In the summer of 2009, 22 African American middle school students in eastern North Carolina became participants in the Reach Up program to increase the number of underrepresented students participating in science-, technology-, engineering-, and mathematics-related activities. One of the goals of the program was for these students to participate…

Nothing brings out the best in eighth-grade physical science students quite like an engineering challenge. The wind turbine design challenge described in this article has proved to be a favorite among students with its focus on teamwork and creativity and its (almost) sneaky reinforcement of numerous physics concepts. For this activity, pairs of…

Many science problems require students to convert units. While this skill may not get the attention that more central science concepts do, teachers in the middle school and early high school grades will be doing their students a great service by leaving them with a strong understanding of both the skill itself and the reasons behind it. When the…

Most middle school students comprehend that organisms have adaptations that enable their survival and that successful adaptations prevail in a population over time. Yet they often miss that those bird beaks, moth-wing colors, or whatever traits are the result of random, normal genetic variations that just happen to confer a negative, neutral, or…

Describes an activity in which students assume the roles of scientists living in the year 2,001,997 and make their own fossil record discoveries of animals that have undergone evolutionary changes since 1997. Students choose the animals as well as create the adaptations that have taken place. Includes a sample scoring rubric. (DKM)

Presents an introduction to a unit on the periodic table in which students are asked to assume the roles of the element families. (MKR)

Describes using Vee maps and concept maps to guide student investigations and for student assessment. Technique focuses on following questions: what do I want to find out? what do I know? how do ideas connect? how do I go about finding answer to my question? what can I make of my findings? and what did I observe and measure? (PR)

Describes a school activity in which junior high school students display science projects in a noncompetitive atmosphere in four categories: (1) group projects; (2) hands-on activities encouraging young children and parent participation; (3) research projects; and (4) scientific portrayals of figures, concepts, or events. (MDH)

Students should have some experience with science carried out over time periods of several months or an entire school year. Presents suggestions to help teachers start their own bank of ideas for long-term science activities. (PR)

Presents detailed descriptions and diagrams for having students build their own hot air balloons. Describes the educational benefits of the balloon building. (PR)

Presents detailed descriptions and diagrams for having students build their own miniature box kites. Describes the educational benefits of the kite building. (PR)

The brain is a truly fascinating structure! It controls the body and allows everyone to think, learn, speak, move, feel, remember, and experience emotions. Although the brain is a single organ, it is very complex and has several regions, each having a specific function. These functionally diverse regions work together to allow for coordination of…

Describes an integrated unit on bluebirds that culminates in students building bluebird boxes and creating an informational pamphlet to raise public awareness of the bluebirds' plight. Enables students to become more involved in their community and the environment. (JRH)

Describes a six-week project, in which students ground their own mirror, built a working telescope, and learned how and why it all works. (PR)

Describes creating a Model Aquatic/Terrestrial Ecosystem for use in helping students understand how water moves beneath the ground's surface. The model is constructed from a fish tank using rocks, soil, gravel, clay, and organic materials. Author describes possible cooperative-learning and problem-solving activities that can be done with this…