The use of invertebrates as classroom "pets" can develop students' skills in scientific inquiry and instill respect for science. Few materials are needed for projects involving invertebrates. Suggested activities using snails, crickets, earthworms, crayfish, and guppies are offered. (DF)

In a Virginia school grounded in Gardner's multiple-intelligences theory, K-12 students flock to the think tank, a hands-on discovery room, to explore their varied abilities. This well-equipped room synthesizes many ideas and theories, such as Socratic questioning and John Dewey's discovery-learning ideas. Because multiple ways of smartness are…

Presents the rationale behind the need to teach the metric system and includes a description of the most important metric units. The stages through which children pass as they develop an understanding of the process of measurement are discussed. Bibliographic material is included. (EB)

Stresses the importance of learner involvement, and adult patience and understanding, for a child's success in learning and consequently in living. (EB)

Discusses inquiry and discovery methods in elementary school science education; emphasizes the importance of teachers knowing whether they are using the inquiry approach and to what extent. Presents a chart listing the steps involved in problem solving, indicating whether a step is teacher- or student-controlled. (BC)

Describes a test designed to measure outcomes of "inquiry" social studies programs in elementary schools. Results indicate that inquiry students, or those whose teachers use inductive methods to encourage active participation in learning, perform better than noninquiry students on tasks requiring higher cognitive processes. (Author/KC)

Suggestions are given relating to having plants and animals in the classroom to stimulate development of the understanding of the concept of being alive, a concept not really understood by children under age nine. The research reviewed promotes firsthand experiences to help form concepts of living and nonliving, of identity and causality. (EB)

Intended to aid teachers help students discover the concept of human beings interrelating and interdependent with their environment. A science activity used with sixth grade students involved in a functional recycling system for newspapers is described. The program grew into a community-wide project, incorporated with city council. (EB)

Remarks are focused on two of the findings of a study carried out by Bingham-Newman and Hooper in "Classification and Seriation Instruction and Logical Task Performance in Preschool."

Twenty-three children in each of 2 first-grade classrooms were observed as they worked in pairs with the computer language Logo in a learning-by-discovery context. Describes children's behaviors related to planning, correction of errors, reflection, causality, and procedure-writing. (RJC)

Hands-on experiences are encouraged and some examples given to promote discovery learning for the very young. (EB)

The article emphasizes the importance of the teacher listening to the student's questions and problems in math classes in order to understand exactly what the student is misunderstanding. (CD)

Demonstrations are presented in which children can be introduced to evidence of specific concepts enabling them to participate in such a way that any conceptual conflicts that might arise in this learning situation can be gradually reduced. (EB)

Addresses two issues confronting teachers who use theme immersion in their classrooms: integration of content through theme, and inquiry-based curriculum. Discusses the challenge and justification for each issue. Notes that inquiry teaching means constantly searching for better ways to support children' s own inquiry processes. (BAC)