There is an increasing focus across all educational sectors to ensure that learning objectives are aligned with learning activities and assessments. An attractive approach previously published is that of curriculum alignment projects. This paper discusses the use of the fun and famous "Elephant's Toothpaste" experiment as a customizable…

The average American produces around 1,600 pounds of garbage every year, and it is estimated that 50 percent of that waste is material that could be composted (Clean Air Council, 2012). Instead, most is sent to landfills and incinerators. In technology and engineering education, a great deal of time is spent in talking, teaching, and thinking…

Students' eyes grow wide with wonder as they get a motor to work or make a bulb light for the first time. As these daunting feats of electrical engineering remind us, teaching electricity is invariably rewarding and worthwhile. In this inquiry-based science project, elementary students work in pairs to design and wire a shoe box "room" that meets…

To help teachers get off to a good start, this paper presents the updated "Back-to-School Guide" that is brimming with new-media ideas and resources. It outlines ten tips, along with easy-to-use tools, that will help teachers build their classroom community, survey students to bring out their ideas, and make learning more collaborative. Links to…

This book provides information to help create a themed science fair for childen in grades 4-6. Illustrated instructions and checklists for each of the 100 plus experiments are provided, plus ideas for teachers and students to vary experiments for additional scientific discovery. The experiments are written in age-appropriate language so that…

Instructions for reproducing two exhibits from the Exploratorium, San Francisco's science museum, are given. One shows students how white light can be made from red, blue, and green lights. The other helps children discover how small time differences allow them to perceive the origin of a sound. (MT)

Presents cross-curricular strands aimed at gearing science toward students whose interest does not lay in the research aspect of the subject while still maintaining the project format established as an essential part of the physics class. (MKR)

Ways of teaching students to communicate effectively using descriptive words and comparative statements are described. Two task cards involving descriptions of experiments investigating air pressure are included. (MT)

Presents a case study of a mini-project that was effective in preparing students for their project work, although many felt demoralized by the experience. Identifies a number of factors that might improve the effectiveness of mini-projects. (CCM)

Describes a project where students were given a small but real scientific question and allowed to deal with all aspects of the project just as a professional scientist would, rather than work on the science part only. (JRH)

Presents a learning project in which students prepare a guided, multisensory rain forest tour representing its ecology. Develops five stop points presenting a theme or an important aspect of the rain forest. Includes a list of selected resources for rain forest studies. (YDS)

The document contains a user's manual and three bibliographies pertaining to Montgomery County, Maryland's Gifted Science Project, a program to provide resources to students in grades 3-8 who are motivated in science. A user's manual offers guidelines for using the project's primary product--the Project Resource File, a collection of resources…

Describes an activity in which students assume the roles of scientists living in the year 2,001,997 and make their own fossil record discoveries of animals that have undergone evolutionary changes since 1997. Students choose the animals as well as create the adaptations that have taken place. Includes a sample scoring rubric. (DKM)

Presents an opportunity for students to become better acquainted with inventors and their work, examine past discoveries, and pursue new ideas. (ASK)

A proliferation of new government regulations and other events in recent years has made it more and more difficult to teach science and engage in science activities. Rapid advances in biotechnology have made it difficult for both students and teachers to stay abreast of current events. These difficulties along with others have turned some teachers…