The Whole Kit and Kaboodle's Porcupines, Points, and Popcorn is a hands-on, inquiry-centered science kit. Using a thematic approach, the kit integrates a social studies and technology theme, "Use of Natural Materials," with the teaching of life, physical, and earth sciences.

There are four major strands:

Each strand contains four or five lesson plans. Topics and concepts include:

• Southern New England Native People's uses of plants, animals, and rocks
• Flight principles (motion, force, gravity, lift, thrust, drag) of an arrow; making and testing arrows
• Physical properties (hardness, streak, color) of six minerals used by Native People
• Native and scientific explanations for the origin of corn
• Structure and function of corn and bean seeds; corn and bean seed germination; recording data and graphing; a seed journal
• Popcorn investigations: What makes popcorn kernels pop? How does soaking popcorn affect the way it pops?
• Interrelationships of living and nonliving in a southern New England forest community: producers, consumers, decomposers, predator-prey relationships, food chains and food webs

There are a total of 18 lesson plans in the teacher's guide. Each lesson contains a general overview, an objective, key terms, materials, teacher preparation, procedure, and extension activities. The two storage totes contain most of the materials required for conducting the lessons. The materials include a Natural Materials Collection (44 natural objects, labelled and carefully packaged), a filmstrip/text (entitled Native People's Uses of Plants, Animals, and Rocks ), a Food Chain Card Game, Mineral Collections (contains 6 minerals) for four small groups, a "lotto" game, four relevant examples of children's fiction and nonfiction, background information for the teacher, and inexpensive, consummable materials for the science lessons.

Susan Dorr, Carol Entin, and Suzanne Williams worked with Greg Kniseley, Professor at Rhode Island College to develop the kit and write the teachers guide. The kit developers consulted with science and archaeology specialists and Narraganset and Wampanoag ethno-historians in developing the science and cultural information presented in instructional materials.

For more information, contact: Greg Kniseley at mkniseley@ric.edu