This book presents answers to frequently asked questions about hands-on approaches to science teaching and learning. The questions were formulated by speaking with teachers and teacher educators. Variations of the questions are frequently asked by both experienced and novice teachers. A wide range of answers are presented in a triangulated approach. The first perspective for each question is the teacher's response, the second perspective, the responses of hands-on science developers, and the third perspective comes from a review of the literature in science education that incorporates findings, conclusions, assertions, and recommendations that seem to respond in spirit to the questions posed. The chapters in this book include: (1) What is hands-on learning, and is it just a fad? (2) What are the benefits of hands-on learning? How do I justify a hands-on approach? (3) How does a hands-on science approach fit into a textbook-centered science program? (4) How can practicing teachers gain experience with hands-on methods? (5) Where do I find resources to develop hands-on activities? (6) How is hands-on learning evaluated? (7) What are some strategies for helping students work in groups? (8) How does or should the use of hands-on materials vary with age? (9) Hands-on science can be expensive. How do I get materials and equipment? and (10) Where do you keep materials and equipment once you get them? Three appendixes include: (1) a list of acronyms; (2) an annotated bibliography of selected materials that support an activity-based approach to science teaching (curriculum guides, supplementary materials, program frameworks, and planning resources); and (3) an ERIC Digest "Assessing Student Performance in Science." (Contains more than 125 references.) (PR)