Investigating stars can be difficult. The five-day unit presented in this article is designed for fifth graders to work toward Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) performance expectation 5-ESS1-1, with each lesson lasting about 30 minutes. Students investigate the relationship between the brightness of light and distance, apply their…

This article describes how kindergarten scientists at Caldwell Heights Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas created what they named a "Light Circle" using their classroom's south-facing window, its windowsill, and a small round mirror. The tilt of the Earth and the latitude of one's location combine to determine if the Sun ever shines…

Children can see the Moon with the naked eye and often are curious about the Moon and other objects in the sky, like the Sun and the stars. However, there is sometimes disagreement in early childhood about whether studying space is appropriate for young children. This activities described in this article engaged children who had different learning…

Both children and adults struggle to explain the cause of the day/night cycle and the seasons (Schoon 1995). Early elementary students may not be developmentally ready to explain that patterns of day and night are caused by Earth's rotation on its axis, or that the seasons are caused by Earth's tilted axis as the planet revolves around the Sun.…

Formative assessments serve to engage students in active sense-making, making them critical tools for both teachers and students. Though formative assessments may be an informal mode of assessing, they are one of the most important, especially when teaching science. As a subject, teaching science does not have the same kind of beginning-middle-end…

This article is a follow-up to previous articles on the August 2017 Great American Eclipse. The author discusses what totality is when viewing the eclipse and the spots across the United States where totality will take place.

On August 21, 2017, sky gazers all across North America will experience a total solar eclipse, arguably the most breathtaking of all astronomical phenomena. The August eclipse is an ideal astronomical event to observe with young children because it allows them to observe a powerful and easily accessible astronomical phenomenon. Observing…

This column provides background science information for elementary teachers. This month's issue discusses the rotation of the moon. The author investigates what would happen if the moon did not rotate and addresses exactly why the Moon does what it does with respect to rotation.

The Great American Total Solar Eclipse (TSE2017) will occur on August 21 this year--the first total solar eclipse in the continental United States since 1979. For many reasons, this is a scientific and educational milestone event of the highest magnitude that should not be missed by any teacher and student whether or not their school is in session…

This year marks 38 years since any part of the continental United States was darkened by the Moon's umbral shadow. During this "eclipse drought," no U.S. residents except those on Hawaii's Big Island in 1991 have had the opportunity to observe totality without traveling abroad. The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (TSE2017, August 21, 2017) is…

The Reggio-inspired approach often leads a teacher down unexpected paths, as many class explorations originate from students' observations of problems or phenomena. Students then work collaboratively with the teacher; the teacher consistently observes and questions the students to discover what the students are thinking and why. The teacher…

The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (TSE2017) will occur on August 21 in the continental United States, bringing totality to this area for the first time since 1979. The Moon's umbra will traverse from Oregon to South Carolina in about 90 minutes, bringing an eerie darkness to 14 states coast-to-coast and a partial eclipse to every part of the country…

On Monday, August 21, 2017 there will be a Total Solar Eclipse. This will be the first time the Moon's umbra has touched the continental United States since 1979 and the first totality to span the country coast-to-coast since 1918. From within parts of Oregon and through 14 states to South Carolina, the Moon will completely hide the Sun for a few…

In this article, the authors discuss role-play as a pedagogical strategy to engage kindergarten and first-grade students in science and engineering. They present a five-part Mars colony lesson that they developed for a blended class, during which students role-play a space-exploration story that enables them to gain a firsthand perspective of what…

What is the Sun? What effect does it have on the Earth? How do we protect ourselves from the Sun's harmful rays? These are a few of the questions the author wanted her kindergarten students to explore regarding the Sun and solar energy. Using the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) framework that notes kindergarten students should…