demands, and challenges of developing a culturally responsive health science program for ethnically and culturally diverse urban middle school students. I approached this problem through a content analysis of the intended curriculum and a microethnography of the enacted curriculum. In my analysis of the intended curriculum, I adapted a science textbook analysis instrument created by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to include criteria related to identified features of culturally responsive education. Using these modified analytic criteria, I found that the pilot drafts of the curricular materials excelled in the areas of engaging students in relevant phenomenon but lacked many of these specifically culturally responsive elements. Recommendations were made to redress these deficiencies. In my analysis of the enacted curriculum, I observed in five eighth grade classrooms where the program was being implemented. I used participant observation, audio and video tape recordings, artifacts, and interviews over a six-month period to investigate teacher/student interactions, the social organization of the classrooms, and students' culturally distinctive knowledge resources---or what is sometimes referred to as their "funds of knowledge." I found that the affective interactions between teachers and students were precursors to any reform, and that students and teachers similarly defined these interactions as "teacher care." In addition, I found that the social organization of the classroom often privileged official content and ways of knowing while limiting students' ability to publicly draw on their unique funds of knowledge or to access their scientific sensemaking resources. Through the use of data accumulated from my curriculum analysis and classroom observations, I concluded that culturally responsive program development must incorporate both curricular development and inservice professional development focused not only on science but also on fundamental aspects of classroom interactions.

  3. Culture, food, and language: Perspectives from immigrant mothers in school science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hagiwara, Sumi; Calabrese Barton, Angela; Contento, Isobel

    2007-04-01

    The article explores the role of immigrant parents in middle school science as both teachers and learners as part of an urban middle school curriculum, the Linking in Food and the Environment (LiFE) program. The curriculum engaged parents as partners with science teachers to teach science through food. Over a 2-year period, parents attended a series of bilingual workshops, collaborated with classroom teachers, managed activities, guided student inquiry, and assisted in classroom management. The following study analyzes the role of culture, language, and identity as four mothers navigated their position as `insiders' in a science classroom.

  4. An Analysis of the Science Curricula in Turkey with Respect to Spiral Curriculum Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yumusak, Güngör Keskinkiliç

    2016-01-01

    This paper aims to analyze the science curricula which is being implemented in Turkey with respect to spiral curriculum approach. To carry out this analyze 3th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade education programs are analyzed correlatively based on qualitative research method. The research findings were analyzed in terms of iterative revisiting of…

  5. Experimental course of bioethics upon the bioethics core curriculum of UNESCO: methodoloy and result of investigation.

    PubMed

    Davtyan, S

    2012-12-01

    In October 2005 the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. The aim of this Declaration was to assist in the realization ofprinciples and support the thorough understanding of the consequences of the ethics of scientific and technical progress, especially for youth. In 2008, the Division of Ethics of Science and Technology Sector for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO worked out an Educational Program (Bioethics Core Curriculum). On November 23, 2010 a Memorandum was signed between UNESCO and the Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi. The Memorandum was aimed to test the Bioethics Core Curriculum of UNESCO. In this article we will analyze the aims and goals of studying the course, as well as disputable shortcomings of the Program, make recommendations for the improvement of the course of bioethics, and highlight the positive aspects of this Educational Program.

  6. SCIS Teacher's Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karplus, Robert, Comp.; Lawson, Chester A., Comp.

    This teacher's handbook provides information about the philosophy, rationale, and teaching strategies of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program, as well as information about the SCIS physical and life science sequences to provide teachers with an understanding of the program's overall content and structure. Much of the material in…

  7. Technician Training in Environmental Health Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Robert G.; Sherman, Alan

    1976-01-01

    The Environmental Health Science Technology Program was initiated by Middlesex County College in 1971 to provide the trained personnel needed by industry and government. Major areas needing environmental health technicians, the environmental health technology curriculum, and the on-the-job-training internship program are discussed. (BT)

  8. Developing a Foundation for Constructing New Curricula in Soil, Crop, and Turfgrass Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarvis, Holly D.; Collett, Ryan; Wingenbach, Gary; Heilman, James L.; Fowler, Debra

    2012-01-01

    Some soil and crop science university programs undergo curricula revision to maintain relevancy with their profession and/or to attract the best students to such programs. The Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University completed a thorough data gathering process as part of its revision of the undergraduate curriculum and…

  9. Organisms, Grade One. Teacher's Guide. Life Science for Guam.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shafer, Jeffrey E.

    This guide is a result of two years' piloting and revising the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program for the students of Guam. The life science portions of SCIS were chosen and adapted for the ecology of the area. Program flexibility is stressed and outdoor activities are encouraged. Used in grade one, the topic of organisms is…

  10. Township of Ocean School District Contemporary Science. Curriculum Guide, September 1987.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Truex, Ronald T.

    This guide was prepared for a program designed to provide non-academic disaffected students as well as college-bound high school students with a meaningful and positive educational experience in science in order to bridge the gap between science and the citizen in a technological world. The program, designed as a full year elective course,…

  11. P.H.Y.S.I.C.S. Can Be Done!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spangler, Lois

    2004-01-01

    P.H.Y.S.I.C.S. (Physics Headstart Yearlong Science Inquiry at Central School) is a series of inquiry investigations and science activities designed to motivate students and teachers and develop a love of physics in our rural agricultural community. The program?s approach infuses physics into the science curriculum while capitalizing on our…

  12. Assessment of a Constructivist-Motivated Mentoring Program to Enhance the Teaching Skills of Atmospheric Science Graduate Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drossman, Howard; Benedict, Jim; McGrath-Spangler, Erica; Van Roekel, Luke; Wells, Kelley

    2011-01-01

    This article describes a collaborative mentoring program in which graduate students (fellows) from a university atmospheric science research department team-taught environmental science classes with professors in a liberal arts college. The mentorship allowed fellows to develop and test the effectiveness of curriculum based on the Process Oriented…

  13. An Analysis of the Model and Enacted Curricula for a History of Science Course in a Nationwide Teacher Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nouri, Noushin

    2017-01-01

    The UTeach program, a national model for undergraduate teacher preparation, includes "Perspectives on Science and Mathematics," a class designed to share content about the History of Science (HOS) with preservice teachers. UTeach provides a model curriculum as a sample for instructors teaching "Perspectives." The purpose of…

  14. "Gaa-Noodin-Oke" (Alternative Energy/Wind Power): A Curriculum Implementation on the White Earth Reservation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guzey, Siddika Selcen; Nyachwaya, James; Moore, Tamara J.; Roehrig, Gillian H.

    2014-01-01

    A wind energy focused curriculum for grades 4-8 was designed and implemented to promote the understanding of wind energy concepts with American Indian students. 57 students who participated in the 2009 summer program of the "Reach for the Sky" (RFTS) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) received the curriculum. The…

  15. Sources of Information about Promising and Exemplary Programs and Materials for Secondary School Science. ERIC/SMEAC Science Education Digest No. 2, 1989.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helgeson, Stanley L.; Howe, Robert W.

    Many school staff and their client communities are concerned about student achievement, skills, and attitudes related to science. To respond to these concerns, staff need to determine how they can improve their science programs by modifying the content and skills emphasized in the curriculum, changing and supplementing instructional materials,…

  16. Sources of Information about Promising and Exemplary Programs and Materials for Elementary School Science. ERIC/SMEAC Science Education Digest No. 1, 1989.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helgeson, Stanley L.; Howe, Robert W.

    Many school staff and their client communities are concerned about pupil achievement, skills, and attitudes related to science. To respond to these concerns, staff need to determine how they can improve their science programs by modifying the content and skills emphasized in the curriculum, changing and supplementing instructional materials,…

  17. Key steps for integrating a basic science throughout a medical school curriculum using an e-learning approach.

    PubMed

    Dubois, Eline Agnès; Franson, Kari Lanette

    2009-09-01

    Basic sciences can be integrated into the medical school curriculum via e-learning. The process of integrating a basic science in this manner resembles a curricular change. The change usually begins with an idea for using e-learning to teach a basic science and establishing the need for the innovation. In the planning phase, learning outcomes are formulated and a prototype of the program is developed based on the desired requirements. A realistic concept is formed after considering the limitations of the current institute. Next, a project team is assembled to develop the program and plan its integration. Incorporation of the e-learning program is facilitated by a well-developed and communicated integration plan. Various course coordinators are contacted to determine content of the e-learning program as well as establish assessment. Linking the e-learning program to existing course activities and thereby applying the basic science into the clinical context enhances the degree of integration. The success of the integration is demonstrated by a positive assessment of the program including favourable cost-benefit analysis and improved student performance. Lastly, when the program becomes institutionalised, continuously updating content and technology (when appropriate), and evaluating the integration contribute to the prolonged survival of the e-learning program.

  18. Handbook for Program Developers of Associate of Applied Science and Business Degrees at Lima Technical College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casto, Robert A.

    Intended as a resource for program developers, this handbook illustrates the process of developing program proposals for the associate of applied science and business (AASB) degrees at Lima Technical College (LTC), in Ohio. Following an introduction, section 1 discusses the potential reasons for the addition of a program to the LTC curriculum.…

  19. Bringing Inquiry Science to K-5 Classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schachtel, Paula L.; Messina, D. L.; McDermott, L. C.

    2006-12-01

    As a science coach in the Seattle School District, I am responsible for helping other elementary teachers teach science. For several years, I have been participating in a program that consists of intensive NSF Summer Institutes and an ongoing academic-year Continuation Course. Teachers in this program work through modules in Physics by Inquiry, a research-based curriculum developed by the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington.1 I will discuss how this type of professional development has deepened my understanding of topics in physical science, helped me to teach science by inquiry to my own students, and enabled me to assist my colleagues in implementing inquiry science in their K-5 classrooms. Sponsored by Lillian C. McDermott. 1. A research-based curriculum developed by L.C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Physics by Inquiry, New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1996.)

  20. Development of the competency-based medical curriculum for the new Augsburg University Medical School.

    PubMed

    Härtl, Anja; Berberat, Pascal; Fischer, Martin R; Forst, Helmuth; Grützner, Stefanie; Händl, Thomas; Joachimski, Felix; Linné, Renate; Märkl, Bruno; Naumann, Markus; Putz, Reinhard; Schneider, Werner; Schöler, Claus; Wehler, Markus; Hoffmann, Reinhard

    2017-01-01

    Aim: With the resolution from April 28, 2014, the Bavarian state government in Germany decided to found a new medical school at Augsburg University, thereby requiring the development of a competency-based medical curriculum. Methods: Two interdisciplinary groups developed a spiral curriculum (following Harden) employing the model of Thumser-Dauth & Öchsner. The curriculum focuses on specifically defined competencies: medical expertise, independent scientific reasoning, argumentation and scholarship, as well as communication skills. Results: The spiral curriculum was developed as a hybrid curriculum. Its modular structure incorporates the mandatory subjects required by the German regulations for medical licensure (Approbationsordnung) into organ- and system-centered blocks which are integrated both horizontally and vertically. Basic preclinical sciences are covered in the blocks "Movement," "Balance" and "Contact." The clinical sciences are organized according to six pillars (conservative medicine, surgical medicine, men's-women's-children's medicine, the senses, the nervous system and the mind, and general medicine) which students revisit three times each over the course of the program. A longitudinal clinical course incorporates interdisciplinary education. A particular focus is on scientific education encompassing a longitudinal course in the sciences (including interdisciplinary classes with other university departments), block practicums, and two scientific projects. Conclusion: It is not only the degree of integration und intensity of the Augsburg University undergraduate medical degree program, but also its targeted advancement of academic, social and communication skills that have not yet been realized to such an extent elsewhere in Germany. On July 8, 2016, the German Council of Science and Humanities unanimously gave this concept a positive evaluation. Future research will examine and evaluate the Augsburg medical curriculum and the impact of the new medical school on the hospital and university in Augsburg.

  1. Development of the competency-based medical curriculum for the new Augsburg University Medical School

    PubMed Central

    Härtl, Anja; Berberat, Pascal; Fischer, Martin R.; Forst, Helmuth; Grützner, Stefanie; Händl, Thomas; Joachimski, Felix; Linné, Renate; Märkl, Bruno; Naumann, Markus; Putz, Reinhard; Schneider, Werner; Schöler, Claus; Wehler, Markus; Hoffmann, Reinhard

    2017-01-01

    Aim: With the resolution from April 28, 2014, the Bavarian state government in Germany decided to found a new medical school at Augsburg University, thereby requiring the development of a competency-based medical curriculum. Methods: Two interdisciplinary groups developed a spiral curriculum (following Harden) employing the model of Thumser-Dauth & Öchsner. The curriculum focuses on specifically defined competencies: medical expertise, independent scientific reasoning, argumentation and scholarship, as well as communication skills. Results: The spiral curriculum was developed as a hybrid curriculum. Its modular structure incorporates the mandatory subjects required by the German regulations for medical licensure (Approbationsordnung) into organ- and system-centered blocks which are integrated both horizontally and vertically. Basic preclinical sciences are covered in the blocks “Movement,” “Balance” and “Contact.” The clinical sciences are organized according to six pillars (conservative medicine, surgical medicine, men’s-women’s-children’s medicine, the senses, the nervous system and the mind, and general medicine) which students revisit three times each over the course of the program. A longitudinal clinical course incorporates interdisciplinary education. A particular focus is on scientific education encompassing a longitudinal course in the sciences (including interdisciplinary classes with other university departments), block practicums, and two scientific projects. Conclusion: It is not only the degree of integration und intensity of the Augsburg University undergraduate medical degree program, but also its targeted advancement of academic, social and communication skills that have not yet been realized to such an extent elsewhere in Germany. On July 8, 2016, the German Council of Science and Humanities unanimously gave this concept a positive evaluation. Future research will examine and evaluate the Augsburg medical curriculum and the impact of the new medical school on the hospital and university in Augsburg. PMID:28584869

  2. A Study of the Effects of a CCSSP Teacher Training Program on the Attitudes of Children Toward Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawlor, Francis X.

    Reported is a study of the attitudes of elementary school students toward science as a school subject. This study was undertaken in order to determine the effects of an in-service teacher training program in the use of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program. Children in grades two through six (N-1941) from four suburban (85…

  3. What's Going on in the Wild West? Four Public Secondary Schools That Offer Integrated Curriculum Outdoor Education Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comishin, Kelly J. C.; Potter, Tom

    2000-01-01

    Integrated curriculum applied to the outdoors is a blending of traditional subjects presented through a holistic teaching approach in the outdoor classroom, whereby students gain credit for the integrated subjects. Four innovative programs in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory are described that use this approach for environmental, science,…

  4. Is it design or is it inquiry? Exploring technology research in a Filipino school setting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yazon, Jessamyn Marie Olivares

    My case study explored Filipino secondary students' and teachers' experiences with technology research, project-based pedagogy. The study was conducted to examine the nature of a Technology Research (TR) Curriculum, and how it mediates non-Western students' learning, and interest in technology-based careers. The context for my study is Philippine Science High School's (PSHS) TR program wherein students outline a proposal, design an experiment or a device, and implement their design to address a real world problem. My data sources included semi-structured interviews of 27 students and 2 teachers; participant observations of classroom and group activities, teacher-student consultations, and Science-Technology Fair presentations; TR curriculum documents; and researcher journal logs. My examination of curriculum documents revealed that since the 1960s, the Philippine government has implemented specialized educational programs, such as the PSHS Science/Technology Streaming and TR programs, to support Filipino youth interested in science and technology courses and careers. Data analyses showed that the TR program provided a rich, practical learning environment where 'doing technology design' blended with 'doing science inquiry'. The TR activities enhanced student understanding of science and technology; helped them integrate and apply knowledge and skills learned from other school subjects; encouraged them to be creative, problem-solvers; and helped develop their lifelong learning skills. Students recognized that TR teachers adopted alternative instructional strategies that prompted students to adopt more active roles in their learning. Research findings revealed that student interest in pursuing technology-related careers was supported by their participation in the streaming and the TR programs. Data also showed that Filipino cultural practices mediated student learning, and career decision-making. My research findings suggest that present notions of scientific inquiry, and technological design need to be re-examined; that integrated science-technology school programs must be implemented to enhance students' academic and vocational knowledge and skills; and that career direction interventions should address personal and socio-cultural factors other than student interest and aptitude. My study provides strong evidence that technology research pedagogy can change teaching-learning approaches in a Filipino classroom. This study showed that academic-vocational, technology-enriched science curriculum could be effectively designed to help equip students to become critical thinkers and leaders in the 21st century.

  5. Outreach and education in urban Los Angeles Schools: integration of research into middle and high school science curriculum through the NSF GK-12 SEE-LA program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daniel, J. C.; Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M. B.; Nonacs, P.

    2012-12-01

    A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/ ) partners UCLA faculty and graduate students (fellows) with urban middle and high school science teachers and their students to foster programs of science and engineering exploration that bring the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA science and engineering graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three "major" lessons, including one based on their PhD research at UCLA. During the first four years of the project, the SEE-LA fellows have developed a range of research-based activities, including lessons on sustainable fisheries, ecosystems and remote sensing, earthquakes, urban water quality including invertebrate observations, and post-fire soil chemistry, among others. This presentation will provide an overview of the SEE-LA GK-12 program and development of research lessons that also address California State Science Standards. We also discuss potential sustainability of GK-12 type outreach and education programs. The SEE-LA program has provided development of graduate student communication and teaching skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of science education into K-12 curriculum in Los Angeles schools.

  6. Program Objectives for Science. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bednarczyk, Angela; And Others

    The guide lists program objectives for science instruction of hearing impaired students at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School. The curriculum, it is explained, is based on theories of J. Piaget. Objectives are stated in terms of process skills within four Piagetian stages of development: pre-operational, transition to concrete, concrete, and…

  7. Conceptual Strategies for Operationalizing Multicultural Curricula.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belay, Getinet

    1992-01-01

    Discusses the trends in multiculturalism research, the importance of cultural diversity in the curriculum, and strategies for operationalizing a multicultural curriculum in library and information science education. Topics addressed include pedagogical methodology, leaning style, and course and program design. (97 references) (EA)

  8. Ghosts of Crisis Past.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klopfer, Leopold E.; Champagne, Audrey B.

    1990-01-01

    Discussed is the history of school science curriculum reform from the Sputnik era to 1990. The relationship between the crisis in the 1950s and 1990 is addressed. A list of curriculum development programs for all levels and special needs students is included. (KR)

  9. Integration of Cognitive Skills as a Cross-Cutting Theme Into the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

    PubMed

    Soltani, Akbar; Allaa, Maryam; Moosapour, Hamideh; Aletaha, Azadeh; Shahrtash, Farzaneh; Monajemi, Alireza; Arastoo, Tohid; Ahmadinejad, Maryam; Mirzazadeh, Azim; Khabaz Mafinejad, Mahboobeh

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, improvement of thinking skills of students is one of the universally supported aims in the majority of medical schools. This study aims to design longitudinal theme of reasoning, problem-solving and decision-making into the undergraduate medical curriculum at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). A participatory approach was applied to design the curriculum during 2009-2011. The project was conducted by the contribution of representatives of both basic and clinical faculty members, students and graduates at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The first step toward integrating cognitive skills into the curriculum was to assemble a taskforce of different faculty and students, including a wide variety of fields with multidisciplinary expertise using nonprobability sampling and the snowball method. Several meetings with the contribution of experts and some medical students were held to generate the draft of expected outcomes. Subsequently, the taskforce also determined what content would fit best into each phase of the program and what teaching and assessment methods would be more appropriate for each outcome. After a pilot curriculum with a small group of second-year medical students, we implemented this program for all first-year students since 2011 at TUMS. Based on findings, the teaching of four areas, including scientific and critical thinking skills (Basic sciences), problem-solving and reasoning (Pathophysiology), evidence-based medicine (Clerkship), and clinical decision-making (Internship) were considered in the form of a longitudinal theme. The results of this study could be utilized as a useful pattern for integration of psycho-social subjects into the medical curriculum.

  10. Food-based Science Curriculum Increases 4th Graders Multidisciplinary Science Knowledge

    PubMed Central

    Hovland, Jana A.; Carraway-Stage, Virginia G.; Cela, Artenida; Collins, Caitlin; Díaz, Sebastián R.; Collins, Angelo; Duffrin, Melani W.

    2013-01-01

    Health professionals and policymakers are asking educators to place more emphasis on food and nutrition education. Integrating these topics into science curricula using hand-on, food-based activities may strengthen students’ understanding of science concepts. The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Previous studies have shown that students experiencing the FoodMASTER curriculum were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. The purpose of this study was to: 1) assess 4th graders food-related multidisciplinary science knowledge, and 2) compare gains in food-related science knowledge after implementation of an integrated, food-based curriculum. During the 2009–2010 school year, FoodMASTER researchers implemented a hands-on, food-based intermediate curriculum in eighteen 4th grade classrooms in Ohio (n=9) and North Carolina (n=9). Sixteen classrooms in Ohio (n=8) and North Carolina (n=8), following their standard science curricula, served as comparison classrooms. Students completed a researcher-developed science knowledge exam, consisting of 13 multiple-choice questions administered pre- and post-test. Only subjects with pre- and post-test scores were entered into the sample (Intervention n=343; Control n=237). No significant differences were observed between groups at pre-test. At post-test, the intervention group scored (9.95±2.00) significantly higher (p=.000) than the control group (8.84±2.37) on a 13-point scale. These findings suggest the FoodMASTER intermediate curriculum is more effective than a standard science curriculum in increasing students’ multidisciplinary science knowledge related to food. PMID:25152539

  11. Laptops and the Gender Gap: An Investigation of a High School Core Curriculum Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wade, Melanie

    2010-01-01

    Girls and women continue to be underrepresented in high school Advanced Placement computer science courses, undergraduate and graduate computer science programs at colleges and universities, and engineering programs and related careers. This is not to suggest that public schools train students to fulfill specific job needs, yet it is evident that…

  12. An evaluative study of the impact of the "Curriculum Alignment Toolbox" on middle school science achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Carol L.

    The number of computer-assisted education programs on the market is overwhelming science teachers all over the Michigan. Though the need is great, many teachers are reluctant to procure computer-assisted science education programs because they are unsure of the effectiveness of such programs. The Curriculum Alignment Toolbox (CAT) is a computer-based program, aligned to the Michigan Curriculum Framework's Benchmarks for Science Education and designed to supplement science instruction in Michigan middle schools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CAT in raising the standardized test scores of Michigan students. This study involved 419 students from one urban, one suburban and one rural middle school. Data on these students was collected from 4 sources: (1) the 8th grade Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test, (2) a 9 question, 5-point Likert-type scale student survey, (3) 4 open-response student survey questions and (4) classroom observations. Results of this study showed that the experimental group of 226 students who utilized the CAT program in addition to traditional instruction did significantly better on the Science MEAP test than the control group of 193 students who received only traditional instruction. The study also showed that the urban students from a "high needs" school seemed to benefit most from the program. Additionally, though both genders and all identified ethnic groups benefited from the program, males benefited more than females and whites, blacks and Asian/Pacific Islander students benefited more than Hispanic and multi-racial students. The CAT program's success helping raise the middle school MEAP scores may well be due to some of its components. CAT provided students with game-like experiences all based on the benchmarks required for science education and upon which the MEAP test is based. The program also provided visual and auditory stimulation as well as numerous references which students indicated they enjoyed. Additionally, as best-practice, the questioning in all the gaming within CAT did not allow a student to continue until he/she had given the correct answer, thus reinforcing the correct response.

  13. The Sea Ice Board Game

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bertram, Kathryn Berry

    2008-01-01

    The National Science Foundation-funded Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) provides "curriculum resource-based professional development" materials that combine current science information with practical classroom instruction embedded with "best practice" techniques for teaching science to diverse students. The Sea Ice Board…

  14. A Gifted and Talented Curriculum Handbook for Science in the Intermediate Grades of Lee County's Department of Exceptional Children. Gifted and Talented Resource Program, Grades 4-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baggarley, Margaret; And Others

    Intended for regular classroom teachers in intermediate science classes serving the gifted and talented student, the curriculum handbook is designed to give a basic understanding of gifted education, to list appropriate goals and objectives for the gifted student, and to suggest materials and strategies for implementation within the regular…

  15. Educational Outreach at CASPER

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyde, Truell; Smith, Bernard; Carmona-Reyes, Jorge

    2007-11-01

    The CASPER Educational Outreach program with support from the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation advances physics education through a variety of avenues including CASPER's REU / RET program, High School Scholars Program, spiral curriculum development program and the CASPER Physics Circus. These programs impact K-12 teachers and students providing teachers with curriculum, supporting hands-on material and support for introducing plasma and basic physical science into the classroom. The most visible of the CASPER outreach programs is the Physics Circus, created during the 1999-2000 school year and funded since that time through two large grants from the Department of Education. The Physics Circus is part of GEAR UP Waco (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and was originally one of 185 grants awarded nationwide by the U. S. Department of Education in 1999 to help 200,000 disadvantaged children prepare for and gain a pathway to undergraduate programs. The CASPER Physics Circus is composed of intense science explorations, physics demonstrations, hands-on interactive displays, theatrical performances, and excellent teaching experiences. Examples and efficacy data from the above will be discussed.

  16. Correlated Curriculum Program: An Experimental Program. Science Level 1 (9A, 9B, 10A).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loebl, Stanley, Ed.; And Others

    The unit plans in Correlated Science 1 are intended to be of use to the teacher in both lesson and team planning. The course in science was designed for optimum correlation with the work done in business, health, and industrial careers. Behavioral objectives, class routines, time allotments, student evaluation, and the design of the manual are…

  17. An Ungraded Primary Level Science Program, Levels One Through Three (Grades 1-2-3).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dickinson Public Schools, ND. Instructional Media Center.

    This curriculum guide is intended for use in an ungraded science program encompassing grades one, two and three in public elementary schools in southwestern North Dakota. Five major units in the biological, physical and earth sciences and in health education are included. In each unit major concepts to be studied are stated. For each concept,…

  18. Only One Ocean: Marine Science Activities for Grades 5-8. Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halversen, Catherine; Strang, Craig

    This guide was designed by the Marine Activities, Resources & Education (MARE) Program through the Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) ongoing curriculum development program for middle school students. This GEMS guide addresses the concepts of the interconnectedness of the ocean basins, respect for organisms, oceanography, physical…

  19. Leading Change: Curriculum Reform in Graduate Education in the Biomedical Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dasgupta, Shoumita; Symes, Karen; Hyman, Linda

    2015-01-01

    The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine houses numerous dynamic graduate programs. Doctoral students began their studies with laboratory rotations and classroom training in a variety of fundamental disciplines. Importantly, with 15 unique pathways of admission to these doctoral programs, there were…

  20. Individualizing In-Service Teacher Preparation for ISCS Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snyder, William R.

