While ice is usually referred to as ice cubes, indeed, most are not really cubes at all. In this 5E learning-cycle lesson, students will investigate different shapes of ice and how shape affects the speed of melting and the rate of cooling a glass of water. Students will compare three different shapes of ice with the same volume but different…

In this article, the authors describe how they used formative assessments to ferret out possible misconceptions among middle-school students in a unit about weather-related concepts. Because they teach fifth- and eighth-grade science, this assessment also gives them a chance to see how student understanding develops over the years. This year they…

During Cave Week, more than 200 students explore a simulated cave environment and participate in cave-related activities. Active cavers from a local club bring in equipment and photos and speak about their caving experiences. As student groups explore the simulated cave, other groups participate in different activities where they can create bat…

You may not think of engineering and squirt guns in the same sentence. However, like many examples of engineering design, the squirt gun pump mechanism is uncomplicated, yet elegant, and very inexpensive to manufacture. The design is widely used because of its simplicity and low cost. With only a few moving parts, it is able to deliver a stream of…

Presents methods and questions for discussion, activities, role plays, and assessment methods for helping students understand the importance of water conservation. (PR)

Presents an exciting way to acquaint students with current methods to clean up oil spills. Students also have the freedom to create new clean-up methods as they think through the problem and experiment to find effective solutions. (PR)

Uses the story "The Life of a Drop of Water" to initiate a creative writing activity and teach about the water cycle. Attempts to stimulate students' understanding of a scientific concept by using their imaginations. (YDS)

Presents background information, science activities, and a color poster on the element chlorine. (PR)