This article describes an early childhood lesson that integrated science, technology, art, social studies, math, and language. The authors' students compared robots, programmed and created stories with robots, and became robot-inventors. They also imagined how their robot-creations might impact the world--a core idea related to Science, Technology…

As every elementary science teacher knows, children sometimes ask questions that can not easily be answered by science. The "messiness" of these questions may stem from the fact that scientific understanding is often incomplete and ever changing, a situation that can lead students (and the public) to be confused about the information…

The answer to this month's question, "Can electromagnetic waves affect emotions," is yes. Wherever there are electromagnetic (EM) waves (basically everywhere!), there is the potential for them directly or indirectly to affect the emotions. But what about the likely motivation behind the originally-posed question? Can EM waves affect your…

This article describes the final lesson within a seven-day STEM and literacy unit that is part of the Picture STEM curriculum (pictureSTEM. org) and uses engineering to integrate science and mathematics learning in a meaningful way (Tank and Moore 2013). For this engineering challenge, students used nature as a source of inspiration for designs to…

For a science teacher in a city, it can sometimes be a challenge to find curricula that are geared specifically toward urban students. The author tackled this dilemma by creating a unit that focused on the urban surroundings experienced by his second-grade students in New York City. The inquiry-based unit centered on unifying concepts such as the…

Discusses how teachers turn an idea into a meaningful lesson. Suggests class brainstorming, using community resources, library searches, and further classroom activities. (YP)

Describes historical accounts of the manipulation and importance of the Earth and its mineral resources. A foldout, "Out of the Rock," provides a collection of activities and information that helps make integration of the aforementioned concepts easy. (ZWH)

Describes the flour beetle, "Tribolium confusum," and its life cycle, habitat, culturing requirements, and some possible uses of this beetle as a classroom animal. Discusses what children could learn from flour beetles. Explains how to get rid of beetles found in foods at home. (CW)

Three population education activities that can be used to illustrate the effects of uncontrolled population growth are presented. Included are "Crowding Can Be Seedy," which uses seeds; "Something for Everyone," which illustrates competition for resources; and "More or Less," which illustrates the relationship between humans and the environment.…

Contains the annotated bibliographies of 78 trade books from 1987. Includes an explanation of the criteria for selection of books. Categories include animals, biography, space science and astronomy, earth science, environment and conservation, life sciences, medical and health sciences, physics, technology and engineering, and others. (CW)

Discusses some of the ways that a cabbage can be used to produce a universal indicator of pH. Describes the methods for producing the indicator, experiments students can do on ordinary household chemicals, and a student take-home assignment for producing pH indicators. (TW)

To children, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1943) may be a mystical story about a traveler among planets. For adults, the story can be appreciated for the lessons it teaches us about what it is like to be a child--and how children may perceive the world of adults. And, for science educators, particularly, The Little Prince…

Reports on the progress of the "Science Through Discovery" program of the Richardson (Texas) Independent School District. Results of a study into the program indicate that students have improved their attitudes about science, as well as their decision-making skills regarding technological issues. (TW)

Described is a science, technology, and society (STS) segment of an elementary science methods course for preservice science teachers. An outline of a typical STS investigation is presented. Evaluation of this segment of the methods course is discussed. (CW)

Describes the new public television series called "The Secret of Life," and explains how the program can be used in an elementary school classroom. Large color poster is included. (PR)