    Described is a program which attempts to prepare teachers in a fashion that approximates the instructional setting which is expected in science classrooms utilizing the Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS) programs. It is specifically designed to support the in-service preparation of ISCS teachers. It includes two basic categories of…

  1. Creation of a Multidisciplinary Curriculum for Hydrologic Literacy: An Applied Ethnography.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hancock, Elizabeth S.; Uyeda, Steven

    Science programs funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) are increasingly involved in science education reform. Such entities are funded for science research and are expected to pursue educational activities with K-12 students and teachers. These efforts are often guided by ideas from current science education reform. The NSF Science and…

  2. Instituting a standards-based K--12 science curriculum supplement program at the National Institutes of Health: A case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Witherly, Jeffre

    Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based learning tools for science classrooms as part of a "voluntary curriculum." One problem facing federal entities, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the need to create science-learning tools that conform to the National Science Education Standards (NSES) for curriculum materials and, therefore, are standards-based and applicable to the K-12 curriculum. This case study sought to better understand the change process at one federal agency as it went from producing K-12 learning tools that were educational in nature to a program that produced K-12 standards-based learning tools: the NIH Science Curriculum Supplement Program (NIH SCSP). The NIH SCSP was studied to gain insight into how this change in educational approach occurred, what factors enabled or inhibited the change process, and what the long-term benefits of the NIH SCSP are to the NIH. Kurt Lewin's three-step theory of change guided data gathering and data analysis. Semi-structured interviews and programmatic document review served as the major data gathering sources. Details describing the process of organizational change at the NIH were revealed during analysis of these data following the coding of interview transcripts and written record documents. The study found the process of change at the NIH proceeded in a manner generally predicted by the Lewinian change model. Enablers to the change were cost-sharing with individual institutes, support of senior leadership, and crediting the role of individual institutes prominently in each supplement. The cost of creating a supplement was reported as the single inhibitor to the program. This case study yielded a detailed description of the process of change at this federal institution that may offer valuable insights to similar federal organizations confronting educational change. The study may also contribute to the existing body of knowledge regarding the process of organizational change in a federal setting.

  3. The AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development Program: Lessons Learned by Pairing Scientists and Teachers to Develop Curriculum on Global Climate Change and Regional Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardiner, L. S.; Hatheway, B.; Rogers, J. D.; Casey, J. G.; Lackey, G.; Birdsell, D.; Brown, K.; Polmear, M.; Capps, S.; Rosenblum, J.; Sitterley, K.; Hafich, K. A.; Hannigan, M.; Knight, D.

    2015-12-01

    The AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development Program, run by the UCAR Center for Science Education, brought together scientists and secondary science teachers in a yearlong program culminating in the development of curriculum related to the impacts of unconventional oil and gas development. Graduate students and research scientists taught about their research area and its relationship to oil and gas throughout three online courses during the 2015-16 school year, during which teachers and scientists engaged in active online discussions. Topics covered included climate change, oil and gas infrastructure, air quality, water quality, public health, and practices and policies relating to oil and gas development. Building upon their initial online interactions and a face-to-face meeting in March, teachers were paired with appropriate AirWaterGas team members as science advisors during a month-long residency in Boulder, Colorado. During the residency, graduate student scientists provided resources and feedback as teachers developed curriculum projects in collaboration with each other and UCAR science educators. Additionally, teachers and AirWaterGas researchers shared experiences on an oil and gas well site tour, and a short course on drilling methods with a drilling rig simulator. Here, we share lessons learned from both sides of the aisle, including initial results from program assessment conducted with the participating teachers.

  4. Essentials of an Accredited Curriculum for Optometric Technicians.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Optometric Association, St. Louis, MO.

    The standards are intended for the information of schools, optometrists, clinics, and prospective students. They concern organization and administration, faculty, student selection, curriculum, and accreditation policies. The general academic program should include English, social and behavioral science, mathematics, history, and office skills.…

  5. Maharishi International University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldberg, Phil

    1975-01-01

    The director of curriculum development at Maharishi International University describes background and design of the program based on the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI) as a unifying theoretical structure and on transcendental meditation (TM) for expanding awareness and utilizing videotape technology in its core curriculum courses. (JT)

  6. The 2012 CASPER Physics Circus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carmona Reyes, Jorge; Land-Zandstra, Anne; Cheng, Joyce; Douglass, Angela; Harris, Brandon; Zhang, Zhuanhao; Chen, Mudi; Matthews, Lorin; Hyde, Truell

    2012-10-01

    The CASPER Physics Circus is one component of a CASPER ongoing educational outreach initiative known as the CASPER Seamless Pathway. The Physics Circus is funded by the United States Department of Education and is designed to increase interest in, engagement with, and understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) within students in grades 6 through 12. The program's material and curriculum is aligned with both TEKS (Texas Essentials Knowledge and Skills) and National Science and Mathematics Standards, with its components (theatre, hands-on exhibitions, game show, professional development and curriculum) reinforcing these goals in a creative and entertaining format. Pre- and post-assessments measuring both content understanding and attitude towards science were conducted for a representative sample of the cohort and the analyzed data will be presented. The role the Circus plays within CASPER's Seamless Pathway will also be discussed along with other current CASPER programs including its High School Scholars program, CASPER's Interns program and CASPER NSF funded REU/RET programs for college undergraduates and K-12 teachers.

  7. The NASA HRMS educational outreach program - Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence while developing extraintelligent terrestrials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coulter, Gary R.; O'Sullivan, Kathleen; Milne, David; Stoneburner, Cara

    1993-01-01

    Students, young and old, find extraterrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all science topics. A curriculum development project co-funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to develop and test third through ninth grade science lessons that draw upon this fascination to focus student interest on science and mathematics. Individual lessons are designed by teachers and curriculum developers, tested in classrooms, revised and re-tested prior to distribution. A series of guides, each containing 10 to 15 lessons, will be finished by late summer 1994.

  8. Management System for Integrating Basic Skills 2 Training and Unit Training Programs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-09-01

    Social Sciences. NOTEs The findings in this report are not to be construed as en official Department of the Army position, unless so designated by other...This report describes methods used and results obtained in the design , development, and field test of a management system and curriculum components...for integrating the Army’s Basic Skills Education Program, Phase II (BSEP II) and unit training programs. The curriculum components are designed to

  9. Academic and Research Programs in Exercise Science, South Korea

    PubMed Central

    PARK, KYUNG-SHIN; SONG, WOOK

    2009-01-01

    We appreciate the opportunity to review academic curriculum and current research focus of Exercise Science programs in South Korea. The information of this paper was collected by several different methods, including e-mail and phone interviews, and a discussion with Korean professors who attended the 2009 ACSM annual conference. It was agreed that exercise science programming in South Korea has improved over the last 60 years since being implemented. One of distinguishable achievement is that exercise science programs after the 1980’s has been expanded to several different directions. It does not only produce physical education teachers but also attributes more to research, sports medicine, sports, leisure and recreation. Therefore, it has produced various jobs in exercise-related fields. Some of exercise science departments do not require teacher preparation course work in their curriculum which allows students to focus more on their specialty. Secondly, we believe we South Korea has caught up with advanced countries in terms of research quality. Many Korean researchers have recently published and presented their investigations in international journals and conferences. The quality and quantity of these studies introduced to international societies indicate that Exercise Science programs in South Korea is continuing to develop and plays an important part in the world. PMID:27182314

  10. A Curriculum for a Three Year High School Science Research Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Darytichen, F.; Danch, J.

    2003-12-01

    A three-year high school science research program has been taught in Woodbridge Township School District - Woodbridge, New Jersey, since 1987. The program's focus is to foster originial science research projects for high school students that have shown an aptitude and an interest in science. Students are instructed in basic research skills, including developing and conducting original research projects, statistical analysis, scientific writing, and presentation of research at local and national symposia, and science fairs. Upon completion of the third year all students are required to submit a paper, suitable for journal publication, detailing their research. Participating students have gone on to win awards with Westinghouse, Intel, The National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, the International Science and Engineering Fair, New Jersey Academy of Sciences, and local and regional science fairs and symposia. Participating teachers have been recoginized by the Sigma Xi Research Society of Rutgers University for excellence in science teaching. New Jersey awarded the curriulum a Best Practice Award for 2003. Goals and strategies of the curriculum are detailed in a guide written for the courses. Professional development for the courses and resources for mentoring programs are the responsibility of the District Science Supervisor, and have been fostered over the years with the assistance of local colleges and universities including Rutgers Univesity, Monmouth University, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Liberty Science Center of New Jersey's Partners in Science Program, as well as local industries including Hatco Corporation, Merck Corporation, Englehard Corporation, and Lucent Technologies. Science Research teachers have conducted developmental workshops for school districts interested in implementing similar curricula.

  11. Professional development that works: Impacting elementary science teachers' learning and practice during the implementation of an inquiry-oriented science curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlang, Jodi A.

    One of the most important factors for developing science literacy for all students is teacher knowledge of science content and pedagogy. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of professional development on teacher learning, changes in teacher behavior, and student learning. The goal was to develop a deeper understanding of how the Elementary Science Teaching and Learning (ESTL) program affected teacher learning and changed teacher behavior in the classroom. This study also provided insight into the effect of the ESTL program on student learning during the first year of the professional development. This mixed method case study was used to examine the link between participation in the ESTL program, teacher learning, changes in teacher classroom behavior, and student learning. Qualitative observations and videotaped sessions provided rich description of the professional development and implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies in participant's classrooms. Artifacts and interviews provided evidence of teacher learning and changes in teacher behaviors. Quantitative data included self-report survey data examining changes in teacher behavior and the measurement of student learning used both science district assessment scores and CSAP writing scores. Key findings include: (1) teacher learning was reported in the areas of questioning and scope and sequence of the curriculum occurred; (2) statistically significant changes teacher behavior were reported and were noted in teacher interviews; (3) participation in the ESTL program did not positively impact student learning; (4) unanticipated findings include the role of camaraderie in professional development and the role of additional training in teacher's confidence in both their own teaching and in helping others; and, (5) teacher's perceptions identified the role of inquiry-based science curriculum as providing the rich experiences necessary for improved student writing. Overall participation in the ESTL program increased the implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies and it strengthened teacher inquiry-based science teaching in the classroom even though no increases were found in student test scores.

  12. Trends in Basic Sciences Education in Dental Schools, 1999-2016.

    PubMed

    Lantz, Marilyn S; Shuler, Charles F

    2017-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine data published over the past two decades to identify trends in the basic sciences curriculum in dental education, provide an analysis of those trends, and compare them with trends in the basic sciences curriculum in medical education. Data published from the American Dental Association (ADA) Surveys of Dental Education, American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Surveys of Dental School Seniors, and two additional surveys were examined. In large part, survey data collected focused on the structure, content, and instructional strategies used in dental education: what was taught and how. Great variability was noted in the total clock hours of instruction and the clock hours of basic sciences instruction reported by dental schools. Moreover, the participation of medical schools in the basic sciences education of dental students appears to have decreased dramatically over the past decade. Although modest progress has been made in implementing some of the curriculum changes recommended in the 1995 Institute of Medicine report such as integrated basic and clinical sciences curricula, adoption of active learning methods, and closer engagement with medical and other health professions education programs, educational effectiveness studies needed to generate data to support evidence-based approaches to curriculum reform are lacking. Overall, trends in the basic sciences curriculum in medical education were similar to those for dental education. Potential drivers of curriculum change were identified, as was recent work in other fields that should encourage reconsideration of dentistry's approach to basic sciences education. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21st Century."

  13. French Latin Association Demands Full Restoration of Secondary Classics Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denegri, Raymond

    1978-01-01

    Discusses the demands of the Association pour la Defense du Latin that Latin be returned to the French secondary school curriculum and that the Classics-Science baccalaureat be restored as one of the French secondary programs. Benefits of studying Latin are enumerated. (KM)

  14. A Model Curriculum for Multiskilled Education in the Radiologic Sciences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jensen, Steven C.; Grey, Michael L.

    1995-01-01

    Explains how multiskilled cross-trained health professionals provide cost-effective health care. Outlines a baccalaureate program in radiologic science with specialization in radiology therapy, medical sonography, or advanced imaging. (SK)

  15. The Science-Mathematics Connection: Using Technology in an Interdisciplinary Module.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flournoy, Bonita E.; Cook-Bax, Janice E.; Harris, Lillian

    2001-01-01

    Points out the importance of mathematics and science connections in the curriculum and introduces the Science Teachers Open Support System (STOSS) program which aims to assist African American middle school and high school teachers in designing and implementing technology-based interdisciplinary science and mathematics modules for culturally…

  16. Generating Discourse with Cookie and Doughnut Investigations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plankis, Brian; Vowell, Julie; Ramsey, John

    2011-01-01

    One key element sometimes missing from middle school science lessons is questioning designed to generate student discourse. The National Science Teachers Association recommends that the curriculum of middle school science programs includes "hands-on, minds-on" (NSTA 2003) inquiry-based science instruction, and according to Clough and Olson,…

  17. Careers in Airway Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Federal Aviation Administration (DOT), Washington, DC.

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated the Airway Science curriculum as a method of preparing the next generation of aviation technicians and managers. This document: (1) discusses the FAA's role in the Airway Science program; (2) describes some of the career fields that FAA offers to Airway Science graduates (air traffic control…

  18. Undergraduate Research-Methods Training in Political Science: A Comparative Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Jonathan

    2010-01-01

    Unlike other disciplines in the social sciences, there has been relatively little attention paid to the structure of the undergraduate political science curriculum. This article reports the results of a representative survey of 200 political science programs in the United States, examining requirements for quantitative methods, research methods,…

  19. 34 CFR 637.2 - Who is eligible to receive a grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General § 637.2 Who... defined in § 637.4; (3) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering subjects; and (4) Enter... baccalaureate degrees in science and engineering. (c) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional...

  20. 34 CFR 637.2 - Who is eligible to receive a grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General § 637.2 Who... defined in § 637.4; (3) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering subjects; and (4) Enter... baccalaureate degrees in science and engineering. (c) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional...

  1. 34 CFR 637.2 - Who is eligible to receive a grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General § 637.2 Who... defined in § 637.4; (3) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering subjects; and (4) Enter... baccalaureate degrees in science and engineering. (c) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional...

  2. 34 CFR 637.2 - Who is eligible to receive a grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General § 637.2 Who... defined in § 637.4; (3) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering subjects; and (4) Enter... baccalaureate degrees in science and engineering. (c) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional...

  3. 34 CFR 637.2 - Who is eligible to receive a grant?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General § 637.2 Who... defined in § 637.4; (3) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering subjects; and (4) Enter... baccalaureate degrees in science and engineering. (c) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional...

  4. ScienceVision: An Inquiry-Based Videodisc Science Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawson, George

    As a result of declining scores, the National Science Foundation has funded numerous materials-development grants. Largest among these is the Interactive Media Science (IMS) Project at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee. This project's mandate is to design, develop, and produce six level III interactive videodisc programs for middle…

  5. Renewable Energy Certificate Program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gwendolyn S. Andersen

    2012-07-17

    This project was primarily to develop and implement a curriculum which will train undergraduate and graduate students at the University seeking a degree as well as training for enrollees in a special certification program to prepare individuals to be employed in a broad range of occupations in the field of renewable energy and energy conservation. Curriculum development was by teams of Saint Francis University Faculty in the Business Administration and Science Departments and industry experts. Students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees are able to enroll in courses offered within these departments which will combine theory and hands-on training in themore » various elements of wind power development. For example, the business department curriculum areas include economic modeling, finance, contracting, etc. The science areas include meteorology, energy conversion and projection, species identification, habitat protection, field data collection and analysis, etc.« less

  6. Marine Propulsion Technology Program Meets the Demand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fowler, Howard G.

    1974-01-01

    The marine technology program cluster at Florida Keys Community College is described. Technicians are trained to maintain and repair engines and selected marine accessories through a marine propulsion technology curriculum (certificate program and associate in science degree). (EA)

  7. The Dynamics of Learning Science in Everyday Contexts: A Case Study of Everyday Science Class in Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Mijung; Yoon, Heesook; Ji, Young Rae; Song, Jinwoong

    2012-01-01

    With recognition of the importance of scientific literacy for the nation and yet the increasing students' disinterest in science through school science curriculum, the Korea Science Foundation launched an innovative program called "Everyday Science Class (ESC)" in partnership with universities and local government offices in 2003. In…

  8. Barriers, Support, and Collaboration: A Comparison of Science and Agriculture Teachers' Perceptions regarding Integration of Science into the Agricultural Education Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warnick, Brian K.; Thompson, Gregory W.

    2007-01-01

    This study is part of a larger investigation which focused on determining and comparing the perceptions of agriculture teachers and science teachers on integrating science into agricultural education programs. Science and agriculture teachers' perceptions of barriers to integrating science, the support of stakeholders, and collaboration between…

  9. A Trial for Curriculum Development: The Effect of Educational Philosophy Curriculum on the Attitudes Towards Course and Educational Views

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kumral, Orhan

    2016-01-01

    In Turkey, Educational Philosophy is a compulsory course for the students of education faculties, which serve the purpose of training the teachers of future generations. Furthermore, in some other programs, students are able to take the course as an elective course. The continuous changes in culture, science, and technology force the curriculum of…

  10. Transforming the present--discovering the future: the University of Pittsburgh's NLM grant on education and training of health sciences librarians.

    PubMed Central

    Detlefsen, E G; Epstein, B A; Mickelson, P; Detre, T

    1996-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The University of Pittsburgh was awarded a grant by the National Library of Medicine to study the education and training needs of present and future medical librarians and health information specialists through a collaboration of the university's School of Information Sciences and Health Sciences Library System. Goals and objectives for the year-long project included (1) assessment of education and training needs of medical librarians, (2) development of a master of library science curriculum and an internship program that would prepare graduates to take leadership roles in medical librarianship or information management, (3) development of continuing education programs for medical librarians in different formats, and (4) development of targeted recruitment efforts to attract minority group members and individuals with undergraduate science majors. The importance of this project, present practice, and success factors for programs seeking excellence in the preparation of health sciences information professionals are reviewed. A needs assessment involving a national advisory panel and a follow-up study of individuals who have participated in previous specialized training programs in health sciences information, compared with a peer group of medical librarians who did not participate in such programs, is described. This paper presents the goals and objectives of the project, describes the methods used, and outlines a curriculum, continuing education initiatives, and recruitment activities. PMID:8913555

  11. Integrating Science in Applied Psychology Programs: A Student-Operated Journal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Antonius, Daniel; Brown, Adam D.; Todman, McWelling; Safran, Jeremy D.

    2007-01-01

    As a requirement of APA accreditation, many PhD programs in applied psychology subscribe to some variant of the scientist-practitioner model. However, critics have argued that integrating science into an applied psychology curriculum may be too challenging a task. This article describes the development of The New School Psychology Bulletin, a…

  12. 2008 Mississippi Curriculum Framework: Family and Consumer Sciences. (Program CIP: 19.9999 - Family and Consumer Sciences)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosetti, Pamela; Byrd, Jenean; West, Brenda; Bigham, Melody

    2008-01-01

    Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

  13. The health sciences communicator as faculty developer.

    PubMed

    Battles, J B; Kirk, L M; Dowell, D L; Frnka, S

    1989-01-01

    To determine the content for a model faculty development program for primary care faculty, a combination of the Delphi and Nominal Group Technique was used resulting in a curriculum with five units of instruction: development of curriculum and instruction, teaching methods, evaluation, administration, and academic survival skills. A philosophy for conducting faculty development is presented which includes concepts of andragogy, technology transfer, the diffusion of innovation, and networking. Program types include short-term, long-term, and extended programs such as fellowships.

  14. A Radio Astronomy Curriculum for the Middle School Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, J.; Finley, D. G.

    2000-12-01

    In the summer of 2000, two teachers working on a Masters of Science Teaching program at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, spent eight weeks as interns at the Array Operations Center for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, New Mexico, under the auspices of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program. The resulting projects will directly benefit students in the indvidual classrooms, as well as provide an easy-to-access resource for other educators. One of the products is a Radio Astronomy Curriculum for upper middle school classes. Radio astronomy images, based on scientific research results using NRAO's Very Large Array, are featured on trading cards which include an explanation, a ``web challenge'', and in some cases, a comparison of radio and optical images. Each trading card has corresponding lesson plans with background information about the images and astronomy concepts needed to do the lessons. Comparison of optical and radio astronomy is used as much as possible to explain the information from research using visible and radio wavelengths. New Mexico's Content Standards and Benchmarks (developed using national standards) for science education was used as a guide for the activities. The three strands of science listed in the standards, Unifying Concepts and Processes, Science as Inquiry, and Science Content are addressed in the lessons. Higher level thinking and problem solving skills are featured throughout the curriculum. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. The NSF's RET program is gratefully acknowledged.

  15. Project Success for the SLD Child, Curriculum Modification.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owens, Jean

    The curriculum modification guide, developed by project success (Nebraska) through a Title III grant for language disabled elementary level students, contains suggested activities and instructional materials to be used in units of art, health, mathematics, music, science, and social studies. Explained are program planning, criteria for selecting…

  16. Supporting Science Teachers in Alignment with State Curriculum Standards through Professional Development: Teachers' Preparedness, Expectations and Their Fulfillment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paik, Sunhee; Zhang, Meilan; Lundeberg, Mary A.; Eberhardt, Jan; Shin, Tae Seob; Zhang, Tianyi

    2011-08-01

    Since A Nation at Risk was released in the 1980s, standards-based reform has been the most dominant trend in American educational policy, and the No Child Left Behind Act pushed the trend further by requiring states to develop rigorous curriculum standards. Though much has been said about these new standards, less has been said about whether or how well professional development helps teachers link their instruction to these standards. This study examined the impact of a professional development program for K-12 science teachers in helping teachers meet state curriculum standards. Seventy-five science teachers in Michigan participated in a 2-week summer workshop that used Problem-Based Learning for improving teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers surveyed participating teachers about the change of teachers' preparedness for standards-based teaching, their expectations to meet state curriculum standards, and whether their expectations were met. In addition, the usefulness of workshop activities was examined. Data analysis showed that to align teaching with state curriculum standards, participating teachers expected to learn instructional strategies and enhance science content knowledge through professional development, and by and large their expectations were well met. Collaboration with colleagues and facilitators helped teachers achieve their goals in terms of teaching within state curriculum standards. These findings have important implications for designing professional development to help teachers align instruction with curriculum standards.

  17. Dissemination of an innovative mastery learning curriculum grounded in implementation science principles: a case study.

    PubMed

    McGaghie, William C; Barsuk, Jeffrey H; Cohen, Elaine R; Kristopaitis, Theresa; Wayne, Diane B

    2015-11-01

    Dissemination of a medical education innovation, such as mastery learning, from a setting where it has been used successfully to a new and different medical education environment is not easy. This article describes the uneven yet successful dissemination of a simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) curriculum on central venous catheter (CVC) insertion for internal medicine and emergency medicine residents across medical education settings. The dissemination program was grounded in implementation science principles. The article begins by describing implementation science which addresses the mechanisms of medical education and health care delivery. The authors then present a mastery learning case study in two phases: (1) the development, implementation, and evaluation of the SBML CVC curriculum at a tertiary care academic medical center; and (2) the dissemination of the SBML CVC curriculum to an academic community hospital setting. Contextual information about the drivers and barriers that affected the SBML CVC curriculum dissemination is presented. This work demonstrates that dissemination of mastery learning curricula, like all other medical education innovations, will fail without active educational leadership, personal contacts, dedication, hard work, rigorous measurement, and attention to implementation science principles. The article concludes by presenting a set of lessons learned about disseminating an SBML CVC curriculum across different medical education settings.

  18. A unique degree program for pre-pharmacy education: An undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences.

    PubMed

    Jafari, Mahtab

    2018-02-01

    Within the coming decade, the demand for well-trained pharmacists is expected to only increase, especially with the aging of the United States (US) population. To help fill this growing demand, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) aims to offer a unique pre-pharmacy degree program and has developed a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences to help achieve this goal. In this commentary, we share our experience with our curriculum and highlight its features in an effort to encourage other institutions to enhance the learning experience of their pre-pharmacy students. The efforts of the UCI Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences has resulted in UCI being consistently ranked as one of the top feeder institutions by the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) in recent years. The UCI Pharmaceutical Sciences Bachelor of Science offers a unique pre-pharmacy educational experience in an effort to better prepare undergraduates for the rigors of the doctorate of pharmacy curriculum. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Case study of the science, engineering, mathematics, and aerospace academy: Participant and parental perceptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graves, Catherine

    The science, engineering, mathematics, and aerospace academy (SEMAA) is a federally-funded national out-of-school time (OST) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program that provides K-12 grade participants with hands-on activities and access to an aerospace education laboratory with the goals of increasing participants' engagement and interest in STEM and STEM careers. The SEMAA also provides support, resources, and training for SEMAA participants' parents through the Family Cafe. This multiple-case study investigated participants' and their parents' reasons for enrolling in the SEMAA and characterized the SEMAA in terms of its operations and infrastructure, instructors, learning environment, curriculum and instruction, and parental engagement. This study also assessed the role of the SEMAA in supporting participants' STEM college degree and career interests. Additionally, this study assessed the participants' attitudes towards science and science motivation factors. The findings of this study have implications for SEMAA and other OST STEM program providers related to: (a) recruitment and retention, (b) operations and infrastructure, (c) learning environments, (d) instructors, (e) curriculum and instruction, (f) parental engagement, and (g) OST STEM program outcomes.

  20. A decade of reform in medical education: Experiences and challenges at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

    PubMed

    Mortaz Hejri, Sara; Mirzazadeh, Azim; Khabaz Mafinejad, Mahboobeh; Alizadeh, Maryam; Saleh, Narges; Gandomkar, Roghayeh; Jalili, Mohammad

    2018-02-23

    In this paper, we present the major curricular reform in MD program of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, the oldest and the largest medical university in Iran, initiated about a decade ago. Following a comprehensive program evaluation, many of the basic challenges of the traditional curriculum were revealed, namely, lack of pre-defined competencies for graduates, over-reliance on teacher-centered teaching methods, over-emphasis on knowledge base in student assessments, and focusing solely on biomedical aspects of patient care. In 2010, a vision statement for reform was created and approved by the University Council. The new curriculum was launched in 2011. The changes included: revising the content of the courses, assimilating horizontal and vertical integration, emphasizing clinical skills, encouraging active involvement in patient management, providing more opportunity for supervised practice, integrating behavioral and psychosocial topics into the curriculum, incorporating interactive teaching methods, assessing students' higher levels of cognition, and strengthening workplace assessments. To evaluate the changes, data were continuously collected and analyzed from the beginning. Changing the curriculum of an MD program is a laborious task which should be planned and undertaken carefully and cautiously. It is an endless, yet invaluable and satisfying endeavor toward better future.

