The forming of microplastics in the environment continues be a global problem with damaging risks to ecosystems and human health. Currently, most microplastic studies concentrate on water and air, while research focus on terrestrial samples such as soil still lags behind. This project reports the first results of our effort to develop and…

This paper highlights an investigation of how middle school students responded to a theatre performance designed to portray science as a humanistic and relatable endeavour that youth -- similar to the youth in the audience -- engage in during their everyday lives. The play included in this study was generated as a part of a design research project…

Thousands of students around the country have participated in activities using the Data Jam model, creating poetry, songs, videos, or sculpture to improve their data literacy, gain knowledge of local science research, and creatively express their findings. This article introduces the Data Jam model and describes how teachers can use it in…

Some of the most important scientific studies are associated with either incredibly large dimensions (e.g., the universe) or extremely small proportions (e.g., the cell). While a teacher's curriculum may often switch from mega-expanses to minutia, they should question how easily students comprehend the change in sizes. This article addresses…

Describes a project using a multidisciplinary approach for the simultaneous integration of a theme into several disciplines in which participating students apply techniques they learned during the semester and report their findings with a poster presentation. (YDS)

A unit on energy is a perfect opportunity to use an interdisciplinary approach with a range of grade levels. This blueprint describes the needs of one such program and covers developmental strategies step by step. Each activity is categorized according to grade level. Topics include: (1) "Getting Organized," which discusses selecting activities…

Describes a project for high school chemistry students that links science with art: making glazed ceramic pots. Includes materials list, base glaze recipe, step-by-step procedures for setting up a lab, and the time frame involved. Text for students covers the history of earthenware pottery, fundamentals of working with clay, description of the…

The acronym STEM--the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and math--now a familiar term in education, is evolving into STEAM--STEM plus "A" for art. Educational researcher Martin Storksdieck's studies have shown that infusing art into STEM allows for "a different way of perceiving and knowing and dealing with the world, as a means to…

Procedures used by a primary science class to build five different working solar furnaces are summarized. Diagrams, illustrations, and graphs of children's results are included. (DC)

Describes writing environmental impact statement concerning land use as assignment in geology courses. Students select area, propose land-use project, analyze available literature, choose specific site within map area for project, and write report addressing site access, water supply, liquid and solid waste disposal, mitigation of environmental…

Describes enrichment activities in which students read selections from science trade books and perform hands-on science activities related to the readings. Suggests four readings and related activities involving trees, robots, spiders, and birds. (Contains 13 references.) (MDH)

Provides a brief overview of interdisciplinary projects at the California Academy of Mathematics and Science, a public high school on a college campus. Discusses project creation, collaboration, and assessment. (SR)

Offers suggestions for structuring the writing of paragraphs about data tables and conclusions. States that data tables usually contain: the central or most typical value and the variation or spread within the data. Provides steps for writing a paragraph and an evaluation of effectiveness. (RT)

Describes an assignment in a paleontology course built around constructional morphology and the role of adaptation and exaptation in evolution. Students investigate the constructional morphology of a group of fossils that interests them. Findings are presented in an oral presentation and in a term paper. (27 references) (PR)

Through the use of science-reading kits, one teacher develops practical application of children's reading skills. Each child designs and builds appropriate materials for science learning kit on the subject of his/her choice. (SA)