Q. What's the difference between the experiments and the other hands-on activities in the curriculum?

A. Not every hands-on component is a formal experiment, and that's by design. Author Debbie Lawrence uses a three-part approach to every lesson: introducing facts, making observations or conducting experiments, and reviewing. Some hands-on components are structured experiments with hypotheses and measurable data. Others are demonstrations, model-building projects, scavenger hunts, or crafts designed to reinforce a concept in a memorable, kinesthetic way. Examples include building a 3-D cell model using gelatin and grapes, assembling a Sandy Skeleton, or creating a Flood in a Jar to observe how sediment settles into layers.