  1. 2002 Mississippi Curriculum Framework: Comprehensive Consumer & Homemaking Education (Program CIP: 20.0101 - Comprehensive Consumer & Homemaking Education). Family and Consumer Sciences (Program CIP: 20.0192 - Family and Consumer Sciences)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arthur, Jan; Blackwell, Michelle; Clemmer, Phyllis; Cocroft, Shunda; Everett, Laurelie; Green, Coretta; West, Brenda; Yarbrough, Ruthie

    2002-01-01

    Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

  2. Designing virtual science labs for the Islamic Academy of Delaware

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    AlZahrani, Nada Saeed

    Science education is a basic part of the curriculum in modern day classrooms. Instructional approaches to science education can take many forms but hands-on application of theory via science laboratory activities for the learner is common. Not all schools have the resources to provide the laboratory environment necessary for hands-on application of science theory. Some settings rely on technology to provide a virtual laboratory experience instead. The Islamic Academy of Delaware (IAD), a typical community-based organization, was formed to support and meet the essential needs of the Muslim community of Delaware. IAD provides science education as part of the overall curriculum, but cannot provide laboratory activities as part of the science program. Virtual science labs may be a successful model for students at IAD. This study was conducted to investigate the potential of implementing virtual science labs at IAD and to develop an implementation plan for integrating the virtual labs. The literature has shown us that the lab experience is a valuable part of the science curriculum (NBPTS, 2013, Wolf, 2010, National Research Council, 1997 & 2012). The National Research Council (2012) stressed the inclusion of laboratory investigations in the science curriculum. The literature also supports the use of virtual labs as an effective substitute for classroom labs (Babateen, 2011; National Science Teachers Association, 2008). Pyatt and Simms (2011) found evidence that virtual labs were as good, if not better than physical lab experiences in some respects. Although not identical in experience to a live lab, the virtual lab has been shown to provide the student with an effective laboratory experience in situations where the live lab is not possible. The results of the IAD teacher interviews indicate that the teachers are well-prepared for, and supportive of, the implementation of virtual labs to improve the science education curriculum. The investigator believes that with the support of the literature and the readiness of the IAD administration and teachers, a recommendation to implement virtual labs into the curriculum can be made.

  3. An exploratory examination of the predictors of success for a science education program enhanced by communication technologies: Contributions from qualitative and quantitative methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Love, Curtis Clinton

    New hybrid educational programs are evolving to challenge traditional definitions of distance education. One such program is the Integrated Science (IS) program of The University of Alabama's Center for Communication and Educational Technology (CCET), which was developed to address concerns about scientific illiteracy in middle school education. IS relies on a multilayered use of communication technologies (primarily videotape and e-mail) for delivery of student instruction, as a delivery vehicle for curriculum materials, and as a feedback mechanism. The IS program serves to enhance classroom science instruction by providing professionally developed videotaped educational lectures and curriculum materials used by classroom science teachers. To date, such hybrid forms of distance education have seldom been examined. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, this study examines 64 IS classrooms visited from October 1992 to April 1995 by researchers at the Institute for Communication Research at The University of Alabama. Detailed qualitative information was gathered from each classroom by student, teacher, and administrator interviews; focus groups; questionnaires; and recording observations of classroom activity. From the reports of the site visits, key components of the IS classroom experience thought to be predictors of the success of the program for individual classrooms are identified. Exemplars of both positive and negative components are provided in narrative form. A model is posited to describe the potential relationships between the various components and their impact on the overall success of the IS program in an individual classroom. Quantitative assessments were made of the 21 key variables identified in the qualitative data that appeared to enhance the likelihood of success for the IS program in an individual classroom. Accounting for 90% of the variance in the regression model, the factor with the greatest predictive potential for success of Integrated Science was "how effective the teacher was in using classroom management skills." The results suggest that despite extensive research and curriculum development, use of sophisticated communication technologies, high video production standards, and expertise of IS video instructors, ultimately the classroom teacher plays the most critical role in determining a class's success and in achieving the goals of the Integrated Science program.

  4. Development of Science and Mathematics Education System Including Teaching Experience of Students in Local Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kage, Hiroyuki

    New reformation project on engineering education, which is supported from 2005 to 2008FY by Support Program for Contemporary Educational Needs of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, started in Kyushu Institute of Technology. In this project, teaching experience of students is introduced into the curriculum of Faculty of Engineering. In the curriculum students try to prepare teaching materials and to teach local school pupils with them by themselves. Teaching experience is remarkably effective for them to strengthen their self-dependence and learning motivation. Science Education Center, Science Laboratory and Super Teachers College were also organized to promote the area cooperation on the education of science and mathematics.

  5. Curriculum Guide Functional Level A Exceptional Child Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pinellas County District School Board, Clearwater, FL.

    Presented is the Pinellas County, Florida, curriculum guide for the instruction of educable mentally handicapped 6- and 9-year-old children. Subject areas included are language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, health, safety, physical education, art, and music. Instructional objectives for each subject area are listed with one or more…

  6. Homology Modeling and Molecular Docking for the Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDougal, Owen M.; Cornia, Nic; Sambasivarao, S. V.; Remm, Andrew; Mallory, Chris; Oxford, Julia Thom; Maupin, C. Mark; Andersen, Tim

    2014-01-01

    DockoMatic 2.0 is a powerful open source software program (downloadable from sourceforge.net) that allows users to utilize a readily accessible computational tool to explore biomolecules and their interactions. This manuscript describes a practical tutorial for use in the undergraduate curriculum that introduces students to macromolecular…

  7. Sea World Curriculum Guide. Program Theme: Behavior K-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sea World, Inc., San Diego, CA.

    This document provides science curriculum instructional material relating to marine biology. Items presented relate to live animal exhibits seen during visits to Sea World marine aquarium exhibits; however, all materials are also useful for in-class instruction without visits to Sea World displays. Ideally, material should be reviewed immediately…

  8. Sea World Curriculum Guide. Program Theme: Adaptations K-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sea World, Inc., San Diego, CA.

    This document provides science curriculum instructional material relating to marine biology. Items presented relate to live animal exhibits seen during visits to Sea World marine aquarium exhibits; however, all materials are also useful for in-class instruction without visits to Sea World displays. Ideally, material should be reviewed immediately…

  9. Sea World Curriculum Guide. Program Theme: Adaptations 4-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sea World, Inc., San Diego, CA.

    This document provides science curriculum instructional material relating to marine biology. Items presented relate to live animal exhibits seen during visits to Sea World marine aquarium exhibits; however, all materials are also useful for in-class instruction without visits to Sea World displays. Ideally, material should be reviewed immediately…

  10. Sea World Curriculum Guide. Program Theme: Behavior 4-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sea World, Inc., San Diego, CA.

    This document provides science curriculum instructional material relating to marine biology. Items presented relate to live animal exhibits seen during visits to Sea World marine aquarium exhibits; however, all materials are also useful for in-class instruction without visits to Sea World displays. Ideally, material should be reviewed immediately…

  11. Introduction to Vocations: Building Occupational Exploration at the Middle School Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rutgers, The State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ. Dept. of Vocational-Technical Education.

    This handbook uses the 15 occupational clusters for infusing career exploration into an existing school curriculum for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. Each grade's program explores designated occupational clusters through the basic curriculum of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and physical education. A…

  12. Whales of New England. Secondary Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New England Aquarium, Boston, MA.

    Instructional materials and suggestions for conducting a whale watching field trip are contained in this curriculum packet for secondary science teachers. It is one unit in a series of curricular programs developed by the New England Aquarium Education Department. Activities and information are organized into three sections: (1) pre-trip…

  13. Beyond Biology: A Curriculum in Methods of Analysis for Clinicians.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKay, David A.; Jensen, Eric W.

    1980-01-01

    The interdisciplinary seminar curriculum for postgraduate physicians entering a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program emphasizes independent research and an epidemiologic paradigm of analysis with a format that facilitates collegial learning among fellows and faculty in the diverse areas of biometrics, social, and management sciences.…

  14. Something of Value. A Summary of Findings and Recommendations for Improving Elementary Science in Massachusetts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitla, Dean K.; Pinck, Dan C.

    Presented is a summary of findings and recommendations provided by the Harvard Study Committee under the auspices of the Massachusetts Advisory Council on Education. The study is mainly concerned with the four National Science Foundation (NSF) programs: Elementary Science Study, Science Curriculum Improvement Study, Science - A Process Approach,…

  15. AIAA Educator Academy - Mars Rover Curriculum: A 6 week multidisciplinary space science based curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henriquez, E.; Bering, E. A.; Slagle, E.; Nieser, K.; Carlson, C.; Kapral, A.

    2013-12-01

    The Curiosity mission has captured the imagination of children, as NASA missions have done for decades. The AIAA and the University of Houston have developed a flexible curriculum program that offers children in-depth science and language arts learning culminating in the design and construction of their own model rover. The program is called the Mars Rover Model Celebration. It focuses on students, teachers and parents in grades 3-8. Students learn to research Mars in order to pick a science question about Mars that is of interest to them. They learn principles of spacecraft design in order to build a model of a Mars rover to carry out their mission on the surface of Mars. The model is a mock-up, constructed at a minimal cost from art supplies. This project may be used either informally as an after school club or youth group activity or formally as part of a class studying general science, earth science, solar system astronomy or robotics, or as a multi-disciplinary unit for a gifted and talented program. The project's unique strength lies in engaging students in the process of spacecraft design and interesting them in aerospace engineering careers. The project is aimed at elementary and secondary education. Not only will these students learn about scientific fields relevant to the mission (space science, physics, geology, robotics, and more), they will gain an appreciation for how this knowledge is used to tackle complex problems. The low cost of the event makes it an ideal enrichment vehicle for low income schools. It provides activities that provide professional development to educators, curricular support resources using NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) content, and provides family opportunities for involvement in K-12 student learning. This paper will describe the structure and organization of the 6 week curriculum. A set of 30 new 5E lesson plans have been written to support this project as a classroom activity. The challenge of developing interactive learning activities for planetary science will be explored. These lesson plans incorporate state of the art interactive pedagogy and current NASA Planetary Science materials.

  16. National Science Resources Center Project to Improve Science Teaching in Elementary Schools with Special Emphasis on Department of Defense Dependents Schools and Other Schools Serving Children of Military Personnel

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-10-01

    science and mathematics education: • DOD Apprenticeship Programs * DOD Teacher Internship Programs * DOD Partnership Programs * DOD Dependents Schools ...corporate sponsors. curriculum and instruction in school mathematics For further information about the project or for were developed in a comprehensive... students develop critical thinking skills and to enhance their ability to solve problems through hands-on activities. The staff and participants were most

  17. CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SCIENCE, PRIMARY 2-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    GRAHAM, KATHRYN A.; AND OTHERS

    COURSE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES, AND REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE IN SECOND AND THIRD GRADES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS DISCUSS AN APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE AND THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCIENCE PROGRAM. SIX UNITS OF STUDY ARE PRESENTED FOR SECOND GRADE--(1) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANTS AND ANIMALS, (2)…

  18. Adapting Science Materials for the Blind, Report of an Evaluation Planning Conference.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thier, Herbert D.; And Others

    Persons from the field of science education and persons who had extensive experience working with visually handicapped children were brought together to establish some baselines and beginning ideas of approaches to the evaluation of a laboratory - centered science program (Science Curriculum Improvement Study) as it is being used with visually…

  19. Engaging Youth of Color in Applied Science Education and Public Health Promotion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sprague Martinez, Linda; Bowers, Edmond; Reich, Amanda J.; Ndulue, Uchenna J.; Le, Albert An; Peréa, Flavia C.

    2016-01-01

    Participation in inquiry-based science education, which focuses on student-constructed learning, has been linked to academic success. Whereas the benefits of this type of science education are evident, access to such high-quality science curriculum and programming is not equitable. Black and Latino students in particular have less access to…

  20. The First ECPD Accredited Environmental B. Tech. Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rowe, Donald R.; Russell, John P.

    1975-01-01

    Describes the first bachelor of science program in environmental engineering technology, with objectives of providing adequate training in the control of air, water, and land pollution. Includes a four-year curriculum plan. (MLH)

  1. Sciences--Secondaire Deuxieme Cycle: Guide d'enseignement (Teaching Guide for the Second Cycle of Secondary School Science).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Language Services Branch.

    This teachers guide is the French translation of the second cycle for the secondary science curriculum. The document is presented in six sections. The first section provides a historic overview of the secondary school science program that emphasizes the Science, Technology, and Society approach. The second section discusses what the science class…

  2. The effects of an integrated Algebra 1/physical science curriculum on student achievement in Algebra 1, proportional reasoning and graphing abilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawrence, Lettie Carol

    1997-08-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to determine if an integrated curriculum in algebra 1/physical science facilitates acquisition of proportional reasoning and graphing abilities better than a non-integrated, traditional, algebra 1 curriculum. Also, this study was to ascertain if the integrated algebra 1/physical science curriculum resulted in greater student achievement in algebra 1. The curriculum used in the experimental class was SAM 9 (Science and Mathematics 9), an investigation-based curriculum that was written to integrate physical science and basic algebra content. The experiment was conducted over one school year. The subjects in the study were 61 ninth grade students. The experimental group consisted of one class taught concurrently by a mathematics teacher and a physical science teacher. The control group consisted of three classes of algebra 1 students taught by one mathematics teacher and taking physical science with other teachers in the school who were not participating in the SAM 9 program. This study utilized a quasi-experimental non-randomized control group pretest-posttest design. The investigator obtained end-of-algebra 1 scores from student records. The written open-ended graphing instruments and the proportional reasoning instrument were administered to both groups as pretests and posttests. The graphing instruments were also administered as a midtest. A two sample t-test for independent means was used to determine significant differences in achievement on the end-of-course algebra 1 test. Quantitative data from the proportional reasoning and graphing instruments were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance to determine differences in scores over time for the experimental and control groups. The findings indicate no significant difference between the experimental and control groups on the end-of-course algebra 1 test. Results also indicate no significant differences in proportional reasoning and graphing abilities between the two groups over time. However, all subjects (experimental and control groups) made significant improvement in graphing abilities over one school year. In this study, students participating in an investigation-based curriculum integrating algebra 1 and physical science performed as well on the instruments as the students in the traditional curriculum. Therefore, an argument can be made that instruction using an integrated curriculum (algebra l/physical science) is a viable alternative to instruction using a more traditional algebra 1 curriculum. Finally, the integrated curriculum adheres to the constructivist theoretical perspective (Krupnik-Gotlieb, 1995) and is more consistent with recommendations in the NCTM Standards (1992) than the traditional curriculum.

  3. Science 2. De Soto Parish Curriculum Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Emmagene L.; And Others

    This guide is designed to provide teachers (grade 2) with a ready resource for planning, organizing, and teaching science to the elementary child. Many suggested activities will provide an enriched science program. Each unit lists estimated time, content, concepts or "understandings," problems to deal with, activities, suggestions for…

  4. The Learning Cycle and College Science Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barman, Charles R.; Allard, David W.

    Originally developed in an elementary science program called the Science Curriculum Improvement Study, the learning cycle (LC) teaching approach involves students in an active learning process modeled on four elements of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development: physical experience, referring to the biological growth of the central nervous…

  5. STEMMING the Gap

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahler, Jim; Valentine, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    America has a gap when it comes to youth pursuing science and technology careers. In an effort to improve the knowledge and application of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), after-school programs can work in conjunction with formal in-school curriculum to improve science education. One organization that actively addresses this…

  6. Achieving a coherent curriculum in second grade: Science as the organizer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park Rogers, Meredith A.

    The purpose of this study was to examine how a team of four second grade teachers used their approach to teaching science as a means for designing and implementing a coherent curriculum. Within this study, curriculum coherency refers to making logical instructional connections that are both visible and explicit for students. A teacher using a common teaching strategy or critical thinking skills in such a way that the commonalities between subject areas are clearly demonstrated to students is one example of curriculum coherency. The research framework guiding this study was phenomenology; I used a case study method for data analysis. The primary data source was field notes gathered during 10 weeks of classroom observations. Secondary data sources included observations of team meetings, two sets of interviews with each of the four teachers, an interview with the school principal, and artifacts used and developed by the teachers. An analysis of the data led me to interpret the following findings: (1) the teachers viewed science as a tool to motivate their students to learn and believed in teaching science through an inquiry-based approach; (2) they described science inquiry as a process of thinking organized around questions, and saw their teaching role as shifting between guided and open classroom inquiry; (3) they taught all subjects using an inquiry-based approach, emphasized the process skills associated with doing scientific inquiry, and consistently used the language of the process skills throughout their instruction of all disciplines; (4) their team's collaborative approach played a significant role in achieving their vision of a coherent curriculum; the successfulness of their collaboration relied on the unique contributions of each member and her commitment to professional development. This study demonstrates how an inquiry-based science curriculum can provide educators with an effective model for designing and implementing a coherent curriculum. Furthermore, the findings have implications for elementary preservice and inservice programs with respect to using science teaching as a foundation for developing curriculum coherency.

  7. A review of forensic science higher education programs in the United States: bachelor's and master's degrees.

    PubMed

    Tregar, Kristen L; Proni, Gloria

    2010-11-01

    As the number of forensic science programs offered at higher education institutions rises, and more students express an interest in them, it is important to gain information regarding the offerings in terms of courses, equipment available to students, degree requirements, and other important aspects of the programs. A survey was conducted examining the existing bachelor's and master's forensic science programs in the U.S. Of the responding institutions, relatively few were, at the time of the survey, accredited by the forensic science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC). In general, the standards of the responding programs vary considerably primarily in terms of their size and subjects coverage. While it is clear that the standards for the forensic science programs investigated are not homogeneous, the majority of the programs provide a strong science curriculum, faculties with advanced degrees, and interesting forensic-oriented courses. © 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  8. Teacher and student supports for implementation of the NGSS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Severance, Samuel

    Through three articles, this dissertation examines the use of supports for implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) within a large urban school district. Article one, titled Organizing for Teacher Agency in Curricular Co-design, examines the need for coherent curriculum materials that teachers' had a meaningful role in shaping and how the use of a co-design approach and specific tools and routines can help to address this need. Article two, titled Relevant Learning and Student Agency within a Citizen Science Design Challenge, examines the need for curriculum materials that provide students with learning experiences they find relevant and that expands their sense of agency and how a curriculum centered around a community-based citizen science design challenge can help achieve such an aim. Article three, titled Implementation of a Novel Professional Development Program to Support Teachers' Understanding of Modeling, examines the need for professional development that builds teachers' understanding of and skill in engaging their students in the practice of developing and using models and how a novel professional development program, the Next Generation Science Exemplar, can aid teachers in this regard by providing them with carefully sequenced professional development activities and specific modeling tools for use in the classroom.

  9. Basic science curriculums in nuclear cardiology and cardiovascular imaging: evolving and emerging concepts.

    PubMed

    Van Decker, William A; Villafana, Theodore

    2008-01-01

    The teaching of basic science with regard to physics, instrumentation, and radiation safety has been part of nuclear cardiology training since its inception. Although there are clear educational and quality rationale for such, regulations associated with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Subpart J of old 10 CFR section 35 (Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 35) from the 1960s mandated such prescriptive instruction. Cardiovascular fellowship training programs now have a new opportunity to rethink their basic science imaging curriculums with the era of "revised 10 CFR section 35" and the growing implementation of multimodality imaging training and expertise. This review focuses on the history and the why, what, and how of such a curriculum arising in one city and suggests examples of future implementation in other locations.

  10. Online-BSEE (Online Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering): An Asynchronous Online Electrical Engineering Degree Program with Laboratory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Wendy; Westgate, Charles; Liu, Pao-Lo; Gouzman, Michael

    2014-01-01

    The Online Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering is a collaborative effort among three University Centers at SUNY (State University of New York), namely Stony Brook, Binghamton, and Buffalo. The program delivers the complete electrical engineering curriculum at the bachelor level to students online and asynchronously. Students, however,…

  11. School-Related Factors Contributing to the Delivery Enhancement of the Special Science Program in Western Visayas, Philippines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bangcaya, Porferio S.; Alejandro, Grecebio Jonathan D.

    2015-01-01

    In this mixed-method study, the secondary schools in Western Visayas, Philippines offering special science program (SSP) were assessed as basis for delivery enhancement. The SSP along student-related factors and the extent of implementation in the areas of curriculum and instruction, laboratory facilities, and administration in terms of the…

  12. Mississippi Curriculum Framework for Family and Consumer Sciences and Related Technology (Enrichment) (CIP: 20.0101--Comprehensive Consumer & Homemkg. Ed.). Secondary Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mississippi Research and Curriculum Unit for Vocational and Technical Education, State College.

    This document, which reflects Mississippi's statutory requirement that instructional programs be based on core curricula and performance-based assessment, contains outlines of the instructional units required in local instructional management plans and daily lesson plans for family and consumer sciences and related technology (enrichment).…

  13. Piquing Student Interest with Pharmacology: An Interdisciplinary Program Helps High School Students Learn Biology and Chemistry Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halpin, Myra J.; Hoeffler, Leanne; Schwartz-Bloom, Rochelle D.

    2005-01-01

    To help students learn science concepts, Pharmacology Education Partnership (PEP)--a science education program that incorporates relevant topics related to drugs and drug abuse into standard biology and chemistry curricula was developed. The interdisciplinary PEP curriculum provides six modules to teach biology and chemistry principles within the…

  14. EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION IN THE SMALL SCHOOL.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LEDFORD, LOWELL E.

    HENSLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CONSISTING OF 72 STUDENTS AND 3 TEACHERS, HAS INCORPORATED 12 EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAMS AS A REGULAR PART OF THE CURRICULUM IN THE FIRST 6 GRADES. GRADES 1 AND 2 VIEWED PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE, SPEECH, ART, MUSIC, AND STORY TIME. GRADES 3 AND 4 VIEWED SERIES IN MUSIC, SCIENCE, ART, AND SPEECH, WHILE GRADES 5 AND 6 WERE…

  15. Earth Science for Educators: Preparing 7-12 Teachers for Standards-based, Inquiry Instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sloan, H.

    2002-05-01

    "Earth Science for Educators" is an innovative, standards-based, graduate level teacher education curriculum that presents science content and pedagogic technique in parallel. The curriculum calls upon the resources and expertise of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to prepare novice New York City teachers for teaching Earth Science. One of the goals of teacher education is to assure and facilitate science education reform through preparation of K-12 teachers who understand and are able to implement standard-based instruction. Standards reflect not only the content knowledge students are expected to attain but also the science skills and dispositions towards science they are expected to develop. Melding a list of standards with a curriculum outline to create inquiry-based classroom instruction that reaches a very diverse population of learners is extremely challenging. "Earth Science for Educators" helps novice teachers make the link between standards and practice by constantly connecting standards with instruction they receive and activities they carry out. Development of critical thinking and enthusiasm for inquiry is encouraged through engaging experience and contact with scientists and their work. Teachers are taught Earth systems science content through modeling of a wide variety of instruction and assessment methods based upon authentic scientific inquiry and aimed at different learning styles. Use of fieldwork and informal settings, such as the Museum, familiarizes novice teachers with ways of drawing on community resources for content and instructional settings. Metacognitive reflection that articulates standards, practice, and the teachers' own learning experience help draw out teachers' insights into their students' learning. The innovation of bring science content together with teaching methods is key to preparing teachers for standards-based, inquiry instruction. This curriculum was successfully piloted with a group of 28 novice teachers as part of the AMNH-City University of New York partnership and the CUNY Teaching Opportunity Program Scholarship. Reactions and feedback from program coordinators and teachers have been extremely positive during the year and a half since its implementation.

  16. The concepts of nanotechnology as a part of physics education in high school and in interactive science museum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolářová, Lucie; Rálišová, Ema

    2017-01-01

    The advancements in nanotechnology especially in medicine and in developing new materials offer interesting possibilities for our society. It is not only scientists and engineers who need a better understanding of these new technologies but it is also important to prepare the young people and the general public on impact of nanotechnology on their life. Knowledge from this field likewise provides the opportunities to engage and motivate high school students for the study of science. Although, the concepts of nanoscience and nanotechnology are not a part of Czech high school physics curriculum they can be successfully integrated into regular curriculum in appropriate places. Because it is an interdisciplinary field, it also provides an opportunity for the interdisciplinary connections of physics, chemistry and biology. Many concepts for understanding the nanoworld can be shown by the simple activities and experiments and it is not a problem to demonstrate these experiments in each classroom. This paper presents the proposal for integration of the concepts of nanoscience and nanotechnologies into the high school physics curriculum, and the involvement of some of these concepts into the instructional program for middle and high school students which was realized in interactive science museum Fort Science in Olomouc. As a part of the program there was a quantitative questionnaire and its goal was to determine the effectiveness of the program and how students are satisfied with it.

  17. Against all odds: Tales of survival and growth of the Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, Karen Kina

    This study examines the dynamics of survival and growth of curricular and instructional innovations. It focuses on the Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) project, a long-term survivor of reform in science education. Key questions guiding this study include: (1) How did the FAST project survive over the past 30 years? (2) What elements are essential for long-term survival and growth of an innovative science program? (3) Why did the project continue to survive amidst several waves of educational reform? The core of my conceptual framework is that the odds of survival and growth of curricular and instructional innovations are increased by the extent to which resources, theory-based curriculum development processes, and professional development strategies are not only incorporated into but also interdependent within a project. With this framework as a guide, the main methods of data collection were document analysis, interviews, and observations. FAST, developed by the University of Hawaii's Curriculum Research and Development Group (CRDG), consists of a sequential and interdisciplinary middle and high school science program for students in grades 6-10. According to the results of this study, the project was able to survive by receiving constant organizational support from CRDG and a steady source of State funding through the university since 1966; it also retained a relatively small but stable staff of highly qualified project personnel. Formulated on a discipline-based theory that values development of students' intellectual capacities as the platform for curriculum research, design, and development, the FAST project translated this vision of science education into key elements of an innovative program that survived and thrived: (1) an interdisciplinary program consisting of physical, biological, and earth sciences; inquiry as content and process; history and philosophy of science; and links between and among sciences, technology, and society; and (2) teaching and learning strategies that model a community of practicing scientists. This study also identified the main elements of professional development strategies essential for an innovative project's survival and growth: linking curriculum development to required pre-implementation inservice training, engaging project personnel in both of these phases recruiting, training a cadre of experienced FAST teachers as inservice trainers, and providing follow-up professional development seminars. In conclusion, the FAST project survived mainly because the longevity of its leaders gave stability and continuity to the project. Against many odds such as limited financial resources and a small number of staff positions relative to the project's scope, the leaders managed with whatever resources were available to link theory-based curriculum development with professional development and, thereby, increase the project's chances for survival and growth.

  18. Teaching the Right Stuff: Where It's Happening Today.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mrachek, Len; And Others

    1984-01-01

    These five articles discuss the improvement of vocational education programs through the infusion of mathematics and science skills. They include an auto mechanics curriculum; an 11th-grade industrial maintenance program (orientation, electricity, plumbing); a combination automotive services-small business program; and two programs at one…

  19. Probing the Natural World, Volume 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burkman, Ernest

    These materials represent the first third of a coordinated science program for grades seven through nine. The materials have been prepared according to the following Intermediate Science Curriculum Study rationale: (1) science at the junior-high-school level should serve a general education function, and (2) both processes and concepts should be…

  20. Literature, Science, and Cooking in the Primary Grades.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donoghue, Mildred R.

