Having students design their own methods regarding data collection during a lab may help them formulate appropriate investigative procedures. The authors use a modified gallery walk to develop science skills. (Contains 3 figures.)

One key element sometimes missing from middle school science lessons is questioning designed to generate student discourse. The National Science Teachers Association recommends that the curriculum of middle school science programs includes "hands-on, minds-on" (NSTA 2003) inquiry-based science instruction, and according to Clough and Olson,…

Off-road motorcycle racing and ATV riding. Gardening and fishing. What do these high-adrenaline and slower-paced pastimes have in common? Each requires soil, and the texture of that soil has an effect on all of them. In the inquiry-based lessons described here, students work both in the field or laboratory and in the classroom to collect soil…

This article discusses how, as part of a National Science Foundation-funded internship program, the authors translated smart papers into an exciting and informative activity for the middle school classroom. This activity opens students' eyes to an everyday technology and inspires them to ask questions about other hidden technologies that they…

To help eighth-grade students experience the excitement of Earth science research, the authors developed an inquiry-based project in which students evaluated and cataloged their campus geology and soils. Following class discussions of rock-weathering and soil-forming processes, students worked in groups to excavate multiple soil pits in the school…

Describes a guided inquiry activity that addresses the law of reflection. Laboratory experiment is included. (DKM)

Describes an activity that focuses on the question: How hard is it to break spaghetti noodles? Students design their own experiment that involves hanging a cup of pennies from a piece of spaghetti by a paper clip and investigate how many pennies the noodle can support without breaking. (DDR)

Describes an alternative assessment approach to measure the knowledge and skills of students at the end of a hands-on, process-, and concept-oriented science program. Four segments of the evaluation are: general knowledge, laboratory skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and teacher-specific assessments. Emphasizes retention of…

Describes how latex-based creatures are made and used to explore various topics in inquiry-based middle school science. Provides a variety of sample data and includes sections on safety concerns and chemistry notes for the teacher. (DDR)

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…

Explains the development of an interdisciplinary unit in which students learn basic chemistry and laboratory techniques while practicing English, mathematics, art, social studies, and leadership skills. Includes details about lab activities, assessment strategies, and science extensions. (DDR)

Presents a rubric scheme for assessing science process skills in an authentic science exercise. Discrete elements of each skill or task are identified in a binary fashion (yes/no) so that a scorer need only determine whether the element is present or absent. Thirteen science process skills are assessed with this scheme. (PR)