Students love field trips, and why shouldn't they? Field trips provide a break from the routine of the school day and an opportunity to learn from the world outside the classroom. Science and natural history museums are popular field-trip destinations, filled with a dizzying array of displays, and hands-on learning opportunities. The author…

The messages students receive through popular media such as movies, television, the internet, and music videos have a powerful influence and can shape their thinking. A national survey of media use by 8- to 18-year-olds found the average adolescent spends over seven and a half hours daily with entertainment media (KFF 2010). Rather than viewing…

Describes a nine-week unit that focuses on student development of science-based contraptions that work. Students are allowed to design, construct, and test a device of interest that performs a simple task, such as picking up a paper towel or turning a page in a book. (ZWH)

Describes a school activity in which junior high school students display science projects in a noncompetitive atmosphere in four categories: (1) group projects; (2) hands-on activities encouraging young children and parent participation; (3) research projects; and (4) scientific portrayals of figures, concepts, or events. (MDH)

Students enjoy carrying out an exciting and challenging research project that combines science with computers and mathematics to investigate how polyacrylate animals change in size over time when placed in water and aqueous salt solutions. The hands-on activity motivates students and provides them with the necessary skills and information to have…

In a perfect world, what would a good classroom strategy look like? It would have to work for any teacher at any grade level in any discipline; be backed by current research in learning theory; be elegant and simple to facilitate but differentiate for each student; be cost effective but use a diverse selection of materials; and be active and…

The NASA's Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP) is led by the Arizona State University (ASU) Mars Education Program, a major partner of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. MSIP is based on the National Science Education Standards and includes curriculum on terrestrial planet characteristics, experimental design, and proposal writing. Three spacecraft…

Vertical connections, constructed using inquiry, give students the skills to reach new heights in both their academic and local communities. In this article, the authors present inquiry projects, developed by middle level teachers, to ensure that students use higher-level thinking skills to improve the community. Each project is connected to the…

Presents four techniques to bring current science controversy into the classroom: (1) daily reviews and discussions of current science articles; (2) weekly group analysis of an assigned article; (3) individual student reports of a science controversy; and (4) a yearlong cooperative group study of a science issue. (MDH)