STEAM education can be described in two ways. One model emphasizes the arts and is not as concerned about the accuracy of the STEM fields. In the second model, STEM content is the prevailing force with a focus on accuracy, and the arts are used in limited and secondary resources for the teaching of the content. However, in order to promote…

This guide contains 67 activities dealing with various aerospace/aviation education concepts. The activities are presented in units related to physical science, earth science, and life science. In addition, there is a section related to student involvement in the space shuttle programs. The physical science unit (activities 1-23) focuses on the…

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), with new emphasis on engineering, reflects broadening definitions of scientific and technological literacy. However, engaging in science and engineering practices is necessary, but insufficient, for developing technological literacy. Just as robust scientific literacy includes a deep understanding of the…

Each year our physical science class for pre-service elementary teachers launches water-powered rockets based on the activity from NASA. We analyze the rocket flight using data from frame-by-frame video analysis of the launches. Before developing the methods presented in this paper, we noticed our students were mired in calculation details while…

A thrown basketball, a kicked football, an elastically launched catapult payload, and a free-falling solid fuel or pressurized gas-propelled rocket all have one thing in common. They are all projectiles familiar to elementary students. A projectile is an object thrown with an initial velocity and then allowed to move without thrust along its…

To examine the appropriate information disclosure method of noise as the final goal, we firstly set the goal to grasp the degree of understanding of the dB values of the sound sources among people other than acoustic experts. In this paper, first, in order to measure the degree of understanding of the dB in university students without expert…

Reading is not simply an additional tool that students need at university; it constitutes the very process whereby learning occurs. Pre-service students are required to read prescribed course material which is predominantly in English. An overview of the reading literacy profiles of first-year BEd foundation phase students from diverse language…

Despite the media's fascination with the "literacy crisis," there is rarely any mention of the real cause of the problem: Lack of access to books for children of poverty. In this article, the author presents a compelling demonstration of what happens when librarians make sure children have access to interesting reading material: They read! And…

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.…

One challenge of teaching science is getting students to communicate as scientists do. Scientists employ many different forms of communication as they develop and pass on information to others. Unfortunately, in many classrooms, student communication about science concepts is limited to filling in information on worksheets, finishing…

This paper describes a method and setup to quickly and easily measure a model rocket engine's thrust curve using a computer data logger and force probe. Horst describes using Vernier's LabPro and force probe to measure the rocket engine's thrust curve; however, the method of attaching the rocket to the force probe is not discussed. We show how a…

A staff development project to create closer integration and mutual support between specialized science and technology curricula and vocational education courses is described. Project activities are listed, and a statement of underlying assumptions is provided. A list of guidelines for coordinating shop and academic projects follows. Guidelines…

Since academic sociology's birth in this country, sociologists have not been shy about publicly praising and ridiculing the discipline. Though sociologists have been the primary participants in the seemingly endless debates about sociology's proper subject matter, methods, and purpose, there is another group that has also struggled over the past…

Some colleges and universities claim they can't find "eligible" African-American undergraduates to recruit into science and engineering graduate programs. Those that find and enroll students sometimes fail to graduate them. Experts who are succeeding say it is primarily a matter of will. Statistical and anecdotal information are used in…

Explains how low-tech experiential methods thrive in companies interested in fostering the human touch. Examples include NASA's paper airplane simulation, total immersion simulation, and fantasy multisensory environments. (JOW)