Provides an overview of informal elementary science-education programs in the United States, and features a detailed description of the Hands on Science Outreach program. Presents insights for informal elementary science-education programs trying to maintain their unique niche while conforming to the new national standards in science education.…

Presents a procedure for creating a colored superabsorbant polymer gel. Pieces of the gel can be used to demonstrate convection currents in heating water. (WRM)

Considers the ways in which students' activities during project work are influenced by their images of science. Finds that the concept of "epistemic demand" may help in anticipating difficulties students might have during science project work, and that students' images of science are developed as a result of implicit and explicit…

Discusses possibilities for students to learn about the natural distribution, growth rate, seasonal changes, life history, and environmental value of individual trees on campus. (Author/WRM)

Describes a chemistry-related board game that can be used to build nomenclature, equation-balancing, and product-predicting skills. (WRM)

Presents a pre-lab exercise, an experimental setup, and discussion of computer-generated graphs that can be used to study the motion and energy of a bouncing ball. (WRM)

Describes the use of two tiny light bulbs and a cloth grating to construct a semiquantitative experiment for determining the wavelength of light from an interference pattern. (WRM)

Describes how the authors used portions of popular movies to help students review concepts related to electromagnetism. Movies used and concepts covered in the review are listed, and a sample activity is described. (WRM)

Describes a project for students to study storm water runoff, erosion, sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, wetlands, ground water, and the effects on waterways of acidity and household pollutants through experimentation and fieldwork. (CCM)

Describes a role-play activity designed to help students understand the energy changes involved in an exothermic reaction by modeling the concepts of bond-breaking takes in energy, activation energy, temperature rise, and bond breaking gives out energy. (WRM)

Describes the use of a weekly elementary science schedule that incorporates students doing hands-on science and inquiry activities, constructing explanations of natural phenomena, and connecting their ideas and thinking. All of the activities and books suggested in the article cover the eight categories of the National Science Education Standards…

Describes the development, contents, and use of an elementary school-level Multisensory Instructional Package on the topic of global warming. (WRM)

Describes the construction of an inexpensive recirculating aquaculture system that can hold up to 46 pounds of fish, invertebrates, and mussels for classroom use. The system is versatile, requires little maintenance, and can be used for both teaching and research purposes. (WRM)

Presents a problem-based, discovery-oriented activity on sickle-cell anemia that has been used for five years with more than 3000 secondary-level students and 200 teachers. (WRM)

Presents a concise overview of cell division that includes only the essential concepts necessary for understanding genetics and evolution. Makes recommendations based on published research and teaching experiences that can be used to judge the merits of potential activities and materials for teaching cell division. Makes suggestions regarding the…