Middle School Resources

Grades 6-8, is a time of tremendous physical, emotional, and cognitive changes for students. It is also a pivotal time for understanding and gaining enthusiasm for science.

Featured Resources

Social-Emotional Learning in the Science Classroom

From the Editor's Desk...

Journal Article

Unlocking the Power of Emotional Connections: Strategies for Teaching Climate Change in Middle School

In the face of the escalating climate crisis, effective climate education is imperative, not only for imparting knowledge, but also for inspiring acti...

Journal Article

Fieldwork Fridays: Connecting Scientific Learning to Nature

Building routines around place-based learning allows students to apply their scientific learning to nature and form a connection with their local envi...

Journal Article

Dyeing to Last: Using Natural Dyes to Create an Ideal Fabric

In this project-based lesson, students explore how chemistry concepts relate to creative expression by investigating a variety of dyeing conditions. T...

Journal Article

Journal and Lesson Plans

Middle School Journal

Lesson Plans

NSTA Competitions

Shell Science Lab Challenge

For teachers

eCYBERMISSION

For teachers and students, grades 6-9

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision

For students, grades K-12

Bestselling Middle School Books

NSTA Press Book

The NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions

New in 2020! Download and read a sample chapter from this book to learn more.A key aspect of learning in K–12 education is the idea that what studen...

NSTA Press Book

Big Data, Small Devices: Investigating the Natural World Using Real-Time Data

Now your students can transform their mobile phones and tablets into tools for learning about everything from weather to water quality. Big Data, Smal...

NSTA Press Book

Disciplinary Core Ideas: Reshaping Teaching and Learning

Like all enthusiastic teachers, you want your students to see the connections between important science concepts so they can grasp how the world works...

NSTA Press Book

Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K–12

Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K–12 offers a great new way to ignite your creativity. Authors Tom McConnell, Joyce Parker, a...

Latest Resources

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, November 19, 2024

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, November 12, 2024

Web Seminar

Science Update: The Wonderful World of Plasma Physics: From the Birth of Stars to Building Cell Phones, February 20, 2025

Join us on Thursday, February 20, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET, to learn about plasma physics and its applications. What is inside our sun and&nb...

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, November 5, 2024

Journal Article

Journey of the Monarchs: Studying North America’s Nomadic Butterfly

Citizen Science November/December 2024...

Journal Article

Flipped Science Classrooms and the Cornell Note-Taking Method

The flipped classroom is a relatively new innovation in teaching middle school science; however, students often struggle with taking notes that provid...

Journal Article

Considering Multiple Perspectives and Scientific Consensus: Information Literacy in the Science Classroom

Many young people learn about scientific topics online, yet middle school students have trouble identifying where scientific information comes from an...

Blog Post

Laboratory Instructional Space Safety Checklist

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, October 29, 2024

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, October 22, 2024

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, October 15, 2024

Web Seminar

Web Seminar: WI25: Lab Safety Considerations for Pre-Service Secondary Science/STEM Teachers, March 10, 2025

Secondary Pre-service Teachers! Join us on Monday, March 10, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:15 PM ET to learn about safety considerations for the science labora...

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