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Outside Inn: A Study of Skeletal Homes
Read more…: Outside Inn: A Study of Skeletal HomesBy the Fourth-Grade Class of Linda Slager, Stewart Elementary School, Oxford, Ohio Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in the late 1990s, this student inquiry explores the engineering marvels of the ocean. After seeing how corals live side-by-side in shared skeletons, these fourth graders decided to test the limits of structural design themselves. The…
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Dem Bones: How Many Bones Are in Your Hand?
Read more…: Dem Bones: How Many Bones Are in Your Hand?By the Third-Grade Class of Thela King, Morton Elementary School, Lexington, Nebraska Editor’s Note: This inquiry is a gem from our Dragonfly Magazine archives, originally published in the late 1990s. It captures the curiosity of a third-grade classroom as they poked, prodded, and peered into the anatomy of the human hand. The Spark We started…
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Breaking the Spiral of Silence: How to Talk Climate Without the Doom and Gloom
Read more…: Breaking the Spiral of Silence: How to Talk Climate Without the Doom and GloomWe’ve all been there: you want to talk about the environment, but the conversation feels like a one-way ticket to a “Sarah McLachlan commercial” level of sadness. You worry about being too political, too nerdy, or just plain depressing. In this episode, Kevin Matteson sits down with Kait Birghenthal, President and Project Coordinator for NNOCCI…
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Bones, Beaks, Fur, and Feathers: A Barn Owl’s Buffet
Read more…: Bones, Beaks, Fur, and Feathers: A Barn Owl’s BuffetBy Ashley Pickard’s Sixth-Grade Class, National Cathedral School, Washington, D.C. Editor’s Note: Originally published in the November/December 1996 issue of Dragonfly Magazine, this vintage investigation takes us into the world of an avian predator to see what we can learn from the “leftovers” of its last meal. The Spark How can you tell what an…
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Air-OO-Planes Away: The Quest for the Ultimate Flight Design
Read more…: Air-OO-Planes Away: The Quest for the Ultimate Flight DesignBy the Fifth-Grade Students of Ms. Ursula Sexton and Mr. John Lukas, Green Valley Elementary School, Danville, California Editor’s Note: Originally published in the September/October 1996 issue of Dragonfly Magazine, this story follows a class that combined science fiction with serious scientific testing to solve the problems of future space travel. The Spark Our investigation…
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One if by Air: Mapping the Wonders of the Sky
Read more…: One if by Air: Mapping the Wonders of the SkyBy the Fourth-Grade Students of Mrs. Claudia A. Katz and Ms. Tamara Somers, Henry Ford Elementary, Hazel Park, Michigan Editor’s Note: This post is a vintage treasure from our archives, originally published in the September/October 1996 issue of Dragonfly Magazine. It highlights a classic inquiry method—KWPDLS—that helps young scientists organize their curiosity about the world…
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Dreaming of Flight: If We Could Touch the Sky
Read more…: Dreaming of Flight: If We Could Touch the SkyBy the Fifth-Grade Students of Adams Elementary School, San Diego, California Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in the late 1990s, this collection of student reflections and poems captures the timeless “sense of wonder” children feel when looking at the clouds and imagining the impossible. The Spark In our class, we started talking about…
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MA vs. MS: Does “Science” Actually Beat “Arts”?
Read more…: MA vs. MS: Does “Science” Actually Beat “Arts”?By Dr. Kevin Matteson, Associate Director “They were taught to be technicians, not thinkers, in a culture that is long on know-how and short on know-why.” – David Orr I often get asked if a Master of Science (MS) is more valuable than a Master of Arts (MA). Sometimes, it feels like there is a…
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Can Pyramids Fly? Our Investigation into Tetrahedron Kites
Read more…: Can Pyramids Fly? Our Investigation into Tetrahedron KitesBy the Fifth-Grade Class of John Cowens, Fort Vannoy Elementary, Grants Pass, Oregon Editor’s Note: This article is a “vintage” treasure from our archives, originally published in the September/October 1996 issue of Dragonfly Magazine. It captures the spirit of curiosity and hands-on discovery that has always been at the heart of Project Dragonfly. The Spark…