In this activity, students take the age old concept of etch-a-sketch a step further. Using iron filings, students begin visualizing magnetic field lines. To do so, students use a compass to read the direction of the magnet's magnetic field. Then, students observe the behavior of iron filings near that magnet as they rotate the filings about the magnet. Finally, students study the behavior of iron filings suspended in mineral oil which displays the magnetic field in three dimensions.

This article discusses the reading comprehension strategy of visualization and how it can be used to enhance students' understanding of content-area text. Templates and links are provided.

This article describes seven strategies for assisting English Language Learners with science vocabulary development.

This article explains how hands-on science activity can support vocabulary development and links to two books and six web sites that provide more information.

This article provides an overview of the free online tool VoiceThread and discusses how elementary teachers might use it in language arts and science classes. Resources provided.

A collection of six special edition cards that are focused on outdoor science and animal learning. The cards pair with the WAVE Foundation's #AquaticAdventures videos (YouTube and on the web). Learners can complete the cards on their own or follow along with the videos as it talks them through the activities.

Prepared with pre-algebra or algebra 1 classes in mind, this module leads students through the process of graphing data and finding a line of best fit while exploring the characteristics of linear equations in algebraic and graphic formats. Then, these topics are connected to real-world experiences in which people use linear functions. During the module, students use these scientific concepts to solve the following hypothetical challenge: You are a new researcher in a lab, and your boss has just given you your first task to analyze a set of data. It being your first assignment, you ask an undergraduate student working in your lab to help you figure it out. She responds that you must determine what the data represents and then find an equation that models the data. You believe that you will be able to determine what the data represents on your own, but you ask for further help modeling the data. In response, she says she is not completely sure how to do it, but gives a list of equations that may fit the data. This module is built around the legacy cycle, a format that incorporates educational research feindings on how people best learn.

Website from Washington State University answers questions kids have about science, mechanics and engineering in an easy to understand format. In this letter, Dr. Universe answers questions about how the family car works.

This article highlights hands-on and inquiry-based science lessons that teach about the water cycle and provides lessons that integrate literacy skills with the science investigations.

This article describes ways to supplement a science unit on the water cycle with the book Water Dance by Thomas Locker. Ideas for art, writing, poetry, and creative movement are included.

In this issue of the free online magazine, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, explore what the polar regions can teach us about the water cycle and the states and changes of matter. Find lesson plans about the many forms of water, ice, and snow found in the polar regions and how to use science notebooks to integrate literacy and science.

This article assembles free resources from the Water, Ice, and Snow issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

This article highlights children's literature about states of matter, phase changes, the water cycle, and glaciers and icebergs for use in the elementary classroom.

The Arcadia Earth app, on tablet or smartphone, sets the stage with AR (augmented reality) for students to become environmental scientists through play, interaction, experimentation, and discovery. In the hands on activity students will design water delivery systems that help control and conserve water. In this process they will learn and utilize 21st century skills such as complex problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork.

Estimated time required: 1 class period.

Technology required for this lesson: Tablet or Smartphone.

Students learn about the importance of dams by watching a video that presents historical and current information on dams, as well as descriptions of global water resources and the hydrologic cycle. Students also learn about different types of dams, all designed to resist the forces on dams. (If the free, 15-minute "Water and Dams in Today's World" video cannot be obtained in time, the lesson can still be taught. See the Additional Multimedia Support section for how to obtain the DVD or VHS videotape, or a PowerPoint presentation with similar content [also attached].)

This video, adapted from material provided by the ECHO partners, describes three different ways that people have navigated the oceans.

This article describes how to guide elementary students through writing a research report. The first article in this series described how to organize information.

Students will use design thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and procedural skills to create a wearable soft circuit. This activity does not use a computer. The LilyPad E-Sewing ProtoSnap Kit used in this activity helps students develop a STEM mindset. It is important to allow students to work through the process as independently as possible with the facilitator acting only as a guide.

Estimated time required: 2 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: Electronics Kit.

This article links to resources to help teachers create their own weather stations, participate in real data projects, and assess their students' knowledge of weather tools.

This issue of the free online magazine, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, explores how elementary teachers can move from a study of the weather at home to the weather of the polar regions through hands-on activity, reading, and discussion.