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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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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…
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Rooted in the Past: How Students Uncover the Secret History of America’s Witness Trees
Read more…: Rooted in the Past: How Students Uncover the Secret History of America’s Witness TreesBy Maria J. Savaiano’s Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Students, Clara Barton Open School, Minneapolis, MN. Editor’s Note: This post is a “vintage” treasure from our archives, originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in April 1996. It captures a moment when a class in Minnesota decided to bridge the gap between local history and the natural world. The…
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The Shrinking Heap: A Third-Grade Lesson on the Magic of Decomposition
Read more…: The Shrinking Heap: A Third-Grade Lesson on the Magic of DecompositionBy Phyllis Stewart’s Third-Grade Students, Horace Mann Montessori School, Dayton, Ohio Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in 1996, this vintage inquiry takes us back to a playground in Ohio, where a group of third graders turned a pile of yard waste into a seven month-long lesson on the power of decomposition. The Spark…
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How to Turn Your Science Class into a “Choose Your Own Adventure”
Read more…: How to Turn Your Science Class into a “Choose Your Own Adventure”Imagine a high school science classroom where the teacher refuses to hand out a rubric. Where students roll a 20-sided die (D20) to see if they can get five extra minutes on a quiz. Where the curriculum isn’t a rigid checklist, but a quest driven by the students’ own curiosity. In this episode of Dragonfly…
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How to Redefine “Wilderness”: From the Bronx to Mongolia with Dave Johnston
Read more…: How to Redefine “Wilderness”: From the Bronx to Mongolia with Dave JohnstonImagine driving a van across a landscape so vast it’s called the “Land of the Big Sky.” You have no GPS coordinates and no specific destination. You simply drive until you spot a white felt tent—a ger—on the horizon. You pull up, knock on the door, and ask a complete stranger, “Can we come in?”…
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Barking Up Our Trees: How 3rd Graders Debunk Common Tree Myths
Read more…: Barking Up Our Trees: How 3rd Graders Debunk Common Tree MythsBy Cheryl Cowan’s Third-Grade Students, Mayflower Mill School, Lafayette, Indiana Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in the late 1990s, this investigation reminds us that the best science starts by testing the things we think we know. Our Spark When we started our tree unit, we looked at the pictures in our textbook. Based…
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Sweating Trees: Which Leaf Wins the Transpiration Race?
Read more…: Sweating Trees: Which Leaf Wins the Transpiration Race?By Georgia Brown’s Fifth-Grade Students, Sanibel Elementary School, Florida Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in the late 1990s, this timeless and inspiring inquiry was created by young investigators on Sanibel Island, Florida. It remains a perfect example of how local landscapes spark big questions. Our Spark Our school is on Sanibel Island, a…