Why does an athlete reach for a sports drink after a tough game or practice? The learning cycle presented in this article helps students answer this question. Learning cycles (Marek 2009) are designed to guide students through direct experiences with a particular concept. In this article, students learn about "osmosis," or the moving of water into…

An 18-item, multiple choice, 2-tiered instrument designed to measure understanding of the learning cycle (ULC) was developed and field-tested from the learning cycle test (LCT) of Odom and Settlage ("Journal of Science Teacher Education, 7", 123-142, 1996). All question sets of the LCT were modified to some degree and 5 new sets were added,…

Presents an activity to teach natural selection that involves students in a microbiological investigation. Students discover that a change in environmental conditions tests a species' range of adaptations. (DDR)

Presents an investigation that engages students in constructing models of houses to examine the dynamics of energy flow patterns. Uses the learning cycle procedure that allows students to experience the processes of science and to use higher level thinking skills. (JRH)

Reviews a National Science Foundation funded workshop ("Investigations in the Natural Sciences") for science teachers on how to use laboratory centered materials developed by the Science Education Center at the University of Oklahoma. Presents the results of a survey of the participants. Highlights the program's strengths. (CW)

Reviews a study which examined high school biology students' (N=58) understandings of the concepts of food chain and ecosystem. Discusses the evaluation scheme and relates how this approach can be used in classifying student responses. It was found that most of the students failed to understand the targeted concepts. (ML)

Describes a national project conducted by the University of Oklahoma and the Close Up Foundation in Washington, DC to educate teachers and disseminate energy-related teaching materials. (ZWH)

Science fairs can be used to advance a student's scientific knowledge, sharpen laboratory techniques, practice statistical analysis, and gain a better understanding of the process of science. This article describes an outline for developing a science fair that covers the objectives above and develops library and writing skills as well. (PR)

Examines the long-term implementation of learning cycle science curricula introduced in National Science Foundation sponsored institutes delivered in 1985, 1987, and 1988. (LZ)