Can a Domain-General Spatial Intervention Facilitate Children's Science Learning? A Lesson From Astronomy.

Correlational studies link spatial-test scores and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics achievement. Here we asked whether children's understanding of astronomical phenomena would benefit from a prior intervention targeting a core component of children's projective spatial concepts-understanding that viewers' visual experiences are affected by vantage point. Children (8-9 years; N = 66) received outdoor and indoor experiences that did (Experimental) or did not (Control) focus on how scene appearance is affected by viewers' positions and movements. All then received an astronomy lesson about celestial motions (e.g., Sun apparent motion). Experimental-group children scored higher on immediate and 1-week perspective-taking tests and explained celestial phenomena more accurately than did control-group children. Data demonstrate that general spatial training-divorced from specific science content-can aid children's subsequent learning of scientific phenomena.

Morphology Instruction in the Science Classroom for Students Who Are Deaf: A Multiple Probe Across Content Analysis.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students have exhibited a morphological knowledge delay that begins in preschool and persists through college. Morphological knowledge is critical to vocabulary understanding and text comprehension in the science classroom. We investigated the effects of morphological instruction, commonly referred to as Word Detectives, on the morphological knowledge of college-age DHH students in a science course. We implemented a multiple probe across behaviors single-case experimental design study with nine student participants. The student participants attended the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. A functional relation was found between the morphological instruction and the student participants' improvement of morphological knowledge regarding the morphemes taught during instruction. These findings indicate that DHH students benefit from morphological instruction to build their vocabulary knowledge in content-area classrooms, such as science courses.

La esfera terrestre en el cosmos isabelino: una aproximación a la difusión temprana del copernicanismo en Inglaterra / The terrestrial sphere in the Elizabethan cosmos: an approach to the early spread of Copernicanism in England

Este artículo presenta una lectura de los principales tratados de cosmología publicados en Inglaterra durante la segunda mitad del siglo XVI a partir del concepto de globo terráqueo. Considerando las discusiones en torno a la relación proporcional entre la tierra yel agua, se propone que los primeros autores en mencionar a Copérnico adoptaron la prueba geométrica expuesta en De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543), aunque sin citar directamente esta obra. Mientras Robert Recorde describe a grandes rasgos el argumento allí contenido, Thomas Hill reproduce textualmente la explicación del mismo ofrecida por Caspar Peucer ensus Elementa doctrinae de circulis coelestibus, et primo motu (1551). La presencia de la prueba matemática en favor del globo terráqueo, tiende a desaparecer en la medida que la teoría de la proporción décupla pierde relevancia hacia finales del siglo XVI (AU)

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Andrés Bello y la difusión de la astronomía: educación y retórica científica / Andres Bello and the dissemination of astronomy: education and scientific rhetoric

En este trabajo se analizan los textos de divulgación astronómica escritos por Andrés Bello entre 1810 y 1848, desde sus propósitos educativos y su expresión retórica, proponiendo que aquellos se enfocan en mostrar el progreso de la astronomía - tanto en lo que se refiere al conocimiento de la naturaleza, como al avance en materia instrumental - como un saber que permite mejorar las condiciones materiales y cognitivas de las naciones, y cuya enseñanza debe realizarse a través de la activación de la imaginación y la creatividad. Esto último se relacionará con los esfuerzos de Bello por mantener una fuerte vinculación entre ciencias y artes, y en este caso concreto, entre astronomía y literatura (AU)

This paper analyzes the astronomical texts written by Andres Bello between 1810 and 1848, from its educational nature to its rhetorical expression, suggesting that their main purpose was to show the advances in the field - in terms of knowledge production and also technology development - in order to improve the material and intellectual environment of the nation. It also stands that astronomy should be tought by activating creativity and imagination, which may be linked with Bello’s willing to avoid science and art develop apart from each other, keeping, in this case astronomy bonded with literature (AU)

CAROLINE HERSCHEL: AGENCY AND SELF-PRESENTATION.

Caroline Herschel was rare among her female contemporaries in gaining public recognition for her work in science, yet her role in this process and her role in designing her training have never previously been studied. We know that access to education and participation in science was different for men and women in the eighteenth century. However, drawing on feminist, pedagogical and biographical approaches to history, I argue that although access depended on a variety of factors, a more consistent gender divide came in lessons on how to learn, and in what was regarded as appropriate behaviour. Caroline's skill--so often misunderstood--was to be aware of the differences and to use them to her own advantage.

Mars for Earthlings: an analog approach to Mars in undergraduate education.

Mars for Earthlings (MFE) is a terrestrial Earth analog pedagogical approach to teaching undergraduate geology, planetary science, and astrobiology. MFE utilizes Earth analogs to teach Mars planetary concepts, with a foundational backbone in Earth science principles. The field of planetary science is rapidly changing with new technologies and higher-resolution data sets. Thus, it is increasingly important to understand geological concepts and processes for interpreting Mars data. MFE curriculum is topically driven to facilitate easy integration of content into new or existing courses. The Earth-Mars systems approach explores planetary origins, Mars missions, rocks and minerals, active driving forces/tectonics, surface sculpting processes, astrobiology, future explorations, and hot topics in an inquiry-driven environment. Curriculum leverages heavily upon multimedia resources, software programs such as Google Mars and JMARS, as well as NASA mission data such as THEMIS, HiRISE, CRISM, and rover images. Two years of MFE class evaluation data suggest that science literacy and general interest in Mars geology and astrobiology topics increased after participation in the MFE curriculum. Students also used newly developed skills to create a Mars mission team presentation. The MFE curriculum, learning modules, and resources are available online at http://serc.carleton.edu/marsforearthlings/index.html.

"Mathematics made no contribution to the public weal": why Jean Fernel (1497-1558) became a physician.

This paper offers a caution that emphasis upon the importance of mathematics in recent historiography is in danger of obscuring the historical fact that, for the most part, mathematics was not seen as important in the pre-modern period. The paper proceeds by following a single case study, and in so doing offers the first account of the mathematical writings of Jean Fernel (1497-1558), better known as a leading medical innovator of the 16th century. After establishing Fernel's early commitment to mathematics, and attempt to forge a career as a cosmographer, it goes on to explain his abandonment of mathematics for a career in medicine. The 'mathematization of the world picture' is usually explained in terms of the perceived usefulness of mathematics, but Fernel's case shows that for many pre-modern thinkers, mathematics was not regarded as a useful pursuit. The paper should serve as a reminder, therefore, that the take-up of mathematics by natural philosophers was by no means inevitable, but had to be carefully managed by early modern mathematical practitioners. The case of Fernel indicates that perhaps he was not the only would-be mathematical practitioner to abandon mathematics in favor of a calling that was more appreciated by contemporaries.

Young children's acquisition of knowledge about the Earth: A longitudinal study.

This longitudinal study examined the acquisition of early knowledge of astronomy to determine whether children's knowledge at any point in time is consistent with a naive "mental model." Children were first assessed by means of open questions and drawing tasks at 2 and 3 years of age (N=143). The knowledge was reassessed over the course of the following 3 years. The results showed that although a few indications of naive mental models were found, in most cases young children's knowledge was fragmented and accurate knowledge was often expressed alongside inaccurate/synthetic ideas. Furthermore, it was shown that children need to know scientific facts before they start taking the global perspective when describing the world and, when faced with ambiguous open questions, children often experience difficulties that can induce them to change the types of answers they provide.