Early experiences with planning and guiding children's learning can be exciting for preservice teachers in undergraduate teacher training programs. In this article, observations of a preschool play session guide four preservice teachers to design a series of play-centered lessons addressing serious science concepts (Hall 2010). While the concepts…

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. The formative assessment probe in this month's issue can be used as an initial elicitation before students are introduced to the formal concepts of weathering and erosion.

Children are natural scientists full of curiosity. This curiosity allows them to ask questions about and to investigate their surroundings. Since science is not just a collection of facts to be learned, but rather investigations that need to be made, teachers should encourage that natural curiosity in the classroom. Luckily, the "Next…

Any assessment activity can help student learning if it provides information that both teachers and students can use as feedback in assessing themselves. However, such assessment only becomes "formative" assessment when teachers actually use the feedback to adapt their teaching to meet the learning needs of students. This column provides…

The importance of argument in science teaching is a hot topic. Educators are told "doing science" doesn't just involve following a scientific method; it involves the restructuring and refinement of ideas through negotiation and critique with other people. Understanding the importance of argument is one thing, but even for the…

In recent years, a number of National Research Council reports have emphasized the need to improve science education and enhance science literacy for all students. In addition, the newly released "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" advocates engaging students in scientific practices and disciplinary core ideas. Children are not learning…

One tool for enhancing students' work with data in the science classroom is the measure line. As a coteacher and curriculum developer for The Inquiry Project, the author has seen how measure lines--a number line in which the numbers refer to units of measure--help students not only represent data but also analyze it in ways that generate…

One of the biggest challenges in the early weeks of the new school year is to keep learning interesting and the students engaged as routines and procedures are established and reinforced. How can a classroom teacher make the routines and procedures engaging and educational, while building a community of learners? The answer is simple... build a…

SMART Board is a technology that combines the functionality of a whiteboard, computer, and projector into a single system. The interactive nature of the SMART Board offers many practical uses for providing an introduction to or review of material, while the large work area invites collaboration through social interaction and communication. As a…

Describes a five-phase management procedure for activity-based science programs: teacher/student preparation, pre-activity discussion, distribution of materials, experimentation, and discussion and clean-up. Suggests that the classroom will be less restrictive but with enough organization and structure to maintain order during activities. (SK)

A lot of good elementary science involves studying solids, liquids, and gases, and some inquiry-based activities that are easy to set up and do. In this article, the author presents activities pertaining to simple phase change. Using water as the example, these activities introduce upper-grade students to the idea of the arrangement of molecules…

Focuses on techniques of improving interaction within groups of children engaged in a classroom science activity. The role of the teacher is discussed as well as the positive outcomes of successful cooperation between children. (SA)

Presents basic guidelines for classroom control and discipline for teachers using new science programs that encourage independent study and hands-on activities. (MA)

Discussed is the management of cooperative learning groups in an elementary school science classroom. Rules for classroom behavior and benefits that can be derived from using this method are suggested. (CW)

Through the use of science-reading kits, one teacher develops practical application of children's reading skills. Each child designs and builds appropriate materials for science learning kit on the subject of his/her choice. (SA)