BROWSE JOURNAL ARTICLES

Our nation has begun to take science and the accomplishments of scientists in the United States for granted. The telephone, airplane, automobile, electric power, atomic fuel, vaccine, transplants, medicines--all of the discoveries of the past century--were expected outcomes of the US education and economic systems. But, we cannot rely on the past century for what will become the legacy of this country. Quality science teachers are essential to America's future.
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Investigation skills are taught for several reasons--to help students become better thinkers and problem solvers; to help them be better versed in the nature of scientific work; and to help them remember content and facts. We know that students do not learn new science skills in observation, for example, without explicit attention to the skill. Simply observing something does not improve observation skills. Yet almost every major commercial curriculum will rattle off all of the process skills in a lesson when none are directly taught. Throughout this issue, the aim is to fill some of those gaps.
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Children are delighted by the playful activity of making and flying kites, and this month's trade book article encourages teachers to harness this excitement and connect it to investigations relating to wind, technology, and the design of experiments. Lessons are included in this article.
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Children are often described as natural scientists and their curiosity as a basic human trait. They amaze adults with perceptive questions and extended explorations of the environment. Asking questions is part of the National Science Education Teaching Standards B and E, and Content Standard A, Science as Inquiry, for grades K-4. Because asking questions is central to inquiry and learning in general, science teachers are especially invested in having all their students use this process skill. A lesson is included with this article.
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There's more to teaching science than stuffing kids with facts. They have to learn to question, to observe, and to explore. Kids need to think like scientists; to sort and sift and muse. Encourage novel thinking; new approaches and different ways. This poem celebrates the start of the new school year.
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The dawn of a new school year is the perfect time to reflect on last year's successes while setting even higher expectations for the upcoming year. For several years, many of our new-school-year resolutions have revolved around a common theme: improving the introduction of inquiry skills to young (kindergarten through second grade) learners, particularly students with limited English-language skills. After experiencing many partial successes, we have found that following easy-to-implement workshop activities to be just what we needed to make our resolutions come true. The activities focus on observation and communication. These skills not only help to focus young children's natural curiosity but also build a solid foundation for future scientific learning.
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