Engaging children's interest, inspiring active exploration of materials, and fostering cooperation between children and adults is the best way to promote the construction of knowledge. Some popular early childhood activities can be expanded to provide experiences and time for children to build on their prior knowledge. This column discusses…

By observing an organism over time, children can identify patterns in their observations, note growth or other changes, learn about the needs of the organism, and see how the organism creates the next generation of its species; all of these skills are science and engineering practices noted in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education"…

An in-depth science inquiry is an ongoing investigation in which children are introduced to materials through hands-on experiences and, with teacher guidance, begin to investigate a question that they can answer through their own actions, observations, and with teacher-assisted research. Qualities that make an experience appropriate to include in…