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Journal Article
For many children, especially those with reading difficulties, a motor-kinesthetic learning activity may be an effective tool to teach complex concepts (Gardner 1993). With this in mind, a team developed and tested a game designed to teach fourth- to...
Journal Article
Reflecting on a recent case study, this article discusses one district’s process for adopting a new science curriculum and how it revealed key issues in establishing and keeping high-quality elementary science programs. The author highlights proble...
Journal Article
Science 101: Why does a color change indicate a chemical change?
There are a a number of indicators you can use to determine whether or not a chemical reaction has occurred. Among them are a change in color, the evolution of a gas, and the production or absorption of heat. To understand why any of these indicato...
Journal Article
Preschool children explore matter and complete a solution-making lesson in which they categorize substances (water, sugar, and lemon juice) and mix them together to make a change (lemonade)....
Journal Article
These inquiry-based projects ensure that students use higher-level thinking skills to improve the community and investigate global and environmental issues. Each project is connected to the previous year's to give students a deeper understanding of h...
Journal Article
Teaching Expository Text Structures
Many students enter high school unskilled in the art of reading to learn from science textbooks. Even students who can read full-length novels often find science books difficult to read because students have relatively little practice with the variou...
Journal Article
After the Bell: Calories, energy, and the food you eat
Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, and has recently reached epidemic proportions. Part of the solution in controlling obesity is to make students aware of the amount and type of food they eat. In this activity, students will calculate...
Journal Article
Career of the Month: An Interview with Video Game Level Designer John Feil
Who would have thought that time spent playing video games could lead to a lucrative career? This was a dream-come-true for John Feil, a Video Game Level Designer at LucasArts--the company that makes Star Wars games. In this month's column, Feil des...
Journal Article
Working with young children and chemicals requires attention to safety. This article details the experiences of a third-grade teacher who used a “disaster” to create a hands-on inquiry that introduces children to chemistry safety during a third-g...
Journal Article
The Play Dough Evaluation Project
Fourth-grade students gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of “properties” by evaluating and comparing play doughs. Students also hone their observation and reporting skills and enrich their vocabulary, integrating language arts into this a...
Journal Article
Using EPA and NOAA websites, students are able to view pollution inventories (the amounts and kinds of pollution released in a given location) and follow pollution along its estimated path of travel. This inquiry based lesson guides students in the u...
Journal Article
Weather RATS, or Weather Research and Tracking Systems, is a collaborative effort among a national network of K-12 students, their teachers, wireless weather stations, internet data sharing, and professional engineers and meteorologists. Weather Rats...
Journal Article
Simple phase change explorations build a “solid” foundation for later learning about molecules. Using water as the example, upper-elementary students participate in activities that introduce the idea of the arrangement of molecules in a solid, li...
Journal Article
Scope on Safety: How to prevent a shattering safety experience
A study done several years ago indicated that over half of the science laboratory accidents reviewed involved glassware. However, the risk of injury can be reduced if appropriate safety guidelines are followed. This article outlines prudent practices...
Journal Article
Fifth-grade students use homemade plant-based acid/base indicators to learn about matter at an age-appropriate level and develop process skills. As a result of completing this lesson sequence the students should be able to perform many tasks using pr...