    Since the balanced literacy program presently mandated in California makes literature an integral part of the curriculum and leaves even less time for study of the sciences, this annotated bibliography provides some recommended literature together with the science concepts that evolve from those books. The bibliography also offers cooking recipes…

  1. Finding the Language to Teach Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavanagh, Sean

    2008-01-01

    More than 400 educators in the Miami-Dade County, Florida, school system take part in a professional-development and curriculum program that attempts to build students' science knowledge while also helping them master English. Developed by researchers at the University of Miami, the Promoting Science among English Language Learners program…

  2. Engineering Design Skills Coverage in K-12 Engineering Program Curriculum Materials in the USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

    2017-01-01

    The current "K-12 Science Education framework" and "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed…

  3. National Geographic Society Kids Network: Report on 1994 teacher participants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    In 1994, National Geographic Society Kids Network, a computer/telecommunications-based science curriculum, was presented to elementary and middle school teachers through summer programs sponsored by NGS and US DOE. The network program assists teachers in understanding the process of doing science; understanding the role of computers and telecommunications in the study of science, math, and engineering; and utilizing computers and telecommunications appropriately in the classroom. The program enables teacher to integrate science, math, and technology with other subjects with the ultimate goal of encouraging students of all abilities to pursue careers in science/math/engineering. This report assesses the impact of the networkmore » program on participating teachers.« less

  4. Engineering design skills coverage in K-12 engineering program curriculum materials in the USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

    2017-11-01

    The current K-12 Science Education framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed curriculum materials that are being used in K-12 settings. However, little is known about the nature and extent to which engineering design skills outlined in NGSS are addressed in these K-12 engineering education programme curriculum materials. We analysed nine K-12 engineering education programmes for the nature and extent of engineering design skills coverage. Results show that developing possible solutions and actual designing of prototypes were the highly covered engineering design skills; specification of clear goals, criteria, and constraints received medium coverage; defining and identifying an engineering problem; optimising the design solution; and demonstrating how a prototype works, and making iterations to improve designs were lowly covered. These trends were similar across grade levels and across discipline-specific curriculum materials. These results have implications on engineering design-integrated science teaching and learning in K-12 settings.

  5. Earth Science. Developing an Early Interest in Science: A Preschool Science Curriculum. (4-Year-Olds).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Summer, Gail L.; Giovannini, Kathleen

    This teaching guide on earth sciences for 4-year-olds is based on a modification of the "Plan, Do, Review" approach to education devised by High Scope in Ypsilanti, Michigan. First implemented as an outreach early childhood program in North Carolina, the science activities described in this guide can be adapted to various early childhood…

  6. Earth Science. Developing an Early Interest in Science: A Preschool Science Curriculum. (3-Year-Olds).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Summer, Gail L.; Giovannini, Kathleen

    This teaching guide on earth sciences for 3-year-old children is based on a modification of the "Plan, Do, Review" approach to education devised by High Scope in Ypsilanti, Michigan. First implemented as an outreach early childhood program in North Carolina, the science activities described in this guide can be adapted to various early childhood…

  7. Environmentalization of the Physical Education Curriculum in Brazilian Universities: Culturally Comparative Lessons from Critical Outdoor Education in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodrigues, Cae; Payne, Phillip G.

    2017-01-01

    'Environmentalizing' curriculum in Brazil is a worthy goal of global educational reform for sustainability but is challenging given the limits to rational change thesis already argued in critical social science and post-structural deconstructionism. The federal government mandate to environmentalize undergraduate physical education programs poses…

  8. The Carbon Cycle and the Earth Systems--Studying the Carbon Cycle in Multidisciplinary Environmental Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gudovitch, Yossi; Orion, Nir

    This paper describes a method that attempts to confront the challenges of developing an environmentally-based earth sciences program. The research scheme includes five stages: (1) predevelopment study; (2) curriculum development; (3) implementation; (4) formative evaluation; and (5) curriculum modification. The research results indicate that the…

  9. Engineering Students for the 21st Century: Student Development through the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheville, Alan; Bunting, Chuck

    2011-01-01

    Through support of the National Science Foundation's Department Level Reform program, "Engineering Students for the 21st Century" (ES21C) has implemented a ten-course sequence designed to help students develop into engineers. Spread across the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) curriculum at Oklahoma State University, these…

  10. Internationalization of the Business Curriculum: A Case Study--University of Montevallo.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamilton, Harold C.; Word, William R.

    In 1979 the College of Business at the University of Montevallo (Alabama), a small undergraduate institution emphasizing liberal studies and professional programs supported by a broad base of arts and sciences, decided to work toward achieving accreditation by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business. Curriculum review indicated…

  11. Guidelines for the CSMP K-6 Curriculum in Graph Theory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deskins, W. E.; And Others

    This volume is designed for teachers preparing to teach upper elementary students using the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) curriculum. It begins with a discussion of the importance of graph theory in mathematics and science. A mathematical development of graph-theoretic concepts and theorems is presented, followed by a set of…

  12. Effects of a Preschool Mathematics Curriculum: Summative Research on the "Building Blocks" Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clements, Douglas H.; Sarama, Julie

    2007-01-01

    This study evaluated the efficacy of a preschool mathematics program based on a comprehensive model of developing research-based software and print curricula. Building Blocks, funded by the National Science Foundation, is a curriculum development project focused on creating research-based, technology-enhanced mathematics materials for pre-K…

  13. CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SCIENCE, GRADES 4-5-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    GRAHAM, KATHRYN A.; AND OTHERS

    COURSE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES, AND REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE IN GRADES 4, 5, AND 6 ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS RELATE TO AN APPROACH TO TEACHING SCIENCE AND THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCIENCE PROGRAM. THE FIVE UNITS INCLUDED FOR GRADE 4 ARE (1) INSECTS AND SPIDERS, (2) LIVING THINGS OF SIMILAR AREAS, (3) THE…

  14. CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SCIENCE FOR GRADES 7 AND 8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    GRAHAM, KATHRYN A.; AND OTHERS

    COURSE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES, AND REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE IN GRADES 7 AND 8 ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS RELATE TO AN APPROACH TO TEACHING SCIENCE AND THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCIENCE PROGRAM. SEVEN UNITS OF STUDY ARE INCLUDED FOR GRADE 7--(1) THE NATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE, (2) SIMPLE MECHANICS OF SOLIDS,…

  15. Biology Curriculum Reform in Venezuela.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rondon, Leonor Mariasole

    2001-01-01

    Describes science in the Venezuelan school system which reflects on the process of development followed to design and validate the Biology Study Programs (BSP) with the emphasis on the relevance of curricular changes proposed in biological science for secondary education. (Contains 19 references.) (ASK)

  16. Proceedings of an Invitational Workshop on Curriculum Development in Ecology and Related Environmental Sciences, December 10 - 11, 1970.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Colleges, Los Angeles. Div. of Academic Planning.

    The purpose of the conference was to discuss the following issues: (1) curricula relating to the pure and applied sciences of the environment; (2) programs designed to develop the technological skill necessary for the person who deals with some aspect of maintaining a healthful environment; (3) programs designed to develop managers of the…

  17. Broadening Participation of Women and Underrepresented Minorities in STEM through a Hybrid Online Transfer Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drew, Jennifer C.; Galindo-Gonzalez, Sebastian; Ardissone, Alexandria N.; Triplett, Eric W.

    2016-01-01

    The Microbiology and Cell Science (MCS) Department at the University of Florida (UF) developed a new model of a 2 + 2 program that uses a hybrid online approach to bring its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum to students. In this paradigm, 2-year graduates transfer as online students into the Distance Education in…

  18. Between Cultures: Using Curriculum Assessment to Develop and Deliver the Integrated Core of an Arts and Sciences Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennee, Donna Palmateer

    2007-01-01

    How does one develop and deliver the integrated core of a cross-disciplinary arts and sciences undergraduate degree when the degree program has no departmental or college home and no full-time faculty, but plenty of enthusiastic students who are looking for a unique educational experience? This article outlines how a formalized curriculum…

  19. High School Students’ Learning and Perceptions of Phylogenetics of Flowering Plants

    PubMed Central

    Landis, Jacob B.; Crippen, Kent J.

    2014-01-01

    Basic phylogenetics and associated “tree thinking” are often minimized or excluded in formal school curricula. Informal settings provide an opportunity to extend the K–12 school curriculum, introducing learners to new ideas, piquing interest in science, and fostering scientific literacy. Similarly, university researchers participating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach activities increase awareness of college and career options and highlight interdisciplinary fields of science research and augment the science curriculum. To aid in this effort, we designed a 6-h module in which students utilized 12 flowering plant species to generate morphological and molecular phylogenies using biological techniques and bioinformatics tools. The phylogenetics module was implemented with 83 high school students during a weeklong university STEM immersion program and aimed to increase student understanding of phylogenetics and coevolution of plants and pollinators. Student response reflected positive engagement and learning gains as evidenced through content assessments, program evaluation surveys, and program artifacts. We present the results of the first year of implementation and discuss modifications for future use in our immersion programs as well as in multiple course settings at the high school and undergraduate levels. PMID:25452488

  20. Forensic Science Curriculum for High School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burgess, Christiana J.

    Over the last several decades, forensic science---the application of science to civil and criminal legal matters---has become of increasing popularity with the public. The range of disciplines within the field is immense, offering individuals the potential for a unique career, regardless of their specific interests or expertise. In response to this growth, many organizations, both public and private, have recognized the need to create forensic science programs that strive to maintain and enhance the quality of forensic science education. Unfortunately, most of the emphasis placed on developing these materials relates to post-secondary education, and creates a significant lack of forensic science educational materials available in the U.S., especially in Oklahoma. The purpose of this project was to create a high school curriculum that provides the foundation for building a broad, yet comprehensive, overview of the field of forensic science and its associated disciplines. The overall goal was to create and provide course materials to high school teachers in order to increase their knowledge of forensic science such that they are able to teach its disciplines effectively and with accuracy. The Forensic Science Curriculum for High School Students includes sample lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, and lab activities with step-by-step instructions.

  1. Pair Programming in Education: A Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanks, Brian; Fitzgerald, Sue; McCauley, Renee; Murphy, Laurie; Zander, Carol

    2011-01-01

    This article provides a review of educational research literature focused on pair programming in the undergraduate computer science curriculum. Research suggests that the benefits of pair programming include increased success rates in introductory courses, increased retention in the major, higher quality software, higher student confidence in…

  2. The Process of Becoming an Embedded Curriculum Librarian in Multiple Health Sciences Programs.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Gwen

    2015-01-01

    Higher education is moving to offer more fully online programs, and the health science fields are no different. These programs are either hybrid or completely online. It is up to the health sciences librarian to adapt services offered by the academic library to these types of courses. This column discusses the multiple ways a librarian can be an embedded librarian in a course using a learning management system (LMS). The process of creating a customized embedded librarian program, results, and lessons learned from the different embedded librarian roles are also discussed.

  3. Methods of Science Investigation Part 2: Results of Implementation of a Curriculum Fostering Original Scientific Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danch, J. M.

    2008-12-01

    Originally designed to allow secondary students with special needs to participate in original scientific research, the Methods of Science Curriculum was piloted in 2008. Students participating included those with special needs, English language learners, and the general population. Students were incrementally graduated from traditional inquiry activities towards authentic student-generated research projects. Students were evaluated via class work grades, an in-school symposium and a pre/post test. 100 percent of participants successfully completed and presented their original research. The pre/post evaluation demonstrated improvement for 91 percent of participants. An unanticipated result was the performance and growth of English language learners, possibly because of the emphasis on the creative and active process of science rather than vocabulary. A teacher-training program is being developed for expansion of the curriculum to additional schools in 2009.

  4. PACES Participation in Educational Outreach Programs at the University of Texas at El Paso

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dodge, Rebecca L.

    1997-01-01

    The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is involved in several initiatives to improve science education within the El Paso area public schools. These include outreach efforts into the K- 12 classrooms; training programs for in-service teachers; and the introduction of a strong science core curricula within the College of Education. The Pan American Center for Earth and Environmental Studies (PACES), a NASA-funded University Research Center, will leverage off the goals of these existing initiatives to provide curriculum support materials at all levels. We will use currently available Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) materials as well as new materials developed specifically for this region, in an effort to introduce the Earth System Science perspective into these programs. In addition, we are developing curriculum support materials and classes within the Geology and Computer Departments, to provide education in the area of remote sensing and GIS applications at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

  5. Probing the Natural World, Volume 1, Teachers Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burkman, Ernest

    This is the teaching guide for the first third of a coordinated science program for grades seven through nine. The materials have been prepared according to the following Intermediate Science Curriculum Study rationale: (1) science at the junior-high-school level should serve a general education function, and (2) both processes and concepts should…

  6. Meeting the Capstone Challenge in Postgraduate Food Science Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McSweeney, Peter; Calvo, Joaquin; Santhanam-Martin, Michael; Billman-Jacobe, Helen

    2017-01-01

    Project work and work placements can help prepare tertiary food science students for the workplace. Programs in the curriculum should support the development of transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving, and planning. This paper describes a case study of a new capstone project for Masters of Food Science students based on a work…

  7. Influences on Visual Spatial Rotation: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Experiences, Age, and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perry, Paula Christine

    2013-01-01

    Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education curriculum is designed to strengthen students' science and math achievement through project based learning activities. As part of a STEM initiative, SeaPerch was developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. SeaPerch is an innovative underwater robotics program that instructs…

  8. Are Teachers Ready to Integrate Science Concepts into Secondary Agriculture Programs?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scales, Jason; Terry, Robert, Jr.; Torres, Robert M.

    2009-01-01

    For the past two decades, the idea of integrating more science concepts into the secondary agriculture curriculum has gained support. The purpose of this study was to assess the confidence and competence of agriculture instructors to teach concepts related to science. The sample was derived from the population of agriculture instructors teaching…

  9. Identifying the Factors Leading to Success: How an Innovative Science Curriculum Cultivates Student Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scogin, Stephen C.

    2016-01-01

    "PlantingScience" is an award-winning program recognized for its innovation and use of computer-supported scientist mentoring. Science learners work on inquiry-based experiments in their classrooms and communicate asynchronously with practicing plant scientist-mentors about the projects. The purpose of this study was to identify specific…

  10. Examination of a Successful and Active Science Club: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Behrendt, Marc

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative evaluative study explores the views of two science club advisor/educators of an active 122-member rural high school science club program that is thriving in spite of increasingly busy student schedules, decreasing school budgets, and a demanding standardized curriculum. It is essential to understand the teacher-advisors'…

  11. Checklist for Excellence in Science Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ediger, Marlow

    2016-01-01

    Science teachers need to evaluate their lessons and units of study, frequently, to stay abreast of recommended trends in the curriculum. Self evaluation is involved here. A quality science program must be implemented in order to assist learners to achieve as optimally as possible. Which guidelines should then serve in self evaluation?

  12. 77 FR 41191 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Effectiveness of the NIH Curriculum Supplements Programs

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-12

    ... comment on proposed data collection projects, the Office of Science Education, the National Institutes of... collection of information, contact Lisa Strauss, Office of Science Education, National Institutes of Health... supplements in presenting science in a more engaging and interactive way. The supplements help K-12 educators...

  13. Bringing Data Science, Xinformatics and Semantic eScience into the Graduate Curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fox, P.

    2012-04-01

    Recent advances in acquisition techniques quickly provide massive amount of complex data characterized by source heterogeneity, multiple modalities, high volume, high dimensionality, and multiple scales (temporal, spatial, and function). In turn, science and engineering disciplines are rapidly becoming more and more data driven with goals of higher sample throughput, better understanding/modeling of complex systems and their dynamics, and ultimately engineering products for practical applications. However, analyzing libraries of complex data requires managing its complexity and integrating the information and knowledge across multiple scales over different disciplines. Attention to Data Science is now ubiquitous - The Fourth Paradigm publication, Nature and Science special issues on Data, and explicit emphasis on Data in national and international agency programs, foundations (Keck, Moore) and corporations (IBM, GE, Microsoft, etc.). Surrounding this attention is a proliferation of studies, reports, conferences and workshops on Data, Data Science and workforce. Examples include: "Train a new generation of data scientists, and broaden public understanding" from an EU Expert Group, "…the nation faces a critical need for a competent and creative workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)...", "We note two possible approaches to addressing the challenge of this transformation: revolutionary (paradigmatic shifts and systemic structural reform) and evolutionary (such as adding data mining courses to computational science education or simply transferring textbook organized content into digital textbooks).", and "The training programs that NSF establishes around such a data infrastructure initiative will create a new generation of data scientists, data curators, and data archivists that is equipped to meet the challenges and jobs of the future." Further, interim report of the International Council for Science's (ICSU) Strategic Coordinating Committee on Information and Data (SCCID), features this excerpt from section 4.2.4 Data scientists and professionals: "An unfortunate state in the recognition of data science, is that there is a lack of appreciation of the need for a set of professional knowledge in skill in key areas, many of which have not been emphasized to date, e.g. professional approaches to the management of data over its lifecycle. As such, the effort required to be a data scientists is not valued sufficiently by the remainder of the scientific community." SCCID Recommendation 6 reads: "We recommend the development of education at university level in the new and vital field of data science. The curriculum included in appendix D can be used as a starting point for curriculum development. Appendix D. is entitled "Example curriculum for data science" and explicitly uses the "Curriculum for Data Science taught at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA" . This contribution will present relevant curriculum offerings at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. http://tw.rpi.edu/web/Courses

  14. The Influence of Laboratory Instruction on Science Achievement and Attitude toward Science among Ninth Grade Students across Gender Differences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freedman, Michael P.

    This study investigated the use of a hands-on laboratory program as a means of improving attitude toward science and increasing achievement levels in science knowledge among students in a ninth grade physical science course. Using a posttest-only control group design, a curriculum referenced objective final examination was used to measure student…

  15. Integrating Leadership Development throughout the Undergraduate Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reed, Kelynne E.; Aiello, David P.; Barton, Lance F.; Gould, Stephanie L.; McCain, Karla S.; Richardson, John M.

    2016-01-01

    This article discusses the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Teaching and Research (STAR) Leadership Program, developed at Austin College, which engages students in activities integrated into undergraduate STEM courses that promote the development of leadership behaviors. Students focus on interpersonal communication,…

  16. Individualizing Curriculum for Gifted Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Arthur; And Others

    1976-01-01

    A social studies and science program, called Decision Making Man, for gifted students has been developed at Dunham Junior High School in St. Charles, Illinois. Its objective is to help students expand their awareness of the social implications of the applied natural sciences. (Author/RK)

  17. NASA's Earth Science Enterprise: 1998 Education Catalog

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    This catalog presents a reference guide to NASA Earth science education programs and products. The topics include: 1) Student Support (Elementary and Secondary, Undergraduate and Graduate, Postgraduate, and Postdoctorate); 2) Teacher/Faculty Preparation and Enhancement; 3) Systemic Change; 4) Curriculum Support; and 5) Resources.

  18. COURSE AND CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT PROFECTS--MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    FONTAINE, THOMAS D.

    ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY, AND COLLEGE LEVEL SCIENCE COURSE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE DESCRIBED. INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL AND ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE. MANY OF THE PROJECTS REPRESENT COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND INCLUDE SUCH MATERIALS AS STUDENT TEXTBOOKS, LABORATORY MANUALS, SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS, TEACHER…

  19. A Health Education Program School Systems Can Afford

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henke, Lorraine J.

    1977-01-01

    The Prince George's County Public School System has found that implementing the health education curriculum in conjunction with the life science program at the seventh-grade level is a satisfactory solution to the problem of budgetary constraints. (MB)

  20. Teaching the Urban Student as a Whole: Utilizing Universal Skills in Science and Social Studies Interdisciplinary Curricula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berg, Christianna

    The purpose for this project is to utilize interdisciplinary curricula to emphasize transferable skills across the four main subject areas: reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. This project aims to provide a background for the creation of an interdisciplinary curricula that can be adjusted to current instructional programs being used in any classroom. The proposed curriculum is intended for a science and social studies elementary classroom where students rotate to a different mathematics and language arts classroom, but it could be applied to older grades or to self-contained classes. The proposed curriculum emphasizes problem solving, reading, and writing skills.

  1. Agriscience Education for the Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

    This curriculum guide, which is intended for middle school agriculture teachers in Virginia, outlines a three-course competency-based agriscience program to give middle school students an understanding of basic science concepts through agriculture. The guide begins with a program description that includes descriptions of the program's three…

  2. Development and Evaluation of an Online, Inquiry-Based Food Safety Education Program for Secondary Teachers and Their Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beffa-Negrini, Patricia A.; Cohen, Nancy L.; Laus, Mary Jane; McLandsborough, Lynne A.

    2007-01-01

    Secondary science teachers who integrate food safety (FS) into curricula can provide FS knowledge and skills to youth while reinforcing science skills and concepts. National science education standards and the Biological Science Curriculum Study 5E Inquiry-based Learning Model were used to design an online training, Food Safety FIRST. The training…

  3. Science and Technology of Rural Transport System. Teaching of Science and Technology in Rural Areas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagaraj, D. N.; Satheesh, H. L.

    Most science curriculum innovations seem to have their origins and emphases in urban intellectual concerns and their content generally caters to university bound students. The reason for the failure of rural students in science subjects may be the lack of relevancy of the program to the needs of individuals living in rural areas. Chapter 1…

  4. Spiritual Nursing Care Education An Integrated Strategy for Teaching Students.

    PubMed

    White, Donna M; Hand, Mikel

    The failure of nursing schools to integrate spiritual nursing care education into the curriculum has contributed to a lack in nurses' spiritual care ability. Developing, integrating, and testing a Spiritual Care Nursing Education strategy in an Associates of Science nursing program significantly increased the perceived spiritual care competence of student nurses. Utilizing a faculty team to develop learning activities to address critical spiritual care attributes offers a method to integrate spiritual nursing care content throughout the curriculum in ASN and BSN programs.

  5. Indiana Social Studies Proficiency Guide: An Aid to Curriculum Development. 1996 Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Indiana State Dept. of Education, Indianapolis. Center for School Improvement and Performance.

    This guide outlines the kinds of learning opportunities that should be available to Indiana students in high-quality social studies programs, but it is not intended as a prescribed curriculum. The guide defines social studies as the integrated study of the social sciences and the humanities to promote civic competence. Social studies education…

  6. Horticultural Related Occupations. VEH Horticulture Related. Curriculum Guide for Agribusiness 161.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas A and M Univ., College Station. Dept. of Agricultural Education.

    This curriculum guide provides materials for teachers to use in developing a 1- or 2-year course in horticulture-related occupations for at-risk and special education students. It is one of 28 semester courses in agricultural science and technology for Texas high schools. The program prepares low-achieving students with employability skills that…

  7. A Design Based Research of an Earth Systems Based Environmental Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Assaraf, Orit Ben-Zvi; Orion, Nir

    2009-01-01

    This article presents a model for the development of an environmentally oriented unit designed to be implemented as an integral part of the science core curriculum. The program's main goal is encouraging students at the junior high-school level to develop systems-thinking and environmental insight as a basis for environmental literacy. A…

  8. Enlist micros: Training science teachers to use microcomputers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baird, William E.; Ellis, James D.; Kuerbis, Paul J.

    A National Science Foundation grant to the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) at The Colorado College supported the design and production of training materials to encourage literacy of science teachers in the use of microcomputers. ENLIST Micros is based on results of a national needs assessment that identified 22 compentencies needed by K-12 science teachers to use microcomputers for instruction. A writing team developed the 16-hour training program in the summer of 1985, and field-test coordinators tested it with 18 preservice or in-service groups during the 1985-86 academic year at 15 sites within the United States. The training materials consist of video programs, interactive computer disks for the Apple II series microcomputer, a training manual for participants, and a guide for the group leader. The experimental materials address major areas of educational computing: awareness, applications, implementation, evaluation, and resources. Each chapter contains activities developed for this program, such as viewing video segments of science teachers who are using computers effectively and running commercial science and training courseware. Role playing and small-group interaction help the teachers overcome their reluctance to use computers and plan for effective implementation of microcomputers in the school. This study examines the implementation of educational computing among 47 science teachers who completed the ENLIST Micros training at a southern university. We present results of formative evaluation for that site. Results indicate that both elementary and secondary teachers benefit from the training program and demonstrate gains in attitudes toward computer use. Participating teachers said that the program met its stated objectives and helped them obtain needed skills. Only 33 percent of these teachers, however, reported using computers one year after the training. In June 1986, the BSCS initiated a follow up to the ENLIST Micros curriculum to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a complete model of teacher enhancement for educational computing in the sciences. In that project, we use the ENLIST Micros curriculum as the first step in a training process. The project includes seminars that introduce additional skills: It contains provisions for sharing among participants, monitors use of computers in participants' classrooms, provides structured coaching of participants' use of computers in their classrooms, and offers planned observations of peers using computers in their science teaching.

  9. In Designing a Preschool Program, We Went Straight to the Source: Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zorn, Robert L.

    1988-01-01

    In response to overwhelming demand, Poland (Ohio) Schools proposed a pilot program to demonstrate that people wanted preschool and day care services that could pay for themselves. The program integrated early childhood programs with the regular school curriculum to stimulate children's interest in art, music, health, and sciences and develop motor…

  10. Mississippi Curriculum Framework for Agriscience (Program CIP: 02.0101--Agriculture Science). Secondary Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mississippi Research and Curriculum Unit for Vocational and Technical Education, State College.

    This document, which reflects Mississippi's statutory requirement that instructional programs be based on core curricula and performance-based assessment, contains outlines of the instructional units required in local instructional management plans and daily lesson plans for agriscience I and II. Presented first are a program description and…

  11. Reaching Out, But In Which Direction? The Future Focus of Academic Outreach Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodriguez, Roberto

    1997-01-01

    A new trend in academic outreach programs, initiated to inspire and motivate minority students to prepare generally for college, is to create curriculum-based programs targeting students' specific academic or career interests. The MESA (Mathematics, Science, Engineering Achievement) Program serves as a model for development of other…

  12. Mississippi Curriculum Framework for Introduction to Agriscience (Program CIP: 02.9990--Introduction to Agriculture Science). Secondary Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mississippi Research and Curriculum Unit for Vocational and Technical Education, State College.

    This document, which reflects Mississippi's statutory requirement that instructional programs be based on core curricula and performance-based assessment, contains outlines of the instructional units required in local instructional management plans and daily lesson plans for the introduction to agriscience program. Presented first are a program…

  13. La Materia. Nivel II. Basado en el curso de estudios de Ciencia de Montgomery County Public Schools. (Matter. Level II. Based on the Montgomery County Public Schools Science Studies Program).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerstman, M. Linda

    This curriculum unit is for use in an elementary school foreign language immersion program in Montgomery County, Maryland. The unit is geared toward the second grade science classroom. It includes instructional and performance objectives, vocabulary lists, optional language structure sections, illustrations, activities, evaluation suggestions, and…

  14. Creating Tomorrow's Technologists: Contrasting Information Technology Curriculum in North American Library and Information Science Graduate Programs against Code4lib Job Listings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maceli, Monica

    2015-01-01

    This research study explores technology-related course offerings in ALA-accredited library and information science (LIS) graduate programs in North America. These data are juxtaposed against a text analysis of several thousand LIS-specific technology job listings from the Code4lib jobs website. Starting in 2003, as a popular library technology…

  15. The Significance of Language Study in Library and Information Science: A Comparison of Two Programs in the United States and Honduras

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ford, Charlotte; Faires, Debbie; Hirsh, Sandra; Carranza, Nítida

    2017-01-01

    This comparative case study evaluated the role of foreign language study within the Library and Information Science (LIS) curriculum of two programs in the United States and Honduras. The purpose of this research was to understand the significance and usefulness of language courses from the perspective of the students enrolled. Students who had…

  16. Approaches for Improving Earth System Science Education in Middle Schools and High Schools in the United States (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, P. E.

