How can teachers take a traditional field trip and turn it into a component of a rich learning unit? The author found success in connecting a science, technology, and design class to the experiences students engaged in during a recent trip to a zoo. While students were focused on creating an enrichment toy for animals, the true enrichment was in…

Most students have never had the opportunity to interact with amphibians. Field trips students list as most memorable are usually their outdoor experiences and interactions with living creatures. Apart from being memorable, field trips need to be meaningful and provide students with authentic learning experiences. Field trips allow students to…

To address the question of how people design safe amusement park rides, Bill Robertson focuses on the factors designers must consider so that human bodies don't experience too large an acceleration (any change in speed and/or direction) or "g-force" (the acceleration an object undergoes while freely falling, with no air resistance, under…

It can be a struggle for early childhood teachers to create hands-on, engaging lessons about animals. This is especially true of units that require exposure to a wide range of animals from a variety of habitats. The authors' describe how they shook up their traditional animal unit by creating a Kindergarten zoo! Herein they summarize their…

In this article, Karen Bucci describes how she incorporated her iPad with the wireless SmartScope iGO microscope and Wi-Viewer app to teach her fourth-grade class the science module "Ecosystems" by National Science Resources Center's Science and Technology for Children (STC) (1996, 2005). A main idea in the unit is the importance of…

Earth and space science deserve the same level of inclusion in early childhood curriculum as the other science disciplines, and research shows that the sooner children are introduced to concepts like those presented in planetarium programs, the stronger their lifelong interest in science will be. Much astronomy visualization outside of…

Supporting elementary student understandings of ideas related to Earth's Place in the Universe (ESS1) can be challenging, especially given the large time and distance scales involved with many of the concepts. However, with effective use of crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices, important concepts within this content domain…

This article outlines an integrated STEAM project based on "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate (2012). Elementary students focused on real-world, authentic problems presented in this 2013 Newbery Award-winning novel. The novel deals with difficult issues such as the humane treatment of animals, and has a powerful message of…

Space has fascinated and intrigued humans of all ages since time immemorial, and continues to do so today. The natural curiosity is engaged when looking up into the sky, notice patterns among celestial objects such as the Sun, Moon, and stars, and wonder. Scientific understanding of those patterns has progressed immensely over the span of human…

Elementary students find it difficult to connect the apparent motion of objects in the sky with how celestial objects actually move in the solar system. As a university astronomy education researcher, the author has been investigating methods to help children learn astronomy through workshops and summer camps at science museums and planetariums.…

As a fourth-grade science teacher, the author wanted a project that was (a) yearlong in scope, (b) got her students outside more, and (c) laid the groundwork for a learning progression. In this article, she describes a project in which her fourth-grade students created digital field guides for visitors to their school's nature trail. In the…

This hands-on, minds-on zoo project provides a fun and safe opportunity for students to experience the world of animals and nature right in their own classroom. Students have the chance to work individually or in small groups to explore, observe, and discover answers to their questions about the natural world. In addition, it provides numerous…

The annual Philbrick Science Showcase is a family event that celebrates students' science learning and highlights an ongoing partnership with the Boston Nature Center, a Massachusetts Audubon Society sanctuary within walking distance of the Philbrick school. At least twice a year, students visit the Nature Center to extend the science curriculum,…

An innovative zoo outreach program, Our Zoo to You, places zoo animals in local classrooms for extended observation periods. With guidance and support from zoo staff, students are able to safely experience a variety of animals, including geckos, snakes, legless lizards, horned toads, ringneck doves, ferrets, hedgehogs, African brown millipedes,…