Students in the intermediate grades love to talk--but not necessarily about making sense of what they are learning. How do teachers design classrooms that cultivate productive discourse? How do they get out of the way and teach children to learn? First, let's give them something to talk about. Second, teachers need to teach them how to engage in…

Students with disabilities spend the majority of their day in the general education classroom (U.S. Department of Education 2017). However, these students consistently underperform in science. This highlights the importance of using effective differentiated instruction. According to Mastropieri and colleagues (2006), differentiated instruction…

Inquiry-based active learning in science is helpful to all students but especially to those who have a hearing loss. For many deaf or hard of hearing students, the English language may be their second language, with American Sign Language (ASL) being their primary language. Therefore, many of the accommodations for the deaf are similar to those…

Focuses on inquiry-based science instruction for third grade elementary school students. Presents an activity on analyzing data using a graph. Explains what students learn from inquiry-based instruction. (YDS)

The California State University, Long Beach has received a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services in 1995 to carry out a project called "A Head Start on Science." The project's goals were inspired from a book written by world-renowned biologist Rachel Carson entitled "The Sense of Wonder." Carson promoted…

Describes a workshop to provide parents, their elementary school children, and elementary teachers with a common science learning environment. It included 45 activities/demonstrations with directions and learning notes. The primary goal was to promote inquiry through involvement and interaction with each other, discovery, discussion, and thinking…

Discusses ways in which parents can foster children's curiosity by engaging in activities with them and asking probing questions to help children find answers on their own. Activities described include mixing different substances with water to note changes, identifying trees by leaf shape and bark texture, observing squirrel behavior, and making…

Hands-on science activities and first-hand experiences of kindergartners studying trees demonstrate the true meaning of authentic assessment. The activities and teacher interactions had several things in common: (1) they asked students to perform or create something; (2) they invoked real-world applications; (3) they showed that there is more than…

Describes a summer program project designed and conducted by a mixed-age group of elementary children. Students collected data to determine whether a local stream was polluted, and interpretations of the data varied. An informational video about the project and the creek was produced. (PVD)