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The resource-full teacher (revisited)
Some of you may remember the good ol’ days when you had to trek to a library or subscribe to multiple publications to catch up on science and education topics. I must confess that back then, it was difficult for me to find the time to spend a...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Teaching Science Through Trade Books
The use of trade books to supplement science textbooks in the classroom is a proven, effective strategy to combine science and reading education for children in a way that is genuinely interesting to them....
By Nancy Dunbar
Blog Post
NSTA Chapters and Associated Groups: Want to know more about D&O Insurance?
We are featuring another guest blogger, Kenneth Huff. Kenneth is the President of The Association of Presidential Awardees in Science Teaching (an NSTA Associated Group) and he recently investigated the benefits of Directors and Officer insurance a...
By Teshia Birts, CAE
Blog Post
Kicking the tires on the LabQuest 2 and its Connected Science System
A couple weeks ago, Vernier released their Graphical Analysis App for iOS providing a functional wireless interface with their LabQuest 2 and the iPad. We took a LabQuest 2 and an iPad running Vernier’s Graphical Analysis App for a...
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
Vacation activities for students
How do you get families and students to participate in science in the summer? I’m looking for ideas to engage upper elementary students. –Amber, Minnesota...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Chemistry Now,chemistry of plastics: polyethelene
Polyethelene. Most people would be hard pressed to NOT to have some in their possession at any given moment. This chance discovery has completely revolutionized the “stuff” in our lives over the last 65 years....
By admin
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: reflexes & reaction time
You’re the goalie. You’re padded down in an extra 10 kg of gear. You know the puck is “over there” somewhere. Then you catch it with your eye, screaming at you from the blue line. But before you really see it, your arm is already moving your ...
By admin
Blog Post
Studying Science Teaching and Learning Through Drawings...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: statistics & averages
NHL hockey is a game of numbers—statistics that is. Fans may cheer on a team because of where they’re from, their team mascot, or the atmosphere of the stadium. Fans may like a certain player because of how hard he hits, how fast he skates, or ho...
By admin
Blog Post
Chemistry Now: chemistry of changing leaves
Think autumn leaves. OK, sing along now … The falling leeeeaves drift by the windoooow. The autumn leeeeaves of red and goooold … OK, maybe not!...
By admin
Blog Post
Spring activities and books to go with them
In our mid-Atlantic spring we can have temperatures in the 50s or in the 80s, rain or shine. The activities the children have been involved in center around the weather....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: projectile motion
Tired of discussing projectile motion in terms of bullets and cannonballs? Launch into the Science of NHL Hockey, where hockey pucks follow the same parabolic path as they shoot through the air and fall into the back corner of the goal, just out of t...
By admin
Blog Post
Sylvia Shugrue Award winners 2007–2012
The Sylvia Shugrue Award for Elementary school teachers honors one elementary school teacher who creates and makes use of interdisciplinary, inquiry-based lesson plans. To qualify, teachers submit a lesson plan with fully referenced sources of inform...
By admin
Blog Post
Resources for science teachers
One of my favorite benefits of being an NSTA member is being able to view all of the journals electronically, although I’m somewhat of a dinosaur in that I still like the feel of holding an actual book or magazine. On the NSTA home page, use th...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: work, energy & power
Potentially your students will go kinetic over this installment of the Science of NHL Hockey video series! OK, really bad play on words. But luckily the energy of the video will make up for it. Ha!...
By admin
Blog Post
Chemistry Now Nobel efforts: buckyballs and graphene
What do diamond and graphite have in common? Wait … that’s too easy. What do diamond, graphite, soccer balls, and the state of Texas have in common? Find out in this video, part of the Chemistry Now series from the partnership of NBC Learn, NSF, ...
By admin
Blog Post
Reflections on the end of the school year
My first year of teaching had its ups and downs, but I’m looking forward to next year. As the school year ends, do you have any suggestions for how I can prepare for next year? I’ll be teaching the same subjects in the same lab. —Monica...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: vectors
Vectors. The key to passing a puck, throwing a football, shooting pool, coordinating fireworks, or finding buried treasure. Knowing which way to go is one thing. Knowing how fast to move is another. Put them both together and you’ll be in the right...
