In a remarkably brief period of time, humans have developed technology that allows space travel to become a reality. Rockets have been built, energy systems designed, and planetary forces understood. In the activities described in this article, students investigate space travel by designing their own rockets and manipulating variables to determine…

From the earliest civilizations, humans have used drawings and pictures as a form of communication and to convey information--whether it was the seasons or location of good hunting grounds. In this month's column, simple alphabet picture books show students how pictures can be used to communicate information about a topic. In the first activity,…

The winter months are a great time to make observations of several familiar constellations. While there is no scientific reason to "know" the constellations--they are simply imaginative pictures imposed on stars--studying constellations can help students connect with culture in a fun way and develop the awareness that stars are different in…

Many people look forward to planting their own garden and enjoying its fruitage throughout the summer months. Gardening can be an excellent learning experience in many ways because it offers opportunities to learn about plants and to observe changes over time. This column focuses on a long-term project of understanding plant growth and planting…

Have the winter doldrums left your students wistful for summer? Why not initiate a seashell classification activity to rekindle their interest in science and learning! Children love to handle and examine shells at any time of the year--with these favorite nature objects, you often can't get kids to stop talking and sharing their observations about…

Have you ever played in the dirt? Repotted a plant? Planted a garden? In each and every one of these activities, you touched something that is a valuable resource in our lives--dirt! This month's column has students investigating different aspects of something that is right beneath our feet but plays an important role in the daily lives of many…

Bulletin boards throughout schools in the month of January often have mittens, snowflakes, or penguins as decorations. This month's topic celebrates those tuxedo-clad birds that have come to symbolize winter and provides students with the opportunity to investigate adaptations that help penguins survive in their environment.

For many teachers, integration of subjects like science and reading makes perfect sense; for others--including many school administrators--it does not. For these individuals, integration is an approach that takes away valuable time needed to ensure that specific learning goals are met in each discrete subject. By building on the common ground…

Animals have many adaptations that help them survive in their environment and meet their special needs of food and shelter. This month's column focuses on two such adaptations: camouflage and beaks.

Recommends the use of meteor scenarios in the classroom and describes how to conduct this activity. Discusses how to integrate mathematics, language arts, and social studies into the science curriculum. (YDS)