This article presents a large project on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The project was organised by OMEP, the World Organisation for Early Childhood Education, where the authors were the appointed as project coordinators. The purpose of ESD is to reorient education towards sustainability. The aims of the project were to gather…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines No Child Left Behind, focusing on testing and accountability. At the center of the debate about how to fix No Child Left Behind is what to do about the Federal requirement that states, each year, administer 17 standardized tests with high stakes consequences.…

Insects are easily the most abundant and diverse group of animals, with over 24,000 species in the UK alone. They can be found in almost every habitat on Earth and are fundamentally important to ecology, conservation, food production, animal and human health, and biodiversity. They are a prominent feature of almost every food web in the UK and…

The Space Shuttle and International Space Station provide a unique microgravity environment for research that is a critical part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) mission to improve the quality of life on Earth and enable the health and safety of space explorers for long duration missions beyond our solar system. This…

In introductory physics courses, within the context of studying Newton's laws, it is common to consider the problem of a body's "weight" when it is in free fall. The solution shows that the "weight" is zero and this leads to a discussion of the concept of weight. There are permanent free-fall situations such as astronauts in a spacecraft orbiting…

The purpose of this module is to engage students (grades 7-8) in examining issues that underlie the "energy crisis" and in considering value aspects involved in decisions regarding energy consumption, distribution, sources, and other energy-related issues. The module is comprised of three parts, each focusing on a current, major source…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a guided inquiry integrated with technology, in terms of female middle-school students' attitudes toward science/scientists and content knowledge regarding selective science concepts (e.g., Greenhouse Effect, Air/Water Quality, Alternative Energy, and Human Health). Thirty-five female students who were…

Introductory physics laboratories have seen an influx of "conceptual integrated science" over time in their classrooms with elements of other sciences such as chemistry, biology, Earth science, and astronomy. We describe a laboratory to introduce this development, as it attracts attention to the voltage induced in the human brain as it…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Minnesota's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Minnesota will implement to address those challenges. Minnesota has made great strides in year three of the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant to…

A science and engineering fair is a competition based on the quality of projects done by students, the results of which are reported through exhibits and oral presentations at the fair. Fairs operate on a step basis. Students who win in small fairs such as a local fair, move to a city fair, then to a regional fair, and may be chosen to represent…

To address the need to develop a scientifically literate citizenry, the socio-scientific reasoning model was created to guide curriculum development. Goals of this developmental approach include increasing: (1) students' skills in dealing with problems containing multiple interacting variables; (2) students' decision-making skills incorporating a…

The quotation, attributed to the Greek mathematician Archimedes, about the power of levers to move the world has been quoted many times with slight variations, but usually the point is the same: "With the right lever, one can move the earth." However, the actual quotation attributed to Archimedes comes in the writings of another Greek…

A number of current reports are challenging educators of undergraduate biology students to increase the role, interactions and approaches of other disciplines. The goal stated in these reports is to produce a college graduate with the skills and competencies to solve pressing global problems such as producing ample food, fuels, and making health…

Historically, play has been viewed as a frivolous break from important endeavors like working and learning when, in fact, a child's ability to fully and freely engage in play is essential to their learning, productivity, and overall development. A natural drive to play is universal across all young mammals. Children from every society on earth…

Little is known what the term sustainable development entails in relation to the school subject of home and consumer studies and the subject's knowledge area of food. The aim is to illustrate how food is expressed in national syllabuses of home and consumer studies at present and in the past, and its operationalization into sustainable…