Learning Science by Doing Science: 10 Classic Investigations Reimagined to Teach Kids How Science Really Works, Grades 3-8

Time-tested activities to teach the key ideas of science―and turn students into scientists!

Science education is becoming more rigorous than ever, but that doesn’t have to make it more difficult. In this straightforward and witty book, Alan Colburn has adapted classic investigations to help students in grades 3 through 8 truly think and act like scientists. Chapter by chapter, this accessible primer walks you through classic science investigations, discussing how each one illustrates a "big idea" about the nature of science, and offering clear links to the Next Generation Science Standards and its Science and Engineering Practices. You’ll also find:

• A reader-friendly overview of the NGSS
• Guidance on adapting the activities to your grade level, including communicating instructions, facilitating discussions, and managing safety concerns
• Case studies of working scientists to highlight specifics about the science and engineering practices.

With this elemental guide, you’ll teach your students not just what scientists do, but how scientists think―giving them the 21st-century skills they need to become the next generation of scientists.

"Now that the real work of NGSS implementation has begun, there is a high demand for quality instructional resources that show how core ideas and concepts, practices, and the nature of science come together in meaningful, intellectually engaging science investigations supported with content and pedagogical background information for the teacher. Thank you Alan Coburn for providing a resource that addresses the challenges and practical reality of transitioning to quality classroom instruction that mirrors our current best thinking about teaching and learning science."
― Page Keeley, Past-President of the National Science Teachers Association

Dr. Alan Colburn is an award winning Professor of Science Education at California State Long Beach who has taught pre-service teachers over 20 years. Formerly a high school biology and physical sciences teacher, Dr. Colburn has dedicated his professional life to helping pre-service and in-service teachers--especially elementary and middle-school teachers--understand and be able to think critically about science and effective science education.

Dr. Colburn has contributed to or authored several science education books for NSTA Press among other publishers, including The Lingo of Learning: 88 Terms Every Science Teacher Should Know (NSTA Press, 2003). He has also published articles in The Science Teacher and Science & Children (both NSTA periodicals), Journal of Research in Science Teaching, and the Journal of Science Teacher Education, and wrote the montly Prepared Practitioner column in The Science Teacher from 2007-2010. He has presented and conducted workshops frequently for such organizations as the Association of Science Teacher Educators, the California Science Implementation Network, the California Science Teachers Association, and the K-12 Alliance.