This manual describes 14 hands-on exercises for middle school introductory biology courses that are designed to allow all students to be involved in self-discoveries about life and plant life in particular. The exercises were developed to supplement normal classroom activities by allowing students to initiate ongoing projects to investigate the…

High school teachers are often challenged to motivate students who have little or no interest in a subject and are bored with traditional instruction. This unique book is designed to help educators make chemistry classes more interesting and links art curriculum to practical applications, integrating the two subjects through scores of hands-on…

This book presents detailed teaching ideas on integrating inventing into grades 4-6 science classrooms. The contents of the book is divided into three sections. Part 1 provides theoretical and pedagogical background information to teachers on the structure of inventing and the structure of experience. Part 2 presents six detailed workshops: (1)…

This paper states that there is a tradition of inquiry learning in science that dates at least to the 1950s and early 1960s. Inquiry learning approaches are still in fashion in that the teacher facilitates learning and a hands-on approach to actively involve students. Process approaches are still being used, and the aspects of science education…

Reading Links were created as ready-to-use reading and writing activities that directly correlate to the Brainlink adventure stories. The activities are related to reading objectives common to many curricula and cover a range of grades and ability levels. The book features a story called "Legacy of Lost Canyon, a Curious Cave Conundrum." Students…

This document is designed to teach concepts of source reduction, recycling, composting, and integrated waste management to kindergarten through grade six students. The lessons correlate to grade level and include sections on the lesson's concepts, purpose, overview, correlations to California's content standards and frameworks, scientific thinking…

This educator's guide, developed for students in grades 2-4, discusses the field of aeronautics. It begins with education standards and skill matrices for the classroom activities, a description of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aeronautics mission, and a brief history of aeronautics. Activities are written for the…

Sound, like light, travels in waves. Young students (grades K-4) learn about the amazing journey of sound--from the source that creates the sound to the mechanics of the ear that enable it to be heard. Children discover why sound needs a "medium" to travel, why there is no sound in space, and how certain animals are able to…

This book contains information and activities to help make the study of rainforests an exciting exploration for teachers and students. Students explore the animals, plants, and geography of the rainforest by completing hands-on activities from various disciplines. This book contains five units: (1) "Living Layers"; (2) "Animals, Animals, Animals";…

The schoolground is a small and vital piece of earth--a microcosm of a diverse and sustaining world. Promoting an environmental ethic in this location is a challenging opportunity for educators. This paper shows that natural places in schoolgrounds can provide the venue for exciting and ongoing teaching and learning opportunities in this outdoor…

This guide, when used in tandem with the videotape "Animals Without Backbones," helps students learn about invertebrates. These materials promote hands-on discovery and learning. The guide is composed of six curriculum-based teaching units: (1) "Getting Started"; (2) "Porifera"; (3) "Cnidarians"; (4) "Worms"; (5) "Mollusks"; (6) "Arthropods"; and…

This book represents a "cookbook" for teachers of physics, a book of recipes for the preparation of demonstration experiments to illustrate the principles that make the subject of physics so fascinating. Illustrations and explanations of each demonstration are done in an easy-to-understand format. Each can be adapted to be used as a demonstration…

Presents an activity in which students learn about the changes in the state of matter by making taffy the old-fashioned way. (JRH)

Presents a hands-on activity for children to build and take home a basic model of the human skeletal system. Describes how to make "noodle people" from ordinary materials including pasta, pipe cleaners, straws, and margarine tub lids. (NB)

Describes 10 predator/prey relationships that occur on the coast. Predators are compared to criminals and prey to their victims along with details of crime scenes. Accurately describes the habits and habitats of the criminals and presents games and activities that feature the relationships between predators and their prey. (Author/SOE)