Presents suggestions to help teachers enhance class trips to the museum, noting today's museum outreach programs are very useful. After describing what museums have to offer, the article explains how to plan such a trip and how to make the trip run smoothly. A list of must-see museums is included. (SM)

Ordinary household appliances can be used in the classroom to inspire unusual research, artwork, and problem solving. Suggestions on how to organize and collect materials to develop an appliance science unit are offered. (DF)

Presents activities for helping elementary students learn about Newton's third law of motion. Several activity cards demonstrate the concept of the law of action and reaction. The activities require only inexpensive materials that can be found around the house. (SM)

Ideas to help teachers develop motivating lessons that use information from nature for outdoor learning include getting comfortable with the outdoors, choosing familiar sites and subjects, studying several items at once, having a back-up plan ready, choosing open-ended activities, not worrying about students' questions, and listening to common…

A teacher describes how she arranged successful field trips to enhance her students' education. The planning involved brainstorming for topics and destinations, making appropriate arrangements, creating a schedule, deciding upon the destination of choice, researching the subject, taking the trip, and returning to the classroom to review the trip.…

The article presents inexpensive activities to teach elementary school students about electromagnets. Students learn to make an electromagnet with a battery, nail, and wire, then different activities help them explore the difference between permanent magnets and electromagnets. (SM)

Providing students with realistic problems will facilitate a better understanding of and reason for computation. Specific suggestions for introducing and for increasing problem-solving skills are described. (CJ)

Children use creative thinking processes when teachers assign ambiguous rather than specific problems. Suggestions for developing questions that encourage experiential and metaphorical thinking are offered. (DF)

Presents classroom learning activities to help elementary teachers and students learn about and experiment with the sense of taste. One involves tasting an apple while smelling an onion; another involves locating areas of the tongue that respond to salt, sweet, bitter, and sour. (SM)

Hands-on experience lets students explore, discover, and think their way through science. The article explains why hands-on science works, presenting tools for getting started with few resources. Activities have students work with the environment in their backyards and the schoolyard. Resources for hands-on science are presented. (SM)

Elementary teachers can interest their students in U.S. geography by having them plan a cross-country concert tour for a rock and roll band. The project develops research, writing, and critical thinking skills as students learn about U.S. geography. The article includes a listing of state tourism agencies. (SM)

Describes a multicultural unit for elementary students. Children select a folk art or craft and become experts, learn the craft, research the craft, pass the craft on, and review their discoveries. The unit culminates in a folk arts festival at which students demonstrate their craft to classmates, teachers, and guests. (SM)

Elementary teachers can help their students learn to respond to stress in healthful ways. The article presents creative, motivating, hands-on activities to help primary and upper level students identify and practice stress management skills. Ten stress management skills for students to learn are detailed. (SM)

Presents a handbook of activities to sharpen elementary students' observational and critical thinking skills as they monitor national, local, and classroom elections. Activities teach the steps of sound decision making. Students learn to set up complete classroom or schoolwide elections. A poster describes life in the White House. (SM)

Students can explore temperature and heat conductivity by examining materials that make good cups for hot cocoa. Using temperature probes from computer-based science packages, students can measure gradual change in the liquid's temperature, watch as data are plotted on the computer, and explain why they chose a specific material. (SM)