The National Science Education Standards (NSES) tell us that students in grades 5-8 should “begin to see the connections among . . . [energy forms] and to become familiar with the idea that energy is an important property of substances and that most change involves energy transfer.” Yet there is no explicit direction to introduce […]

Measurement is one of the core NCTM Principals and Standards for School Mathematics content standards, and rate is central to its practical application. While most middle school students know the distance-rate-time formula, they may still benefit from a closer study of the relationship.
Understanding Distance, Speed, and Time Relationships
Students see two runners move along a track. […]

Mastering the concept of percentage and learning to solve practical problems involving percents are goals of the NCTM Principals and Standards for School Mathematics Number and Operations Standard for middle grades students. Here are several approaches to reaching those goals.
Figure This! Math Challenges for Families
Created for students in grades 6 to 8, the site offers […]

Seafloor spreading can be a difficult concept for middle school students to grasp. These resources should help make the concept comprehensible through the use of images and animations and by acknowledging the concept’s larger context of plate tectonics.
Harry Hess: One of the Discoverers of Seafloor Spreading
This detailed biography shows how Hess’s skills enabled him […]

Understanding decimals is a “must” and practice with them a basic necessity. The first two resources here feature games that encourage practice at varying levels of mastery. The third site offers a visual, interactive experience in comparing decimal values, while the last site provides short, self-contained lessons and practice on individual topics.
MathFROG
MathFROG stands for […]

Planning your spring units? Most kids (and their teachers) love to get into the “field” to do science. Many schools have access to streams and to outreach programs in which state departments of natural resources (DNR) work with schools to survey the biodiversity and abiotic conditions of local streams. The DNRs also have the necessary […]