Discusses using amphibians and reptiles as an excellent resource for students to observe and gain an understanding of the process of science. These animals are easy to maintain in the classroom and play important roles in ecosystems as the prey for many birds and mammals and as the predators of various organisms. (SAH)

Describes behaviors of the domestic cat in terms of developing students abilities to observe. Discussed are play, territoriality and pecking order, catnip, feral studies, and chasing. (CW)

Summarizes how a group of teachers prepared a series of elementary-level inquiry experiences that focused on the study of land snails. Recommends and describes the K-W-L and Four Question inquiry strategies for younger and older students respectively. (WRM)

Describes an activity in which students are introduced to the concept of food webs through a role-playing tag game. (Author/CCM)

Thirteen suggestions for student research projects are presented. Project topics include birds, fish, frogs or toads, insects, spiders, crustaceans, mammals, predators, and ecology. The teacher's role in managing student projects is discussed. A list of middle school textbook resources is provided. (KR)

Describes activities with organisms from freshwater ponds and ditches. Several experiments involve predation, some involve habitat choices, and one addressees the role of sunlight in supporting plant-eating animals. (PR)

Describes three inquiry-based activities designed for students to begin to understand complex environmental relationships in their own backyard. Includes investigations of ants, which allow students to establish a baseline survey of ant fauna, test the importance of ants in nutrient cycling and soil structure maintenances, and increase student…

Activities are included that acquaint students with the parts of birds and the structure of feathers; that identify the prey of owls by opening owl pellets; working with information about threatened and endangered species of birds; and follow-up activities for bird study. A list of state and provincial birds of the United States and Canada and…

Describes an activity designed to help children understand why there is a limit to the size of animals that live on land. Details the materials and set-up for this activity. Contains a reproducible, three-part activity sheet to accompany the activity. A key for the teacher is included. (CW)

Presented are 12 biology experiments suitable for use in intermediate grade classrooms. Topics include plants, protists, fungi, animals, and osmosis. Provided are objectives, lists of materials, procedures, results, and explanations of the results. (CW)

Describes a class project to determine which environmental condition, such as light, heat, and type of basking substrate, would result in the least and most turtle basking behavior. (PR)

Described are four interdisciplinary units entitled "A Very Fishy Unit,""Building Healthy Bodies Unit,""Hands-On Plants Units," and "Butterflies Spell Beauty Unit." Each unit contains science activities, skills and concepts covered, and activities that cover other disciplines. (KR)

Discussed is a way to develop an integrated unit based on a fictional book. An example for constructing a unit is included as well as activities from units that consider birds, volcanoes, and measurement. Each unit contains a summary, topic areas, content-related words, activities, related books and references. (KR)

Illustrated are five classroom projects about the relationship between weight and size in animals. Background information and procedures are provided. Ten extension activities are suggested. (CW)