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More science in the early years—a reoccurring theme from high school teachers and researchers
So it’s not just me, or you…An elementary school science specialist wrote to National Science Teacher Association colleagues asking middle and high school teachers which science skills and knowledge are typically seen lacking in students as they ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Science-related nonfiction books
I teach science at the elementary level. I’d like to improve our nonfiction science collection for students to read outside of class or for teachers to use during read-alouds. I want to be sure what we purchase is appropriate; do you have any s...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Latest from NSTA's online outposts
Lots going on across the spectrum of NSTA’s online outposts. Here’s a quick list of what buzz is happening where: On our “core site” (www.nsta.org): everyone’s gearing up for our National Conference on Science Education ...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
Introducing the NSTA Press Books blog
So much happens behind the scenes and behind the books at NSTA Press when we develop new resources for science teachers. I have the enviable job of talking with authors who have ideas for terrific new books, and I have the privilege of hearing from...
By Claire Reinburg
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The article What’s behind the biological classification system in use today? goes beyond memorization and the mnemonic devices ...
By Mary Bigelow
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Educated Opinions: What's Next in Education Reform?
Response to “What’s Next in Education Reform?” From the December 2009 issue of NSTA Reports:...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
My colleague and I are hoping to attend NSTA’s national conference this year, our first. The school has funds to cover some of the costs, but one of the school board members says conferences are just excuses to lounge around and play golf! What...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Making the connections between science, reading, writing, and media literacy has been a professional interest of mine for many years. So I get really excited when The Science Teacher has literacy as a theme....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Gardening catalogs arriving daily? Help is on the way!
Is the arrival of gardening catalogs inspiring you to dream about planting with your students, and plan a garden of any size?...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Observations and data from nature
The word “data” for some people conjures up pages of numbers or a dreadful experience in statistics class....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
What's new with NSTA's members?
NSTA members are in conversation in all kinds of places—on these blogs, in NSTA’s Listservs, on our new online communities, and throughout our external social media outposts, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Recent conversations include col...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
My colleagues and I would like to try some collaborative projects between elementary and secondary students. Our buildings are not close, so in-person events are impossible during the school day. Do you have any suggestions for projects involving stu...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
If you were a dinosaur …
Some children love pandas, some love dogs, but many more love dinosaurs. At times it seems young children feel dinosaurs are “more real”—more interesting, more important, more present in their minds—than modern animals. “More real” might ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
A few years ago, I found some interesting background data for a professional development project I was working on–when elementary teachers were asked to name a specific science area that they would find difficult to teach, more than 60% mention...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
The snow was lovely for me, arriving on a Friday night after my children were home and enough neighbors were in town to make the shoveling more of a community gathering than a huge chore. I did wish that school was in session so I could le...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Here in the Northeast, we had to dig our way through the recent storm, the most snow we’ve had in my neck of the woods for two years! I once hosted an exchange teacher from Australia in January (their summer break), who had never seen snow. Sno...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Ask a question … none of us has all the answers but we might have some
Wondering if teaching about magnetism is appropriate for preschoolers, which chemistry activities can be safe for young children, what materials to provide for exploration of gravity, or how to raise butterflies? This is a place to ask a question fo...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Encouraging class participation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34053291@N05/3948369923/...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I’m a new middle school teacher, and last week I had to miss two days due to illness. When I came back, my classroom was in shambles and it appeared that the students did not do any work. What can I do, short of never missing another day, to ma...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Many of the concepts we teach in science relate to the concept of “scale” – things that are at the extremes of small (as in atoms, nanotechnology, or microbes), large (as in galaxies or blue whales), long (geologic time scale), short (h...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Making a dough for classroom play is also a time to teach vocabulary and math skills, and social skills such as cleaning up after oneself. Write the recipe on a page or easel paper to refer to even if your students are not yet reading. Illustrate wit...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Creative Commons handwritten recipe photo posted to flickr by Deb Roby....
By admin
Blog Post
Young children love using a periscope. Maybe because when you look through one, the view is not what your brain expects, somewhat like using someone else’s glasses. (My sisters and I used to take turns running down a hallway wearing my mother’s g...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
How many of use chose careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics because of our experiences in school? Some topics or activities must have stimulated our interest and curiosity, and the authors in this month’s edition share som...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Whenever I start a new unit, some students consistently ask, “Why do we have to learn this?” How should I respond? —Kevin, District of Columbia...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Have you seen NASA eClips? This is a collection of video clips on a variety of topics (such as the earth, sun, universe, STEM, aeronautics, and living in space), organized by grade level (K-5, 6-8, 9-12). Some of the notes for the clips include link...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
What's good for the girls in STEM?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmiehomeschoolmom/ / CC BY 2.0...
By Debra Shapiro
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ESP symposium: superpowers not required
Divining the keys to better science education doesn’t require extrasensory perception—just check out the ESP Symposium at the Phoenix Area Conference. Coordinated by Robert Yager, 1982-1983 NSTA president, NSTA’s Exemplary Science Program (ESP)...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
Our students may be used to using evidence to answer questions, but in Elk Habitat: A Case Study of Scientific Inquiry, the authors describe an activity in which students ask questions, examine evidence, ask new questions, and design potential resea...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I love books. Not only do they overflow the various bookshelves in my house, but they also fill boxes (and boxes!) tucked away in many of my closets. So naturally I spend most of my conference time in the Science Store....
By Jennifer Horak, NGSS@NSTA Project Manager
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I’m trying to use more projects and open-ended assessments this year, but I’m getting bogged down with grading. I know I should use rubrics, but it’s hard to create them for every assignment. Any suggestions on how to streamline thi...
By MsMentorAdmin
Blog Post
NAEYC–early childhood and science!
Will I see you at the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s national conference in Washington, D.C., this week? Come say “Hi” and tell me what great sessions you’ve attended. I’ll be in the Learning Galleria, Table 12, ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Did I tell you how happy I was to see the returning three-year old students use magnifiers appropriately? Because this half-day preschool for 2-5-year-olds had moved to a new space over the summer, the “usual place” for everything had to be deter...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Subtle differences in words can make a big difference: for example “arguing” and “argumentation.” Our students see TV shows where arguing is the most common activity. People shout at and interrupt each other, spout ideas that ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Astronomy resources (mostly free)
Judging by the large audience, teachers love teaching astronomy, and of course they love free resources, too....
By ManagingEditorSC
Blog Post
Looking for a little outdoors time in between sessions? If the beach doesn’t do it for you, a short trip up the coast to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park will. Smack dab in the city, this “oasis of tropical hammocks” features native and...
By ManagingEditorSC
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Learning about science curriculum and meeting more early childhood teachers than I expected were the happy outcomes of the two days I spent at the really well-run Virginia Association of Science Teachers 2009 Professional Development Institute....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
With water play students gain experience they can record in writing and drawing
Children observe objects in water....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Interdisciplinary/integrated science
I always look forward to the NSTA journal issues that have a theme with the words integrated or interdisciplinary in them....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Physics teachers have a chance to get physical—and biological—on Thursday at the NSTA Conference in Fort Lauderdale with a session called Muscular Physics. The hands-on workshop by Umadevi I....
By Lynn Petrinjak