"Let Nature Be Your Teacher: Integrating Nature-Based Learning in the Elementary Classroom" advocates for a transformative shift in elementary education through incorporating nature-based learning into the curriculum. In an era dominated by indoor education and heightened screen time, Louise Ammentorp and Helen M. Corveleyn respond to…

This paper examines the extension of active learning pedagogical practices familiar in preschool settings to the first class of primary school. Policy and practice guidance in the UK is advocating the benefits of experiential learning as a way of engaging young children as they move into primary school but for teachers this means a move to new…

Presents suggestions to help teachers enhance class trips to the museum, noting today's museum outreach programs are very useful. After describing what museums have to offer, the article explains how to plan such a trip and how to make the trip run smoothly. A list of must-see museums is included. (SM)

Describes a project in which students selected seeds from two heirloom varieties of tomatoes, sowed the seeds, harvested the tomatoes, and fermented the seeds. Details are provided for each step of the project and the school address is included so that other students can begin similar projects. (DDR)

This guide is designed to provide elementary school teachers with a harmless, inexpensive, clean, odorless, and easy-to-care-for insect-rearing project for the classroom. The following topics are included: (1) instructions for the care and feeding of the beetle larvae; (2) student activities for observing larval characteristics and behavior…

Notes important distinctions between "hands-on" experiences and "first-hand" experiences. Argues that teachers need to consider the kinds of learning that books, hands-on experiences, and first-hand experiences provide for students, and the roles they play in the creation of curriculum. (SR)

A teacher describes how she arranged successful field trips to enhance her students' education. The planning involved brainstorming for topics and destinations, making appropriate arrangements, creating a schedule, deciding upon the destination of choice, researching the subject, taking the trip, and returning to the classroom to review the trip.…

Describes a miniscience unit on frogs for elementary grades that teaches students about how frogs develop from tadpoles and how frogs need water during their entire life cycle. Students learn such skills as observation, collecting, and recording data. Provides addresses for ordering resources for teachers and students. (SM)

The article presents inexpensive activities to teach elementary school students about electromagnets. Students learn to make an electromagnet with a battery, nail, and wire, then different activities help them explore the difference between permanent magnets and electromagnets. (SM)

Three fifth- and sixth-grade classrooms (147 students) were observed over 10 weeks. Science was taught either through (1) short, in-class projects; (2) an ongoing gardening project; or (3) teacher-oriented expository method. Participation in agriculturally oriented experiential activities, such as the projects, had a greater effect on science…

Cites research to support the idea that field trips are more successful for students if they receive a process skills orientation as opposed to a cognitive orientation to the field trip experience. Provides details on planning and preparation for a trip to the zoo. (DDR)

This book shows how the school grounds, whether urban, suburban, or rural, can become an enriching extension of the classroom. The author blends theory and practice, providing readers with teacher-tested suggestions and activities for using the outdoors. The book offers step-by-step guidance to help ensure success when teachers take a class…

This collection of hands-on ideas for learning materials contains 26 different classroom learning aids for young children which can be used for a variety of language activities. The focus in the collection is on puppetry. The theory behind this collection is that students must be involved in the learning process and that by being an integral part…

Discusses the benefits of a classroom pet. Presents guidelines to determine whether a classroom pet is really needed and some suggestions for improving existing conditions for animals you may already have. Includes chart for choosing the right pet, which compares the life span, size, diet, and pros and cons for guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits,…

Presents activities that focus on shadows to teach about seasonal changes and the earth's tilting axis. Includes suggestions for indoor discussions, diagrams, and models, and for outdoor observations and measurements of shadows. (SV)