Publications
Good Reads for Educators
Merritt, E., Harkins, T., & Rimm-Kaufman, S. (2021). Empowering Elementary Students through Environmental Service-Learning. Clearing Magazine, 8-11. Paper
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. & Hunt, A. (2020). STEM: Leveraging SEL Skills to Improve Science Instruction. Retrieved from: K-12talk.com
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. & Merritt, E. G. (2019). Let’s Power Our Future: Integrating science and social and emotional learning improves collaborative discourse and science understanding. Science and Children, 57(1), 52-60. Paper, CS Lessons
Research on Connect Science
Lapan, C., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Merritt, E. G. (2022). Promoting fourth-grade students’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness through service-learning. Applied Developmental Science, 1-24. Abstract
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Merritt, E.G., Lapan, C., DeCoster, J., Hunt, A., & Bowers, N. (2021). Can service-learning boost science achievement, civic engagement, and social skills? A randomized controlled trial of Connect Science. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 74. doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101236 PDF
Hunt, A., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Merritt, E. G., & Bowers, N. (2020). “Because the sun is really not that big” An exploration of fourth graders tasked with arguing from evidence. Elementary School Journal, 121(2), 1-24. PDF
Bowers, N., Merritt, E.G., & Rimm-Kaufman, S.E. (2019). Exploring teacher adaptive expertise in the context of elementary school science reforms. Journal of Science Teacher Education, doi: 10.1080/1046560X.2019.1651613.
Merritt, E. G., Bowers, N., & Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. (2019). Making connections: Elementary students’ ideas about electricity and energy resources. Renewable Energy, 138, 1078-1086. PDF
Bring SEL to your school with a book written by Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman
One problem in education is that researchers have extensive knowledge about social and emotional learning but rarely share it with teachers in an accessible format. This issue motivated Sara Rimm-Kaufman to prepare this book, called SEL from the Start: Building Skills in K-5, for teachers based on work from a newly developed program, Connect Science. This easy-to-read book helps teachers support students’ development of social and emotional skills right from the start of the year. Teachers who have used this approach are surprised and impressed with how pleasant their classroom environment can be and how elementary school students are capable of complex and positive social behaviors.