Young children love opportunities to build, discover, and solve problems. Teachers can take advantage of these natural tendencies by introducing students to aspects of engineering design while they engage in classroom activities. Engineering also lends itself to supporting students in developing disciplinary literacy practices such as learning…

Teachers have the daunting task of preparing students for a future that they cannot predict. In an age of information where students have the world quite literally at their fingertips, and with the ever-growing momentum of integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), it is not enough that students experience STEM subjects…

Computational thinking can provide a basis for problem solving, for making evidence-based decisions, and for learning to code or create programs. Therefore, it is critical that all students across the K-12 continuum--including students in the early grades--have opportunities to begin developing problem solving and computational thinking skills.…

Severe flooding was prevalent within the authors' region at the beginning of the school year. Many homes and fields were affected by the amount of rain that fell within a short period of time over multiple days. Their students were concerned about the impact this natural phenomena was having on their local community. Natural phenomena can provide…

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. In this month's issue an upper elementary Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) challenge brings an engineer into the classroom while emphasizing cooperation, communication, and creativity. STEM activities come in various shapes and sizes. Some are quite involved…

Across the United States, political leaders, educators, and business persons are issuing an urgent call for reform in STEM education (NGSS Lead States 2013). One important response to this call is Integrated STEM, which the National Governor's Association (2007, p. 7) says involves, "... an emphasis on design and problem solving in…

This article describes an interdisciplinary project that created awareness of female scientists in a public Montessori classroom. Every spring, the author's sixth-grade students write an educational play in which the entire class participates. Following an underwhelming response to asking students who are their favorite female scientists, the…

Providing opportunities for students to grapple with collecting and organizing data, struggle with how to represent and communicate ideas emerging from the data, and consider the alignment of these ideas with the science content being learned is reflective of authentic inquiry and supports the development of scientific understanding. The…

Presents an activity that requires middle level students to use mathematics and measurement skills to estimate the mass of an extinct dinosaur using museum-quality models. (JRH)

Introduces a lesson that can be used for teaching the scientific process with excitement and in a natural learning environment. Suggests activities for classifying, observing, measuring, inferring, collecting data, interpreting, discussing, concluding, and communicating. Supplies a list with pictures and descriptions of types of monuments. (RT)

Recommends that teachers develop integrated curriculum units with their students. Describes a course for preservice teachers in which they become familiar with a problem-based interdisciplinary approach. (DDR)

An integrated lesson for kindergarten that familiarizes students with the phases and the surface of the moon is provided. Activities allow students to draw comparisons between the surface of the moon and the earth. Questions to ask students, directions for the activities, and a list of needed materials are included. (KR)

Introduces an activity that involves nature transects and requires students to use their process skills. Indicates the possible use of transects for student evaluation and examines the implementation of transects in the elementary curriculum in a multidisciplinary approach. Provides details of the activity. (YDS)

Uses a discrepant event to teach students about volume and area. Outlines directions for class demonstration, needed materials, questions, a story problem, and related activities to perform this assignment. (Author/RT)

Introduces the Envirobox Project that involves six classes from diverse regions of the United States where each class sends a shoebox including environmental samples to others. Explains the planning and preparation procedures of the project. Uses an interdisciplinary approach in the project which incorporates language arts, mathematics, social…