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Chemistry for a changing world
Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! I was excited by the theme of this kick-off issue. I loved chemistry as a high school student (Thank you, Sister Maureen!), majored in the subject in college, and taught it as part of a physical science course. E...
By Mary Bigelow
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Just in case you have not yet read the column “Teaching Through Tradebooks” in Science and Children, the National Science Teachers Association’s elementary school journal, I’ll share why I like it with you. The column writes up two acti...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Planting this fall for springtime blooms
I’m planning a fall gardening activity now, before school starts, and the first step is to mark my calendar to buy spring flowering bulbs before the end of September. Seasonal changes vary across the many climates in the United States. If you get t...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
What’s the best way to set up cooperative learning groups for labs and other activities? How often should I change the groups? I’d also like to assign roles for group members, but I need some examples. — Doug, Henderson, Nevada ...
By MsMentorAdmin
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I’ve just heard of a few new resources from PBS. They’ve recently redesigned the PBS Teachers page (it seems to be the month for redesigning sites — have you seen the new SciLinks site?)....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Last week, I went to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia for the exhibit on Galileo: The Medici and the Age of Astronomy. It was awesome to see an actual Galileo telescope and learn more about the social, political, and cultural contexts in which ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Perseverance and "failure"
With all of the curricular demands and a focus on preparing for state exams, I am concerned that we do not create situations for students to persevere if they don’t succeed in their first attempts at experiments in science. How do we communicate th...
By MsMentorAdmin
Blog Post
I received a “tweet” from NSTA yesterday – the new version of SciLinks is operational! If you’ve been a longtime user of SciLinks, you’ll notice the new look right away. It’s more visually appealing but the basic functions are there....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Showing the science: using children's work to document your program
Digital photography changed the way I do science with my students. I reflect more on what has happened and what is being left out as I look over the photos, in moments after school, at home on the computer. I have this luxury as a parent of older chi...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
It’s hard to believe that in a short time, the students will be back in school, ready to start a new year....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Citizen science: collaborative projects for teachers and their class
I was excited to see a Monarch butterfly land on the Butterfly Bush in the yard (I hesitate to call it a garden). Click on the photo for more Early Years pics....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I’ve read a lot about the value of making connections with students. But it seems impossible to connect with individual students when I meet with 150 per day in my classes. Any suggestions or advice? —Bethany, Rochester, Minnesota...
By MsMentorAdmin
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Transitioning to kindergarten: hearing from children who have been there
Some elementary schools on a “year-round” or “modified calendar” are about to begin a new school year on Monday, and many others begin in September....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
One of the folks I follow on Twitter recommended the Sixty Symbols website. It is a collection of videos about the symbols of physics and astronomy in which experts from the University of Nottingham share their knowledge and passion for their subjec...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
When does science become significant?
Math and Science in Preschool: Policies and Practice, a National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) Preschool Policy Brief, says that teachers usually do not plan and support science and math learning in pre-K....
By Peggy Ashbrook