Citizen science projects have been found to increase scientific knowledge and awareness among the participants who engage in these collaborative efforts. Providing elementary students the opportunity to collect, share, and analyze data is an effective way to help them develop a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and gain competency in…

Citizen science provides an opportunity for students to capture data both locally and globally while supporting the real-time work of scientists seeking to understand natural events. In this article, the authors present a project-based approach that explores climate at home and abroad to help develop elementary students' local-to-global…

On any given sunny day, Courtney Vanover's third graders were like alarm clocks, making sure everyone in the room knew when 9:30 was approaching. Why? Because they were participating in a yearlong science project to answer the question, "Where is the tip of the shadow of the school flagpole each morning at 9:30?" Although they did not…

Weekend plans...every family has them. Whether it's fishing, swimming, or simply picnicking by the river, water plays a significant role in many recreational endeavors. Encouraging students and their families to use their "scientific eyes" to explore these wonderful wet places is what Weekend Science Project is all about. Weekend Science Project…

Students' eyes grow wide with wonder as they get a motor to work or make a bulb light for the first time. As these daunting feats of electrical engineering remind us, teaching electricity is invariably rewarding and worthwhile. In this inquiry-based science project, elementary students work in pairs to design and wire a shoe box "room" that meets…

Using science notebooks effectively in the classroom can encourage students who are learning English to keep up and keep interested. English language proficiency might head the list of content areas that schools can teach properly and effectively through science. Amaral, Garrison, and Klentschy (2002) reported that a successful inquiry-based…

In this article, the authors' kindergarteners and a fellow first-grade class turned their hallway into a forest! Not just any mural, this culmination of a month-long project was based on observing, questioning, taking field trips, conducting library research (including the internet) and asking experts. The students developed skills in forming…

Lists the awardees from the Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program and relates the stories behind the inventions. (MM)

Discusses planning necessary for a successful elementary school science fair. Includes a science fair checklist. (JN)

Assesses the benefits of a minizoo project which incorporates an animal lending program. Describes the instructional opportunities made available to teachers and students through this offering. Also explains the functions and activities of an animal club for children. (ML)

Details how a lead safety project funded in the Toyota Tapestry Grant program provided students with the resources to test for and discover lead present in their recently renovated school. Discusses how the lead safety project played out across grade levels within the school. (DDR)

Describes the collection, care, and maintenance of protozoa by elementary school students. Techniques for collecting and observing them are given. (SA)

Proposes the organization of noncompetitive science fairs to create a more positive learning experience for children in the elementary grades. Describes methods of organizing and judging the fair, and provides a list of suggested resources for science fair projects. (MDH)

Describes a one-week unit in Earth science for the elementary science classroom. The concepts included are land formation, erosion, the water cycle, and human impact on the Earth's surface through planning and building a massive outdoor drainage model. (Author/DS)

Presents an idea for insect study with live organisms. The life cycle of the common housefly and the behavior of the adult and larvae are discussed. Activities for young students are given along with information for the teacher on the fly's life history. (SA)