Offers various strategies in which students use fingerprints to help sharpen their science process skills. Includes directions for making fingerprints using just ink and paper and suggestions for additional activities. These include making "prints" from other body parts and from such objects as automobile tires. (JN)

Gives guidelines for creating activities to teach classification skills using such holiday materials as nuts, pine cones, evergreen branches, hard candy, and package stickers. Provides ideas to share with parents in developing skills at home, and precautions in selecting objects. Encourages emphasis on similarities as well as differences when…

Suggestions are presented for 23 different hikes appropriate for school grounds and other similar settings. Topics which focus on science processes and skills include, among others, motion, color, shape, size, smells, sounds, trees, litter, and snow. (DC)

Stresses that observation and information processing skills in young children may be enhanced by first hand contact with animals, freedom of time, and careful preparation by teachers for the experience. (CS)

Nonsense botany, an easy, amusing way of learning the principle of nomenclature, involves using English words (in Latin constructions) to describe a make-believe plant; a drawing of the plant accompanies the pseudoscientific name. Suggests that students use this technique (developed by the nineteenth century British humorist Edward Lear) when…

Offers a series of hands-on activities for introducing students to concepts of energy transfer and conversion. Describes how simple devices as marbles, ramps, and sliders can be used to gauge the transfer of energy and assist in the development of investigative skills. (ML)

Provides specific directions and guidelines for the computer program "YOU Program ME." Explains how this introductory hands-on activity can teach the concept of programming and can introduce the BASIC language. Background information and student activity sheets are included. (ML)

Offers suggestions for activities that demonstrate the principles of osmosis. Explains how decalcified chicken eggs can be used to give students practice with measurement, experimental procedures, and science principles. (ML)

Describes an activity center where students work independently on problem-solving tasks. Participants keep records of their work and share ideas of activities with the class. Includes a list of tasks for the activity center. (MA)

Discusses how activities focusing on food can give preschool children practice in using science process skills and also can provide experiences in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. Lists activities which aim to develop thinking skills, to address health habits, and to foster art and music skills. (ML)

Outlines activities for each of eight science process skills (observing, using space/time relationships, classifying, using numbers, measuring, communicating, predicting, and inferring). Directions for the activities (all of which use sea shells) are included. (DH)

Suggests ways to teach science while young children are actively involved in art, construction, reading, and music. These suggestions are listed for learning centers which focus on art, blocks, homemaking/dramatics, water/sand, manipulatives, language, outdoors, and music. Also indicates that "moments" for teaching science occur in many places…

Describes a tutorial program where fourth grade students are paired with kindergarten children to assist in culminating activities and with review sessions. Explains the tutors' responsibilities, the program emphases, and scheduling procedures. (ML)

Provides examples of science activities in which children use their senses in manipulating objects and ideas. Suggests that these and other activities be extended to help children deepen their understanding of scientific concepts. (JN)

Offers suggestions of ways to encourage problem solving activities on the playground. (MA)