Young students need opportunities to develop their conceptual understanding of properties of matter. By providing students with inquiry activities, we lay the groundwork necessary for students to grasp the challenging concepts associated with learning about the periodic table in middle school. In this 5E activity (Bybee 2009), fifth-grade students…

Teaching STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) in elementary school could be even more promising than teaching STEM. This is due to its ability to cross multiple subject areas and its appeal to multiple types of learners. Intentional integration of the arts in science and engineering lessons has the potential to more deeply…

The "Next Generation Science Standards'" ("NGSS") eight scientific and engineering practices invite teachers to develop key investigative skills while addressing important disciplinary science ideas (NGSS Lead States 2013). The "NGSS" can also provide direct links to "Common Core English Language Arts…

Many elementary science teachers understand that the best way to enhance reasoning and thinking skills in their students is to have them engage in scientific negotiation. They know that teaching is not the simple transmission of information but a complex act that requires teachers to apply knowledge from multiple sources, including student…

The abstract nature of physical science concepts often means that they are the most challenging for elementary students to grasp. Understanding how light behaves allows students to form a foundation for their future understanding. This month's trade books and activities engage students in basic concepts related to light.

The idea of building sand castles evokes images of lazy summer days at the beach, listening to waves crash, enjoying salty breezes, and just unplugging for a while to let our inner child explore the wonderful natural toys beneath our feet. The idea of exploring caves might evoke feelings and images of claustrophobia or pioneers and Native…

The power of 3D printing technology has grown exponentially in just the past few years--people around the world are using 3D printers to prepare food, create tailored clothing, build cars and homes, and advance the medical field in ways that never seemed possible. In classrooms across the nation, 3D printers have become increasingly common because…

Sound is typically thought of something that is heard. Can it be seen or felt? Most students experience the noises that surround them in everyday life, but few stop to think about what sound is, how it travels, and the biological challenges associated with perceiving sound. Since students are already familiar with everyday sounds, inquiry-based…

One game that seems to intrigue almost any child is Angry Birds, a popular video game available on most media devices in which a player uses a slingshot to hurl small, angry birds through the air in hopes they will knock over pigs resting on complex, destructible structures. Presented in this article is a half-day lesson, in which fourth graders…

Reading "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" aloud to her sixth-grade students inspired this author to create a mathematics activity based on budgeting for school supplies for Hogwarts School. In that lesson, each student was assigned a name from the Hogwarts School roster and allotted a different dollar amount for his/her budget. Students…

The challenge for today's elementary teachers is not "whether" but rather "how" to use computers to effectively teach students essential skills and concepts. One exciting way of meeting this challenge is to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS), computer software that captures, manipulates, analyzes, and displays data on specialized layered…