Integrating STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in authentic ways is often overlooked in early childhood spaces, despite young children having the ability to engage with the world around them through STEM practices. This piece showcases the work of children in a prekindergarten classroom as they explored an integrated STEM…

According to the Next Generation Science Standards, three-dimensional teaching challenges educators to adopt an inquiry approach through science and engineering practices aligned with disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts. Few teachers today feel confident in their ability to orchestrate such lessons. Teaching inquiry science takes…

Science teaching in elementary schools, or the lack thereof, continues to be an area of concern and criticism. Preservice elementary teachers' lack of confidence in teaching science is a major part of this problem. In this mixed-methods study, we report the impacts of an inquiry-based science course on preservice elementary teachers' self-efficacy…

Discusses: (1) inquiry science teaching; (2) characteristics of stable and fluid inquiry; and (3) using science textbooks to develop activities which reflect the fluid or tentative nature of scientific knowledge. (JN)

Suggests using inquiry demonstrations in junior and senior high physical science classrooms. Describes three such demonstrations with suggested formats and timing. (IDS)

Describes an evaluation project that aimed to assess the potential of two elementary science specialists, as compared to elementary classroom teachers, to realize the reforms vision for science instruction in elementary classrooms. Indicates that specialists' views and practices were better aligned with those envisioned by current national reform…

Describes how a teacher's stance of wonder, curiosity, and exploration during use of hypothetical inquiry situations served as a way for the teacher to address goals for students to be more vocal members of the learning community, encourage critical and creative thinking students, and provide them with meaningful context-rich opportunities for…

Describes a lesson that provides an opportunity for students to obtain the equation for a line describing data they have collected, use the equation they have derived to set up an Egg Bungee Jump, and relate the numbers in the equation to the physical properties of the bungee jump. (WRM)