This activity is designed to teach prekindergarten to second grade students about the concept of sink or float through an inquiry activity. Students will use familiar objects to predict and test the properties of sink and float. Background information is offered to teachers to assist them with this activity. This lesson begins with an engaging…

Over many years, the authors have inquired into the integration of science and literacy in primary grades. Students have used science notebooks as places to write and draw their scientific questions, predictions, observations, research notes, claims, reflections, and wonderings. At the same time, the authors have engaged their students in writers'…

Background: Today, for most of us, technology is a vital and inevitable part of our lives. Due to its widespread use, a great emphasis is being given to educating generations about technology. And, every individual has his/her own style of organizing and collecting information. Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to identify the…

We examined the age of onset, over-time dynamics, and mechanisms underlying science achievement gaps in U.S. elementary and middle schools. To do so, we estimated multilevel growth models that included as predictors children's own general knowledge, reading and mathematics achievement, behavioral self-regulation, sociodemographics, other child-…

Accurately measuring and modeling academic achievement growth is critical to support educational policy and practice. Using a nationally representative longitudinal data set, this study compared various models of mathematics achievement growth on the basis of both practical utility and optimal statistical fit and explored relationships within and…

In Grades 3 to 5 at a suburban southeastern elementary school, the percentage of students with disabilities (SWDs) who do not meet state standards in science and social studies is greater than that of their nondisabled peers. To address this disparity, district administrators required that proficiency ratings increase for SWDs without providing…

In order to motivate indigenous learners to learn science and instil their positive attitude towards the subject, conducive and simulative learning environment need to be specifically designed for them. This research is aimed to determine the effect of Kayeu Learning Outside the Classroom (LOC) primary science module on intrinsic motivation of…

"Sustainable" development refers to development that meets our needs, while making it possible for future generations to meet their needs. Societal and personal choices will dictate if sustainable development will be possible, or, rather, if the environmental, economic and social impact of our continual lifestyle demands will lead to…

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month's issue uses concept cartoons to assess students' ideas about the moon. Concept cartoons, formative assessment tools that reveal students' preconceptions and probe for conceptual understanding, have recently become popular in the United States, with teachers…

Any assessment activity can help student learning if it provides information that both teachers and students can use as feedback in assessing themselves. However, such assessment only becomes "formative" assessment when teachers actually use the feedback to adapt their teaching to meet the learning needs of students. This column provides…

This study explored how four elementary teachers assessed the developmental appropriateness and importance of nine nature of science (NOS) aspects after participating in a yearlong professional development program. A multiple-embedded case study design was employed. The primary data sources included (a) Views of Nature of Science Elementary School…

In this research, it is aimed to identify the scientific creativity of gifted students through project-based activities. In accordance with this purpose, a study has been carried out with 13 gifted students studying in third and fifth grade. In the study, students have been informed about the project development stages and they have been asked…

The interdisciplinary unit described in this article utilizes "Art and the Cosmic Connection," a free program conceived of by artists Monica and Tyler Aiello and developed by the artists, scientists, and educators through NASA's Discovery and New Frontiers Programs, to inspire learners to explore mysterious worlds in our solar…

This multiple-probe study examined the effects of self-regulation on the acquisition of science vocabulary by four third-grade English language learners (ELLs) with learning difficulties. The students were provided only direct vocabulary instruction in a baseline phase, followed by intervention and maintenance phases into which self-regulation…

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month's issue explores structure and function as it relates to animals and plants. One of the disciplinary core ideas in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" is LS1.A Structure and Function (NRC 2012). This disciplinary core idea is included in the "Next…