    2009-12-01

    Earth system science is an often neglected subject in the US science curriculum. The state of Kansas State Department of Education, for example, has provided teachers with a curriculum guide for incorporating earth system science as an ancillary topic within the subjects of physics, chemistry, and the biological sciences. While this does provide a means to have earth system science within the curriculum, it relegates earth system science topics to a secondary status. In practice, earth system science topics are considered optional or only taught if there is time within an already an overly crowded curriculum. Given the importance of developing an educated citizenry that is capable of understanding, coping, and deciding how to live in a world where climate change is a reality requires a deeper understanding of earth system science. The de-emphasis of earth system science in favor of other science disciplines makes it imperative to seek opportunities to provide teachers, whose primary subject is not earth system science, with professional development opportunities to develop content knowledge understanding of earth system science, and pedagogical content knowledge (i.e. effective strategies for teaching earth system science). This is a noble goal, but there is no single method. At Fort Hays State University we have developed multiple strategies from face-to-face workshops, on-line coursework, and academic year virtual and face-to-face consultations with in-service and pre-service teachers. A review of the techniques and measures of effectiveness (based on teacher and student performance), and strengths and limitations of each method will be presented as an aid to other institutions and programs seeking to improve the teaching and learning of earth system science in their region.

  17. The Teachers of Quality Academy: A Learning Community Approach to Preparing Faculty to Teach Health Systems Science.

    PubMed

    Baxley, Elizabeth G; Lawson, Luan; Garrison, Herbert G; Walsh, Danielle; Lazorick, Suzanne; Lake, Donna; Higginson, Jason

    2016-12-01

    Although efforts to integrate health systems science (HSS) topics, such as patient safety, quality improvement (QI), interprofessionalism, and population health, into health professions curricula are increasing, the rate of change has been slow. The Teachers of Quality Academy (TQA), Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, was established in January 2014 with the dual goal of preparing faculty to lead frontline clinical transformation while becoming proficient in the pedagogy and curriculum design necessary to prepare students in HSS competencies. The TQA included the completion of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety; participation in six 2-day learning sessions on key HSS topics; completion of a QI project; and participation in three online graduate courses. Twenty-seven faculty from four health science programs completed the program. All completed their QI projects. Nineteen (70%) have been formally engaged in the design and delivery of the medical student curriculum in HSS. Early into their training, TQA participants began to apply new knowledge and skills in HSS to the development of educational initiatives beyond the medical student curriculum. Important next steps for TQA participants and program planners include further incorporation as faculty advisors and contributors to the full implementation of the longitudinal HSS curriculum; expanded involvement with the Leaders in Innovative Care Scholars student leadership distinction track; continued in-depth evaluation of the impact of TQA participation on patient care, teaching, and role modeling; and the recruitment of the next cohort of TQA participants.

  18. Enviro-Lab Takes to the Waves.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, David R.

    1980-01-01

    Project Oceanology, in Groton, CT, is a program concerning marine education. Objectives are listed as emphasizing potential and importance of Long Island Sound, development of marine science curriculum in biology, physical science and chemistry, training teachers to use materials and equipment, and developing liaisons between participating schools…

  19. Environmental Education, K-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomson, Janet

    The Environmental Education program of Great Falls Public Schools, which was Montana's state winner in the National Science Teacher Association 1986 Search for Excellence in Science Education, is described in this report. An overview is presented of the district's policies, administrative procedures, staff development plans, and curriculum and…

  20. Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Earth Science Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sparrow, E. B.; Stephens, S.; Gordon, L. S.; Kopplin, M. R.

    2006-12-01

    Alaskan Native elders, other local experts, scientists and educators worked collaboratively in providing professional development science workshops and follow-up support for K-12 teachers. Cognizant of the commonalities between western science and Native knowledge, the Observing Locally Connecting Globally (OLCG) program blended GLOBE Earth science measurements, traditional knowledge and best teaching practices including culturally responsive science curriculum, in engaging teachers and students in climate change research. Native observations and knowledge were used to scaffold some local environmental studies undertaken by Alaskan teachers and their students. OLCG partnered with the Project Jukebox of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program to produce digitized interviews of Native experts and a scientist on climate change. Sample interviews for students to use in asking Native experts about their observations and knowledge on environmental changes as well as other educational materials have been posted on the program website http://www.uaf.edu/olcg. Links to the climate change interviews, the Alaska Cultural Standards for Schools, Teachers and Students, and other relevant resource materials have also been included in the website. Results of pre- and post-institute assessment showed an increase in teacher comfort level with teaching science and integrating Native knowledge in the classroom. Teacher journals indicated the program's positive influence on their math and science teaching methods and curriculum. Student attitude and achievement assessments showed a significant increase in post-test (end of school year) scores from pre-test (beginning of the school year) scores. Other lessons learned from this project will also be presented.

  1. Life in the Universe: A Multidisciplinary Science Curriculum for Undergraduate Honors Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danly, L.

    2004-05-01

    Astrobiology provides an excellent framework for an interdisciplinary study of the sciences, especially for non-majors. To be conversant in astrobiology, one must have a basic understanding of astronomy, planetary science, geology, chemistry, biology, and environmental science. To explore the possible futures for life on Earth one must also consider political, economic, and other societal issues. And, as the questions addressed in astrobiology are also profoundly philosophical topics that have been considered by artists and writers of all cultures, the humanities also play an important role. The study of the past, present, and future possibilities for life in the universe, therefore, can offer curricular opportunities for students of all disciplines to have something to share with and something to learn from their peers. This paper describes a three-term curriculum for Honors Program students at the University of Denver that includes, among other innovations, peer learning, student goal/syllabus setting, integration of University of Denver faculty research programs, and community service.

  2. Students Learn Programming Faster through Robotic Simulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Allison; Newsom, Jeff; Schunn, Chris; Shoop, Robin

    2013-01-01

    Schools everywhere are using robotics education to engage kids in applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities, but teaching programming can be challenging due to lack of resources. This article reports on using Robot Virtual Worlds (RVW) and curriculum available on the Internet to teach robot programming. It also…

  3. Cognition before curriculum: rethinking the integration of basic science and clinical learning.

    PubMed

    Kulasegaram, Kulamakan Mahan; Martimianakis, Maria Athina; Mylopoulos, Maria; Whitehead, Cynthia R; Woods, Nicole N

    2013-10-01

    Integrating basic science and clinical concepts in the undergraduate medical curriculum is an important challenge for medical education. The health professions education literature includes a variety of educational strategies for integrating basic science and clinical concepts at multiple levels of the curriculum. To date, assessment of this literature has been limited. In this critical narrative review, the authors analyzed literature published in the last 30 years (1982-2012) using a previously published integration framework. They included studies that documented approaches to integration at the level of programs, courses, or teaching sessions and that aimed to improve learning outcomes. The authors evaluated these studies for evidence of successful integration and to identify factors that contribute to integration. Several strategies at the program and course level are well described but poorly evaluated. Multiple factors contribute to successful learning, so identifying how interventions at these levels result in successful integration is difficult. Evidence from session-level interventions and experimental studies suggests that integration can be achieved if learning interventions attempt to link basic and clinical science in a causal relationship. These interventions attend to how learners connect different domains of knowledge and suggest that successful integration requires learners to build cognitive associations between basic and clinical science. One way of understanding the integration of basic and clinical science is as a cognitive activity occurring within learners. This perspective suggests that learner-centered, content-focused, and session-level-oriented strategies can achieve cognitive integration.

  4. Creating a Culture of Inquiry in Mathematics Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dietz, Jill

    2013-01-01

    We argue that student research skills in mathematics should be honed throughout the curriculum just as such skills are built over time in the natural and physical sciences. Examples used in the mathematics program at St. Olaf College are given.

  5. Curriculum Design Issues in Developing a Doctor of Philosophy Program in Aeronology

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    A Ph.D. degree program in the non-engineering aeronautical/aerospace sciences (aeronology) will likely be required in the near future to meet the increasing demands for qualified faculty, administrators, and industry representatives within the aviati...

  6. Mars for Earthlings: an analog approach to Mars in undergraduate education.

    PubMed

    Chan, Marjorie; Kahmann-Robinson, Julia

    2014-01-01

    Mars for Earthlings (MFE) is a terrestrial Earth analog pedagogical approach to teaching undergraduate geology, planetary science, and astrobiology. MFE utilizes Earth analogs to teach Mars planetary concepts, with a foundational backbone in Earth science principles. The field of planetary science is rapidly changing with new technologies and higher-resolution data sets. Thus, it is increasingly important to understand geological concepts and processes for interpreting Mars data. MFE curriculum is topically driven to facilitate easy integration of content into new or existing courses. The Earth-Mars systems approach explores planetary origins, Mars missions, rocks and minerals, active driving forces/tectonics, surface sculpting processes, astrobiology, future explorations, and hot topics in an inquiry-driven environment. Curriculum leverages heavily upon multimedia resources, software programs such as Google Mars and JMARS, as well as NASA mission data such as THEMIS, HiRISE, CRISM, and rover images. Two years of MFE class evaluation data suggest that science literacy and general interest in Mars geology and astrobiology topics increased after participation in the MFE curriculum. Students also used newly developed skills to create a Mars mission team presentation. The MFE curriculum, learning modules, and resources are available online at http://serc.carleton.edu/marsforearthlings/index.html.

  7. Situating and teaching 21st century zoology: revealing pattern in the form and function of animals.

    PubMed

    Russell, Anthony P

    2009-09-01

    The current challenges (increasing levels of integration in the biological sciences) facing the teaching of zoology and the structure of the zoology curriculum are explored herein. General context is provided and a more focused scrutiny of the situation in North America is presented. The changing emphases in more broadly-based biological sciences programs in North America are outlined, and their influence on the role of zoology as part of fundamental biological training is considered. The longer term impact of such changes in emphasis on the teaching of zoology is discussed, and the central role that zoology can play in dealing with both science content and science education is advanced. Based upon a focal workshop on the future of the zoology curriculum in Canada, a perspective on the challenges facing curriculum evolution is provided. Extensive curriculum redesign is called for to ensure that zoology provides a broad-scale integrative approach to the understanding of biodiversity in evolutionary, ecological and functional contexts. Barriers to, and drivers of change are identified and the need for collaborative approaches to curricular evolution is emphasized. © 2009 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

  8. Master in Oral Biology Program: A Path to Addressing the Need for Future Dental Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jergenson, Margaret A.; Barritt, Laura C.; O'Kane, Barbara J.; Norton, Neil S.

    2017-01-01

    In dental education, the anatomical sciences, which include gross anatomy, histology, embryology, and neuroanatomy, encompass an important component of the basic science curriculum. At Creighton University School of Dentistry, strength in anatomic science education has been coupled with a solid applicant pool to develop a novel Master of Science…

  9. A Study on Teaching Gases to Prospective Primary Science Teachers through Problem-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Senocak, Erdal; Taskesenligil, Yavuz; Sozbilir, Mustafa

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the achievement of prospective primary science teachers in a problem-based curriculum with those in a conventional primary science teacher preparation program with regard to success in learning about gases and developing positive attitudes towards chemistry. The subjects of the study were 101 first year…

  10. Activities in Support of Two-Year College Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics Education, Fiscal Year 1993. Highlights.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Education and Human Resources.

    This report describes the efforts of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) to provide educational support to two-year colleges to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs through grants, collaborative efforts, and support for curriculum materials and teacher activities.…

  11. Using the Scientific Method to Guide Learning: An Integrated Approach to Early Childhood Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerde, Hope K.; Schachter, Rachel E.; Wasik, Barbara A.

    2013-01-01

    Researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in how early childhood programs prepare young children for science. Due to a number of factors, including educators' low self-efficacy for teaching science and lack of educational resources, many early childhood classrooms do not offer high-quality science experiences for young…

  12. Developing Practical Knowledge of the "Next Generation Science Standards" in Elementary Science Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanuscin, Deborah L.; Zangori, Laura

    2016-01-01

    Just as the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSSs) call for change in what students learn and how they are taught, teacher education programs must reconsider courses and curriculum in order to prepare teacher candidates to understand and implement new standards. In this study, we examine the development of prospective elementary…

  13. An Approach toward the Development of Core Syllabuses for the Anatomical Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moxham, Bernard John; Plaisant, Odile; Smith, Claire F.; Pawlina, Wojciech; McHanwell, Stephen

    2014-01-01

    There is increasingly a call for clinical relevance in the teaching of the biomedical sciences within all health care programs. This presupposes that there is an understanding of what is "core" material within the curriculum. To date, the anatomical sciences have been poorly served by the development of core syllabuses, although there…

  14. Patterns in the Sky: Ways to Make the Most of Planetarium Field Trips for First-Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petrie, Kaylan

    2015-01-01

    Earth and space science deserve the same level of inclusion in early childhood curriculum as the other science disciplines, and research shows that the sooner children are introduced to concepts like those presented in planetarium programs, the stronger their lifelong interest in science will be. Much astronomy visualization outside of…

  15. Le programme de sciences de la nature. Avis a la ministre de l'enseignement superieur et de la science (The Natural Sciences Program. Advisory to the Minister of Higher Education and Science).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conseil des Colleges, Quebec (Quebec).

    A series of recommendations developed by the Council of Colleges of the Colleges of General and Professional Education (CEGEP) in Quebec (Canada) are presented in this report to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science for redesigning the CEGEP's natural sciences curriculum. The proposed reforms are designed to meet legislative requirements…

  16. The journey of a science teacher: Preparing female students in the Training Future Scientists after school program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson-Hill, Rona M.

    What affect does female participation in the Training Future Scientist (TFS) program based on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Maslow's Hierarchies of Needs have on female adolescents' achievement levels in science and their attitude toward science and interest in science-based careers? The theoretical framework for this study was developed through a constructivist perspective, using dialogic engagement, coinciding with Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory. This action research project used mixed methods research design, targeted urban adolescent females who were members of Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis (BGCGSTL) after-school program. The data collection measures were three qualitative instruments (semi-structured interviews, reflective journal entries and attitudinal survey open-ended responses) and two quantitative instruments (pre-test and posttests over the content from the Buckle-down Curriculum and attitudinal survey scaled responses). The goal was to describe the impact the Training Future Scientist (TFS) after-school program has on the girls' scientific content knowledge, attitude toward choosing a science career, and self-perception in science. Through the TFS after-school program participants had access to a secondary science teacher-researcher, peer leaders that were in the 9th--12th grade, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) role models from Washington University Medical School Young Scientist Program (YSP) graduate and medical students and fellows as volunteers. The program utilized the Buckle-down Curriculum as guided, peer-led cooperative learning groups, hands-on labs and demonstrations facilitated by the researcher, trained peer leaders and/or role models that used constructivist science pedagogy to improve test-taking strategies. The outcomes for the TFS study were an increase in science content knowledge, a positive trend in attitude change, and a negative trend in choosing a science career. Keywords: informal science programs, urban girls, self-efficacy, cooperative learning, peer learning, female adolescents, and after-school urban education This dissertation study was funded by two grants, the 2013 spring dissertation grant from the University of Missouri St. Louis and a philanthropic grant from Dr. Courtney Crim.

  17. Program evaluation of an Integrated Basic Science Medical Curriculum in Shiraz Medical School, Using CIPP Evaluation Model

    PubMed Central

    ROOHOLAMINI, AZADEH; AMINI, MITRA; BAZRAFKAN, LEILA; DEHGHANI, MOHAMMAD REZA; ESMAEILZADEH, ZOHREH; NABEIEI, PARISA; REZAEE, RITA; KOJURI, JAVAD

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: In recent years curriculum reform and integration was done in many medical schools. The integrated curriculum is a popular concept all over the world. In Shiraz medical school, the reform was initiated by stablishing the horizontal basic science integration model and Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) for undergraduate medical education. The purpose of this study was to provide the required data for the program evaluation of this curriculum for undergraduate medical students, using CIPP program evaluation model. Methods: This study is an analytic descriptive and triangulation mixed method study which was carried out in Shiraz Medical School in 2012, based on the views of professors of basic sciences courses and first and second year medical students. The study evaluated the quality of the relationship between basic sciences and clinical courses and the method of presenting such courses based on the Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) model. The tools for collecting data, both quantitatively and qualitatively, were some questionnaires, content analysis of portfolios, semi- structured interview and brain storming sessions. For quantitative data analysis, SPSS software, version 14, was used. Results: In the context evaluation by modified DREEM questionnaire, 77.75%of the students believed that this educational system encourages them to actively participate in classes. Course schedule and atmosphere of class were reported suitable by 87.81% and 83.86% of students. In input domain that was measured by a researcher made questionnaire, the facilities for education were acceptable except for shortage of cadavers. In process evaluation, the quality of integrated modules presentation and Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) was good from the students’ viewpoint. In product evaluation, students’ brain storming, students’ portfolio and semi-structured interview with faculties were done, showing some positive aspects of integration and some areas that need improvement. Conclusion: The main advantage of assessing an educational program based on CIPP evaluation model is that the context, input, process and product of the program are viewed and evaluated systematically. This will help the educational authorities to make proper decisions based on the weaknesses and strengths of the program on its continuation, cessation and revision. Based on the results of this study, the integrated basic sciences course for undergraduate medical students in Shiraz Medical School is at a desirable level. However, attempts to improve or reform some sections and continual evaluation of the program and its accreditation seem to be necessary. PMID:28761888

  18. Science and Technology of Water Lifting Devices. Teaching of Science and Technology in Rural Areas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rao, P. Ramachandra; Rao, N. R. Nagaraja

    Most science curriculum innovations seem to have their origins and emphases in urban intellectual concerns and their content generally caters to university bound students. The reason for the failure of rural students in science subjects may be the lack of relevancy of the program to the needs of individuals living in rural areas. Chapter 1 of this…

  19. Science in the Learning Gardens (SciLG): A Study of Students' Motivation, Achievement, and Science Identity in Low-Income Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Dilafruz R.; Brule, Heather; Kelley, Sybil S.; Skinner, Ellen A.

    2018-01-01

    Background: Science in the Learning Gardens (henceforth, SciLG) program was designed to address two well-documented, inter-related educational problems: under-representation in science of students from racial and ethnic minority groups and inadequacies of curriculum and pedagogy to address their cultural and motivational needs. Funded by the…

  20. Establishing a multidisciplinary PBL curriculum in the School of Stomatology at Wuhan University.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ge; Tai, Baojun; Huang, Cui; Bian, Zhuan; Shang, Zhenjun; Wang, Qian; Song, Guangtai

    2008-05-01

    This article describes how a multidisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum was established at the School of Stomatology at Wuhan University (WHUSS) in China for preclinical education in a seven-year dental school program. Based on positive feedback from a modified PBL program implemented in one discipline, a multidisciplinary PBL curriculum was established. PBL training for facilitators and students, development of resource materials, curriculum design, and case writing were done in a manner that is consistent with the characteristics and learning style preferences of Chinese dental students. About 80 percent of the lectures were kept in the new PBL program. The multidisciplinary PBL curriculum has been successful in helping dental students mentally construct an understanding of the interrelationship between dental knowledge and basic science concepts. The experience at WHUSS indicates that there are clear benefits for students in the PBL format. A benefit to faculty is that PBL tutorial facilitators were partly liberated from their traditional roles and developed additional skills for facilitating. However, conflict arises when PBL-trained students encounter the traditional exam-centered education system.

  1. 34 CFR 682.216 - Teacher loan forgiveness program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... secondary school as a highly qualified mathematics or science teacher, or at an eligible educational service agency as a highly qualified teacher of mathematics or science to secondary school students; or (ii) At... in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the elementary school curriculum, as certified...

  2. Populations, Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conard, David; Lawson, Chester A.

    This Teacher's Guide is designed for use with the Science Curriculum Improvement Study's (SCIS) unit Population. Populations is the third of a six-unit sequence of SCIS's Life Science Program for grades K-6. The Populations guide consists of activity outlines along with suggestions for guiding children's observation and manipulations of living…

  3. High School Health Science Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirkwood Community Coll., Cedar Rapids, IA.

    This curriculum guide contains units of study for high school health science courses in Iowa. The first section is a competency outline for three topics: introduction to health care; nurse aide/orderly; and rehabilitation aide. For each competency, the following information is provided: objectives; suggested learning activities; resources; and…

  4. The Doubles: Evaluation of a Substance Abuse Education Curriculum for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Epstein, Joel; Collins, Karen Kadela; Thomson, Nicole Renick; Pancella, Thom; Pauley, Danielle

    2007-01-01

    "The Doubles," funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is a seven-episode series of media tools designed to teach third- and fourth-grade students about the science of drug addiction. The program's curriculum was delivered through a set of DVDs, interactive CD-ROMs, workbooks, or an Internet Site. Results indicate that although the…

  5. The Doubles: A Case Study on Developing a Technology-Based Substance Abuse Education Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Epstein, Joel; Collins, Karen Kadela; Pancella, Thom

    2004-01-01

    The Doubles, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is a seven-episode series of media tools designed to teach third and fourth grade students about the science of drug addiction. The program's curriculum is delivered via a set of videos, interactive CD-ROMs, workbooks, or an Internet site. This article examines the process used to…

  6. Me and My Environment. Unit IV: Transfer and Cycling of Materials in My Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, Boulder, CO.

    Presented is the experimental edition of Unit IV: Transfer and Cycling of Materials in My Environment, which consists of 29 life science curriculum activities intended for the 13-to-15-year-old educable mentally retarded child. The curriculum guide is being used in the final field test prior to revision. Stressed throughout the program are…

  7. Undergraduate Training for Industrial Careers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stehney, Ann K.

    1983-01-01

    Forty-eight mathematicians in industry, business, and government replied to a questionnaire on the relative merits of the traditional undergraduate curriculum, advanced topics in pure mathematics, computer programing, additional computer science, and specialized or applied topics. They favored programing and applied mathematics, along with a…

  8. Library Science Education in Panjab.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bansal, G. C.; Tikku, U. K.

    1988-01-01

    Traces the history of library education in Panjab from 1915 to the present. Topics covered include curriculum design; bachelors, masters, and postgraduate programs offered by Panjab University; state training programs; the development of polytechnic schools for women; correspondence courses; and professional organizations. (7 references) (CLB)

  9. Investigating the Transition Process when Moving from a Spiral Curriculum Alignment into a Field-Focus Science Curriculum Alignment in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alwardt, Randi Kay

    2011-01-01

    This investigation examined the transition from a spiral science curriculum to a field-focus science curriculum in middle school. A spiral science curriculum focuses on a small part of each field of science during each middle school year, more of a general science concept. In contrast to that, the base of a field-focus curriculum is that each…

  10. The Colorado MESA Program and CU-LASP: A Model for After School Program/Research Institution Collaboratives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nelson, G.; Cobabe-Ammann, E.

    2004-12-01

    Colorado MESA is an after school program operating throughout the state with a long track record in promoting science, math and engineering education to largely underserved K-12 student populations. Currently, 81 percent of MESA students are from groups underrepresented in the math/science careers, and 85 percent of MESA students come from low- and moderate-income families. Through a combination of weekly student programs, field trips to universities and industry partners, family orientations, individual academic counseling and required curriculum, Colorado MESA offers an opportunity for students to explore STEM subjects and careers that they might not otherwise have access to - with tangible results. In the Colorado MESA Class of 2003, 97 percent of students planned on entering college this fall, with 86 percent indicating that they will enroll in math/science-based majors. In the last year, the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, a large space and earth sciences institute, has relied on the Colorado MESA program as its primary K-12 partner in Education and Public Outreach. LASP incorporates MESA into its proposal writing opportunities, from E/PO additions to individual research proposals to mission-level educational programs. In addition to funding opportunities, LASP provides scientists and engineers in a variety of contexts and content areas, while MESA works to incorporate those resources into their after school programs. The interface between the after school programs and the research institution requires ongoing communication and coordination in order to evaluate and fine-tune curriculum and activities based on feedback from MESA advisors and teachers. Currently, the MESA/LASP partnership has funded programs in astrobiology, planetary sciences and engineering.

  11. Airborne Research Experience for Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Costa, V. B.; Albertson, R.; Smith, S.; Stockman, S. A.

    2009-12-01

    The Airborne Research Experience for Educators (AREE) Program, conducted by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center Office of Education in partnership with the AERO Institute, NASA Teaching From Space Program, and California State University Fullerton, is a complete end-to-end residential research experience in airborne remote sensing and atmospheric science. The 2009 program engaged ten secondary educators who specialize in science, technology, engineering or mathematics in a 6-week Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) offered through NSERC. Educators participated in collection of in-flight remote sensor data during flights aboard the NASA DC-8 as well as in-situ research on atmospheric chemistry (bovine emissions of methane); algal blooms (remote sensing to determine location and degree of blooms for further in-situ analysis); and crop classification (exploration of how drought conditions in Central California have impacted almond and cotton crops). AREE represents a unique model of the STEM teacher-as-researcher professional development experience because it asks educators to participate in a research experience and then translate their experiences into classroom practice through the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional materials that emphasize the scientific research process, inquiry-based investigations, and manipulation of real data. Each AREE Master Educator drafted a Curriculum Brief, Teachers Guide, and accompanying resources for a topic in their teaching assignment Currently, most professional development programs offer either a research experience OR a curriculum development experience. The dual nature of the AREE model engaged educators in both experiences. Educators’ content and pedagogical knowledge of STEM was increased through the review of pertinent research articles during the first week, attendance at lectures and workshops during the second week, and participation in the airborne and in-situ research studies, data collection, and subsequent data analysis. Their pedagogical skills in teaching STEM content were enhanced through the collaborative development of curriculum units, critique of curriculum plans by education faculty experts, and exploration of NASA educational resources. AREE also engaged educators in the NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future's Virtual Design Center (http://vdc.cet.edu/overview.htm), which provides curriculum designers with research-based guidelines to help them design inquiry-based learning activities. The AREE Master Teachers are currently in process of a pilot implementation of their developed curricula, with results due at the end of October 2009. This session will report on program evaluation data and identify best practices for replication of the model. Three perspectives will be provided, including views from the NASA Flight Operations Director, AREE Project Manager, and University Science Education Faculty Mentor. Three AREE Master Educators will present examples of their curriculum materials.

  12. Seres Vivos. Nivel I. Basado en el curso de estudios de Ciencia de Montgomery County Public Schools. (Living Beings. Level 1. Based on the Montgomery County Public Schools Science Studies Program).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Senger, Graciela

    This curriculum unit, developed by the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, was designed for use in the elementary level foreign language immersion program. It is geared toward the first grade science classroom. The unit includes instructional and performance objectives, necessary vocabulary lists, optional language structure sections,…

  13. Applying mathematical concepts with hands-on, food-based science curriculum.

    PubMed

    Roseno, Ashley T; Carraway-Stage, Virginia G; Hoerdeman, Callan; Díaz, Sebastián R; Eugene, Geist; Duffrin, Melani W

    2015-01-01

    This article addresses the current state of the mathematics education system in the United States and provides a possible solution to the contributing issues. As a result of lower performance in primary mathematics, American students are not acquiring the necessary quantitative literacy skills to become successful adults. This study analyzed the impact of the FoodMASTER Intermediate curriculum on fourth-grade student's mathematics knowledge. The curriculum is a part of the FoodMASTER Initiative, which is a compilation of programs utilizing food, a familiar and necessary part of everyday life, as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Students exposed to the curriculum completed a 20-item researcher-developed mathematics knowledge exam (Intervention n=288; Control n=194). Overall, the results showed a significant increase in mathematics knowledge from pre- to post-test. These findings suggest that students engaged in food-based science activities provided them with the context in which to apply mathematical concepts to an everyday experience. Therefore, the FoodMASTER approach was successful at improving students' mathematics knowledge while building a foundation for becoming quantitatively literate adults.

