The Periodic Table of Elements is a valuable resource for chemists and all kinds of STEM professionals. However, it can be initially overwhelming and intimidating to some students. This hands-on lesson introduces abstract concepts in the periodic table through a tangible experience with simple toys and household objects. Students collaborate and…

Teaching geometry courses for preservice elementary teachers, we observed that difficulty with classifying shapes (and, in particular, composite 3-D shapes) persists even after work with simple shapes to support the writing of accurate and unambiguous definitions. We conducted a self-study of our teaching of 3-D concepts to uncover the concept…

When learning object function, infants must detect relations among features--for example, that squeezing is associated with squeaking or that objects with wheels roll. Previously, Perone and Oakes (2006) found 10-month-old infants were sensitive to relations between object appearances and actions, but not to relations between appearances and…

Multi-shaped blocks can be used to help young children develop many mathematical concepts and abilities. Several suggestions for using these blocks to create problem situations through which children develop concepts are offered. (SD)

Described are activities using jar lids for sorting, classifying, and graphing; ordering; and measuring circumference and diameter. (MNS)