This article outlines how professional development experiences can best be structured to support teachers' science learning, leading to quality science instruction and learning for students. This discussion highlights four key principles central to effective professional development.
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Science and Children’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue.
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This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month’s issue discusses the assessment probe "Talking About Forces."
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The author presents a pair of fifth-grade activities: an inquiry science activity in which students conduct hands-on investigations of force and motion, and a reading activity where they collaboratively analyze a text that contains words that have been blacked out.
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The authors used various science investigations to engage preschool and kindergarten-age children with explorations of motion and provided opportunities for them to develop their basic inquiry skills. Using everyday toys and objects is a realistic and captivating way to help young children understand the basics of motion. Read this article to learn how to incorporate motion in your early childhood classrooms.
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Students use a portable force indicator to discover the net forces all around them. By directly observing these forces, students can better understand the effect these forces have on an object.
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This column features profiles of award-winning science programs and teachers. In this month’s issue the author shares his experience of working with a university researcher. Third-grade students benefit from this relationship and learn about the nanoscale through up-to-date science equipment.
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This column provides background science information for elementary teachers. In this month’s issue the author discusses motion and friction.
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This column provides classic classroom activities that emphasize science process skills. In this month’s issue the author uses the 5E learning cycle with third- and fourth-grade students to teach that a force is a push or pull.
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This column includes activities inspired by children’s literature. In this month’s issue students explore activities that involve balance.
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Along with inquiry-based teaching, exploring the elements of art can guide students to view and represent objects realistically. Understanding line, shape, color, value, form, space, and texture helps bridge the gap between what students actually observe and what their preconceived ideas about the object may be. This type of explicit instruction prevents misconceptions.
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This column discusses resources and science topics related to students in grades preK to 2. In this month’s issue students use small objects, such as tops, to explore motion. Students then perform data collection of movement with the teacher's help.
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This article outlines a 30-day nature of science unit designed for first graders, provides journal prompts, and gives examples of students' ideas through their quotes and journal entries. During the lessons, students learn about nature of science tenants through a variety of lessons and hands-on investigations.
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