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Solid lessons, fluid performance
What are some fun, engaging hands-on activities or demonstrations about the three states of matter for a third grade class? —B., Tennessee...
By Gabe Kraljevic
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The High School Teacher’s Guide to the #NSTA19 Area Conferences on Science Education
What does a typical high school science teacher’s week look like? If you rolled your eyes and think that’s a trick question, you’re not alone! Typical, predictable, boring… those just aren’t words that describe your job. And you’re not a...
By Carole Hayward
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NSTA’s 2019 Area Conferences: 3 Dates, 3 Cities, Endless Ideas for Elementary Teachers
NSTA’s position statement on elementary school science recognizes that elementary science instruction often takes a back seat to math and reading and receives little time in the school day. But it’s also the time when children are easily interes...
By Carole Hayward
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Middle School Science Teachers: NSTA’s Area Conferences Are for You
Does teaching middle school science require superhuman powers? Maybe, but no matter how you answer this question, one thing is certain—three days away from the classroom surrounded by educators who understand and can teach you tried-and-true ways ...
By Carole Hayward
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Guest blog post by Valeria Rodriguez Walking into the Moscone West Center in San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon, I had a few personal issues I was tackling, when I overheard a teacher saying: ...
By Korei Martin
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Guest posters Claire Christensen, Corinne Singleton, Kea Anderson, and Danae Kamdar share their work investigating approaches to school-community organization partnering, perceived benefits to participating organizations and local children and famil...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Preschool Science at Home: The PEEP Family Science Apps
Guest blog post authors, Michelle Cerrone, Gay Mohrbacher, and Megan Silander write about using digital media to support children’s interest in science topics, and discuss tips educators can use to support families using media to explore science wi...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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I start my first teaching position this fall sharing a fourth grade class with a veteran teacher. I will be teaching science, math, and art. Do you have any suggestions for a new teacher? —V., Manitoba Congratulations!...
By Gabe Kraljevic
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Guest blog post by Anne Lowry As teachers, we know how important family engagement is for student success. How can we improve upon last year’s family engagement and how do we do so while maintaining respect for each family’s unique cult...
By Korei Martin
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Sand play engages children in many of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) disciplinary core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts. Explorations with sand also involve natural phenomena of flow and adhesion, and math concepts of scale ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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I had a hard time figuring out a way to get my second-grade students involved with recycling or something with the 3Rs. So, I was just wondering if you had any suggestions on something better? — N., Massachusetts...
By Gabe Kraljevic
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Reflective questions for choosing resources or shaping your practice
Asking myself about my teaching practice and looking for evidence to answer reflective questions (see Resources) that support my growth as an educator means considering how I collect data when working with children or adults. ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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How Safe Are Biological Stains?
In middle and high school science labs, biological stains, such as basic fuchsin, crystal violet, and Congo red, are used to enhance properties of microscopic plant and animal cells/tissues. Fortunately, Safety Data Sheets (SDS) note that some of the...
By Kenneth Roy
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Two NSTA Books Encourage Young Readers to Keep Questioning, Searching, and Expressing Wonder
NSTA Press author Emily Morgan wants young readers of her books to be filled with a sense of wonder about ordinary objects or phenomena—like bees—and to never stop exploring the “whys” of our natural world. ...
By Carole Hayward
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I want to demonstrate different states of matter and need activities for third graders for gases. — D., Georgia It’s hard to teach about something we can’t see! Here are a few ideas: Perfumes: Open a bottle of cologne in the room. Students ...
By Gabe Kraljevic