JoinAll Blog Posts
Blog Post
Five Reasons Why You Should Attend the NSTA Area Conference in National Harbor
In less than a month, science educators will convene for the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in National Harbor, Maryland....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Ed News: The Case for (Quality) Homework
The Case for (Quality) Homework...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Incorporating engineering into lifesciences
Fish Ladder, Bonneville Dam, OR What are some good activities and lessons to incorporate engineering into biology/life science? – K., Connecticut...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Reducing the Risk of Liability in the Lab
If a student gets injured while taking part in a laboratory activity, the science teacher and school district have potential liability for their failure to prevent the harm to the student. This blog post describes the duty of care of science teachers...
By Kenneth Roy
Blog Post
Ideas and inspiration from NSTA’s October 2018 K-12 journals
Many NSTA authors share resources related to the lessons and strategies in their articles. These resources include rubrics, graphic organizers, handouts, diagrams, lists of resources, and complete lessons....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Reading Nature: Evidence-Based Texts Inspire and Bring Context Into the Biology Classroom
Dedicated to “all those who wonder about the world around them,” Matthew Kloser and Sophia Grathwol’s new book Reading Nature: Engaging Biology Students With Evidence From the Living World uses quality research (from sources like the Journal of...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
The Vernier Go Direct Sound Sensor: See Sounds in a New Light (Bluetooth)
As much as I loved field trips with my students, I found the bus rides to be excessively stressful. It wasn’t because of the teacher responsibilities or the student behavior, but because of the noise. The volume and diversity of machine noises ...
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
Ed News: Betsy DeVos Steers Federal Grant For Innovation To STEM Programs
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By Kate Falk
Blog Post
If I work in a district where I am unable to take my kids on plenty of field trips, what are some alternatives or activities that could be done on school grounds, but that are still fun and eye-opening for students? – B., Arkansas Budgets, loca...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Three Ways to Be an NSTA Volunteer
Volunteering is often considered a valuable asset on a resume or CV for almost any profession, including educators. Professionals of any age can develop new skills, expand professional networks, and open doors to opportunities for career growth thro...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Vernier: Go Direct Force and Acceleration Sensor
Introduction The Go Direct™ Force and Acceleration Sensor couples a 3-axis accelerometer with a stable and accurate force sensor that measures forces as small as ±0.1 N and up to ±50 N and can be used in the classroom or outdoors. ...
By Edwin P. Christmann
Blog Post
Integrating Computational Thinking and Modeling into Science Instruction
Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is difficult. While the benefits of having students engage in three-dimensional learning are profound (we get excited when students ask new questions to investigate or explain their diagrammat...
By Korei Martin
Blog Post
Ed News: There Are Many More Female STEM Teachers Now Than 20 Years Ago
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By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
I have thought about teaching internationally. Do you have any advice? How does it compare to teaching domestically? —A., Iowa ...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Ignite The Spark of Curious Minds
With hurricane Florence bearing down on the Carolinas, I found myself in the Johnson Ice Rink on the MIT campus. I was there to be a mentor for the, IBM and other companies sponsored, 2018 HackMIT event. I was looking at more than 1,000 hackers from ...
By Kate Falk
Blog Post
Combining Science and Civic Literacy
Students in the Citizen Science Institute, a magnet, alternative program housed at Marshall Middle School in Olympia, Washington, do scientific and civic investigations. These students are doing seasonal bird counts at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually W...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Congress Passes FY2019 Education Spending Package
Congress has passed an appropriations bill for the FY2019 Department of Education and other education and labor programs and President Trump signed the bill on September 28, averting a government shutdown that would have occurred on midnight, Septemb...
By Jodi Peterson
Blog Post
Local nature experiences help children relate to other environments
My side of the street is shaded for hours longer than the opposite side which gets full sun for more than 6 hours a day, even in winter. The differences in sunlight affect the plant growth in these “microclimates.” On the “sunny side of t...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
After a number of years working in the science industry I have now become a teacher. Do you have suggestions for maintaining my skills in both education and science? – B., Arizona I like your plan to stay current and active in your former work!...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Enhanced Ebook “magic act” engages students in fun science lessons about sound and light
When Rebecca Olien set out to write Sound All Around, The Amazing Light Show, an NSTA Enhanced EBook+, she knew a thing (or 20) about elementary schoolchildren, the book’s target audience....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Anyone who teaches middle school students knows they have a lot of energy, and a lot of hot air. Why not put it to use? In this activity, students will be challenged to modify a simple plastic balloon racer to travel farther and faster. Students begi...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
First Graders Become Corn Experts: Using Questions to Drive Instruction
First graders love when fall comes to Kansas. It’s a magical time when lots of events are occurring in their environment, and I take full advantage of their natural curiosity. We begin the school year with a mini science unit featuring corn and agr...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Scaffolding the Practice of Asking Questions and Defining Problems
With the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), teachers are wondering how to teach their students to do the science and engineering practices (SEPs). Some SEPs, such as carrying out investigations and analyzing data, are a natural...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Connecting with other educators who share my interests and help me expand them is one of the benefits of writing for NSTA’s journal and blog. Guest blogger Tom Lough is a contributor to Science and Children and has taught science and science educat...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Ed News: Igniting Students’ STEM Interest Begins With Education Their Teachers
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By Kate Falk
Blog Post
I will be student teaching in a school with small classes – between 6 and 12 students. I find this to be challenging. Any suggestions or advice? — M., Kansas ...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Can Schools Use Federal Funds for Guns and Firearms Training?
A huge controversy over whether districts and states can use funds from the new federal education law to purchase guns and pay for firearms training is still ongoing, weeks after the issue first surfaced in an article published in the New York Times....
By Jodi Peterson
Blog Post
Problem-Based Learning: An Essential Tool in Each K-12 Science Educator’s Toolkit
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a strategy that is tailor made for teaching science. Under the PBL framework, students actively drive the learning process, one that takes them through rich and authentic, but incompletely defined, scenarios....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Ideas and inspiration from NSTA’s September 2018 K-12 journals
Whether you’re looking for ideas on systems thinking, adding strategies to your teaching repertoire, or creativity in science, this month’s K-12 journals have it all. Regardless of what grade level or subject you teach, check out all thre...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Isopods—your favorite animal? Children are fascinated
What you call these small animals probably depends on where you grew up. Pillbug, sowbug, roly-poly, woodlice, potato bug, cochinilla, slater, and Armadillidium vulgare are some of the names I’ve heard for my favorite animal, the isopod. What kind ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
NSTA recently issued a position statement calling for greater support for science educators in teaching evidence-based science, including climate science and climate change....
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
This blog post describes steps teachers should take to ensure that laboratory freezers and refrigerators are free from safety hazards. Science teachers should adhere to the following standard operating procedures, via the University of Texas at Austi...
By Kenneth Roy
Blog Post
How can you use 3D printers in your science classroom? — S., Alabama ...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Keep it grounded. Keep it real.
I’ve been teaching science for three years. My students seem to see science as an abstract subject and have trouble imagining it. How can I help my students appreciate the lessons more with limited time and resources? —R., Philippines ...
By Gabe Kraljevic