Describes an activity that involves exploring a model cave made out of a two-person tent as a way to add science process to a thematic unit on bats and spiders. This multifunctional learning center provides students with a variety of hands-on experiences, helps students focus on observable things from nature, and emphasizes process skills. Lists…

Describes the use of an indicator made from the pigment in red cabbage. Cabbage is grated then soaked in water. When the water is a strong red, the cabbage is strained out. The cabbage-juice indicator is then used to test for acids and bases. Includes a list of good foods to test for acidity and alkalinity. (PVD)

Clarifies the position of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) on informal science education. NSTA support of all elements of informal science education is strong and this position statement includes many specific examples of informal science education. (DDR)

Recommends that numeracy be better coordinated and integrated across the curriculum and that teachers examine the image of mathematics presented to children. Discusses the value of eliciting children's ideas about and experiences with numbers and measuring. (DDR)

Lists the benefits of hands-on experiments that are both low-cost and high-tech. Details four examples which include the use of contact lenses and compact disks. (DDR)

Explores measuring the specific heat of a metal ball. The ball is heated to a known temperature then placed in cold water. Students measure the temperature gain of the water in this investigation of the principle of Conservation of Energy. As a second task, students make a precise determination of the density of the ball. (PVD)

Presents an activity designed to stimulate student interest and facilitate the study of microorganisms. Focuses on an epidemic situation in which students play the role of epidemiologists. (DDR)

Summarizes recent findings of empirical research in science education concerning students with disabilities. Discusses learning characteristics of disabled students, effective instructional strategies including text-based interventions and inquiry-oriented interventions, and inclusion practices. Contains 70 references. (WRM)

Describes instruction in an urban sixth-grade classroom in which students are learning about mass, volume, and density by attempting to layer three miscible solutions of differing densities atop one another. Contains 24 references. (DDR)

Describes children's interactions with exhibits and each other in a school-based, science-focused mini-museum. Suggests that although children did appear to make some gains in their learning and scientific skills and processes, the largest gains were made in the development of positive attitudes towards science. Contains 22 references. (Author/WRM)

Describes "Off the Beaten Path", a program that takes at-risk students out of the traditional classroom and puts them into a camping atmosphere in order to increase academic achievement, improve self-esteem, and promote better social skills. (WRM)

Describes an activity to help students understand how feathers help insulate a bird's body. (WRM)

Technology study, a discipline with its own distinct character, history, and research methodologies, should be integrated into the middle-level curriculum. Students should learn about the technological systems humans depend on for food, clothing, shelter, and economic livelihood. Hands-on activities may include designing a new product. (37…

Contains information on rain sticks and other similar musical instruments. Describes procedures for making rain sticks and using them in the study of sound. Discusses the physics of sound and how to utilize computers to study sound with rain sticks. (DDR)

Whether boys and girls shared equally in performing behaviors required in hands-on activities in the performance-based science classroom was studied over the school year with 165 students in grades five through eight. Being actively involved predicted students' year-end science attitudes, and boys tended to handle the resources more often. (SLD)