For many years, Earth science concepts have been taught as thematic units with lessons in nice, neat chapter packages complete with labs and notes. But compartmentalized Earth science no longer exists, and implementing teaching methods that support student development of holistic understandings can be a time-consuming and difficult task. While…

One of the most alarming impacts of projected climate change is a significant rise in sea level. Sea level has varied by hundreds of meters over geologic time, yet these changes have generally been slow paced, allowing ecosystems to adjust to changing land surface and marine habitats. Since the Industrial Revolution, anthropogenic emissions have…

The author created a lesson in which students successfully practiced reading comprehension skills while developing an understanding of earthquakes. Not only did this lesson help students gain an understanding of the impact of earthquakes, a subject embedded into Missouri's eighth-grade science curriculum, but it also addresses one of the new…

Visual formative assessments (VFAs) allow more free more time for direct instruction. VFA's guide students in using simple images to demonstrate the essential learnings within a unit to themselves and the teacher. VFAs are powerful because they engage students to coalesce their understanding into a concise visual image. (Contains 2 figures.)

Schools are under increasing pressure to meet accountability requirements and show growth in student achievement across tested content areas. As a result, throughout the school year, student achievement data are analyzed to discover data trends that highlight both student gains and gaps in learning. Achievement gaps are identified and addressed…

The evolution of science is seldom about solitary individuals busy at work in labs making discoveries. This is especially true of the Earth sciences, where time-intensive fieldwork is usually required. Single scientists are rarely capable of amassing the requisite data sets to form grand, unifying theories. This is the case with the new airburst…

In this article, the authors describe an investigative activity in which their eighth-grade students reconstructed past environmental change in the New England area using data from lake varves in central Vermont to examine evidence of climate change. The investigation uses an authentic paleoclimate record (Ridge 2011) from the Pleistocene epoch,…

Studying the Olympic sport of curling is a fun and engaging way to learn about the concepts of friction, forces, momentum, and Newton's laws. Each winter, the author takes her eighth-grade physical science class on a field trip to experience curling firsthand. This field trip has become a favorite of the eighth graders at Capitol Hill Day School…

Ask students to name the aspects of science class they enjoy most, and working on labs will undoubtedly be mentioned. What often won't be included, however, is writing lab reports. For many students, the process of exploration and data collection is paramount, while the explanation and analysis of findings often takes a backseat. After all, if…

How do teachers help students realize their place in the universe? How do they teach the relationship among the Earth, Moon, stars, and galaxies during daylight hours? Most teachers assume that astronomy is a difficult subject to teach in the classroom and that without a planetarium little can be learned. In this article, the authors discuss…

During the month of May, the author's eighth-grade physical science students study the six simple machines through hands-on activities, reading assignments, videos, and notes. At the end of the month, they can easily identify the six types of simple machine: inclined plane, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and lever. To conclude this unit,…

The vision for science education set forth in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012) makes it clear that for today's students to become the scientifically literate citizens of tomorrow their educational experiences must help them become mathematically proficient. "The focus here is on important practices, such as modeling, developing…

Nothing brings out the best in eighth-grade physical science students quite like an engineering challenge. The wind turbine design challenge described in this article has proved to be a favorite among students with its focus on teamwork and creativity and its (almost) sneaky reinforcement of numerous physics concepts. For this activity, pairs of…

Water is one of our most precious resources. However, for many in the United States, having fresh, safe drinking water is taken for granted, and due to this perceived lack of relevance, students may not fully appreciate the luxury of having safe running water--in the home. One approach to resolving water-quality issues in the United States may…

In eighth grade, students usually learn about forces in science class and linear relationships in math class, crucial topics that form the foundation for further study in science and engineering. An activity that links these two fundamental concepts involves measuring the distance a spring stretches as a function of how much weight is suspended…