During early childhood, children interact with objects around them. During these interactions, they develop their own concepts about matter, even before encountering the word matter in school. When they encounter the concept of matter in school, they develop a beginning notion of matter as the "stuff" that makes up the things around…

The short view of inheritance is that it is about what every organism gets from its parents, one generation to the next. Young children appreciate that offspring have strong similarities with their parents. A longer perspective embraces the similarities and diversity in relatives' features; it includes the characteristics of predecessors within…

Many undergraduates seeking elementary teaching certification are uncomfortable with or uninterested in science; however, these future teachers are charged with the responsibility of teaching science to young students. Hammer and Polnick surveyed science methods students at Sam Houston State University and found that only about half of them rated…

Provides a hands-on unit of activities in which students learn to observe, measure, classify, predict, infer, communicate, and investigate using pickles. (CCM)

Very little has been published about the amount and nature science teaching in Australian primary schools and that which has is largely based on written surveys completed by teachers and principals at a sample of schools. This study was designed to follow these surveys into the classroom. I observed fourteen science lessons, interviewed twelve…

This paper describes the need for "learnscapes" on schoolgrounds. Learnscapes are places where a learning program has been designed to permit users to interact with an environment. They may be naturally built; inside or outside; located in schools, near schools, or beyond schools; relate to any one or many Key Learning Areas; and must be…

Identifies misconceptions concerning the effect of gravity on planetary motion and attempts to foster conceptual change through the hands-on, informal environment of a science museum. (Author/CCM)

Describes and evaluates the work of an action research group established to address some of the problems associated with teaching science in elementary schools, in particular what has been described as 'science reluctance' or, in its more extreme form, 'science phobia'. Explains how an elementary school teacher replaced science teaching with…

The Developmental Approaches in Science, Health and Technology (DASH) program provides opportunities for students to experience the worlds of scientists and technologists in elementary classrooms. It aims to build an understanding of technology and science through constructivism and hands-on science for K-6 graders. This instructional guide…

Presents activities that teach elementary students how light works by having them make rainbows. A primary-/intermediate- level activity involves conducting a rainbow color survey, and a student page provides a copy of the rainbow color survey. A primary-level activity has students create rainbows using water and a mirror. (SM)

Describes a project in which 5th grade students study eastern bluebirds, their habits, habitats, and interactions with other species over the course of the school year. Includes the project schedule, a student field journal sample, and resources. (KHR)

One creative way that elementary science educators can teach their students about animal communication is to give them glow sticks and a set of cards with descriptions of what different firefly flash signals mean. The paper describes such a project and presents related activities. (SM)

This article presents hands-on, experiential science activities that use mittens to teach elementary students about classification and insulation. The first involves children sorting mittens. The second has them find out for themselves why mittens keep their hands warm. Across-the-curriculum activities are also described. (SM)

Describes the Parents' Science Lab where parent volunteers lead a homeroom of 25-30 students through a hands-on science activity. Reports that this program has given parents personal experience with activity-based science and mathematics and made them positive and enthusiastic advocates for the cause of good science education. (JRH)

Describes two physical science activities integrating science and art that are designed to engage students in pleasurable discovery while teaching scientific concepts. Each activity includes a description, materials list, procedure listing, and suggested extension activities. Activities include melting crayons and ice painting. (SAH)