Discusses the background and thinking of John Dewey, focusing on Dewey's ideas about science teaching, including inquiry, education involving progressive organization of knowledge by experience, and citizenship education. Indicates that today's science teaching is often inadequate and inappropriate, not focusing on inquiry and neglecting…

Reasons for studying human genetics are discussed. These include philosophical reasons, reasons of health, and social reasons. While content, interpretation, and emphasis of human genetics study will vary depending upon schools, teachers, and developmental stages of students, it is suggested that teachers address these three domains. (Author/JN)

The research report approach is suggested as a successful technique for student exposure to a diversity of bioethical issues. These interdisciplinary reports require students to analyze a controversy's components to ensure an intelligent resolution of it. Report format, list of suggested topics, and objectives of completing reports are included.…

Describes a laboratory exercise in which students select and identify an organism, study it as it interacts within its environment, collect further information through library research, and bring the organism (alive, preserved, or photographed) to lab for a five-minute presentation. (JN)

Aphids, often referred to as plant lice, can be found in great numbers on stems, leaves, and flowers of many plants. In many cases these organisms are potentially harmful to their plant hosts. Provided is a description of the annual life cycle of the aphid and an accompanying transparency master. (Author/JN)

Discusses the "sudden explosion" of animal fossils during the Cambrian era, suggesting that the "explosion" is a result of organic evolution, leading to remarkably preservable calcareous skeletons. Suggests that earlier organisms were soft-bodied and consequently were poorly preserved in the fossil record. (JN)

Discusses preparation of secondary school biology teachers in China. Topics addressed include admission, orientation of prospective teachers, scheduling, teacher preparation curriculum, and inservice education. (JN)

Information from scientific journals on the biology of skin color is discussed. Major areas addressed include: (1) biology of melanin, melanocytes, and melanosomes; (2) melanosome and human diversity; (3) genetics of skin color; and (4) skin color, geography, and natural selection. (JN)

Describes contruction of an instrument which measures effects of reversible physiological changes on the motor coordination of laboratory animals. The "rotarod" is used to perform carefully planned, humane experiments which produce quantifiable results. A photograph and diagram of the apparatus are provided. (JN)

Suggests using Bryophyllum pinnatum to illustrate botanical principles. Includes tips for keeping and maintaining the plant in the classroom and suggests several student activities, including observing root/shoot growth, investigating apical dominance, exploring multiple leaf development, and others. (JN)

Information on the morphology of tapeworms (cestoidea) is provided. A transparency master illustrating the general structure of the worms is also provided. (JN)

Discusses the importance of teaching students when to seek deterministic explanations and when to seek probabilistic ones, pointing out that there are situations in which each is appropriate and inappropriate. Several examples illustrating the appropriateness of these explanations are provided. (JN)

Suggesting the critical examination of primary sources of evidence, offers guidelines (in the form of four questions) for teachers wanting to use research reports on teaching/learning to guide/justify their classroom activities. Caution in using research claims is recommended if negative answers are obtained to any of the four questions.…

Psychological equilibration (internal mental process by which individuals develop intellectually) is discussed in terms of its origin in the biological theory of evolution and in the thinking of Jean Piaget. The importance of equilibration theory for biology instruction is then considered. (Author/JN)

Examines the basking postures of captive eastern painted turtles exposed to two different sources of illumination (white floor lamps and infrared heat lamps) and three types of substrates (sphagnum, rock, wood) and discusses possible ecological and evolutionary significance of these behaviors. (Author/JN)