Many of today's popular sports are based around the use of a ball yet none are alike. In fact, they are all designed with specific characteristics in mind. In this activity, students investigate different balls' ability to bounce and represent the data they collect graphically. This activity uses a time frame of 100 minutes. (Author/SOE)

Depending upon the climate, the features of a house will be different to satisfy particular needs: hot, cold, windy, and/or rainy weather. In this activity, students investigate different types of roofs found on various houses in different environments throughout the world. Books and photos are used to provide information. Models of the houses are…

In this activity, students conduct several simple lab activities to learn about the five fundamental load types that can act on structures: tension, compression, shear, bending, and torsion. In Part One, students play the role of molecules in a beam subject to various loading schemes. In Part Two, students break foam insulation blocks by applying…

After a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works, students create a parachute using different materials that they think will work best. They then test their designs, which is followed by a class discussion to highlight which paper material worked best. This activity requires a 60-minute time period for completion. (Author/SOE)

This paper identifies five types of learning experiences which are relevant to understanding students' grasp of concepts and principles. These include exploring existing concepts, honing and clustering concepts, developing analytical and reasoning skills, developing problem solving skills, and structuring knowledge in memory. Each of these…

Wesley College, a private urban secondary school, sought a rural location where ninth-grade students could spend a term in a community-based, experientially-derived curriculum to enhance their sense of self and community. The small town of Clunes, in Victoria (Australia), accepted Wesley's initiative and since 2000, Wesley has operated a campus…

As Boston and other cities across the nation enter a second decade of education reform, the attention of school and community leaders, as well as of parents, is turning to the learning potential provided by after-school hours. This paper explores the potential role of project-based and experiential learning in transforming the learning…

This book offers strategies to help teachers and curriculum coordinators strengthen student interest through meaningful and purposeful learning. The 15 chapters are: (1) "Introduction: Planning a Connected Curriculum"; (2) "Children, School, and Community"; (3) "On Connections"; (4) "Making Connections: An Interdisciplinary Approach"; (5) "Making…

The needs of learners are changing rapidly and continually in response to an environment that is characterized by change at economic, political and technological levels. There is greater pressure on universities to work more closely with employers in contributing to the process of economic development through the creation of a skilled workforce.…

This paper describes how one college professor explains the concepts of schemes, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium to college undergraduates enrolled in educational or development psychology courses. The professor uses classroom demonstration to show how the concepts interact in an applied setting. The demonstration uses 30 children's…

The first issue of "TAP into Learning" examined constructivism and some ways technology might be employed to support learning environments based on constructivist theory. This issue examines one of these principles and some classroom activities based on practices consistent with this principle. Highlights include: "On the Road to Student-Centered…

The Galileo Outdoor Adventures Program (GOAPe) addresses the needs of high school students with a student-centered experiential program that is project- and community-based. At the Galileo Academy of Science and Technology, a public school in inner-city San Francisco, GOAPe is a semester-long program and a student club. From the first day of…

This guide for enhancing wildlife habitats on school grounds provides students and teachers the opportunity for direct, hands-on learning in the environment of their schoolyard. Geared towards grades K-8, all activities are developmentally appropriate to involve students on every level, resulting in student ownership of the project and a greater…

An action research study examined the use of an extensive experiential assignment to introduce preservice elementary teachers to the field of special education. The study documents the use of 58 students' experiences in a difficult learning situation and investigates the transference of this learning experience to course content on individualizing…

Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB) is a framework for comprehensive school improvement that uses the philosophy and pedagogy of Outward Bound to make learning more hands-on, project-based, and adventurous. One of the 10 ELOB design principles is service and compassion. This book by teachers in ELOB schools contains accounts of students'…