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Different strokes for different … students
Creative Commons Different Sides posted to flickr by JP<3! English-language learners…gifted and talented…female/male…minority…urban…rural…special needs—so many diverse groups of...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Consider the facility that students have with electronic communications and games. They somehow had to “learn” how to use these tools and figure out the rules and strategies of the games. But I heard some teachers talking about how “...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Are you an urban or rural educator seeking pearls of wisdom for engaging your students? Plan to attend the NSTA National Conference in Philadelphia....
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Teachers use several strategies at the end of the school year. One strategy is to try to cram in as many topics as possible in an effort to “cover” everything. Other teachers use culminating or capstone projects to integrate concepts an...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
The Great Backyard Bird Count: Community science in your backyard or schoolyard
Bird counts involve children in citizen science projects where a greater community contributes to the data used by scientists to understand bird behavior and more. The Great Backyard Bird Count is happening now and counting can take place through Mon...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I’m hoping that secondary teachers will take a look at the articles that describe authentic investigations conducted by young scientists in their communities: Creative Soil Conservation and ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Footprints in the snow—books to extend learning
Bird footprints in fresh snow...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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The Frugal Science Teacher, PreK–5
When the going gets tough, the tough get creative. Challenging times mean lean budgets in many schools, but science teachers have a knack for stretching resources to keep students engaged in lively educational activities even in a pinch....
By Claire Reinburg
Blog Post
Exploring form and function with hats: books about firefighters
In the February 2010 Early Years column (Science and Children) I wrote about exploring form and function using hats, and testing them for how water flows off of them. Children might think, “Of course a firefighter’s hat works well to keep drippin...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I’m looking for suggestions for formative assessments. Do you have some unique ideas to assess students quickly and adjust instruction accordingly? —Karen, Arizona...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Latest from NSTA's online outposts
What’s New, 2/1/2010 Here’s a quick look (with lots of links!) at what’s going on at NSTA’s online outposts: In the NSTA online professional learning communities, we have new groups created on a variety of topics…...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
Seeking inventive college students
A new series for a major cable network is searching for college students who are always inventing things and building things. If you know any smart, creative, and talented students who have a flair for science and engineering, please share this anno...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Science activities: quantity vs. quality
My ninth grade students enjoy labs, but my colleagues say I do too many and the students aren’t learning anything. How many labs should I do each week? —Carolyn, Billings, Montana...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Two-year-olds explore transparent, translucent, and opaque materials
Science activities with two-year-olds may not last very long but sometimes the children surprise me. One group of four children spent about 15 minutes exploring a set of cardboard tubes with ends covered with either clear plastic wrap, wax paper, or ...
By Peggy Ashbrook