Discover the secrets contained in fossilized feces. Few topics in middle school classrooms capture students' enthusiasm and interest as do coprolites. These trace fossils offer classroom opportunities for integrated life and Earth sciences study, a stranger-than-fiction history of science, and an opportunity to solve mysteries. (Contains 8…

Have your students ever wondered what NASA scientists do? Have they asked you what their science and mathematics lessons have to do with the real world? This unit about Earth's atmosphere can help to answer both of those questions. The unit described here showcases "content specific integration" of science and mathematics in that the lessons meet…

In this inquiry-based project, student-generated questions became the basis for student-directed individual and group projects that provided practice with problem solving, critical thinking, and research skills while digging deeper into the Earth science curriculum. The author used her students' high-level questions to provide relevance,…

Introduces an activity that features 16 oceanography work stations and integrates other disciplines. Assigns students different oceanic life forms and requires students to work in stations. Explains seven of 16 stations which cover oil spills, the periodic table, ocean floor, currents, and classification of oceanic organisms. (YDS)

Describes an educational program that asks students to attempt to prove that the earth is spherical and that it rotates. Presents tips to pique student interest and charts related to sensing the spin, nonrotation notions, flat earth fallacies, evidence that the earth is spherical and rotates, and the role of watersheds in proving that the earth…

Describes activities in which students learn that it takes teamwork, problem solving, and personal commitment to save the environment. (PR)

Describes a partnership that linked ninth-grade earth science students with local government agencies and businesses. It facilitated accessing, manipulating, and analyzing digital imagery from satellites and ground-based data-receiving systems. Highlights three projects that involve middle-level students in real-world geological problem solving.…

Presents an exciting way to acquaint students with current methods to clean up oil spills. Students also have the freedom to create new clean-up methods as they think through the problem and experiment to find effective solutions. (PR)