Using ordinary household items--vinegar, ammonia, and cabbage juice--teachers can demonstrate properties of acids, bases, and neutrals. Students are encouraged to discuss results and hypothesize about experiments. A guide to the project is provided. (JL)

Special class activities for September are suggested. Historical events that took place during the month, observance of holidays and other special days, and the change in the seasons can provide ideas for launching class projects. (PP)

Presents a group of 21 innovative science activities from teachers nationwide designed to sharpen elementary students knowledge of science. The article is part of a package of 100 creative ideas for keeping elementary students enthused about learning in language arts, science, social studies, and math. (SM)

Presents a collection of inexpensive autumn science activities for elementary students. A full moon activity encourages observational and critical thinking skills. A pumpkin activity teaches physics. A spider activity teaches biology and alleviates unnecessary fears. A student page has children create a bookmark that shows faces in the full moon.…

Snails, lizards, frogs, and toads can be used to generate student interest in elementary school science. Art, writing, and science activities involving these animals are suggested. (CB)

Teachers are provided with several experiments for primary students that address concepts related to the properties of air, sound, and water. (IAH)

Ways in which to use literature to teach science are suggested, with examples given of reading materials for teaching about spiders and eyeglasses. Selected books about seasons, nature, and other scientific themes are listed. (CB)

Presents activities for helping elementary students learn about Newton's third law of motion. Several activity cards demonstrate the concept of the law of action and reaction. The activities require only inexpensive materials that can be found around the house. (SM)

An elementary school teacher developed renewed interest in both teaching and learning after enrolling in an American Heart Association workshop. This article discusses how a science unit on the heart was taught in a creative and interesting way to fourth-grade students. (DF)

This article provides detailed instructions on how to hatch chicken eggs. Sections include: (1) making the incubator; (2) making the brooder; (3) guidelines for hatching eggs; (4) from incubator to brooder; and (5) recommended readings. (JMK)

A teacher describes how a tuna, bought for consumption, can first provide the basis for a science lesson for preschool and first-grade students. As the fish is dissected, the teacher explains the functions of various body parts such as the heart and the digestive system. (PP)

Activities for teaching about the solar system, the earth's rotation, plants, pendulums, and animal adaptation are described. Included are suggestions for building scale models to illustrate the solar system's proportions and the earth's rotation speed, and for using playground swings to demonstrate pendulum motion. (PP)

Hands-on experience lets students explore, discover, and think their way through science. The article explains why hands-on science works, presenting tools for getting started with few resources. Activities have students work with the environment in their backyards and the schoolyard. Resources for hands-on science are presented. (SM)

Presents ideas to help elementary school educators teach their students about magnetic force fields by observing how iron filings line up around magnets. The article lists materials needed and offers a student page with suggested student activities. (SM)

Students can explore temperature and heat conductivity by examining materials that make good cups for hot cocoa. Using temperature probes from computer-based science packages, students can measure gradual change in the liquid's temperature, watch as data are plotted on the computer, and explain why they chose a specific material. (SM)