"A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" emphasizes that the practice of science is inherently a model-building activity focused on constructing explanations using evidence and reasoning (NRC 2012). Because building and refining is an iterative process, middle school students may view this practice…

Science teachers and graduate students have developed activities and assessment tools that begin to help students make the distinction between data and evidence. Two activities are covered in this article. (Contains 1 resource and 2 figures.)

This article describes two lessons within the authors' education module entitled, Ecological Networks, that successfully teaches introductory systems content to middle and high school students. To catch students' attention when teaching these new concepts, they decided to use a network that was familiar and fun for students--a cell-phone…

To confront some of the challenges faced by teachers beginning to implement Standards-based inquiry activities in their middle school classrooms, learning coordinators and teachers selected an inquiry-based set of courses and created a District Science Curricula Scope and Sequence, which overviewed the major units and showed teachers and parents…

Reports on a teacher's experience at the Wright Center for Innovative Science Education in developing an interdisciplinary curriculum unit that utilizes the community's close ties to the sea. (DDR)

Uses questioning techniques to teach about caloric consumption and weight gain. Starts with defining questions about calories and includes the stages of measuring calories, analyzing data, and conducting inquiry research. Includes directions for the experiment. (YDS)

Presents an overview of a museum teacher-in-residence program in which support is given for the development of curriculum materials relating to hands-on science instruction. (DDR)

Presents a curriculum designed to infuse environmental concepts and attitudes into the middle school curriculum. Developed through an educational partnership with industry, this curriculum focuses on the establishment and maintenance of backyard wildlife habitats. (DDR)

Describes Project Alliance, a program that brings the university and science communities together to support middle school teachers working in teams to create integrated inquiry-based science curricula. Discusses the two-year program that trains teachers to become leaders in science education reform, six types of science partnerships, partnership…