In this article, second graders learn the basics of engineering through an exploration of magnetic levitation (maglev) technology. The author designed and taught the lessons to a class of 26 students enrolled in a month-long summer science program. The maglev lessons took place over three mornings (15 minutes for the first lesson and 40 minutes…

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…

Engaging children in authentic investigation opens the doors for them to gain deep conceptual understanding in science. As students engage in investigation, they experience the practices employed by scientists and engineers, as highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve Inc. 2013). They also begin to understand the nature of…

Many teachers have taught their share of science lessons that needed improvements. For the past eight years, the authors have been working with elementary teachers to implement quick and easy strategies to modify existing science lessons to make them more inquiry-based. Elementary teachers can use these strategies to adapt existing science lessons…

This article describes the experience of a group of first-grade teachers as they tackled the science process of classification, a targeted learning objective for the first grade. While the two-year process was not easy and required teachers to teach in a new, more investigation-oriented way, the benefits were great. The project helped teachers and…

At the start of each school year at Oil City Elementary Magnet School in Oil City, Louisiana, eager students ask, "What's our theme this year?" This curiosity comes from their expectations that they will study a different environmental concept each year. Kindergarten classes learn to "Be a Friend to the Earth," followed by life…

Children will be able to see the concept of a magnetic field translated into a visible reality using the simple method outlined. Standard shelf paper, magnets, iron filings, and paint in a spray can are used to prepare a permanent and well-detailed picture of the magnetic field. (Author/JN)

Brief comments on the topic of safety in the classroom and field, a technique for demonstrating the three-dimensional nature of a magnetic field, and a method for stimulating student interest in science films. (JR)

Proposes the use of metal cans to create science experiments that motivate students to investigate the scientific concepts of electricity, magnetism, heat, inertia, and sound transmission. Describes several experiments using cans in which students explore the properties of metal. (MDH)

Presents instructions and schematic diagrams for an activity that allows students to discover the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Students draw conclusions and form hypotheses regarding their observations. Suggestions for further study are provided for "real world" experiences by students. (ZWH)

Presents a teacher-made instructional material that can be used to help students understand and retain the concepts of magnet and magnetic field. Doughnut-shaped magnets levitate above each other when placed over a post with like poles facing each other. Instructions are provided to make the device. (MDH)