Describes a cultural and environmental studies cooperative program conducted in Clayoquot Sound as both aquatic and terrestrial system student research. Uses an interdisciplinary approach for environmental issues and provides a real-world, hands-on context to students. (YDS)

Describes how schools in Carroll County, Maryland; Toronto, Ontario; Durham, North Carolina; Englewood, Colorado; and Troy, New York, are renovating their vocational areas for inquiry-based, hands-on science learning. Includes sample floor plans and photographs. (EV)

Describes a simple, inexpensive system that allows students to have hands-on contact with simple experiments involving forces generated by induced currents. Discusses the use of a dynamic force sensor in making quantitative measurements of the forces generated. (JRH)

Presents an activity that involves making peanut butter in the laboratory as a way to teach students the chemistry concepts of emulsification, solubility, and formulation. Enables students to realize that they can actually create or modify the physical and sensory characteristics of peanut butter and taste the differences in their work. (JRH)

Discusses reasons for, and problems caused by, the lack of practical work in chemistry classes worldwide and across educational levels. Describes and advocates the use of individual student microchemistry kits for undertaking a wide range of traditional experiments. Contains 13 references. (WRM)

Presents a Project Learning Tree (PLT) activity that allows students to describe how leaf characteristics vary from tree to tree and how these characteristics can be used to identify trees. This lesson plan features a description of levels, skills, objectives, materials, enrichment activities, assessment strategies, and a listing of related PLT…

Presents a Project Learning Tree (PLT) activity that has students investigate and compare the lifecycle of a tree to other living things and the tree's role in the ecosystem. Includes background material as well as step-by-step instructions, variation and enrichment ideas, assessment opportunities, and student worksheets. (SJR)

Describes how gardens can be used to teach children about plants, wildlife, food, and the environment. Illustrates how gardens are established and used in various elementary schools. (CCM)

Describes a classroom activity that explores the strength of spaghetti. Provides students an opportunity to explore a common substance in a scientific way; measure the strength of various sizes and amounts of spaghetti; gather, record, and translate quantitative data; use calculators; and present data. (YDS)

Indicates the importance of the development of students' measurement and estimation skills. Analyzes earthquake data recorded at seismograph stations and explains how to read and modify the graphs. Presents an activity for student evaluation. (YDS)

Describes an open-ended investigation in which students have to look into a feature of lens performance that is not commonly found in textbook materials on optics. Presents explanations and sample results. (WRM)

Describes a project in which students create wind machines to harness the wind's power and do mechanical work. Demonstrates kinetic and potential energy conversions and makes work and power calculations meaningful. Students conduct hands-on investigations with their machines. (DDR)

Explains how hands-on science activities can be done in a class designed as a lecture setting. Uses the collapsing can activity to demonstrate the birth of a black hole. Evaluates student responses to the hands-on approach. (YDS)

Presents a model describing one approach for extending seemingly limited hands-on activities into full-inquiry science lessons. Presents the model as a tool for facilitating science teachers' efforts to understand and implement powerful, effective, and manageable inquiry-based science instruction. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/ASK)

Provides hands-on biology activities using plastic bottles that allow students to become engaged in asking questions, creating experiments, testing hypotheses, and generating answers. Activities explore terrestrial and aquatic systems. (MKR)