Shocked by static? Mixed up about magnets? Curious about currents? Teachers can get past memorizing all those electricity-related formulas, rules, and procedures so they can understand the subject at a level deep enough to teach it with confidence and comfort. Here to help is "Electricity and Magnetism," the fifth title in the award-winning NSTA…

Nine years after the National Science Education Standards' release, just how well do science teachers in grades 5 to 8 actually use them to plan content, define improved teaching, and assess real learning? Find out the answers to these key questions in this groundbreaking collection of 15 essays by teachers, researchers, and professors whose…

School budgets dictate what can and cannot be done in science. Article offers an inexpensive, modified design to build a planetarium. The planetarium provides hands-on experience in plotting and mapping constellations. (CCM)

Presents suggestions to help preservice teachers develop effective and practical portfolios. Discusses purposeful portfolios, portfolio development, entrance portfolios, progress portfolios, exit portfolios, and interview portfolios. (JRH)

Points out the health and legal implications related to laboratory substances that could cause allergic reactions. Presents a list of potential cosmetic allergens and irritants. Includes precautionary measures dealing with allergy situations. (ML)

Describes different evaluation techniques of student performance in the science laboratory. Evaluation techniques discussed include written reports, test items, practical tests, and observational assessment to evaluate both student performance and to promote development of specific skills. (DS)

Author argues that the only way to move science education progressively forward is by teachers respecting the pedagogical research reports. Asserts that only a research-based rationale for teaching science separates the professional science teacher from those who simply have a strong science background. Urges authors and editors to present…

Stresses that future-oriented social studies courses should stimulate thought about future possibilities and probabilities and encourage students to consider how they would cope with continuing change in multiple directions. Various approaches include reading and writing science fiction stories, educational games, simulations of future scenarios,…

Reviews selected research, widely-used commercial tests, and recent literature on critical thinking. States that evaluation of critical thinking processes should encompass more than simple tests. Concludes with six guidelines for evaluating critical thinking. (JDH)

Reports the efforts of the California Assessment Program (CAP) to interject critical thinking items into its new statewide social studies tests. Provides definitions of the critical thinking skills tested by the 8th grade social studies CAP test, and lists 100 critical thinking skills vocabulary words. (JDH)