  14. Applying mathematical concepts with hands-on, food-based science curriculum

    PubMed Central

    Roseno, Ashley T.; Carraway-Stage, Virginia G.; Hoerdeman, Callan; Díaz, Sebastián R.; Eugene, Geist; Duffrin, Melani W.

    2015-01-01

    This article addresses the current state of the mathematics education system in the United States and provides a possible solution to the contributing issues. As a result of lower performance in primary mathematics, American students are not acquiring the necessary quantitative literacy skills to become successful adults. This study analyzed the impact of the FoodMASTER Intermediate curriculum on fourth-grade student’s mathematics knowledge. The curriculum is a part of the FoodMASTER Initiative, which is a compilation of programs utilizing food, a familiar and necessary part of everyday life, as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Students exposed to the curriculum completed a 20-item researcher-developed mathematics knowledge exam (Intervention n=288; Control n=194). Overall, the results showed a significant increase in mathematics knowledge from pre- to post-test. These findings suggest that students engaged in food-based science activities provided them with the context in which to apply mathematical concepts to an everyday experience. Therefore, the FoodMASTER approach was successful at improving students’ mathematics knowledge while building a foundation for becoming quantitatively literate adults. PMID:26494927

  15. The Effects of Linear and Modified Linear Programed Materials on the Achievement of Slow Learners in Tenth Grade BSCS Special Materials Biology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moody, John Charles

    Assessed were the effects of linear and modified linear programed materials on the achievement of slow learners in tenth grade Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Special Materials biology. Two hundred and six students were randomly placed into four programed materials formats: linear programed materials, modified linear program with…

  16. The TXESS Revolution: A Partnership to Advance Earth and Space Science in Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellins, K. K.; Olson, H. C.; Willis, M.

    2007-12-01

    The Texas State Board of Education voted in 2006 to require a fourth year of science for graduation from high school and to authorize the creation of a new senior level Earth Systems and Space Science course as an option to fulfill that requirement. The new Earth Systems and Space Science course will be a capstone course for which three required science courses(biology, chemistry and physics)are prerequisites. Here, we summarize the collective efforts of business leaders, scientists and educators who worked collaboratively for almost a decade to successfully reinstate Earth science as part of Texas' standard high school curriculum and describe a new project, the Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, a 5-year professional development program for 8th -12th grade minority and minority-serving science teachers and teacher mentors in Texas to help prepare them to teach the new capstone course. At the heart of TXESS Revolution is an extraordinary partnership, involving (1) two UT-Austin academic units, the Jackson School of Geosciences and the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; (2) TERC, a not-for-profit educational enterprise in Massachusetts with 30 years experience in designing science curriculum; (3) the University of South Florida; and (4) the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching, a statewide network of teacher mentors and science teachers. With guidance from the Texas Education Agency, the state agency charged with overseeing education, the TXESS Revolution project will provide teachers with access to high quality materials and instruction aligned with the Texas educational standards for the new capstone course through: a program of eight different 3-day professional development academies offered to both teachers and teachers mentors; immersive summer institutes, field experiences, and a Petroleum Science and Technology Institute; training on how to implement Earth Science by Design, a teacher professional development program developed by TERC and the American Geological Institute with National Science Foundation (NSF) funding; and an online learning forum designed to keep teachers and teacher mentors in contact with facilitators and fellow project-participants between and after training, as well as share best practices and new information. The new capstone course promises to be a rigorous and dynamic change to the way Earth and Space Science has been presented previously anywhere in the U.S. and will provide many opportunities for professional development and the dissemination of suitable Earth and Space Science curriculum. The TXESS Revolution project welcomes opportunities to collaborate with geoscience consortia, programs, organizations and geoscience educators to advance Earth and Space Science in Texas. NSF's Opportunities to Enhance Diversity in the Geosciences program, the Shell Oil Company and the Jackson School of Geosciences are together funding the TXESS Revolution project.

  17. Teaching implementation science in a new Master of Science Program in Germany: a survey of stakeholder expectations.

    PubMed

    Ullrich, Charlotte; Mahler, Cornelia; Forstner, Johanna; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Wensing, Michel

    2017-04-27

    Implementation science in healthcare is an evolving discipline in German-speaking countries. In 2015, the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, implemented a two-year full-time Master of Science program Health Services Research and Implementation Science. The curriculum introduces implementation science in the context of a broader program that also covers health services research, healthcare systems, research methods, and generic academic skills. Our aim was to assess the expectations of different stakeholder groups regarding the master's program. An online survey listing desired competencies of prospective graduates was developed and administered to four groups: national experts in the field (including potential employers of graduates), teaching staff, enrolled students, and prospective students (N = 169). Competencies were extracted from the curriculum's module handbook. A five-point Likert scale was used for the assessment of 42 specific items. Data were analyzed descriptively. A total of 83 people participated in the survey (response rate 49%). The online survey showed a strong agreement across the groups concerning the desired competencies of graduates. About two-thirds of the listed competencies (27 items) were felt to be crucial or very important by 80% or more of participants, with little difference between stakeholder groups. Of the eight items specifically related to implementation in practice, six were in this category. Knowledge of implementation strategies (90% very important), knowledge of barriers and enablers of implementation (89%), and knowledge of evidence-based practice (89%) were the top priorities. The master's program is largely orientated towards the desired competencies of graduates according to students, teaching staff, and national experts.

  18. Animal Science. Teacher Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

    This curriculum package is designed to prepare students with highly technical information that will lead to success in the animal science field. It contains 19 units that highlight many of the specialist areas and teach students how to apply these skills. The units cover the following topics: safety, careers, private and government programs,…

  19. Age Modulates Attitudes to Whole Body Donation among Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perry, Gary F.; Ettarh, Raj R.

    2009-01-01

    Managing a whole body donor program is necessary for facilitating a traditional dissection-based anatomy curriculum in medicine and health sciences. Factors which influence body donations to medical science can therefore affect dissection-based anatomy teaching. In order to determine whether age influences the attitudes of medical students to…

  20. Does Use of Curriculum Change Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inquiry?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lazarowitz, Rueven

    1976-01-01

    A study of 508 secondary teachers of biology, physics, chemistry, earth science, or life science shows that teachers who use new curricula have more favorable attitudes toward inquiry strategies and that years of experience in using new programs is positively related to more favorable attitudes toward inquiry strategies. (MLH)

  1. Computing Education in Korea--Current Issues and Endeavors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Jeongwon; An, Sangjin; Lee, Youngjun

    2015-01-01

    Computer education has been provided for a long period of time in Korea. Starting as a vocational program, the content of computer education for students evolved to include content on computer literacy, Information Communication Technology (ICT) literacy, and brand-new computer science. While a new curriculum related to computer science was…

  2. Agricultural Electronics. Curriculum Guide for Agriscience 324.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas A and M Univ., College Station. Dept. of Agricultural Education.

    This guide outlines the topics of instruction and goals/objectives of a half-unit shop/laboratory course in agricultural electronics (Agriscience 324) that is part of Texas' secondary-level agricultural science and technology program. Presented first are lists of the essential elements common to all agricultural science and technology courses…

  3. From Skeletons to Bridges & Other STEM Enrichment Exercises for High School Biology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riechert, Susan E.; Post, Brian K.

    2010-01-01

    The national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Initiative favors a curriculum shift from the compartmentalization of math and science classes into discrete subject areas to an integrated, multidisciplinary experience. Many states are currently implementing programs in high schools that provide greater integration of math,…

  4. Enhancing Thinking Skills in the Sciences and Mathematics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halpern, Diane F., Ed.

    The need to provide an improved science and mathematics curriculum is imperative. Over recent years cognitive psychologists and educators have responded to this need by designing instructional programs that are more compatible with our knowledge of how people acquire, use, and retain knowledge. This book contains many of the guiding principles…

  5. IPI Science Today.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Champagne, Audrey B.

    The paper related what has been accomplished during the past six years in the development of IPI Science at the Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. There have been three major accomplishments: (1) Goals for the program have been established, (2) The serious problems that face a group of curriculum developers…

  6. Environmental Technology. Curriculum Guide for Agriscience 384.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, Jennifer Campbell; Dettling, Joe

    This guide outlines the topics of instruction and goals/objectives of a semester-long half-unit laboratory course in environmental technology (Agriscience 384) that is part of Texas' agricultural science and technology program. Presented first are lists of the following: essential elements common to all agricultural science and technology courses…

  7. Physics First: Impact on SAT Math Scores

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouma, Craig E.

    2013-01-01

    Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a national priority and the call to modernize secondary science has been heard. A Physics First (PF) program with the curriculum sequence of physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) driven by inquiry- and project-based learning offers a viable alternative to the…

  8. Project Solo; Newsletter Number Seven.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pittsburgh Univ., PA. Project Solo.

    The current curriculum modules under development at Project Solo are listed. The modules are grouped under the subject matter that they are designed to teach--algebra II, biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, 12th grade math, physics, social science. Special programs written for use on the Hewlett-Packard Plotter are listed that may be…

  9. Education for Today's Ecological Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singer, S. Fred

    1970-01-01

    Describes the university's role in providing education for the ecological crisis, and divides environmental sciences into two major areas: basic and applied. Proposes a curriculum leading to a B.S. degree in physics consisting of a two-year honor physics program followed by specialization in environmental and planetary sciences (EPS). (PR)

  10. Imprinting Community College Computer Science Education with Software Engineering Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hundley, Jacqueline Holliday

    2012-01-01

    Although the two-year curriculum guide includes coverage of all eight software engineering core topics, the computer science courses taught in Alabama community colleges limit student exposure to the programming, or coding, phase of the software development lifecycle and offer little experience in requirements analysis, design, testing, and…

  11. NSRC Inquiry-Based Science Education Programs, 2009

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Resources Center, 2010

    2010-01-01

    In 1985, the leaders of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academies established the National Science Resources Center (NSRC) to address the critical problem identified by the "A Nation at Risk" report. Through its Curriculum Development Center and in partnership with its publisher, Carolina Biological Supply Company, the NSRC developed…

  12. Field Studies: Hands-on, Real-Science Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cunniff, Patricia A.; McMillen, Janet L.

    1996-01-01

    Describes an intensive three-week experience for 10th and 11th graders in a National Science Foundation Young Scholars Program. Two weeks of biology instruction precede one week of field research. The curriculum includes life histories of birds in the Chesapeake Bay area, reproductive ecology, aquatic ecology, entomology, and statistics. (DDR)

  13. The Related Science of Cosmetology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wasserman, Edward

    Intended as an instructional guide for the use of a science teacher or beauty culture shop teacher in teaching the scientific aspects in a 1-year prevocational cosmetology program at area vocational high schools, this state curriculum guide was developed by a committee of vocational instructors and field tested in three vocational schools. An…

  14. Essential Characteristics for a Professional Development Program for Promoting the Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Science Module

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Visser, Talitha C.; Coenders, Fer G. M.; Terlouw, Cees; Pieters, Jules M.

    2010-01-01

    Teachers involved in the implementation of a curriculum innovation can be prepared for this task through a professional development program. In this paper, we describe essential characteristics (identified empirically and theoretically) for such a professional development program that promotes the acquisition of competences by these teachers. The…

  15. Curriculum Redesign in Veterinary Medicine: Part II.

    PubMed

    Macik, Maria L; Chaney, Kristin P; Turner, Jacqueline S; Rogers, Kenita S; Scallan, Elizabeth M; Korich, Jodi A; Fowler, Debra; Keefe, Lisa M

    Curricular review is considered a necessary component for growth and enhancement of academic programs and requires time, energy, creativity, and persistence from both faculty and administration. On a larger scale, a comprehensive redesign effort involves forming a dedicated faculty redesign team, developing program learning outcomes, mapping the existing curriculum, and reviewing the curriculum in light of collected stakeholder data. The faculty of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (TAMU) recently embarked on a comprehensive curriculum redesign effort through partnership with the university's Center for Teaching Excellence. Using a previously developed evidence-based model of program redesign, TAMU created a process for use in veterinary medical education, which is described in detail in the first part of this article series. An additional component of the redesign process that is understated, yet vital for success, is faculty buy-in and support. Without faculty engagement, implementation of data-driven curricular changes stemming from program evaluation may be challenging. This second part of the article series describes the methodology for encouraging faculty engagement through the final steps of the redesign initiative and the lessons learned by TAMU through the redesign process.

  16. The South Carolina Amazing Coast Program: Using Ocean Sciences to Address Next Generation Science Standards in Grades 3-5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, E. V.; Thomas, C.; Weiss, B.; Bliss, A.; Spence, L.

    2013-12-01

    The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are more inclusive of ocean sciences than the National Science Standards and respective state science standards. In response, the Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence-SouthEast (COSEE SE) is piloting the South Carolina's Amazing Coast (SCAC) program: a three-year initiative that incorporates ocean science concepts in grades 3-5 with the goals of addressing NGSS, STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) disciplines, and inquiry skills. The SCAC program targeted two Charleston County, South Carolina elementary schools that were demographically similar: Title 1 status (75% free or reduced lunch), > 90% African American student population, grade level size <55, and proximity to tidal salt marsh or barrier islands (< 2 miles). Fourteen teachers and approximately 240 students participated in the SCAC program between 2010 and 2013. The SCAC framework uses a scaffolding and multi-pronged approach for teacher professional development and student engagement. The scaffolding approach to curriculum implementation focuses on one grade level per year (Year 1 = 3rd; Year 2 = 4th, and Year 3 = 5th), thus building student and teacher literacy in ocean sciences. The coach-mentor model of teacher professional development was also used for the implementation of the program which differs from the traditional 'train the trainer' method in allowing for more frequent and consistent interaction by COSEE SE staff with the students and teachers during the school year. The coach mentor model enabled the creation of a community of practice where teachers served as both learners and practitioners of student learning. Methods for student engagement aligned with the NGSS and included hands-on classroom activities, use of 'hook' species such as loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) and smooth cord grass (Spartina alterniflora), field experiences to explore local ecosystems, interactions with marine scientists, and a capstone project incorporating STEM and inquiry skills. Specifically, third grade students learn about coastal habitats, animal and plant adaptations, and human impacts to the environment, and engage in a salt marsh restoration capstone project. This part of the curriculum aligns with the NGSS Core Ideas 3-LS1, 3-LS3, 3-LS4, 3-ESS3. The fourth grade students learn about weather, organism responses to the environment, and engage in a weather buoy construction capstone project. This part of the curriculum aligns with the NGSSS Core Ideas 4-LS1, 4-ESS2, 4-ESS3, 3-5-ETS1. In 5th grade, students focus specifically on the ocean ecosystem, human impacts on the environment and engage in a capstone project of designing and constructing remotely operated vehicles. This part of the curriculum aligns with NGSS Core Ideas 5-PS2, 5-LS1, 5-LS2, 5-ESS2, 3-5-ETS1. Initial evaluation results indicate that the SCAC teachers value the coach mentor approach for teacher professional development as well as the impact of field based experiences, place-based learning, and a culminating capstone project on student learning. Teacher feedback also indicates elements of sustainability that extend beyond the scope of the pilot project.These initial evaluation results poise the SCAC curriculum to be replicated in other southeastern states.

  17. Novel horizontal and vertical integrated bioethics curriculum for medical courses.

    PubMed

    D'Souza, Russell F; Mathew, Mary; D'Souza, Derek S J; Palatty, Princy

    2018-02-28

    Studies conducted by the University of Haifa, Israel in 2001, evaluating the effectiveness of bioethics being taught in medical colleges, suggested that there was a significant lack of translation in clinical care. Analysis also revealed, ineffectiveness with the teaching methodology used, lack of longitudinal integration of bioethics into the undergraduate medical curriculum, and the limited exposure to the technology in decision making when confronting ethical dilemmas. A modern novel bioethics curriculum and innovative methodology for teaching bioethics for the medical course was developed by the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, Haifa. The horizontal (subject-wise) curriculum was vertically integrated seamlessly through the entire course. An innovative bioethics teaching methodology was employed to implement the curriculum. This new curriculum was piloted in a few medical colleges in India from 2011 to 2015 and the outcomes were evaluated. The evaluation confirmed gains over the earlier identified translation gap with added high student acceptability and satisfaction. This integrated curriculum is now formally implemented in the Indian program's Health Science Universities which is affiliated with over 200 medical schools in India. This article offers insights from the evaluated novel integrated bioethics curriculum and the innovative bioethics teaching methodology that was used in the pilot program.

  18. St. Paul's Pig Pack.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Penny Folley

    1982-01-01

    Describes a guinea pig (cavy) breeding and management program developed as part of an elementary school science curriculum. Includes comments on show competitions (sponsored by the American Rabbit Breeders Association) to measure the success of the breeding program and to enable children to experience the business world. (Author/JN)

  19. Fidelity of Implementation of Research Experience for Teachers in the Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sen, Tapati

    In this study, the Arizona State University Mathematics and Science Teaching Fellows 2010 program was analyzed qualitatively from start to finish to determine the impact of the research experience on teachers in the classroom. The sample for the study was the 2010 cohort of eight high school science teachers. Erickson’s (1986) interpretive, participant observational fieldwork method was used to report data by means of detailed descriptions of the research experience and classroom implementation. Data was collected from teacher documents, interviews, and observations. The findings revealed various factors that were responsible for an ineffective implementation of the research experience in the classroom such as research experience, curriculum support, availability of resources, and school curriculum. Implications and recommendations for future programs are discussed in the study.

  20. Presented Papers of the European Division Mathematics & Science Conference (1st, Heidelberg, West Germany, February 28-March 2, 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maryland Univ., College Park. Univ. Coll.

    This document contains the papers presented at a conference designed to provide a forum to discuss the European Division mathematics and science program and to allow an opportunity for professional development. Papers on approaches to teaching specific topics in the Maryland mathematics and science curriculum, as well as on other aspects of…

  1. Self-Report and Academic Factors in Relation to High School Students' Success in an Innovative Biotechnology Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterman, Karen; Pan, Yi; Robertson, Jane; Lee, Shelley Glenn

    2014-01-01

    Biotechnology constitutes one of the most challenging, cutting-edge, and rapidly growing fields in science today. Both the practical implications and the hands-on nature of this "modern science" make the topic of biotechnology an attractive addition to the high school science curriculum. The current study is the first of its kind to…

  2. The Design of Preservice Primary Teacher Education Science Subjects: The Emergence of an Interactive Educational Design Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKinnon, David H.; Danaia, Lena; Deehan, James

    2017-01-01

    Over the past 20 years there have been numerous calls in Australia and beyond for extensive educational reforms to preservice teacher education in the sciences. Recommendations for science teacher education programs to integrate curriculum, instruction and assessment are at the forefront of such reforms. In this paper, we describe our scholarly…

  3. Hydromania: Summer Science Camp Curriculum.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moura, Joan

    1995-07-01

    In 1992, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) began a collaborative pilot project with the Portland Parks and Recreation Community Schools Program and others to provide summer science camps to children in Grades 4--6. Camps run two weeks in duration between late June and mid-August. Sessions are five days per week, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to hands-on science and math curriculum, at least three field trips are incorporated into the educational learning experience. The purpose of the BPA/DOE summer camps is to make available opportunities for fun, motivating experiences in sciencemore » to students who otherwise would have difficulty accessing them. This includes inner city, minority, rural and low income students. Public law 101-510, which Congress passed in 1990, authorizes DOE facilities to establish collaborative inner-city and rural partnership programs in science and math. A primary goal of the BPA summer hands on science camps is to bring affordable science camp experiences to students where they live. It uses everyday materials to engage students` minds and to give them a sense that they have succeeded through a fun hands-on learning environment.« less

  4. Preparing College Students to Teach an Environmental Problem Solving Curriculum to Middle School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powers, S. E.

    2001-12-01

    An NSF-funded project-based program was implemented by Clarkson University in 2000 to increase the interest and knowledge of middle school students in science, math and technology through the solution of an environmental problem that is relevant to their local school community. Clarkson students developed curricula for 7th and 8th grade science and technology classes and then worked with the middle school students throughout the year to reduce to transform solid waste into healthy soil for plant growth. The solution to this problem provided a vehicle to teach fundamental science and math content as well as the process of doing science and solving problems. Placing college science and engineering students in the classroom proved to be a great mechanism for engaging students in science topics and providing mentoring experiences that differ greatly from those that a practicing professional can provide. It is clear, however, that the students must be well prepared for this experience to maximize the benefits of university - school district partnership programs. The objective of this presentation will be to describe the training program that has been developed to prepare Clarkson students to work effectively in middle school classrooms. The Clarkson students are trained for their classroom experiences during the summer before they enter the classroom. They receive three credits for the training, curriculum development, and teaching efforts. It is expected that the students have the necessary background in science and technology to teach themselves the content and environmental relevance of the problem they will be teaching. Lectures and workshops focus on how to transform this knowledge into a project-based curriculum that meets the needs of the teachers, while also exciting the students. Lecture/workshops include: team work; components of an effective class and teacher; project planning and management; problem solving process; inquiry based learning, deductive/inductive learning; creating unit/lesson plan; defining learning objectives; incorporating mentoring into program; NYS standards and science exam; and, assessment techniques. Journals are used to encourage the fellows to reflect on their learning and own educational experiences. An evaluation of the program by both Clarkson students and their partner teachers indicated that this training was appropriate for the students to enter the classroom as professional scientists and engineers. Their classroom interaction skills improved throughout the year.

  5. Inquiry-based science: Preparing human capital for the 21 st century and beyond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boyd, Yolanda F.

    High school students need to graduate with 21st century skills to be college and career ready and to be competitive in a global marketplace. A positive trend exists favoring inquiry-based instructional practices that purportedly not only increase science content knowledge, but also 21 st century skill development. A suburban school district, Areal Township (pseudonym), implemented an inquiry-based science program based on this trend; however, the degree to which the program has been meeting students' needs for science content knowledge and 21st century skills development has not been explored. If we were to understand the process by which an inquiry-based science program contributes to attainment of science content and 21st century skill development, then we might be able to improve the delivery of the program and provide a model to be adopted by other schools. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to engage with multiple stakeholders to formatively assess the successes and obstacles for helping students to achieve science content and 21st century skills through an inquiry-based curriculum. Using constructivist theory, this study aimed to address the following central research question: How does the implementation of an inquiry-based program within the Areal Township School District (ATSD) support the acquisition of science content knowledge and the development of 21st century skills? This study found that 21st century skill development is embedded in inquiry-based instructional practices. These practices engage students in meaningful learning that spirals in content and is measured using diverse assessments. Time to do inquiry-based science and adequate time for collegial collaboration were obstacles for educators in grades K-5. Other obstacles were turnkey professional development and a lack of ongoing program monitoring, as a result of imposed extrinsic factors from state and federal mandates. Lastly, it was discovered that not all parts of the curriculum adopted a full inquiry-based approach.

  6. Engage: The Science Speaker Series - A novel approach to improving science outreach and communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, R.; Hilton, E.; Rosenfield, P.

    2011-12-01

    Communicating the results and significance of basic research to the general public is of critical importance. Federal funding and university budgets are under substantial pressure, and taxpayer support of basic research is critical. Public outreach by ecologists is an important vehicle for increasing support and understanding of science in an era of anthropogenic global change. At present, very few programs or courses exist to allow young scientists the opportunity to hone and practice their public outreach skills. Although the need for science outreach and communication is recognized, graduate programs often fail to provide any training in making science accessible. Engage: The Science Speaker Series represents a unique, graduate student-led effort to improve public outreach skills. Founded in 2009, Engage was created by three science graduate students at the University of Washington. The students developed a novel, interdisciplinary curriculum to investigate why science outreach often fails, to improve graduate student communication skills, and to help students create a dynamic, public-friendly talk. The course incorporates elements of story-telling, improvisational arts, and development of analogy, all with a focus on clarity, brevity and accessibility. This course was offered to graduate students and post-doctoral researchers from a wide variety of sciences in the autumn of 2010. Students who participated in the Engage course were then given the opportunity to participate in Engage: The Science Speaker Series. This free, public-friendly speaker series is hosted on the University of Washington campus and has had substantial public attendance and participation. The growing success of Engage illustrates the need for such programs throughout graduate level science curricula. We present the impetus for the development of the program, elements of the curriculum covered in the Engage course, the importance of an interdisciplinary approach, and discuss strategies for implementing similar programs at research institutions nationally.

  7. Engage: The Science Speaker Series - A novel approach to improving science outreach and communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, R.; Hilton, E.; Rosenfield, P.

    2012-12-01

    Communicating the results and significance of basic research to the general public is of critical importance. Federal funding and university budgets are under substantial pressure, and taxpayer support of basic research is critical. Public outreach by ecologists is an important vehicle for increasing support and understanding of science in an era of anthropogenic global change. At present, very few programs or courses exist to allow young scientists the opportunity to hone and practice their public outreach skills. Although the need for science outreach and communication is recognized, graduate programs often fail to provide any training in making science accessible. Engage: The Science Speaker Series represents a unique, graduate student-led effort to improve public outreach skills. Founded in 2009, Engage was created by three science graduate students at the University of Washington. The students developed a novel, interdisciplinary curriculum to investigate why science outreach often fails, to improve graduate student communication skills, and to help students create a dynamic, public-friendly talk. The course incorporates elements of story-telling, improvisational arts, and development of analogy, all with a focus on clarity, brevity and accessibility. This course was offered to graduate students and post-doctoral researchers from a wide variety of sciences in the autumn of 2010 and 2011, and will be retaught in 2012. Students who participated in the Engage course were then given the opportunity to participate in Engage: The Science Speaker Series. This free, public-friendly speaker series has been hosted at the University of Washington campus and Seattle Town Hall, and has had substantial public attendance and participation. The growing success of Engage illustrates the need for such programs throughout graduate level science curricula. We present the impetus for the development of the program, elements of the curriculum covered in the Engage course, the importance of an interdisciplinary approach, and discuss strategies for implementing similar programs at research institutions nationally.

  8. Geospatial Education: Working with the NASA Airborne Science Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lockwood, C. M.; Handley, L.; Handley, N.

    2010-12-01

    WETMAAP (Wetland Education Through Maps and Aerial Photography) , a program of CNL World, supports the NASA Strategic Goals and Objectives for Education by providing classroom teachers and formal and informal educators with professional development. WETMAAP promotes science by inquiry through the use of a building-block process, comparative analysis, and analytical observations. Through the WETMAAP workshops and website, educators receive the concepts necessary to provide students with a basic understanding of maps, aerial photography, and satellite and airborne imagery that focus on the study of wetlands and wetland change. The program targets educators, Grades 5 - 12, in earth science, environmental science, biology, geography, and mathematics, and emphasizes a comprehensive curriculum approach.

