Article presents suggestions for motivating elementary students to learn by combining science and writing. The strategies include planning the right environment; teaching the scientific method; establishing a link to literature; and making time for students to observe, experiment, and write. (SM)

Describes the use of observation folders as a tool for understanding and refining the basic skills of observation and inference that are important to the young child. These folders provide opportunities for students to view and examine "mystery pictures," make inferences, and arrive at their own conclusions about the subject of the…

Describes a five-week summer program for elementary teachers designed to develop content knowledge in physics through immersion in the subject and cooperative learning. Teachers indicated they changed their science teaching orientation toward process and content and increased their awareness of the power of demonstrations and student-generated…

Offers six suggestions to help elementary teachers create cross-curricular adventures in learning that begin with science. The article includes a chart on process skills across the curriculum, a list of resources, and suggested class activities. (SM)

An integrated lesson for kindergarten that familiarizes students with the phases and the surface of the moon is provided. Activities allow students to draw comparisons between the surface of the moon and the earth. Questions to ask students, directions for the activities, and a list of needed materials are included. (KR)

The abundance of life, the highly varied geologic formations, and climatic variations found in a wide range of deserts is presented. Misconceptions held about the desert are discussed. A list of resources and activities are included. (KR)

Described are ways in which children with the help of their parents and community can get involved with recycling, energy conservation, composting, and picking up litter. Environmental student projects on water conservation, planting trees, and Earth Day pledges are included. (KR)

Presented are activities in which students can observe dragonflies in their natural environment, capture them for examination, or make dragonfly models. Background information, directions for a field observation activity and making the models, and benefits of dragonfly study are included. (KR)

Provides seven fully developed library media activities to be used in conjunction with specific curriculum units in mathematics, music, science, and social studies. Grade levels, objectives, curriculum objectives, resources, instructional roles, activities, and procedures for completion, evaluation, and follow-up are described for each activity.…

Compared is the modern science center and the traditional museum. The science center was evaluated through systematic observations which described visitors activities not as random manipulations, but as learning activities that lead to both enjoyment and understanding. (KR)

Described is the key teacher strategy for inservice compared to an all teacher strategy, in which inservice is given directly to all the target teachers. Student achievement in both situations is considered. (KR)

The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the possible relationships among children's extracurricular habits, orientations, abilities and science achievement. Results indicate that sex differences are related to social, personal, and educational factors. (KR)

Described are projects of the National Sciences Resource Center (NSRC) which are aimed at the improvement of elementary school science instruction. Plans and goals of the project are listed. The Science and Technology for Children project is highlighted. (CW)

To make elementary science students grasp the scientific concepts being taught, teachers must not ignore their preconceived ideas. Instead, teachers must identify misconceptions then help the students test them. The article presents a step-by-step approach that can serve as a model for teaching any science concept. (SM)

Summarizes the results of three related studies whose overall purpose was to determine elementary students' conceptions about earthquakes at two widely separated locations in the United States. Certain topics, such as the cause of earthquakes, seemed to cause difficulty for students. New definitional responses emerged in the studies that took…