Presents an activity that helps students visualize the major systems of the human body. Involves students building models of those systems, and gives them an understanding of the relationships between different organs by enabling them to see the organs' positions in the body. (JRH)

Describes the use of science interactive notebooks for recording information, figures, and data that promote student learning. Uses the right spiral page to record information provided by the teacher and the left spiral page to demonstrate the processing of that information. (YDS)

Presents a project in which one science class, curious about large numbers, created one million marks on paper. Discusses other concrete representations of one million and other large numbers. (MKR)

Focuses on student awareness of careers in the geosciences. Provides an example of an instructional situation that motivated a student to pursue such a career. Includes a career-oriented poster and a list of geoscience careers. (DDR)

Describes an activity where students create element brochures to help them navigate the periodic table and sharpen their research skills. (JRH)

Presents an activity on translating scientists' names that gives students an opportunity to learn the Cyrillic alphabet. Sequences science-related translations as a series of puzzles. (JRH)

Introduces a science activity on the bonding of chemical compounds. Assigns students the role of either a cation or anion and asks them to write the ions they may bond with. Assesses students' understanding of charge, bonding, and other concepts. (YDS)

Presents activities that use the Fibonacci sequence of numbers in nature. (YDS)

If a teacher were to ask his/her students what they do when they find ants or other insects in their homes, their most common response would probably be, "Get the bug spray!" Because students are not only being exposed to pesticides but are also developing patterns of behavior likely to continue throughout their lives. Discussions about…

All too often middle school students equate density with one object simply being "heavier" than another. Even if students are able to accurately calculate the density of an object, that doesn't necessarily mean that they fully understand the concept of density as the ratio of mass to volume. To help change this misconception and more fully…

Middle school students can be apprehensive toward the subject of science because, "we give them the message that science is the most important of subjects" (Flannery 1993). Why not consider using humor proactively as an effective teaching resource in the science classroom? The use of appropriate content-related humor can initiate and liberate…

Teachers spend a great deal of time trying to capture student interest because motivation is the beginning of learning. One effective way to do this is through the use of games in the classroom. Games provide a natural motivation, are part of good teaching strategies, and, fortunately, there are many that can be used to help build concepts.…

Unlike journals and notebooks, scrolls allow for changes over time to be seen at once, providing students with a complete view of phenomena. Pages can inadvertently segment both the process of investigation and the content being investigated. Scrolls are excellent tools for documenting and displaying the continuity of natural processes that…

This article provides some strategies that might help a teacher in dealing with a new course or new content, or just get the year off to a good start. The following strategies are described: (1) Review the new content; (2) Seek help from every resource; (3) Capitalize on what you know; (4) Be organized; (5) Remember the basic science processes;…

This article describes an activity that one science teacher uses with her eighth grade class on the first day of school. Wanting to start the year off "right" (whatever that is), this teacher purposely plans to model the thinking behavior she expects from her students and to let them have some fun to settle those first-day jitters. She also wants…