Learning progressions – descriptions of increasingly sophisticated ways of thinking about or understanding a topic (National Research Council, 2007) – represent a promising framework for developing organized curricula and meaningful assessments in science. In addition, well-grounded learning progressions may allow for coherence between cognitive models of how understanding develops in a given domain, classroom instruction, professional development, and classroom and large-scale assessments. Because of the promise that learning progressions hold for bringing organization and structure to often disconnected views of how to teach and assess science, they are rapidly gaining popularity in the science education community. However, there are signi?cant challenges faced by all engaged in this work. In June 2009, science education researchers and practitioners, as well as scientists, psychometricians, and assessment specialists convened to discuss these challenges as part of the Learning Progressions in Science (LeaPS) conference. The LeaPS conference provided a structured forum for considering design decisions entailed in four aspects of work on learning progressions: de?ning learning progressions; developing assessments to elicit student responses relative to learning progressions; modeling and interpreting student performance with respect to a learning progressions; and using learning progressions to in?uence standards, curricula, and teacher education. This book presents speci?c examples of learning progression work and syntheses of ideas from these examples and discussions at the LeaPS conference.

In an original and compelling examination of traditional mathematics, this comprehensive study of the anonymous Manual of Mongolian Astrology and Divination (published by A. Mostaert in 1969) takes on the fundamental problem of the post-enlightenment categorization of knowledge, in particular the inherently problematic realms of religion and science, as well as their subsets, medicine, ritual, and magic. In the process of elucidating the rhetoric and logic shaping this manual the author reveals not only the intertwined intellectual history of Eurasia from Greece to China but also dismantles many of the discourses that have shaped its modern interpretations.

Colour studies attracts an increasingly wide range of scholars from across the academic world. Contributions to the present volume offer a broad perspective on the field, ranging from studies of individual languages through papers on art, architecture and heraldry to psychological examinations of aspects of colour categorization, perception and preference. The chapters have been developed from papers and posters presented at a conference on Progress in Colour Studies (PICS08) held at the University of Glasgow. The volume both updates research reported at the earlier PICS04 conference (published by Benjamins in 2006 as Progress in Colour Studies volumes 1 and 2), and introduces new and exciting topics and developments in colour research. In order to make the articles maximally accessible to a multidisciplinary readership, each of the six sections following the initial theoretical papers begins with a short preface describing and drawing together the themes of the chapters within that section. There are seventeen colour illustrations.

This volume puts two biblical miracles - the Sun reversing its course in II Kings 20:8-11/Isaiah 38:8 (Horologium Ahaz) and the Sun standing still in Joshua 10:12 -, in the early modern period centre stage. We pay special attention to the development of related imagery, their role as anti-Copernican arguments (in text and image), their reception, their treatment in the mathematical sciences, and their various cultural layers, with a focus on the history of art and the history of science in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The material discussed spreads from rather prosaic mathematical reflections to highly appealing visual representations of the two miracles.

Unifying the Universe: The Physics of Heaven and Earth presents a non-technical approach to physics for the lay-science enthusiast. This popular textbook, which evolved from a conceptual course at Cornell University, is intended for non-science undergraduate students taking their first physics module. This second edition maintains its unique approach in crossing boundaries between physics and humanities, with connections to art, poetry, history, and philosophy. It explores how the process of scientific thought is inextricably linked with cultural, creative, and aesthetic aspects of human endeavor, opening the readers up to new ways of looking at the world. The text has been fully updated throughout to address current and exciting new topics in the field, such as exo-planets, the accelerating Universe, dark matter, dark energy, gravitational waves, super-symmetry, string theory, big bang cosmology, and the Higgs boson. There is also an entirely new chapter on the Quantum World, which connects the fascinating topics of quantum entanglement and quantum computing. Key Features: Provides a solid, yet accessible, background to basic physics without complex mathematics Uses a human interest approach to show how science is significant for more than its technological consequences Discusses the arts and philosophies of historical periods that are pertinent to the subject

Divine Mother abides in Sri Chakra. This is also known as Sri Yantra and Chakra-raja. This is the most supreme amongst all the yantra-s. Uttara bhag (the chapter containing the benefits of recitation, also known as phalashruti) of Lalita Trishati elucidates Sri Chakra in a comprehensive manner. Sri Chakra is the body of Shiva and Shakti. Sri Chakra is compared to a human body and Shiva and Shakti are compared to the soul within. Sri Chakra is full of life and energy and should be worshipped with great reverence. Any god or goddess can be worshipped in Sri Chakra, as all of them have a place in it. The book has three sections. First section is titled “Journey to Sri Chakra”. This part elaborately deals with Sri Nagara the outer portion of Sri Chakra. We can enter Sri Chakra only after crossing Sri Nagara, which has several forts guarded by different gods and goddesses. Our journey to Sri Chakra begins from Sri Nagara. During this journey, we worship various gods, goddesses, sages and saints. We also come across various rivers, ponds, forests and gardens. When we have traversed through Sri Nagara, we are able to see Sri Chakra and we continue our journey towards the innermost triangle after passing through various devi-s guarding Lalitambika by remaining in various triangles of Sri Chakra. We worship them and finally proceed to the innermost triangle where we are completely purified. Inside the triangle, we are blessed to have darshan of Lalitambika. After spending sometime at Her feet She takes us to Shiva in the Bindu to get us liberated. The second section of the book deals with Navavarana Puja. Every aspect of mantras is explained in detail by quoting references form Lalita Sahasranama and other sacred Scriptures. This part of the book is a complete guide to perform navavarana puja and all the mantras with explanations and images are given. This section of the book is eloborate, as it contains mantras, images and explanations and detailed procedure for performing the Navavarana puja. Third and final section of the book is Bhavanopanishad. Bhavana means imagination or formation of a concept in the mind. Like any other Upanishad, this Upanishad also does not deal with practices. It helps us to contemplate our body with Sri Chakra. There are totally thirty seven verses (some texts call these as sutra-s). Detailed interpretations are given for all the sutras. At the end of this portion, we will be able to contemplate our body as Sri Chakra. Print edition consists of both Sanskrit and English texts. English texts are given in IAST format so that, those who are not conversant with Sanskrit can pronounce the mantras properly. Pronunciation guide is also provided. This book can be acclaimed as an encyclopaedia of Sri Chakra.

In Platonic Legacies John Sallis addresses certain archaic or exorbitant moments in Platonism. His concern is to expose such moments as those expressed in the Platonic phrase "beyond being" and in the enigmatic word chora. Thus he ventures to renew chorology and to bring it to bear, most directly, on Platonic political discourse and Plotinian hyperontology. More broadly, he shows what profound significance these most archaic moments of Platonism, which remained largely unheeded in the history of philosophy, have for contemporary discussions of spacings, of utopian politics, of the nature of nature, and of the relation between philosophy and tragedy. Thus addressing Platonism in its bearing on contemporary philosophy, Platonic Legacies engages, in turn, a series of philosophers ranging from Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Arendt to certain contemporary American Continental philosophers. These engagements focus on the way in which these recent and contemporary philosophers take up the Platonic legacies in their own thought and on the way in which the exposure of an archaic Platonism can redirect or supplement what they have accomplished.

A rich and wide-ranging Companion to Plato's philosophy that is accessible to students while of equal interest to scholars.