Everyone has problems, from the smallest ant competing for a food source to the largest elephant needing to cool down. Fortunately, organisms have structures that function to help them solve these problems. So when a group of fourth-grade students look for solutions to their problems, who do they turn to? A biological champion, of course! Plants…

In light of increasing populations and dwindling natural resources, elementary teachers play a crucial role in ensuring children understand and commit to more sustainable lifestyles. Climate change, growing pressures on global fisheries, and the harmful effects of traditional agricultural methods exacerbate this call. Coupled with this emphasis is…

Young children love to draw, and should be encouraged to explore drawing as a communication tool. Drawing is a means by which children can express their thoughts, interests and feelings, long before they learn to write. We know that: "children's drawings are vehicles for expression and communication" (Chang, 2012, p. 187). This form of…

Finding common interests with which to engage learners from different cultural backgrounds can be a challenge in any classroom. It is particularly so in an urban, English/Spanish dual-language immersion school, which draws a socioeconomically and linguistically diverse population of students from a wide geographic area. The curriculum design in…

This activity involves elementary students in an investigation of the usefulness of plant parts as a food source. An introduction discusses the dependence of animal life on plants. Materials needed and step-by-step procedure are provided. (LZ)

This valuable and entertaining compendium of Bill Robertson's popular "Science 101" columns, from NSTA member journal "Science and Children," proves you don't have to be a science geek to understand basic scientific concepts. The author of the best-selling "Stop Faking It!" series explains everything from quarks to photosynthesis, telescopes to…

Discusses botanical illustrations, including herbals, printed books, flowers, British botany, printing advances, and art and science. (23 references) (MKR)

Advocates including plants at several trophic levels when studying food chains. Presents background information on parasitic plants, myco-heterophytes (saprophytes), and carnivorous plants. Contains 20 references. (WRM)

An activity that can be used to teach plant nutrition and the use of hydroponics is presented. Materials and procedures are discussed. Possible topics for science projects are suggested. (CW)

Described is an experiment designed to illustrate photosynthesis. The experiment is based on a classic experiment performed by vanHelmont in the sixteenth century. A list of materials, procedures, and concepts are discussed. Variations are suggested. (CW)

The construction of a hydroponic system for use in the classroom is described. Provided are construction details, a list of materials with approximate cost, a diagram of the setup, and a sample test. Several activities are suggested. (CW)

Discusses the importance of studying nectar biology. Describes how to extract nectar from various flowers, measure nectar volume, determine sugar concentration, and determine caloric value per nectar sample. These data are then related to hummingbird energetics to determine how many flowers are required to supply the pollinator with its caloric…

A demonstration that can be used to illustrate diffusion and osmosis is presented. Discussed are materials, procedures, and an explanation for the effect. (CW)

The construction and stocking of an in-class pond is discussed. Suggestions for eight activities using the pond are provided. A list of 15 references is included. (CW)

Describes how seeds contain the information of both the past and future of the world's plants. (CCM)