All Science and Children resources

Journal Article

Spatial Thinking Strategies: Promoting cognitive processes in the elementary classroom

While some people consider spatial thinking a “gift” that only some individuals have, many others view spatial thinking as a cognitive process that can be developed. Much research supports the developmental view of spatial thinking as a cognitive...

Journal Article

Nature in the City: Outdoor projects for urban schools

This article provides three, inquiry-based activities that help urban students learn about nature—observing coloration patterns of pigeons, measuring local rainfall and comparing it to other areas, and conducting a biodiversity study by observing ...

Journal Article

Editor's Note: Stand Up and Be Counted

Science and Children’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....

Journal Article

Curriculum with a Common Thread: Teachers create a project-based interdisciplinary curriculum with science as the foundation

Imagine studying the history and technology of the Civil War through photographs taken at that time and learning about the chemistry and mathematics of photography by building cameras. That’s what elementary students do as part of Project WRITE (Wo...

Journal Article

Hands-On Thunderstorms: Activities to help students and teachers understand thunderstorms and severe weather

Have you ever wondered how thunderstorms actually form? Offering an age-appropriate explanation can be quite challenging because thunderstorms are very complicated atmospheric phenomena. However, by using a little creativity and a few household items...

Journal Article

Get Connected to Science: The possibilities abound with today's high-tech classroom resources

Too often classroom computers are used for word processing or drill and practice software. However, these uses don’t begin to tap into the rewards of computer technology. This article describes how elementary students used technology in three areas...

Journal Article

Editor's Note: Holding Hands

Science and Children’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....

Journal Article

Rocks as Windows into the Past: Taking the idea of rocks as stories and developing a rock investigation

In order to best teach fourth-grade students about rocks, the author used an empowering metaphor—rocks as stories from the past—that was applied to an entire unit. Rather than seeing rocks as lifeless, uninteresting chunks students kick while wal...

Journal Article

Poetry and the Environment: Poetry enhances children's study of the environment and provides a link with science and the language arts

Many poems for children published in the past few decades focus on aspects of environmental study. Combining these newer contributions with poetry published in the past can greatly enhance children’s study of the environment and provide a link with...

Journal Article

Natural Cycles: Coming Full Circle—Using natural cycles to teach elementary science objectives

Native Americans commonly use a circle in their art and stories to represent the fact that matter is conserved. From generation to generation, Native Americans passed on the idea that matter is conserved and used the wheel, hoop, or circle as a symbo...