  9. Science Teacher Education in Australia: Initiatives and Challenges to Improve the Quality of Teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treagust, David F.; Won, Mihye; Petersen, Jacinta; Wynne, Georgie

    2015-02-01

    In this article, we describe how teachers in the Australian school system are educated to teach science and the different qualifications that teachers need to enter the profession. The latest comparisons of Australian students in international science assessments have brought about various accountability measures to improve the quality of science teachers at all levels. We discuss the issues and implications of government initiatives in preservice and early career teacher education programs, such as the implementation of national science curriculum, the stricter entry requirements to teacher education programs, an alternative pathway to teaching and the measure of effectiveness of teacher education programs. The politicized discussion and initiatives to improve the quality of science teacher education in Australia are still unfolding as we write in 2014.

  10. Accomplishing the Visions for Teacher Education Programs Advocated in the National Science Education Standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akcay, Hakan; Yager, Robert

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the advantages of an approach to instruction using current problems and issues as curriculum organizers and illustrating how teaching must change to accomplish real learning. The study sample consisted of 41 preservice science teachers (13 males and 28 females) in a model science teacher education program. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to determine success with science discipline-specific “Societal and Educational Applications” courses as one part of a total science teacher education program at a large Midwestern university. Students were involved with idea generation, consideration of multiple points of views, collaborative inquiries, and problem solving. All of these factors promoted grounded instruction using constructivist perspectives that situated science with actual experiences in the lives of students.

  11. The adventures of Ann: A case study of a kindergarten teacher and her beliefs as she explored integrating science into her literacy curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Potter, Gregory Ralph

    Science education is an often neglected portion of the curriculum in elementary school, particularly in the primary grades. While early childhood educators have many choices in their curricula, two constants remain, literacy and math education. Ideally, young children need science along with literacy and mathematics. This study investigated how one kindergarten teacher used science to enhance her literacy program and how this use of science in her classroom affected her teaching beliefs. The case study took place in a publicly funded early childhood education center devoted to teaching kindergarten children in the small town of Summers in rural northern California. "Ann" was a master kindergarten teacher who historically used developmentally appropriate activities to support her literacy instruction. She was posed with the suggestion of infusing science into her literacy program and over the course of one school year, she was observed planning, implementing, and reflecting on six integrated science and literacy units. Ann's general teaching beliefs as well as her beliefs about teaching literacy and science were explored in order to investigate whether her experience with the integrated science and literacy units had altered her teaching beliefs. It was discovered that not only had Ann significantly changed the way she taught science, her beliefs about teaching science had changed and had moved towards mimicking her pro-active and positive beliefs about teaching literacy.

  12. Effects of a Problem-Based Learning Program on Engineering Students' Academic Achievements, Skills Development and Attitudes in a Mexican University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polanco, Rodrigo; Calderon, Patricia; Delgado, Franciso

    A 3-year follow-up evaluation was conducted of an experimental problem-based learning (PBL) integrated curriculum directed to students of the first 2 years of engineering. The PBL curriculum brought together the contents of physics, mathematics, and computer science courses in a single course in which students worked on real-life problems. In…

  13. Farm and Ranch Mechanical Repair and VEH Farm and Ranch Maintenance. Curriculum Guide for Agribusiness 121. Agricultural Mechanics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas A and M Univ., College Station. Dept. of Agricultural Education.

    This curriculum guide provides materials for teachers to use in developing a 1- or 2-year course in agricultural mechanics for at-risk and special education students. It is one of 28 semester courses in agricultural science and technology for Texas high schools. The program prepares low-achieving students with employability skills that are…

  14. NASA Lewis' IITA K-12 Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    The NASA Lewis Research Center's Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications for Kindergarten to 12th Grade (IITA K-12) Program is designed to introduce into school systems computing and communications technology that benefits math and science studies. By incorporating this technology into K-12 curriculums, we hope to increase the proficiency and interest in math and science subjects by K-12 students so that they continue to study technical subjects after their high school careers are over.

  15. From Implementation to Outcomes to Impacts: Designing a Comprehensive Program Evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shebby, S.

    2015-12-01

    Funders are often interested in learning about the impact of program activities, yet before the impacts are determined, educational evaluations should first examine program implementation and outcomes. Implementation evaluation examines how and the extent to which program activities are delivered as intended, including the extent to which activities reached the targeted participants. Outcome evaluation is comprised of a systematic examination of the effects that a program has on program participants, such as changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors. In this presentation, presenters will share insights on evaluating the implementation, outcomes, and impacts associated with an online science curriculum for K-2 students. The science curriculum was designed to provide students with access to science concepts and skills in an interactive and innovative environment, and teachers with embedded, aligned, and on-demand professional development. One of the most important—and challenging—steps in this evaluation was to select outcomes that were well-defined, measurable, and aligned to program activities, as well as relevant to program stakeholders. An additional challenge was to measure implementation given limited access to the classroom environment. This presentation will include a discussion of the process evaluators used to select appropriate implementation indicators and outcomes (teacher and student), design an evaluation approach, and craft data collection instruments. Although examples provided are specific to the K-2 science intervention, the best practices discussed are pertinent to all program and event evaluations. Impact evaluation goes beyond implementation and outcome evaluation to inform whether a program is working or not. It requires a comparison group to inform what outcomes would have been in the absence of the intervention. As such, this presentation will also include a discussion of impacts, including how impacts are defined and measured, and some common challenges in evaluating program impact.

  16. A BSCS-Style Laboratory Approach for University General Biology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leonard, William H.

    1982-01-01

    Compared effectiveness of a Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)-style laboratory program in a university general biology course against a popular traditionally oriented program. Although learning gains for both groups were significant, students using the BSCS-style investigations scored significantly higher on a posttest of laboratory…

  17. Materials for Secondary School Programs for the Educable Mentally Retarded Adolescent.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boston Univ., MA. New England Special Education Instructional Materials Center.

    Compiled are materials related to work study programs for the educable mentally handicapped adolescent. Items listed include professional books, textbooks, resource aids, journals and articles, curriculum guides, instructional materials, and audiovisual aids. The materials are grouped according to academic areas (mathematics, science, social…

  18. Cases on STEAM Education in Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bazler, Judith, Ed.; Van Sickle, Meta, Ed.

    2017-01-01

    Curriculums for STEM education programs have been successfully implemented into numerous school systems for many years. Recently, the integration of arts education into such programs has proven to be significantly beneficial to students, resulting in a new method of teaching including science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.…

  19. Physics as a Part of Liberal Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, James

    2001-05-01

    The natural sciences once had a distinguished place among the liberal arts. Indeed, the arts degree at the medieval university was a science major's degree. The quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, harmonics and astronomy) represented a conscious revival of the school curriculum of late antiquity, which had deep roots in Platonism. In the Middle Ages, all who aspired to enter the higher faculties (theology, medicine, law) had first to take a science degree. This was because scientific education mattered--it offered something essential for understanding both the world of nature and the world of man. When in the twelfth century the lost works of Aristotle were recovered, university professors risked excommunication in order to teach the new philosophy of nature. Aristotle's physics and cosmology passionately mattered, and within a century they had won a place in the core curriculum. A few centuries later, the followers of Descartes risked their careers to get Aristotle back out of the curriculum and Descartes in. Despite the supposed primacy of science in our own day, it has been a long while since comparable battles were waged over a curriculum of physics. In a profound way, the sciences matter less to the broader culture than they once did. In this talk I shall address the question of how this came to be and what purpose physics might have in a program of liberal education.

  20. The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt: An Innovative Research-Based Program for High School Students

    PubMed Central

    Eeds, Angela; Vanags, Chris; Creamer, Jonathan; Loveless, Mary; Dixon, Amanda; Sperling, Harvey; McCombs, Glenn; Robinson, Doug

    2014-01-01

    The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV) is an innovative partnership program between a Research I private university and a large urban public school system. The SSMV was started in 2007 and currently has 101 students enrolled in the program, with a total of 60 students who have completed the 4-yr sequential program. Students attend the SSMV for one full day per week during the school year and 3–6 wk in the summers following their ninth- to 11th-grade years, with each grade of 26 students coming to the Vanderbilt campus on a separate day. The research-based curriculum focuses on guiding students through the process of learning to develop questions and hypotheses, designing projects and performing analyses, and communicating results of these projects. The SSMV program has elevated the learning outcomes of students as evidenced by increased achievement scores relative to a comparison group of students; has provided a rigorous research-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics elective curriculum that culminates in a Summer research internship; has produced 27 Intel and Siemens semifinalists and regional finalists over the past 4 yr; and has supported the development of writing and communication skills resulting in regional and national oral presentations and publications in scientific journals. PMID:26086660

  1. Sustainability Science as a Transdisciplinary Framework for Institutional Transformation at Unity College

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mulkey, S. S.

    2012-12-01

    Interdisciplinary programming in higher education is accepted as necessary for effective instructional delivery of complex environmental problems. Difficulties in sharing resources among disciplinary units and the need for students to sequentially access information from different disciplines limit the effectiveness of this approach. In contrast, transdisciplinary programming requires that the perspectives of various disciplines be simultaneously integrated in problem-focused pedagogy. Unity College, an environmental college in Maine, has recently adopted Sustainability Science (sensu U.S. National Academy of Science) as a framework for transdisciplinary pedagogy throughout all of its degree programs. Sustainability Science is a promising alternative framework that focuses on the dynamics of coupled human-natural systems and is defined by the problems that it addresses rather than by the disciplines it employs. Students are empowered to become brokers of knowledge, while faculty perform a curatorial role to provide students with networked resources generally external to the classroom. Although the transdisciplinary framework is effective for delivery of Sustainability Science in upper division and capstone courses, we propose this approach also for elements of our general education curriculum during the first two years of our baccalaureate programs. Classroom time is liberated for experiential student engagement and recitation. Our experience suggests that transdisciplinary programming can provide students with critical thinking skills and thus enhance the postgraduate value of their baccalaureate degree. We are coordinating the development of this distinctive curriculum delivery with a marketing program that will make Unity College accessible to a wider range of clientele. Our implementation of transdisciplinary programming will occur over a four-year period and requires explicit and fundamental change in essentially all aspects of College administration and academics.

  2. Next Generation Science Partnerships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magnusson, J.

    2016-02-01

    I will provide an overview of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and demonstrate how scientists and educators can use these standards to strengthen and enhance their collaborations. The NGSS are rich in content and practice and provide all students with an internationally-benchmarked science education. Using these state-led standards to guide outreach efforts can help develop and sustain effective and mutually beneficial teacher-researcher partnerships. Aligning outreach with the three dimensions of the standards can help make research relevant for target audiences by intentionally addressing the science practices, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas of the K-12 science curriculum that drives instruction and assessment. Collaborations between researchers and educators that are based on this science framework are more sustainable because they address the needs of both scientists and educators. Educators are better able to utilize science content that aligns with their curriculum. Scientists who learn about the NGSS can better understand the frameworks under which educators work, which can lead to more extensive and focused outreach with teachers as partners. Based on this model, the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) develops its education materials in conjunction with scientists and educators to produce accurate, standards-aligned activities and curriculum-based interactions with researchers. I will highlight examples of IODP's current, successful teacher-researcher collaborations that are intentionally aligned with the NGSS.

  3. Methods and Tools to Align Curriculum to the Skills and Competencies Needed by the Workforce - an Example from Geospatial Science and Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, A. B.

    2012-12-01

    Geospatial science and technology (GST) including geographic information systems, remote sensing, global positioning systems and mobile applications, are valuable tools for geoscientists and students learning to become geoscientists. GST allows the user to analyze data spatially and temporarily and then visualize the data and outcomes in multiple formats (digital, web and paper). GST has evolved rapidly and it has been difficult to create effective curriculum as few guidelines existed to help educators. In 2010, the US Department of Labor (DoL), in collaboration with the National Geospatial Center of Excellence (GeoTech Center), a National Science Foundation supported grant, approved the Geospatial Technology Competency Mode (GTCM). The GTCM was developed and vetted with industry experts and provided the structure and example competencies needed across the industry. While the GTCM was helpful, a more detailed list of skills and competencies needed to be identified in order to build appropriate curriculum. The GeoTech Center carried out multiple DACUM events to identify the skills and competencies needed by entry-level workers. DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) is a job analysis process whereby expert workers are convened to describe what they do for a specific occupation. The outcomes from multiple DACUMs were combined into a MetaDACUM and reviewed by hundreds of GST professionals. This provided a list of more than 320 skills and competencies needed by the workforce. The GeoTech Center then held multiple workshops across the U.S. where more than 100 educators knowledgeable in teaching GST parsed the list into Model Courses and a Model Certificate Program. During this process, tools were developed that helped educators define which competency should be included in a specific course and the depth of instruction for that competency. This presentation will provide details about the process, methodology and tools used to create the Models and suggest how they can be used to create customized curriculum integrating geospatial science and technology into geoscience programs.

  4. Mars for Earthlings: An Analog Approach to Mars in Undergraduate Education

    PubMed Central

    Kahmann-Robinson, Julia

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Mars for Earthlings (MFE) is a terrestrial Earth analog pedagogical approach to teaching undergraduate geology, planetary science, and astrobiology. MFE utilizes Earth analogs to teach Mars planetary concepts, with a foundational backbone in Earth science principles. The field of planetary science is rapidly changing with new technologies and higher-resolution data sets. Thus, it is increasingly important to understand geological concepts and processes for interpreting Mars data. MFE curriculum is topically driven to facilitate easy integration of content into new or existing courses. The Earth-Mars systems approach explores planetary origins, Mars missions, rocks and minerals, active driving forces/tectonics, surface sculpting processes, astrobiology, future explorations, and hot topics in an inquiry-driven environment. Curriculum leverages heavily upon multimedia resources, software programs such as Google Mars and JMARS, as well as NASA mission data such as THEMIS, HiRISE, CRISM, and rover images. Two years of MFE class evaluation data suggest that science literacy and general interest in Mars geology and astrobiology topics increased after participation in the MFE curriculum. Students also used newly developed skills to create a Mars mission team presentation. The MFE curriculum, learning modules, and resources are available online at http://serc.carleton.edu/marsforearthlings/index.html. Key Words: Mars—Geology—Planetary science—Astrobiology—NASA education. Astrobiology 14, 42–49. PMID:24359289

  5. A Blueprint of Pain Curriculum across Prelicensure Health Sciences Programs: One NIH Pain Consortium Center of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPE) Experience

    PubMed Central

    Doorenbos, AZ; Gordon, DB; Tauben, D; Palisoc, J; Drangsholt, M; Lindhorst, T; Danielson, J; Spector, J; Ballweg, R; Vorvick, L; Loeser, JD

    2013-01-01

    To improve U.S. pain education and promote inter-institutional and inter-professional collaborations, the NIH Pain Consortium has funded 12 sites to develop Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPE). Each site was given the tasks of development, evaluation, integration, and promotion of pain management curriculum resources, including case studies that will be shared nationally. Collaborations among schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and others were encouraged. The John D. Loeser CoEPE is unique in that it represents extensive regionalization of health science education, in this case in the region covering the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI). This paper describes a blueprint of pain content and teaching methods across the University of Washington’s six health sciences schools and provides recommendations for improvement in pain education at the prelicensure level. The Schools of Dentistry and Physician Assistant provide the highest percentage of total required curriculum hours devoted to pain compared with the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social Work. The findings confirm paucity of pain content in health sciences curricula, missing International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) curriculum topics, and limited use of innovative teaching methods such as problem-based and team-based learning. PMID:24094694

  6. A Hands-On, Interdisciplinary Laboratory Program and Educational Model to Strengthen a Radar Curriculum for Broad Distribution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeary, Mark; Yu, Tian-You; Palmer, Robert; Biggerstaff, Michael; Fink, L. Dee; Ahem, Carolyn; Tarp, Keli Pirtle

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes the details of a National Science Foundation multi-year educational project at the University of Oklahoma (OU). The goal of this comprehensive active-learning and hands-on laboratory program is to develop an interdisciplinary program, in which engineering, geoscience, and meteorology students participate, which forms a…

  7. A Model for Program-Wide Assessment of the Effectiveness of Writing Instruction in Science Laboratory Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saitta, Erin K.; Zemliansky, Pavel; Turner, Anna

    2015-01-01

    The authors present a model for program-wide assessment of the effectiveness of writing instruction in a chemistry laboratory course. This model, which involves collaboration between faculty from chemistry, the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program, and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, is based on several theories and…

  8. Motivating Students on ICT-Related Study Programs to Engage with the Subject of Sustainable Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilty, Lorenz M.; Huber, Patrizia

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: Sustainable development (SD) does not usually form part of the curriculum of ICT-related study programs such as Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, and Informatics. However, many topics form a bridge between SD and ICT and could potentially be integrated into ICT-related study programs. This paper reports the…

  9. The PISCES Project: How Teacher-Scientist Partners can Enhance Elementary Science Instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reif, C.; Oechel, W.

    2003-12-01

    The PISCES Project (Partnerships Involving the Scientific Community in Elementary Schools www.sdsa.org/pisces) is an innovative program that brings high quality standards-based elementary science curriculum and hands-on laboratory materials into San Diego County's classrooms. The project is funded by the NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program. The project was designed and is administered through cooperation among faculty at San Diego State University and the Science Department of the San Diego County Office of Education. Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in science programs in San Diego area universities including San Diego State University, California State University San Marcos, and University of California San Diego partner with elementary school teachers. Through this partnership, the scientist brings scientific expertise to the classroom while the teacher delivers the lesson using current pedagogic methods. This is accomplished during a 3 month partnership in which the scientist joins the teacher in the classroom a few days each week to complete professional kit-based curriculum such as that available from FOSS (Full Option Science System) and STC (Science and Technology for Children). The teachers remain in the program for two years during which they have continuous access to the kit-based curriculum as well as two to three partnership cycles. Teachers receive assistance outside of the classroom as well attending professional development institutes three times a year to establish and maintain effective science teaching methods. The San Diego Science Alliance and other community and industry supporters provide the additionalfunding necessary to provide this teacher professional development Currenty, PISCES is present in over 40 schools and is able to provide partnerships to over 100 classrooms each year. In addition to the work done in San Diego, the project has expanded to Barrow, Alaska with plans to expand to La Paz, Mexico where there are SDSU climate research stations. San Diego and Alaska scientists travel to Barrow twice a year to participate in an intense, month-long science instruction partnership. PISCES collects a variety of data including student work, science attitude surveys, interviews with students and teachers, video, as well as science content knowledge. The students find themselves enjoying science and are deeply impacted by the presence of an actual scientist in their classroom. As PISCES enters its fifth year, it is evident that the combination of continuous support inside and outside of the classroom is successful in developing teacher engagement in science instruction.

  10. Electronics Teacher's Guide. Science and Technology Document Series No. 40.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, John

    This is the second document on the teaching of electronics to appear as part of UNESCO's science and technology education program. An introductory section describes the role that electronics plays as part of the physics curriculum. The following section outlines the content of the electronics course. The outline includes guidelines for determining…

  11. Science: Grade 6. Curriculum Bulletin, 1971-72 Series, No. 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Bureau of Curriculum Development.

    This publication contains an extensive introduction for teachers covering such topics as questioning, reading in the science program, evaluation, and audiovisual materials. The book itself is a teacher's guide and is based on the concept that learning is best facilitated by providing meaningful problems which the learner is able to solve. Topics…

  12. Leadership Curriculum and Materials Used by High School Agricultural Science Teachers: A National Study of the Pre-"LifeKnowledge" Days

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, A. Christian; Fuhrman, Nicholas E.; King, Diana L.; Flanders, Frank B.; Rudd, Rick D.

    2013-01-01

    Agricultural science programs have provided many opportunities for leadership education through classroom, supervised agricultural experience (SAE), and FFA Organization activities. Past studies have focused on leadership developed through activities such as career development events (CDE), SAE activities, FFA Organization conventions, and other…

  13. Capsela Scientific: Hands-On Physical Science Curriculum for Grades 3-9.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swartz, Clifford; Friedman, Madeleine

    Many educators feel that elementary school science programs should concentrate on phenomena and concepts that are literally tangible. This document serves as the teaching manual which accompanies the Capsela modular system of manipulative and motorized models. The experiments in the manual are intended to provide a structured approach to using the…

  14. Using the Principles of "BIO2010" to Develop an Introductory, Interdisciplinary Course for Biology Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matthews, Kelly E.; Adams, Peter; Goos, Merrilyn

    2010-01-01

    Modern biological sciences require practitioners to have increasing levels of knowledge, competence, and skills in mathematics and programming. A recent review of the science curriculum at the University of Queensland, a large, research-intensive institution in Australia, resulted in the development of a more quantitatively rigorous undergraduate…

  15. Reimagining Non-Formal Science Education: A Case of Ecojustice-Oriented Citizenship Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sperling, Erin; Bencze, J. Lawrence

    2015-01-01

    This article presents a study of youth participating in a program that engages in a form of ecojustice education, addressing social inequities, along with science-linked concepts, through a localized and culturally oriented food-based curriculum. A community-based food justice organization provides a rich space for encountering and examining the…

  16. Transformative Multicultural Science Curriculum: A Case Study of Middle School Robotics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimes, Mary Katheryn

    2012-01-01

    Multicultural Science has been a topic of research and discourse over the past several years. However, most of the literature concerning this topic (or paradigm) has centered on programs in tribal or Indigenous schools. Under the framework of instructional congruence, this case study explored how elementary and middle school students in a…

  17. Instituting a Standards-Based K--12 Science Curriculum Supplement Program at the National Institutes of Health: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witherly, Jeffre

    2010-01-01

    Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based…

  18. My Body. Developing an Early Interest in Science: A Preschool Science Curriculum. (4-Year-Olds).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Summer, Gail L.; Giovannini, Kathleen

    This teaching guide on the body for 4-year-olds is based on a modification of the "Plan, Do, Review" approach to education devised by High Scope in Ypsilanti, Michigan. First implemented as an outreach early childhood program in North Carolina, the science activities described in this guide can be adapted to various early childhood environments.…

  19. Using Food as a Tool to Teach Science to 3rd Grade Students in Appalachian Ohio

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duffrin, Melani W.; Hovland, Jana; Carraway-Stage, Virginia; McLeod, Sara; Duffrin, Christopher; Phillips, Sharon; Rivera, David; Saum, Diana; Johanson, George; Graham, Annette; Lee, Tammy; Bosse, Michael; Berryman, Darlene

    2010-01-01

    The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. In 2007 to 2008, a foods curriculum developed by professionals in nutrition and education was implemented in 10 3rd-grade classrooms in Appalachian Ohio; teachers in these…

  20. Science: An Indian Perspective. Ten Modules for Learning. Indian Ethnic Heritage Studies Curriculum Development Project, 1974-75.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allery, Alan J.

    In this unit, ten modules provide an open approach to science, offering a wide variety of activities and experiences that include aspects of Indian studies incorporated into the regular science curricula. The materials are intended for use in middle grades as part of a social studies program. The objectives of the unit are to develop students'…

  1. Student memories: Insights for science reform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaillie, Jane Hall

    The purpose of this study was to examine the recollections pre-service teachers majoring in elementary education have of their science experiences during their elementary years and to explore the recollections in the context of science education reform efforts. At the beginning of science methods course work, pre-service elementary teachers reflected on their memories of their own elementary education experiences. Themes from 102 reflective essays collected in two settings and time periods were identified and compared. The themes remained consistent over both settings and time frames studied and fall into three general categories: curriculum and instruction, teacher traits, and student traits. The pre-service teachers expressed difficulty in recalling elementary science experiences and attributed their limited memories to what they perceived as a low priority of science content in the elementary curriculum. Teaching strategies played a prominent role in the memories reported. Hands-on and active learning strategies produced positive memories, while lectures, reading textbooks, and completing worksheets resulted in more negative memories. Furthermore, pre-service teacher essays often failed to connect the learning activities with concept development or understanding. Pre-service teachers were split nearly equally between those who liked and those who disliked elementary science. The attributes of elementary teachers received the least attention in the categories and focused primarily on passion for teaching science. Implications for science reform leaders, teacher education preparation programs, and school administrators and curriculum directors are identified.

  2. An assessment of standards-based reform in Florida's middle school science programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stuart Hammer, Kathryn Elizabeth

    The era of school accountability and standards based reform (SBR) has brought many challenges and changes to Florida's public schools. It is important to understand any shifts in teachers' attitudes and to identify the changes teachers are making as they implement SBR. The study was designed to assess teachers' attitudes and perceptions of changes related to SBR and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in middle school science programs in Florida. Survey questions sought to identify teacher perceptions of changes in curriculum, instruction and daily practice as schools documented and incorporated the Sunshine State Standards (SSS) for science and began focusing on preparing students for the science FCAT. The survey was distributed to 265 randomly selected middle school science teachers throughout the State of Florida. Seventy-six and ninety-two percent of teachers reported increased levels of stress as a result of SBR and the science FCAT, respectively. Eighty-six percent of teachers reported loss of autonomy and control over what goes on in their classrooms, and fifty-four percent of teachers reported loss of freedom and creativity regarding curriculum and lessons. Eighty-three percent of teachers believe that increased time spent on test preparation has come at the expense of other important curricular items. By contrast, only nineteen percent of teachers believe that the science FCAT has brought about improvement in curriculum, instruction and student learning in science. Yet, twenty-five percent of teachers believe that reform efforts will improve their school. An important finding is that teachers' attitudes toward reform efforts are strongly influenced by their attitudes toward the administration at their school. Teachers who receive more support from administrators have more positive attitudes toward all aspects of SBR and the science FCAT measured in this study. Although the majority of teachers reported negative attitudes toward the reform process, a small minority that report working under supportive administrators believe that reform efforts are working well or will soon show positive effects. No school should overlook the potential of a supportive administration in its effort to improve school programs.

  3. Models and Materials: Bridging Art and Science in the Secondary Curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pak, D.; Cavazos, L.

    2006-12-01

    Creating and sustaining student engagement in science is one challenge facing secondary teachers. The visual arts provide an alternative means of communicating scientific concepts to students who may not respond to traditional formats or identify themselves as interested in science. We have initiated a three-year teacher professional development program at U C Santa Barbara focused on bridging art and science in secondary curricula, to engage students underrepresented in science majors, including girls, English language learners and non-traditional learners. The three-year format provides the teams of teachers with the time and resources necessary to create innovative learning experiences for students that will enhance their understanding of both art and science content. Models and Materials brings together ten secondary art and science teachers from six Santa Barbara County schools. Of the five participating science teachers, three teach Earth Science and two teach Life Science. Art and science teachers from each school are teamed and challenged with the task of creating integrated curriculum projects that bring visual art concepts to the science classroom and science concepts to the art classroom. Models and Materials were selected as unifying themes; understanding the concept of models, their development and limitations, is a prominent goal in the California State Science and Art Standards. Similarly, the relationship between composition, structure and properties of materials is important to both art and science learning. The program began with a 2-week institute designed to highlight the natural links between art and science through presentations and activities by both artists and scientists, to inspire teachers to develop new ways to present models in their classrooms, and for the teacher teams to brainstorm ideas for curriculum projects. During the current school year, teachers will begin to integrate science and art and the themes of modeling and materials into their classrooms. Initial results indicate that the participating teachers developed a clearer understanding of the uses and limitations of models the classroom, better understanding of materials science, and strong initial ideas for integrated curricula.

