What do paleontologists, dinosaur tracks, and the nature of science have in common? They're combined here in an inquiry activity where students use methods of observation and inference to devise evidence-based explanations for the data they collect about dinosaur tracks, much like the methods used by paleontologists. Students then debate the…

Integrating the worlds of art and science can be a perfect tool for engaging students who wouldn't be initially interested in a science class. Even those students who love science may delve deeper into the subject when it's associated with art. One way to make this connection is to explore the life and work of great nature artists of the past and…

With a grant through Indiana University's Inner Asian & Uralic National Resource Center, the authors developed an online, five-week unit that discusses the cultural and ecological "worlds" of central Asia, specifically the countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. There are two main ideas…

Interdisciplinary teaching is a great way to focus on overarching concepts and help students make connections across disciplines. Historically, art and science have been connected disciplines. The botanical prints of the 18th and 19th centuries and early work with microscopes are two examples of a need for strong artistic skills in the science…

For thousands of years, people have used music to transfer information and narrate stories. The musical structure, consisting of words set to melodies in rhythmic patterns, made the content easier to remember. Researchers have investigated the long- and short-term effects of song on memory and found that music aided in the recall of information.…

Often the differences students see in science and mathematics classrooms are in perspective, approach, or application. Understanding those differences can help teachers to present a unified picture of mathematics and science to their students. In this article, the science teacher is given a glimpse of the treatment of topics shared by both…

Features astronomy activities that teach the value and limitations of inferring. (YDS)

Presents ideas on the use of rainy weather for activities in the earth, life, and physical sciences. Topics include formation and collision of raindrops, amount and distribution of rain, shedding of water by plants, mapping puddles and potholes, rainbow formation, stalking storms online, lightning, and comparing particles in the air before and…

Unlike journals and notebooks, scrolls allow for changes over time to be seen at once, providing students with a complete view of phenomena. Pages can inadvertently segment both the process of investigation and the content being investigated. Scrolls are excellent tools for documenting and displaying the continuity of natural processes that…

Demonstrates ways that earth science understanding can be shown through creative writing. Discusses the effects of writing on students' conceptual understanding of earth science. Suggests a sample rubric for evaluating student learning. (KHR)

Describes an activity for the magnitude of the distances between planets in which mathematics is integrated and inquiry is promoted. Includes the whole procedure and national science education standards closely aligned with this activity. (KHR)

What do the glory of ancient Rome and the chemistry of copper have in common? Bronze coins. Romans minted millions of them to be used throughout the empire and a significant number became lost, only for us to find, two millennia later. Over the years, the coins have reacted with oxygen, sulfur, and chlorine to corrode into chemical products that…

Describes an activity for designing, building, and launching rockets that provides students with an intrinsically motivating and real-life application of what could have been classroom-only concepts. Includes rocket design guidelines and a sample grading rubric. (KHR)

Identifies literature that has the potential to introduce students to the meaning of science, inquiry, and scientists. Discusses the importance of using multiple texts to teach science, reading strategies to introduce the concept of inquiry, literature to extend student understanding of the role of inquiry in science, and the use of this cluster…

"We are on the eve of total contamination," said an eighth grade "toxicologist" at a mock town meeting at Mount Baker Middle School in Mount Vernon, Washington. The meeting was the culmination of a month-long investigation by students to determine why some of the townspeople were getting sick. During the unit, students used skills from several…