JoinAll Blog Posts
Blog Post
Resource sharing—websites and other places to learn
Does it seem to you that this blog needs a place to post about resources such as book and website recommendations, commercial sites for needed early childhood science supplies, and interesting articles that are not necessarily related to a particula...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
"Early Sprouts" for two
When I shared my copy of the book Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices in Young Children with a nutritionist friend, she got very excited about the possibilities, but then her job changed and she no longer works directly with children. Di...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
What science should we teach in early childhood?
I’m interested in your opinions on what should be included in early childhood science standards. We don’t want to underestimate the abilities of young children to understand relationships in natural systems, nor overestimate their ability to unde...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Living things in the classroom
Many NSTA journal articles refer to working in “Outdoor Classrooms.” I teach in a neighborhood school with no grass or trees in the schoolyard, so I’m thinking of bringing the outdoors indoors by adding some plants and live animals ...
By MsMentorAdmin
Blog Post
What a bonanza for chemistry/physical science teachers this fall–first, the September issue of The Science Teacher (with the theme of Chemistry for a Changing World), and now the October issue of ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Favorite smells—stories and activities
I love the way two-year-olds inexpertly sniff, to sense an odor. They crinkle up their nose and snort, or gasp, and blink their eyes, not quite putting it all together to inhale through their nose. Yet they have an expert sense of smell—nothing...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I’m feeling really frustrated. I thought the students were following along in my first unit, but I am really disappointed in the test results. What can I do differently in the next unit? —Lisa, Topeka, Kansas The first unit is the toughest on...
By MsMentorAdmin
Blog Post
Rather than competing with the commercial hoopla around Halloween, perhaps we science teachers could do our own special celebrations that relate to science concepts. For example, it’s not too early to plan events for Mole Day, celebrated on Oct...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Thinking BIG, Learning BIG: Summer reading becomes September's lesson plans
July is a distant memory of 6am wake up calls for my high-schooler who took PE over the summer, balanced with my getting more than five minutes of peace and quiet—time to read about early childhood and science, to think my own thoughts and get hung...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
What an appropriate theme for the September issue! I’ve often wondered why field trips are usually scheduled in the spring when the fall is such a great time to be outdoors. And activities involving plants and animals are good ways to introduce...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Books about fall leaves, inspired by the autumn equinox
Do deciduous tree leaves in your area change color before they fall?...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Individualized professional development
The middle school where I teach just changed the topics taught each year to align with our state standards. My specialty is biology/life science, but now I’m also expected to address topics in earth and physical science. The inservice agenda fo...
By MsMentorAdmin
Blog Post
All summer I was getting ready for the upcoming school year by collecting clear plastic jars and bottles with screw-on lids. Now they are on the shelf at school as “Discovery Bottles”, compact and beautiful, and (best of all) contained....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Two items titled “Critical Thinking” are on my desktop right now: the September issue of Science Scope and an op-ed piece in the Boston Globe ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I’m thinking of requiring some “take-home” projects for students this year. (I teach at the elementary level). I think these would provide a good opportunity for students and parents to work together on science topics. Do you have a...
By MsMentorAdmin