This lesson focuses specifically on teaching concepts of speed and its impact on energy, as well as providing a basic introduction to potential and kinetic energy to fourth-grade students. "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") 4-PS3-1 states that students should be able "to use evidence to construct an explanation…

Science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts (CCs) constitute a significant part of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012). As teachers, the role of the authors is to highlight the pivotal role that both scientific knowledge and the practices used to generate knowledge play in learning. This article…

Since the release of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" in 2012, there has been a significant shift toward the use of science and engineering practices that mirror the way scientists do their work (NRC 2012). The "Framework" states, "A focus on practices (in the plural) avoids the mistaken impression that there is…

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…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") state that by the end of fifth grade, students are expected to understand the water cycle, also called the hydrologic cycle, and the three states of matter in which water can exist (NGSS Lead States 2013). Logically, many educators choose to teach these topics concurrently or…

The vision of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) "requires a dramatic departure from approaches to teaching and learning science occurring today in most science classrooms K-12" (Reiser 2013, p. 2). In this article the authors emphasize the importance of examining student misconceptions and correcting them with sense-making…

Science education is central to the lives of all Americans. Students face a world where they will frequently be required to make important decisions on issues that range from health care to the environment. Achieving literacy in science will require coherence at all levels and across components of the system including curriculum, assessment, and…

The Arnold Arboretum Field Study Program provides outdoor experiences for children in order to develop authentic firsthand knowledge of life sciences. The Arboretum welcomes approximately 3,200 children (preK-5) from greater Boston annually. During the program called Explorations with Head Start participants, the children visit three times…

One of the most powerful strategies to support next generation science instruction is the use of instructional models. The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) instructional model is arguably the most widely used version of a learning cycle in today's classrooms. The use of the 5Es as an…

At first glance it seems easy to attribute cause and effect when it's not applicable, either through mistakenly taking every correlation as a cause and effect relationship, misinterpreting the meaning of independent and dependent variables, or not focusing on direct causes. Sometimes it's easy to help students understand where…

Rocks and other Earth materials are included in national, state, and local standards. For example, "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012) contains topics related to Earth systems, which include the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere. By second grade, students should be able to describe how most areas where…

Many elementary science teachers understand that the best way to enhance reasoning and thinking skills in their students is to have them engage in scientific negotiation. They know that teaching is not the simple transmission of information but a complex act that requires teachers to apply knowledge from multiple sources, including student…

Cunningham and Lachapelle (2011) found that most students have a naive understanding of the field of engineering, mistaking it for the work of technicians or artisans and neglecting to see the contributions engineers make to people's daily lives. In general, public (and teacher) understanding is not much more refined. These misconceptions about…

Children understand the natural world in ways that make sense to them before they learn any science in school. This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. This month's issue helps students connect scientifically correct ideas to what makes sense to them.

Almost every child has experienced the sniffly, stuffy, and achy congestion of the common cold. In addition, many have encountered the "old wives tales" that forge a link between personal actions and coming down with this common respiratory infection. Much of this health folklore has been passed down from generation to generation (e.g., getting a…