"Making" has been used to describe an internally motivated iterative design process that embodies notions of playful building and tinkering. Recently, interest in applying making to PK-12 education has increased. As schools add facilities dedicated to making, there is a need to support teachers in effectively utilizing these makerspaces.…

Suggested are activities that might stimulate cognitive thought in students and which can be performed both in school and at home. (EB)

This paper lists 35 studies in biology which can be tailored to suit the full range of student age groups and are designed to involve most or all of the key elements of the scientific process (study design, data collection and presentation, and experimental manipulation). Examples of some studies are: (1) study the growth of molds on food items…

Suggestions are offered for a classroom project of planning and conducting an archaeological dig on or near school property. Principles of archaeological practice such as making drawings of the site and using a grid frame to record locations are explained. Also suggested is a simulation activity in which students pick imbedded "findings" out of…

This book presents 15 tales that bring the animal world into the classroom. The stories in this book are divided into two sections: stories from aquatic ecosystems (both fresh- and saltwater systems), and from terrestrial systems, including desert, meadow, woodland, mountain, Arctic tundra, savanna, pine forest, and jungle ecosystems. All predator…

Describes a student project to build a car powered by the energy in a mousetrap as part of a unit on simple machines. (PR)

This article presents examples of science units which have become successful multidisciplinary projects. Included are a protect your environment campaign and hunger day. Pre- and in-service courses, file of references, and resource people are suggested as being helpful in structuring interdisciplinary activities. Ideas and sources for projects are…

The document presents a collection of projects developed by teachers enrolled in a 3-week summer institute on teaching various curriculum areas to gifted students. Outlines of 11 projects begin with brief descriptive information on project title, developer(s), grade level, curriculum area, and project duration. The following projects are…

In a learning community, students learn to cooperate and make teams work. Past technologies (print, photography, film, and computers) have enabled idea sharing, but are one-way communication modes. Broader learning communities have been made possible through electronic field trips, online mentoring, science investigations, and humanities…

For the past 13 years the JASON Project has offered students and teachers a unique opportunity to learn about how the earth and space systems support life, and technologies used to study the earth-space system. The JASON Project aspires to help teachers to increase student learning of content-specific information; and to engage students in…

Discussion of several modes of understanding in the cognitive approach to information processing focuses on heuristic (discovery-based) scientific understanding. Topics covered include how students seeking heuristic understanding in a process-oriented school library media program look at information, use preconceptions to guide their searches,…

This manual presents a variety of ideas for environmental education projects that range in duration from two weeks to several years. All of the projects are designed to make learning interesting and relevant to the lives of students by enabling them to develop a sense of connection to their world and a framework that empowers them to make positive…

Educationally successful electronic network activities involving microcomputers and long-distance networks include a student newswire, joint social science projects, and joint science projects. A newswire activity, such as "The Computer Chronicles," can provide a wide range of audiences for writing, a functional environment for reading, and a…

This document contains materials used in a model industrial technology program that introduced technology into the curricula of elementary, middle, and high schools in three sites in Ohio: the Central site (coordinated through Ohio State University); the Northeast site (coordinated through Kent State University); and the Northwest site…