Various activities using magnifying glasses are suggested to help young children understand the concept "bigger" and the implication of change involved when viewing different objects under magnifying glasses. (SK)

Details results of an 18-month project aimed at assessing the common practices, problems, and areas of difficulty faced by teachers and administrators in the instruction of elementary science. It is viewed as the most in-depth study in elementary science education ever undertaken in North Carolina. (MP)

Reviewed are the contributions of Gerald Spellman Craig to the field of elementary school science. Included are Craig's viewpoints on criteria to be used in selecting natural science objectives, examples of general and specific objectives that fit each of the criteria, and his ideas about content, its organization, and sequencing. (CS)

The author outlines the inquiry approach to elementary science teaching, cites its advantages and disadvantages, provides sample lesson objectives and student evaluation methods, and lists sources of further information on this method of science teaching. (SJL)

Presents four science lessons based on food preparation: building an electric hot dog cooker; examining a microwave oven; discovering why popcorn pops; and making soda pop. (SJL)

Presents a science unit for fourth graders on fungi. Included are instructions for making a mold garden. (SJL)

Intended for the elementary teacher who lacks science teaching experience, this article presents tips for finding background information and for stocking a portable "science lab" with everyday materials. It also outlines 10 easy experiments. (SJL)

Reports results from clinical interviews with 32 children on the topic of inherited characteristics. Results are discussed regarding differences in age and incorrect beliefs concerning environmentally produced traits. (CS)

Presented are 25 inexpensive activities which will give students hands-on and creative experiences in botany, geology, meteorology, and ecology on or near the school grounds. (Author/SJL)

Presents an elementary teaching unit on NASA's space program, including teacher background information, suggested student activities, and a list of resources. Appended is a transcript of an interview conducted by elementary children with astronaut candidate Sherwood (Woody) Spring. (SJL)

The second part of a three-part series, this article describes sound measurement, effects, and indoor learning activities. Thirty elementary school activities are described with appropriate grade levels specified. (Author/CS)

Describes a novel way of teaching basic architecture using the analogy of the children's own anatomy. Program developed by two architects. (SS)

Analyzes an NSF-funded program in which the State University of New York provided training and curriculum assistance to school systems in the Long Island region seeking to improve their elementary school science programs. Reveals that, although initial program objectives were achieved, pilot projects did not lead to school-wide adoption. (MLH)

Forty-five children, ages nine through eleven, were divided into control group and experimental groups that read or wrote hunches concerning a discrepant event involving sliding blocks. Those who generated hunches were shown to learn more in subsequent inquiry behaviors designed to explain the discrepant event. (MLH)

Suggests several public relations gestures that reinforce learning and offer opportunities for parents to become aware of and appreciate the teacher's point of view. (CS)