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Blog Post
I had eagerly anticipated a session at the NSTA National Conference in Atlanta called How Do We Make NGSS Storylines Work by Pushing Students to Go Deeper?—presented by Michael Novak and Brian Reiser—and I was not alone: Attendees filled the room...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Scaffolding the Crosscutting Concepts: Graphic Organizers in Action in the Middle School Classroom
The crosscutting concepts have great potential to help students connect their learning across grade levels and science disciplines, but they can easily become the forgotten “third dimension.” Last May, we wrote about developing a set of graphic o...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Using Primary Sources as Anchoring Phenomena
I think the best part of attending NSTA’s national conferences is having the opportunity to learn so much from every person you meet. The sheer number of so many likeminded educators in one place can seem overwhelming, but the opportunity to learn ...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Cultivating Every Child’s Curiosity in the Natural World
At the NSTA National Conference in Atlanta, I was honored to give the Mary C. McCurdy lecture on young children and their natural curiosity about how the world works. Anyone who has ever spent time with them knows they are born scientists who are cur...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Ed News: Amid Walkouts, Charter Fight, Kentucky Commissioner Forced to Resign
This week in education news, Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt resigns under pressure from the Governor and State Board; a new report from Achieve includes criteria states can use to develop NGSS tests; women who watched The X-Files pu...
By Korei Martin
Blog Post
What are some activities that I can plan for the next school-year of science with that will excite my students for the lessons to come? — C., Arkansas ...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Equity & Access: Policies and Best Practices for Science Educators
The Multicultural and Equity Committee is rolling out a new NSTA blog on topics of equity. The intent is for the blog to allow readers to discuss and highlight policies and best practices that promote and sustain educational equity for all students.&...
By Korei Martin
Blog Post
Ideas and inspiration from NSTA’s April 2018 K-12 journals
Regardless of what grade level or subject are you teach, as you skim through the article titles, you may find ideas for lessons that would be interesting for your students or the inspiration to adapt/create your own....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
From Vision to Reality: Making the NGSS Come Alive in Every Classroom
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are ushering in an exciting new era of science education where three-dimensional learning integrates core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts to deliver an education that pr...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
A colleague and I were wondering what type of homework works best for our students? How do we hold them accountable? — N., California ...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
April brings "real science," Citizen Science Day, and Earth Day
Citizen Science Day is April 14, and these projects are a wonderful way for young children to continue their science learning by being part of a larger science effort doing “real science.” (For the record, I think the observations and thinking...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Mercury: The Shining Health Hazard
At room temperature, elemental (metallic) mercury can evaporate to become an invisible, odorless toxic vapor. The warmer the air, the more quickly mercury vaporizes. Exposure to even a small amount can affect your health. Symptoms can surfa...
By Kenneth Roy
Blog Post
What are some of the best ways to start and facilitate a class discussion about science topics? – B., Arkansas I have used many different ways to get science discussions going. I think the key is to either “wow” them or provide them with so...
By Gabe Kraljevic