It’s Time to Start Writing!
Science and Children is seeking manuscripts on the following themes.
Plants: February 2009
Manuscript Deadline: Extended to October 1, 2008
Plants are another “perennial” favorite. Often students plow through the same types of lessons, year after year, growing bean seeds or alfalfa sprouts as a mother’s day gift. Our instruction sometimes inadvertently leads to misconceptions about what plants need to grow and how they get energy. Please submit creative and effective lessons that will help students understand the growth and life cycle of plants, the characteristics of plants, and the function and contribution of plants in our environments.
Classification: March 2009
Manuscript Deadline: October 15, 2008
We all have experiences with classifying in science. We memorize Linnaean systems. Plant or Animal? We memorize the classification of elements in a periodic table. Noble gases and metals. Classification is often presented as a mechanical arrangement of trivia. But classification can be very dynamic. The recent debate over Pluto’s status as a planet wasn’t particularly important in the conclusion, but the process of defining what constitutes a “planet” and examining the evidence for the classification was intriguing. Do you have a lesson or unit that helps students understand classification? Its relationship to math? The purposes of classification?
Habitats: September 2009
Manuscript Deadline: March 1, 2009
The living world is a constant source of wonder for children, yet we often fail to take advantage of that curiosity when we endlessly teach about bean seeds or the life cycle. We seek manuscripts that describe lessons about plant and animal relationships to each other and the environment, for example predator-prey relationships, changes in the environment caused by plants or animals, and human interactions with the environment. We also welcome new ideas about teaching life cycles and bean seeds!
Literacy: November 2009
Manuscript Deadline: May 1, 2009
(Don’t) Stop Arguing: Science is known to be a fact-based field. And it is. Knowledge of facts is critical to intelligent argument. But we fail students when we present science and a completed body of knowledge. In this issue we seek manuscripts abut how to integrate argumentation into science. How are arguments constructed? Communicated? Resolved? Are they always resolved? In this issue we will present articles that reflect and teach the dynamic nature of scientific knowledge.
Nervous about writing? Start small—send us your Teacher’s Picks!
This annotated list of your favorite early child resources is published each month in The Early Years, S&C’s early childhood column. Visit science.nsta.org/earlyyearsblog
for more information, including a list of upcoming themes and how you can receive a free book!
Science and Children at a Glance
- October 2008: Investigation Skills
- November 2008: Literacy
- December 2008: States of Matter
- January 2009: Communicating/Record Keeping in Science
- February 2009: Plants
- March 2009: Classification
- April/May 2009: Science and Social Studies Integration
- Summer: 2009 Science, Technology, and Society
- September 2009: Habitats
- October 2009: Problem-Solving Skills
- November 2009: Literacy
- December 2009: Light, Heat, and Electricity
Details, Details
Your 2000-word manuscript should describe a set of connected lessons or investigations that build an idea or content area. They should include assessments (pre-, post- and formative) as well as enough detail that another teacher could replicate the lessons in the classroom. Examples of student work are encouraged.
Please read our manuscript guidelines before submitting your manuscript. You can find more tips in Write from the Start (PDF). Manuscripts should be submitted electronically; once online, follow the steps for New Author Registration. For more information, contact field editor Chris Ohana at chris.ohana@wwu.edu or managing editor Monica Zerry at mzerry@nsta.org.
Don’t see a topic you’re interested in?
There’s always a need for original manuscripts on these topics:
- Early Childhood Science
- Earth Science
- Heat and Light
- Life Science
- Physical Science
- Science for Special Needs Students
- Sound
- Teaching the History and Nature of Science