Science Collaboration: immersion, inquiry, innovation

Using Trade Books to Teach Science

Our Definition of Inquiry
How do you define a complex educational approach like inquiry? This page does a good job of engaging the teacher in thinking about what inquiry is and looks like.
http://www.inquiry.uiuc.edu/inquiry/definition.php

Pinhole Magnifier
Find out how a pinhole magnifier can make an object look larger.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/pinhole_magnifier.html

Recognizing Inquiry
This article describes how to differentiate true inquiry from other types of classroom "activities."
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf99148/ch_6.htm

Science Fair
Find a comprehensive guide to creating your science fair project!
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/index.html

Science Fair Prep
This article describes some of the benefits of a science fair and provides suggestions for helping students select a topic, and forms to help students get organized.
http://www.cyberbee.com/science/prep.html

Science Fair Templates
Teachers can download these tools to help organize and conduct a science fair. The documents are in a variety of formats - PowerPoint, spreadsheets, and text. Student organizers are also included.
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/trc/cluster.asp?mode=browse&intPathID=4520

Scientific Method Experiment: Factors Affecting How Ice Melts
What causes ice to melt? Does it always melt at the same speed? What factors/forces affect how fast ice melts? This activity will have students answering these questions using the scientific method.
http://www.umaine.edu/NSFGK-12/images/PDFs/IceMeltcomPM.pdf

Science Net Links Lesson Index
Are you looking for activities for your classroom? This page provides you with not only lessons for your grade, but the standards they meet as well.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/matrix.cfm

Science World, British Columbia
A variety of hands-on science activities are available at Science World, British Columbia.
http://www.scienceworld.ca/teachers_outreach/activities/additional.htm

Spinning Sprinkler
This is a hand-on activity where students learn how to make a sprinkler.
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/product/genesis_kids/science_activities/SpinSprinklerSA.html

Step-by-Step Facilitation Plan
You need an inquiry facilitation plan. This resource is an outline for developing each step of your own inquiry facilitation plan. Take control of inquiry!
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/implement_sub2.html

Teaching through Trade Books
http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2008-02/CrazyForLocoBeansArticle.pdf

Teaching Through Trade Books: Weather Watchers
http://www.nsta.org/publications/article.aspx?id=Z349URi8cV7qCybJhBODoVq!plus!Cbs6zgWriI9dTxPaExA=

The Elementary Science Classroom

The Inquiry Process
What do students look like when they are doing inquiry? What do teachers do to promote inquiry? This short article describes an inquiry-rich learning environment.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/son/about/F_SON_Resource_Inquiry.html

The Process of Scientific Inquiry
Here is an experiment your students can do to help them understand the steps of the scientific method.
http://bumbleboosters.unl.edu/scientific_inquiry.htm

Thirteen Ed Online
This inquiry resource has supporting video for teachers.
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html

Unique Assignments to Promote Inquiry
What assignments can you use to promote inquiry and deeper thinking in your classroom? This resource suggests several tested methods to improve learning.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/son/about/F_SON_Resource_Assignments.html

What Is Inquiry-Based Learning?
Want to know how to incorporate dynamic inquiry in your classroom? Read about inquiry and see videos of students in action.
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html

Where Would a Space Explorer Find Water and Oxygen
Water and Oxygen are also very important for human’s life in the space. Find out how space explorers manage to meet their needs of water. This web page includes an educator section with lesson plan as well as students section.
http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/21Century/p9.html

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