1. Hands On!

Published by TERC, an education research and development organization with a mission to improve mathematics, science, and technology teaching and learning, the latest edition (Fall 2001, volume 24, number 2) of the newsletter Hands On! contains articles based on research efforts to determine why some students get left behind and how classrooms can change to engage all students in rigorous science and mathematics learning. Topics include factors influencing the way we hear and understand students talk in science class, a curriculum that uses examples from everyday life to demystify math for non-traditional adult learners, and the role of physical enactment in developing an understanding of distance, time and speed. To sign up for a free print or online subscription or to view the newsletter online, go to:
http://www.terc.edu/products.html.

2. Making Schools Work for Every Child

The Department of Education's Eisenhower National Clearinghouse offers a CD-ROM titled Making Schools Work for Every Child as a resource for educators who are concerned about creating equitable conditions in which every child can succeed. It provides a collection of math and science equity materials to help teachers and administrators acknowledge children's diverse strengths, identify inequities, and improve the ways in which we currently serve students with varied needs. This resource is available free to educators through the Eisenhower Regional Consortium. Those in the Southwest region interested in ordering the CD-ROM can contact the Southwest Consortium for the Improvement of Mathematics and Science Teaching (SCIMAST) at 1-800-476-6861.

3. ENC Focus: Multicultural Approaches in Math and Science

This issue of ENC Focus, a resource catalog of mathematics and science instructional materials, brings together a selection of multicultural materials and perspectives to help teachers use this approach in their classrooms. Included are interviews with educators from different parts of the country, in both rural and urban settings, who share their insights and strategies. There are also resources that connect mathematics and science to historical roots in various cultures. Sample titles include Reaching All Students with Mathematics, Science for All Cultures, and Creating Culturally Responsive Classrooms. To access this issue, use this link:
http://www.enc.org/focus/multi/

4. Anti Racist Science Teaching

Dawn Gill and Les Levidow edited this collection of articles analyzing how racism permeates science and science teaching in order to involve science teachers in the process of exposing racist ideology and challenging racist practice. The papers extend from general issues about science, nature and race to practical teaching guides and suggested projects to offering proposals for an anti-racist curriculum. The book is $25 and can be ordered from the publisher, Free Association Books, 1-800-944-6190 or from the Web site at: http://www.fa-b.com/.

5. NASA's Observatorium: Planes, Flying and K-12 Education

NASA is funding eight educational projects at universities, school districts, and private corporations to develop curriculum material based on planes and flying with projects, paying special attention to the needs of students who have learning disabilities or are physically challenged, as well as students in inner city and rural districts who often have limited resources. The idea is this: planes and flying are fun for kids and allow the teaching of a lot of technology, physics, chemistry, and math. NASA hopes that this approach will help teachers hook students on these subjects. To access the eight participating projects and their web addresses, use this link:
http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/core.shtml.html (link no longer active 8/2010).

6. The Algebra Project

The Algebra Project is a program founded by Robert P. Moses, an African-American mathematician and parent who wanted to ensure that his and other children develop a concrete understanding of algebra. The project develops and implements curricular interventions that address a conceptual shift from arithmetic to algebraic thinking, using experiences students intuitively understand and find interesting to open up the basic concepts of algebraic thinking. The Web site contains information on teacher training and support programs as well as curriculum using activities drawn from African and African Diasporic drum-making and drumming traditions that serve as tools to explore various mathematical concepts such as ratio and proportion, multiples, number, pattern, and area. For more information, go to
http://www.algebra.org/.

7. The Inclusive Classroom: Mathematics and Science Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities

A publication from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NREL) called The Inclusive Classroom: Mathematics and Science Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities contains key principles of inclusion, special education, multicultural education, and standards-based reform to help teachers create optimal learning environments where diverse learners can thrive. A section on science instructional strategies suggests that "organizing curriculum and instruction around big ideas and interdisciplinary themes" can facilitate science achievement. This allows students to organize, connect, and apply component facts and ideas, enabling them to see meaningful relationships between science and other disciplines and everyday applications. In math, for example, simplifying and reducing, recognizing patterns, making tables and graphs, and acting out or simulating are a few of the many ways students with learning disabilities can develop reasoning and problem-solving skills. The publication is available online at http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/1097 or can be ordered at 1-800-547-6339, ext. 457 ($7.65 for teachers outside of the Northwest region).

8. Native American Geometry

Native American Geometry is a Web site that explores designs from various Native American nations to illustrate the physical geometry of the simple circle while emphasizing multiple intelligences. The site provides a real, concrete scientific application. The Web site claims:"If you can make a circle, draw lines and connect dots, you can learn and teach a great deal about square roots, proportional constants, and irrational numbers. Instead of introducing these fearsome concepts as numerical abstractions, square roots are built into the shapes that you are constructing on paper during art class." Instructions with activities and templates for creating two-dimensional geometric designs are provided along with informative histories of geometric symbols used. Teachers can easily reproduce lessons, using tools available in most classrooms, such as a compass, a ruler, paper, and crayons. The Web site is accessed at: http://earthmeasure.com.

9. Women's Educational Equity Act Equity Resource Center

A national project established 20 years ago, the Women's Educational Equity Act Equity Resource Center (WEEA) has a Web site rich with information promoting gender equitable education for all students. The WEEA offers products, services and referrals to education professionals, including curricula, books, a discussion board, working papers, digests, and online courses. These resources are available at:
http://www.edc.org/WomensEquity/.

10. Council for Exceptional Children

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. There are CEC newsletter articles online, an ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC), and discussion groups. To access this and other information, go to
http://www.cec.sped.org/.

11. BioScience Productions

The BioScience Productions Web site promotes an understanding of biodiversity while engaging students, teachers, and the community at large to reflect on how their actions may affect the natural course of evolution. On the biodiversity page, samples of online articles include threats to biodiversity, biotechnology risks, endangered species, and extinction. There are teacher resources, a bioscience events calendar, and an area to take action on these issues. The Web site can be found at
http://www.actionbioscience.org.

12. National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)

The NICHCY is a national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals. It is also part of a clearinghouse consortium that provides information on disability-related issues. Online news digests have helpful resources with titles like "Interventions for Students with Learning Disabilities" and "Planning for Inclusion." To access the information, go to
http://www.nichcy.org/.