Hydrogel is an interesting topic in polymer chemistry, which is closely related to daily life and advanced technology. In this paper, we report an activity to deliver hydrogel chemistry into middle school classrooms by undergraduates as a bridge between professors and students. During the activity, undergraduates act as a bridge to receive…

The SunSpaceArt (SSA) project, led by the author, a solar scientist at the University of Cambridge, comprises a diverse team of scientists and visual artists who run STEAM (STEM + Arts) workshops in schools, space camps and at other venues (museums, science centres and so on). The project focuses mainly on 7- to 12-year-olds, which is a key age…

In this article, the author describes the impact of the Great Science Share for Schools (GSSfS). This annual campaign has already engaged over 100,000 pupils since its start in 2016. With 2019 seeing a record-breaking 63,614 pupils registered across 483 events in 11 countries, the forecast for 2020 is looking positive. Set up by the Science &…

Will spring be early next year? This is a question the authors ponder each fall as they prepare for a yearlong citizen science project with kindergartners. Citizen science projects naturally promote the development of science and engineering practices. These projects can be integrated at any grade level and aligned to meet other content areas as…

Turning everyday activities such as baking into scientific activities is more than just fun: it is important for our children's futures. Science investigations provide an opportunity for children to learn about scientific concepts and listen to their peers, family, and community members, and to respond to their questions or ideas. It also provides…

The American Chemical Society's Chemistry Festivals, or "Festivales de Química," are community events where chemistry professionals, professors, teachers, and students use hands-on activities to engage the public and demonstrate how chemistry appears in our everyday life. The Chemistry Festival Organizers received training from the ACS,…

Children are natural engineers. Engineering design activities for preschoolers introduce practices and encourage scientific habits of mind. The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) highlight that crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas can not be mastered without engaging in scientific investigations and…

In this article, Carol Bostrom shares how child-led enquiry, with children choosing their own questions to research, can work in a primary classroom. Children in three year 1 classes (ages 5-6) chose three areas of their own interest or hobby and then composed three questions for investigation for each area to be used during science week. This…

Imagine 98% of children in your country leaving primary school without ever having done a science investigation. This almost complete absence of primary science is the situation just over the North Sea from Britain--in the Netherlands. A recent survey showed that only about 120 primary schools in the Netherlands, out of a total of 6000, do some…

Ciênsação, an open online repository for hands-on experiments, has been developed to convince teachers in Latin America that science is best experienced first hand. Permitting students to experiment autonomously in small groups can be a challenging endeavour for educators in these countries. We analyse the reasons that cause hesitation of teachers…

As a science leader in her school, the author is always looking for new and interesting ways to inspire children in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) subjects. Attending several science conferences introduced her to new STEM programs, such as Street Science and fractals. In this article, she shares a couple of the activities…

Given the current emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and its key attributes, middle school is an optimal time to implement STEM-based curricula. However, the interdisciplinary and open-ended nature of STEM projects often makes implementation difficult. In this article, we describe a professional development…

Children are naturally curious about the world around them and are often intrigued by everyday objects and experiences. Primary school teachers frequently make use of "WOW moments" to generate children's interest in science (Feasey, 2005). These moments capitalise on the children's fascination with objects and experiences in their…

Problem solving spans all grade levels and content areas, as evidenced by this compilation of projects from schools across the United States. In one project, high school girls built a solar-powered tent to serve their city's homeless population. In another project, 4th graders explored historic Jamestown to learn about the voices lost to history.…

In this article, the author describes how a partnership was established to bring science and education majors together with elementary school children in an after-school STEM program. This partnership allowed preservice teachers and science majors to have fun with science and to learn science informally, in a nonclassroom, low-stress…