Walter S. Smith

Hands-on Science as a Motivator for Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities.

Children’s behavioral difficulties impede their academic success (Morgan & Jenson, 1988), yet little research has been done on academic concerns of these students (Ruhl & Berlinghoff, 1992) and the pervasive “curriculum of control” overshadowing academics in their classrooms (Steinberg & Knitzer, 1992). This article describes the infusion of hands-on science into a classroom for children with emotional/behavioral disabilities. The abundance of age appropriate science materials in this classroom contrasts with more typical, unadorned rooms designed to minimize temptation. Carefully organized lessons engage students in what they perceive to be “real science,” thereby reducing reliance on structured behavioral management techniques.

Data Mining the Internet: Immersing High School Students in Electronic Inquiry

To immerse high school students in inquiry, as advocated by the National Science Education Standards (1996), and to take advantage of the Internets power, students are engaged in a computer data-mining exercise to solve real science problems. After formulating their research question, students scour the Internet to locate raw data they can transform, frequently via Excel, to solve their problem and then present their findings to the public, usually via PowerPoint.