Since the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) were released, K-12 science teachers have been figuring out how to extend related learning opportunities to all students, including multilingual learners (MLLs) who are new to speaking English. Elementary schools often prioritize math and English language arts, the subjects that are…

Created by Tufts University through a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project, the Novel Engineering website explains that "Novel Engineering is an integrated approach to teaching engineering and literacy" (2018) that asks teachers to support students' engagement in a project-based endeavor of problem-and-solution processes and…

A team of science teacher educators working in collaboration with local elementary schools explored opportunities for science and engineering "learning by doing" in the particular context of urban elementary school communities. In this article, the authors present design task that helps students identify and find solutions to a…

Learning progressions (LPs)--descriptive continuums of how students develop and demonstrate more sophisticated understanding over time--have become an increasingly important tool in today's science classrooms. Here the author discusses some of the research behind learning progressions and presents The Science Inquiry Profile for PreK-4. This is a…

Stresses the importance of learner involvement, and adult patience and understanding, for a child's success in learning and consequently in living. (EB)

Presents estimation as a tool for learning observation and measurement relationships for the metric system. Activities include constructing a meter tape and using mystery boxes to practice volume estimation and measurement. (AIM)

Suggestions are given relating to having plants and animals in the classroom to stimulate development of the understanding of the concept of being alive, a concept not really understood by children under age nine. The research reviewed promotes firsthand experiences to help form concepts of living and nonliving, of identity and causality. (EB)

A learning activity is described in which the children become involved in dialogs with the Earth and its resources, and in turn the eye reads the surroundings and becomes more skilled at observation. (EB)

Demonstrations are presented in which children can be introduced to evidence of specific concepts enabling them to participate in such a way that any conceptual conflicts that might arise in this learning situation can be gradually reduced. (EB)

The value of involving children in experiencing environmental phenomena and observing living organisms is advocated. Suggestions are presented for offering a richer set of science experiences for children. (SA)

Discussed is the teaching method called the learning cycle and how it can be incorporated into science activities. Included are examples of how teachers and students can use the learning cycle to produce instructional materials. (KR)

Presents the rationale behind the need to teach the metric system and includes a description of the most important metric units. The stages through which children pass as they develop an understanding of the process of measurement are discussed. Bibliographic material is included. (EB)

By imagining they are 24th-century archaeologists excavating a 20th-century house, students learn how to make and practice writing specific, precise, and detailed observations. Other science process skills focused on include measuring, making inferences, and communicating the data both orally and in writing. (AIM)

Presents several classroom ideas to help students understand their relationship to and their place in the universe as well as how difficult it would be to find life beyond Earth. Lists activities for children including the "Map Procedure," the "Model Procedure," and "Good Ol' Sol." (CW)

Provides a descriptive listing of museums and science exhibits that are essentially participatory and playful in nature for young children. Offerings in the areas of natural history, museums, science and technology centers and specifically children's museums are outlined. Educational benefits are discussed. (ML)