  4. Global Ethics in a High School Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sappir, Susan

    1998-01-01

    Raphi Amram, the late director of Israel's Society for Excellence Through Education, founded the Ethics in Science and Humanities Program operating in Israel and five other countries. Though the ethics program currently operates only in high schools serving high-achieving or gifted students, founders emphasize the universality of its appeal.…

  5. Spirituality and Health: Implications for Policy and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vazin, Dara

    2013-01-01

    Purpose. The purpose of this study was to establish among health educators a consensus in the definition of spirituality and health that would ultimately guide effective development of a curriculum or program in spirituality and health for undergraduate programs in college health science departments. Methodology. This mixed-methods research study…

  6. A Search for Identity: Exploring Core Competencies for Interdisciplinary Environmental Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vincent, Shirley Gayle

    2010-01-01

    Scope and method of study: The study is national in scope, exploratory, and utilized a combination of qualitative and quantitative social science methods. Findings and conclusions: Interdisciplinary environmental (IE) programs in higher education in the United States are both diverse and dynamic in their curriculum designs. Though these…

  7. Send Your Students to Mars for Their next Research Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindgren, Charles

    2006-01-01

    The NASA's Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP) is led by the Arizona State University (ASU) Mars Education Program, a major partner of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. MSIP is based on the National Science Education Standards and includes curriculum on terrestrial planet characteristics, experimental design, and proposal writing. Three spacecraft…

  8. Exploring in Aeronautics. An Introduction to Aeronautical Sciences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH. Lewis Research Center.

    This curriculum guide is based on a year of lectures and projects of a contemporary special-interest Explorer program intended to provide career guidance and motivation for promising students interested in aerospace engineering and scientific professions. The adult-oriented program avoids technicality and rigorous mathematics and stresses real…

  9. Advanced Technological Education: An Overview and Profile of 11 National Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maricopa County Community Coll. District, Phoenix, AZ.

    This booklet describes the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The ATE encourages improvements in advanced technological education at the national and regional levels using curriculum development and program improvement at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE not only…

  10. A Model for Teaching an Introductory Programming Course Using ADRI

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malik, Sohail Iqbal; Coldwell-Neilson, Jo

    2017-01-01

    High failure and drop-out rates from introductory programming courses continue to be of significant concern to computer science disciplines despite extensive research attempting to address the issue. In this study, we include the three entities of the didactic triangle, instructors, students and curriculum, to explore the learning difficulties…

  11. Engaging Undergraduates in an Interdisciplinary Program: Developing a Biomaterial Technology Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liang, Jia-chi; Kung, Shieh-shiuh; Sun, Yi-ming

    2009-01-01

    Yuan Ze University targeted Biomaterials Science and developed a curriculum related to Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, and Biomaterials for engineering students to cultivate talents for both engineering and biotechnology. After several years of operation, recruiting students has succeeded, and students are satisfied with the course design…

  12. High school students' learning and perceptions of phylogenetics of flowering plants.

    PubMed

    Bokor, Julie R; Landis, Jacob B; Crippen, Kent J

    2014-01-01

    Basic phylogenetics and associated "tree thinking" are often minimized or excluded in formal school curricula. Informal settings provide an opportunity to extend the K-12 school curriculum, introducing learners to new ideas, piquing interest in science, and fostering scientific literacy. Similarly, university researchers participating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach activities increase awareness of college and career options and highlight interdisciplinary fields of science research and augment the science curriculum. To aid in this effort, we designed a 6-h module in which students utilized 12 flowering plant species to generate morphological and molecular phylogenies using biological techniques and bioinformatics tools. The phylogenetics module was implemented with 83 high school students during a weeklong university STEM immersion program and aimed to increase student understanding of phylogenetics and coevolution of plants and pollinators. Student response reflected positive engagement and learning gains as evidenced through content assessments, program evaluation surveys, and program artifacts. We present the results of the first year of implementation and discuss modifications for future use in our immersion programs as well as in multiple course settings at the high school and undergraduate levels. © 2014 J. R. Bokor et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2014 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  13. Evaluating the Effects of Medical Explorers a Case Study Curriculum on Critical Thinking, Attitude Toward Life Science, and Motivational Learning Strategies in Rural High School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brand, Lance G.

    2011-12-01

    The purpose of this study was three-fold: to measure the ability of the Medical Explorers case-based curriculum to improve higher order thinking skills; to evaluate the impact of the Medical Explorers case-based curriculum to help students be self directed learners; and to investigate the impact of the Medical Explorers case-based curriculum to improve student attitudes of the life sciences. The target population for this study was secondary students enrolled in advanced life science programs. The resulting sample (n = 71) consisted of 36 students in the case-based experimental group and 35 students in the control group. Furthermore, this study employed an experimental, pretest-posttest control group research design. The treatment consisted of two instructional strategies: case-based learning and teacher-guided learning. Analysis of covariance indicated no treatment effect on critical thinking ability or Motivation and Self-regulation of Learning. However, the Medical Explorers case-based curriculum did show a treatment effect on student attitudes toward the life sciences. These results seem to indicate that case-based curriculum has a positive impact on students' perspectives and attitudes about the study of life science as well as their interest in life science based careers. Such outcomes are also a good indicator that students enjoy and perceive the value to use of case studies in science, and because they see value in the work that they do they open up their minds to true learning and integration. Of additional interest was the observationthat on average eleventh graders showed consistently stronger gains in critical thinking, motivation and self-regulation of learning strategies, and attitudes toward the life sciences as compared to twelfth grade students. In fact, twelfth grade students showed a pre to post loss on the Watson-Glaser and the MSLQ scores while eleventh grade students showed positive gains on each of these instruments. This decline in twelfth grade performance is an endemic indicator of underlying problems that exists in this transitional year of education and supports the need to strengthen the transitional connections between high schools and institutions of higher learning.

  14. Hinds Community College MSEIP program

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2005-06-24

    Student Assistant Antoinette Davis (left) of Utica; Carmella Forsythe, 13, of Clinton; Terri Henderson, 14, of Clinton; Tyra Greer, 12, of Port Gibson; and Kala Battle, 14, of Edwards, answer curriculum questions about NASA's Return to Flight mission exhibit at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC) near Bay St. Louis, Miss. The girls were on a field trip to StenniSphere with fellow participants in Hinds Community College's MSEIP (Minority Science Engineering Improvement Program) summer program. MSEIP encourages students to pursue and prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

  15. Hinds Community College MSEIP program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    Student Assistant Antoinette Davis (left) of Utica; Carmella Forsythe, 13, of Clinton; Terri Henderson, 14, of Clinton; Tyra Greer, 12, of Port Gibson; and Kala Battle, 14, of Edwards, answer curriculum questions about NASA's Return to Flight mission exhibit at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC) near Bay St. Louis, Miss. The girls were on a field trip to StenniSphere with fellow participants in Hinds Community College's MSEIP (Minority Science Engineering Improvement Program) summer program. MSEIP encourages students to pursue and prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

  16. Frontier Fields: A Cost-Effective Approach to Bringing Authentic Science to the Education Community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eisenhamer, B.; Lawton, B.; Summers, F.; Ryer, H.

    2015-11-01

    For more than two decades, the Hubble EPO program has sought to bring the wonders of the universe to the education community and the public, and to engage audiences in the adventure of scientific discovery. Program components include standards-based, curriculum-support materials, exhibits and exhibit components, and professional development workshops. The main underpinnings of the program's infrastructure are scientist-educator development teams, partnerships, and an embedded program evaluation component. The Space Telescope Science Institute's Office of Public Outreach is leveraging this existing infrastructure to bring the Frontier Fields science program to the education community in a cost-effective way. Frontier Fields observations and results have been, and will continue to be, embedded into existing product lines and professional development offerings. We also are leveraging our new social media strategy to bring the science program to the public in the form of an ongoing blog.

  17. Examining Teachers' Views on the Implementation of English as L3 into Primary Schools: A Case of Kazakhstan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhetpisbayeva, Bakhytgul A.; Shelestova, Tatyana Y.; Abildina, Saltanat K.

    2016-01-01

    The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan changed the State Educational Program for primary education and the curriculum for teaching English as a third language (L3) to grades 1-4 in 2013. As with many changes in the curriculum, English language teaching has also been changed and the starting age for learning of English…

  18. Annual Progress Report, January 1, 1969 through December 31, 1969.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1970-02-01

    or extended. E. The Role of CAI in Curriculum Revision I The Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS)* (Dr. Ernest Burkman, i Director and Dr David...Educational Research, FSU. Henry T. Lippert , Ed.D., 1967, Education, University of Illinois, Research Associate in the CAI Center and Assistant...Walter Dick, and Henry T Lippert , Tech Report 3, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 1968 "A Systematic Investigation of Three Facets of Programmed

  19. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a Means for School-Based Science Curriculum Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Browne, Christi L.

    The challenge of school-based science curriculum change and educational reform is often presented to science teachers and departments who are not necessarily prepared for the complexity of considerations that change movements require. The development of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on a science department's curriculum change efforts, may provide the necessary tools to foster sustainable school-based curriculum science changes. This research presents a case study of an evolving science department PLC consisting of 10 middle school science teachers from the same middle school and their efforts of school-based science curriculum change. A transformative mixed model case study with qualitative data and deepened by quantitative analysis, was chosen to guide the investigation. Collected data worked to document the essential developmental steps, the occurrence and frequency of the five essential dimensions of successful PLCs, and the influences the science department PLC had on the middle school science department's progression through school-based science curriculum change, and the barriers, struggles and inhibiting actions of the science department PLC. Findings indicated that a science department PLC was unique in that it allowed for a focal science departmental lens of science curriculum change to be applied to the structure and function of the PLC and therefore the process, proceedings, and results were directly aligned to and driven by the science department. The science PLC, while logically difficult to set-up and maintain, became a professional science forum where the middle school science teachers were exposed to new science teaching and learning knowledge, explored new science standards, discussed effects on student science learning, designed and critically analyzed science curriculum change application. Conclusions resulted in the science department PLC as an identified tool providing the ability for science departmental actions to lead to outcomes of science curriculum change improvements with the consideration but not the dictation of the larger school community and state agendas. Thus, the study's results work to fuse previously separated research on general PLCs and curriculum change efforts into a cohesive understanding of the unexplored potential of a science PLC and school-based science curriculum change.

  20. Energy and technology review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, K. C.

    1991-04-01

    This issue of Energy and Technology Review discusses the various educational programs in which Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) participates or sponsors. LLNL has a long history of fostering educational programs for students from kindergarten through graduate school. A goal is to enhance the teaching of science, mathematics, and technology and thereby assist educational institutions to increase the pool of scientists, engineers, and technicians. LLNL programs described include: (1) contributions to the improvement of U.S. science education; (2) the LESSON program; (3) collaborations with Bay Area Science and Technology Education; (4) project HOPES; (5) lasers and fusion energy education; (6) a curriculum on global climate change; (7) computer and technology instruction at LLNL's Science Education Center; (8) the National Education Supercomputer Program; (9) project STAR; (10) the American Indian Program; (11) LLNL programs with historically Black colleges and Universities; (12) the Undergraduate Summer Institute on Contemporary Topics in Applied Science; (13) the National Physical Science Consortium: A Fellowship Program for Minorities and Women; (14) LLNL's participation with AWU; (15) the apprenticeship programs at LLNL; and (16) the future of LLNL's educational programs. An appendix lists all of LLNL's educational programs and activities. Contacts and their respective telephone numbers are given for all these programs and activities.

  1. Issues in Informal Education: Event-Based Science Communication Involving Planetaria and the Internet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, M.; Gallagher, D. L.; Whitt, A.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    For the past four years the Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center has carried out a diverse program of science communication through the web resources on the Internet. The program includes extended stories about NAS.4 science, a curriculum resource for teachers tied to national education standards, on-line activities for students, and webcasts of real-time events. Events have involved meteor showers, solar eclipses, natural very low frequency radio emissions, and amateur balloon flights. In some cases broadcasts accommodate active feedback and questions from Internet participants. We give here, examples of events, problems, and lessons learned from these activities.

  2. Partnerships Between K-12 Schools and Universities: Who Benefits?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Regens, N.; Hall-Wallace, M. K.

    2001-05-01

    Collaborations between K-12 schools and universities for the purpose of improving science education are growing in number, but many question their effectiveness. After many years of outreach to local teachers, schools and districts, we have developed a collaboration that more effectively addresses school district goals and needs while providing university faculty and graduate students with real opportunities to contribute to science education in the schools. Funded by the NSF GK-12 program, we are working directly with school district curriculum specialists and classroom teachers to implement inquiry-based science investigations. Projects range from developing long-term research projects in middle and high school classrooms to assisting K-6 teachers in using kit-based science curriculum. As part of our program, we have gathered several types of data to document the impact of our efforts. Using surveys of knowledge and attitudes, we measured significant improvements in college student's knowledge and attitudes about inquiry teaching methods and the K-12 education system. Through analysis of the college student's journals, we have also documented critical elements of an effective collaboration. These journals, combined with evaluations by classroom teachers, provide evidence of how the program impacts the graduate students professionally. We have also surveyed classroom teachers to measure the impact of the college students on their attitudes about teaching science and the long-term impact of the collaboration on their classroom teaching.

  3. Systemic Reform of Astronomy Curriculum in the Montgomery County Public Schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szesze, M.; Kahl, S.; Janney, D.

    2002-09-01

    In the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the science curriculum is undergoing a comprehensive systemic review in an effort to revise the system's curriculum and the entire instructional program. As a part of this overall effort, MCPS has developed a framework for the astronomy curriculum that includes a rationale, essential indicators, and blueprints. The school system is partnering with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to involve professional astronomers/space scientists as content advisors to ensure science content accuracy and currency. Through this partnership, many NASA developed educational materials have been made available to the school system to assist with the instructional sequences. This new policy has resulted in the development of a clear and coherent astronomy curriculum for grades K-8. The blueprint is written in the form of a set of indicators which identify the exact skills and knowledge that need to be taught at each grade level so that students will meet and exceed state, national, and international standards. Each blueprint also includes the enduring understandings and essential questions that students should focus on for that specific unit of study, a proposed instructional sequence, and assessment and differentiation ideas. Using these blueprints, teachers will create curriculum guides that include model lessons, model assignments, concept maps, resources, assessment samples, and strategies for differentiating the curriculum to meet the needs of a wide range of learners. In addition, a 45 hour certification training course is being developed to train in service teachers in a wide range of space science disciplines from seasons to cosmology. The course is being developed and will be taught by a team composed of space scientists and master educational trainers. Pilot testing of the curriculum and the training course will begin in Fall 2002.

  4. Wind-energy Science, Technology and Research (WindSTAR) Consortium: Curriculum, Workforce Development, and Education Plan Final Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Manwell, James

    2013-03-19

    The purpose of the project is to modify and expand the current wind energy curriculum at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and to develop plans to expand the graduate program to a national scale. The expansion plans include the foundational steps to establish the American Academy of Wind Energy (AAWE). The AAWE is intended to be a cooperative organization of wind energy research, development, and deployment institutes and universities across North America, whose mission will be to develop and execute joint RD&D projects and to organize high-level science and education in wind energy

  5. Climate Science Program at California State University, Northridge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steele Cox, H.; Klein, D.; Cadavid, A. C.; Foley, B.

    2012-12-01

    Due to its interdisciplinary nature, climate science poses wide-ranging challenges for science and mathematics students seeking careers in this field. There is a compelling need for universities to provide coherent programs in climate science in order to train future climate scientists. With funding from NASA Innovations in Climate Education (NICE), California State University, Northridge (CSUN), is creating the CSUN Climate Science Program. An interdisciplinary team of faculty members is working in collaboration with UCLA, Santa Monica College and NASA/JPL partners to create a new curriculum in climate science. The resulting sequence of climate science courses, or Pathway for studying the Mathematics of Climate Change (PMCC), is integrated into a Bachelor of Science degree program in the Applied Mathematical Sciences offered by the Mathematics Department at CSUN. The PMCC consists of courses offered by the departments of Mathematics, Physics, and Geography and is designed to prepare students for Ph.D. programs in technical fields relevant to global climate change and related careers. The students who choose to follow this program will be guided to enroll in the following sequence of courses for their 12 units of upper division electives: 1) A newly created course junior level course, Math 396CL, in applied mathematics which will introduce students to applications of vector calculus and differential equations to the study of thermodynamics and atmospheric dynamics. 2) An already existing course, Math 483, with new content on mathematical modeling specialized for this program; 3) An improved version of Phys 595CL on the mathematics and physics of climate change with emphasis on Radiative Transfer; 4) A choice of Geog 407 on Remote Sensing or Geog 416 on Climate Change with updated content to train the students in the analysis of satellite data obtained with the NASA Earth Observing System and instruction in the analysis of data obtained within a Geographical Information System (GIS). In addition the Geography department will similarly update the corresponding graduate courses on Remote Sensing, Geog 690D, and Climate Change Geog 620F, and there will be a reciprocal curriculum and data sharing collaboration with the Earth and Environmental Sciences program at Santa Monica College. Throughout the academic year a seminar series offers the students the opportunity to learn about ongoing work on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate and during the summer they have access to research experiences at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

  6. NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) Professional Development and NASA Connections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Backman, D. E.; Clark, C.; Harman, P. K.

    2017-12-01

    NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program is a three-part professional development (PD) experience for high school physics, astronomy, and earth science teachers. AAA PD consists of: (1) blended learning via webinars, asynchronous content learning, and in-person workshops, (2) a STEM immersion experience at NASA Armstrong's B703 science research aircraft facility in Palmdale, California, and (3) ongoing opportunities for connection with NASA astrophysics and planetary science Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). AAA implementation in 2016-18 involves partnerships between the SETI Institute and seven school districts in northern and southern California. AAAs in the current cohort were selected by the school districts based on criteria developed by AAA program staff working with WestEd evaluation consultants. The selected teachers were then randomly assigned by WestEd to a Group A or B to support controlled testing of student learning. Group A completed their PD during January - August 2017, then participated in NASA SOFIA science flights during fall 2017. Group B will act as a control during the 2017-18 school year, then will complete their professional development and SOFIA flights during 2018. A two-week AAA electromagnetic spectrum and multi-wavelength astronomy curriculum aligned with the Science Framework for California Public Schools and Next Generation Science Standards was developed by program staff for classroom delivery. The curriculum (as well as the AAA's pre-flight PD) capitalizes on NASA content by using "science snapshot" case studies regarding astronomy research conducted by SOFIA. AAAs also interact with NASA SMEs during flight weeks and will translate that interaction into classroom content. The AAA program will make controlled measurements of student gains in standards-based learning plus changes in student attitudes towards STEM, and observe & record the AAAs' implementation of curricular changes. Funded by NASA: NNX16AC51

  7. A new paradigm in health care curriculums: the pharmaceutical and health care business degree.

    PubMed

    Campagna, Nicholas A; Migliore, Mattia M; Berman, Alex

    2011-01-01

    The rapid growth of the healthcare industry, and the need to operate more efficiently in this environment, has generated an unmet need for competent business professionals with knowledge of the health care sciences. Additionally, student demand for a business curriculum that would satisfy the needs of the health care industry has provided the impetus for the development of the B.S. Pharmaceutical Health Care and Business program (PHCB). The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the evolution of this innovative curriculum within a school of Pharmacy, and to assess student satisfaction with the current PHCB program. To that end, a 19-item online questionnaire was developed and a group of 56 graduates (2007-2009) were surveyed which resulted in a response rate of 80%. The findings of this study indicated there was an overall high level of student satisfaction with this curriculum with an average of 86%, and that the PHCB program may offer potential to prepare graduates for the business and managerial aspects in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, hospital and other allied health care segments.

  8. "XSEL" Virtual Selective High School Provision: Delivering Academically Selective Secondary Curriculum in Regional, Rural and Remote NSW

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furney, Ann-Marie; McDiarmid, Carole

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the development and implementation of the "xsel" program in Western NSW. The program supports identified high school students from regional, rural and remote communities to access the study of English, maths and science at an academically selective level. A program review was undertaken during 2012 using a structured…

  9. How Secure Is Education in Information Technology? A Method for Evaluating Security Education in IT

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grover, Mark; Reinicke, Bryan; Cummings, Jeff

    2016-01-01

    As the popularity of Information Technology programs has expanded at many universities, there are a number of questions to be answered from a curriculum standpoint. As many of these programs are either interdisciplinary, or at least exist outside of the usual Computer Science and Information Systems programs, questions of what is appropriate for…

  10. The Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (LeTUS) Program[R]. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

    2012-01-01

    The "LeTUS" program is a three-year, project-based, technology-integrated middle school science curriculum for grades 6-8. The "LeTUS" program is composed of multiple units, each lasting between eight and ten weeks. Topics include global warming, water and air quality, force and motion, communicable diseases, and ecological…

  11. An integrated approach to engineering curricula improvement with multi-objective decision modeling and linear programming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shea, John E.

    The structure of engineering curricula currently in place at most colleges and universities has existed since the early 1950's, and reflects an historical emphasis on a solid foundation in math, science, and engineering science. However, there is often not a close match between elements of the traditional engineering education, and the skill sets that graduates need to possess for success in the industrial environment. Considerable progress has been made to restructure engineering courses and curricula. What is lacking, however, are tools and methodologies that incorporate the many dimensions of college courses, and how they are structured to form a curriculum. If curriculum changes are to be made, the first objective must be to determine what knowledge and skills engineering graduates need to possess. To accomplish this, a set of engineering competencies was developed from existing literature, and used in the development of a comprehensive mail survey of alumni, employers, students and faculty. Respondents proposed some changes to the topics in the curriculum and recommended that work to improve the curriculum be focused on communication, problem solving and people skills. The process of designing a curriculum is similar to engineering design, with requirements that must be met, and objectives that must be optimized. From this similarity came the idea for developing a linear, additive, multi-objective model that identifies the objectives that must be considered when designing a curriculum, and contains the mathematical relationships necessary to quantify the value of a specific alternative. The model incorporates the three primary objectives of engineering topics, skills, and curriculum design principles and uses data from the survey. It was used to design new courses, to evaluate various curricula alternatives, and to conduct sensitivity analysis to better understand their differences. Using the multi-objective model to identify the highest scoring curriculum from a catalog of courses is difficult because of the many factors being considered. To assist this process, the multi-objective model and the curriculum requirements were incorporated in a linear program to select the "optimum" curriculum. The application of this tool was also beneficial in identifying the active constraints that limit curriculum development and content.

  12. Surviving the Implementation of a New Science Curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lowe, Beverly; Appleton, Ken

    2015-12-01

    Queensland schools are currently teaching with the first National Curriculum for Australia. This new curriculum was one of a number of political responses to address the recurring low scores in literacy, mathematics, and science that continue to hold Australia in poor international rankings. Teachers have spent 2 years getting to know the new science curriculum through meetings, training, and exploring the new Australian curriculum documents. This article examines the support and preparation for implementation provided in two regional schools, with a closer look at six specific teachers and their science teaching practices as they attempted to implement the new science curriculum. The use of a survey, field observations, and interviews revealed the schools' preparation practices and the teachers' practices, including the support provided to implement the new science curriculum. A description and analysis of school support and preparation as well as teachers' views of their experiences implementing the new science curriculum reveal both achievements and shortcomings. Problematic issues for the two schools and teachers include time to read and comprehend the curriculum documents and content expectations as well as time to train and change the current processes effectively. The case teachers' experiences reveal implications for the successful and effective implementation of new curriculum and curriculum reform.

  13. MLS student active learning within a "cloud" technology program.

    PubMed

    Tille, Patricia M; Hall, Heather

    2011-01-01

    In November 2009, the MLS program in a large public university serving a geographically large, sparsely populated state instituted an initiative for the integration of technology enhanced teaching and learning within the curriculum. This paper is intended to provide an introduction to the system requirements and sample instructional exercises used to create an active learning technology-based classroom. Discussion includes the following: 1.) define active learning and the essential components, 2.) summarize teaching methods, technology and exercises utilized within a "cloud" technology program, 3.) describe a "cloud" enhanced classroom and programming 4.) identify active learning tools and exercises that can be implemented into laboratory science programs, and 5.) describe the evaluation and assessment of curriculum changes and student outcomes. The integration of technology in the MLS program is a continual process and is intended to provide student-driven active learning experiences.

  14. Using Visual Technologies in the Introductory Programming Courses for Computer Science Majors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Price, Kellie W.

    2013-01-01

    Decreasing enrollments, lower rates of student retention and changes in the learning styles of today's students are all issues that the Computer Science (CS) academic community is currently facing. As a result, CS educators are being challenged to find the right blend of technology and pedagogy for their curriculum in order to help students…

  15. Developing a Pedagogy for Globalization: A Marketing and Political Science Multi-Disciplinary and Transnational Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arsenault, Paul M.; Stevenson, Linda S.

    2013-01-01

    One of the greatest challenges facing social science and marketing programs in the start of the 21st century is how to "globalize" our curriculums, so that our tech-savvy, but often internationally and cross-culturally inexperienced students have, understand, and are prepared to embrace the diverse opportunities that will be an…

  16. Effectiveness of Using Programmed Learning Materials in the Teaching of Map Marking in History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhavana, A. R.

    2010-01-01

    The National Council for Social studies defines Social sciences as the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence". At the elementary school level, social studies generally focuses on the local community and family. By middle and high school level, the social studies curriculum becomes more…

  17. Cycles for Science: Biology Curriculum Supplement for Grades 9-12. A Steel Cycles Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Diana; Laymon, Carol

    This document contains project-oriented lessons and hands-on activities developed to integrate steel recycling, natural resource conservation, and solid waster management into science learning. It is designed to assist secondary teachers and students (grades 9-12) in meeting state and local goals for learning in biology, chemistry, general science…

  18. Program for Educational Mobility for Health Manpower (The Basic Sciences), June 12-August 25, 1970. Preliminary Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coordinating Council for Education in the Health Sciences for San Diego and Imperial Counties, CA.

    Community college administrators and faculty in the areas of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, and microbiology attended an 11-day workshop to redefine, modify, and develop science concepts for a core curriculum in the allied health field. To achieve workshop objectives, the committee heard presentations by consultants, visited clinical…

  19. The Views of the Classroom Teacher Candidates Related to the Environmental Science Course and the Environmental Sensibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yenice, Nilgun; Saracaloglu, A. Seda; Karacaoglu, O. Cem

    2008-01-01

    This research has been performed to determine the effects of the "Environmental Science Course" within the curriculum of Classroom Teacher Program in Education Faculty on the environmental sensibilities of the students, and the ideas of the students related to the effectiveness of their environmental education. The research has been…

  20. Collaborative Professional Development and Curriculum Enactment: Teacher Reflection to Inform Inquiry-Based Discussions in High School Science Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alozie, Nonyelum M.

    2010-01-01

    Professional development for practicing science teachers has been a goal in education for the last two decades. Studies have shown that the quality of teacher instruction may be linked to teacher participation and involvement in professional development programs (Fishman, Marx, Best, & Tal, 2003). Furthermore, reflection during professional…

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