By admin
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: hockey geometry
Although science and math seem to go hand-in-hand, many of us have trouble incorporating math concepts in our science instruction. Hockey Geometry, produced by NBC Learn in partnership with NSF will give you a hand! From the passes NHL players make t...
By admin
Blog Post
NSTA Chapter and Associated Group Leaders: There is a better mousetrap to track members!
We are featuring a post from guest blogger, Kelly Price. Kelly is the GSTA Director for the 2012-13 year. She has been a member of the GSTA board for many years serving in the roles of District II Director, Secretary, and President. Kelly has a...
By Teshia Birts, CAE
Blog Post
USA Science and Engineering Festival 2012
The USA Science and Engineering Festival had something for everyone this weekend—information, experiences, fun and challenges for scientists young and old....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Every month, our colleague Ken Roy shares important information about safety in the science classrooms and laboratories. His columns appear in Science Scope and The Science Teacher. These are “must-reads” for science teachers, and NSTA me...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Spring wildflowers: Introducing guest blogger Marie Faust Evitt
The Early Years blog will broaden its voice by having occasional guest bloggers. Marie Faust Evitt joins us today. She is the head teacher of a preschool class for four- and five-year-olds, and leads an “Adventure Day” class in Mountain View, Cal...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Found materials + engineering process = toy
We didn’t have enough wire so we re-used cardboard tubes, empty boxes, egg cartons, and plastic jar lids to create toys called “Galimotos” in the Malawian children’s tradition as recounted in the children’s book, Ga...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: force, impulse & collisions
What’s small and round, made of vulcanized rubber, and kept in the freezer before you play with it? That’s right—a grenade! Or at least that’s what NHL players call a loose puck as it bounces on the ice. This installment of the Science of NHL...
By admin
Blog Post
My principal just asked me to be the science department chair for next year. I’d like to change the format of our professional development (PD) days and the once-a-month afterschool meetings to do some PD or other departmental projects. —Mela...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: Newton’s three laws of motion
Photo of Washington Capitals forward Keith Aucoin (#23) collision with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin (#41) Is this your first look at the Science of NHL Hockey? Welcome! This installment focuses on Newton’s laws of motion. It’s just...
By admin
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: kinematics
As we mentioned last time, NSTA and NBC Learn have teamed up with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch “Science of NHL Hockey,” an online video series that explores the science and math of the sport....
By admin
Blog Post
Please attend, then tell me all about the NSTA STEM Forum & Expo in Atlantic City
I’ll be having a wonderful time at home with a sister visiting and celebrating a family birthday BUT, I do wish I could also go to the 1st Annual NSTA STEM Forum & Expo in Atlantic City, New Jersey on May 17–19, 2012. Register soon–bef...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Science of NHL hockey: mass, volume, and density
NSTA has teamed up once again with NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to bring you another exhilarating video series with connected lesson plans that will excite your students and add to your hands-on repertoire. Science of NHL Hocke...
By admin
Blog Post
Do you know STEM when you see it?
Jonathan Gerlach, an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator, discusses the difficulty of defining science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in this month’s NSTA Reports commentary. I’d like to know what educators ...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
Our new principal does not have a background in science. What can we do to help her understand what science teaching and learning “looks like” and the challenges of teaching laboratory science? —Charles, Ohio...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Preservice teachers rock (and so do their advisors!)
Big kudos to the preservice and new teachers who participated in the first-ever Student/Student Chapter Showcase during the NSTA National Conference on Science Education. Over three days — March 29-31 — seven student teams provided nine...
By Teshia Birts, CAE
Blog Post
Sharing what I learned at the 2012 NSTA national conference
With spring break coming right after the conference my reporting has been delayed. There were many interesting sessions presenting and discussing many interesting ideas at the 2012 NSTA national conference in Indianapolis. Here are a few of the idea...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
More conference joy—available online too!
Thank you Council for Elementary Science and APAST, SEPA, the NSTA Committee on Preschool-Elementary Science Teaching, and Science and Children for the “Elementary Extravaganza”!...
By Peggy Ashbrook