In this article the author describes the "Derby Design Day" project--a project that paired high school honors physics students with second-grade children for a design challenge and competition. The overall project goals were to discover whether collaboration in a design process would: (1) increase an interest in science; (2) enhance the…

Describes a Lexington, Kentucky, kindergarten science project that employed the Reggio Emilia approach of long-term open-ended projects steered by children's interests and group discussions. The children's investigation of how caterpillars make cocoons included direct observation of the metamorphosis process, construction of child-sized cocoons,…

Education in science serves three purposes. First, it prepares students to study science at higher levels of education. Second, it prepares students to enter the workforce, pursue occupations, and take up careers. Third, it prepares them to become more scientifically literate citizens. The relative priority and alignment of these three purposes…