All Early Childhood resources

Journal Article

Formative Assessment Probes: Uncovering Young Children’s Concept of a Plant

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month’s issue uses the “Is It a Plant?” formative assessment probe, which was developed to elicit primary students’ initial ideas about plants and the characteristics they us...

Early Childhood Elementary Biology Assessment

Journal Article

Teaching Through Trade Books: Animal Parents and Their Offspring

This column includes activities inspired by children’s literature. The activities in this month’s column use text-based materials, media, and role-playing activities to help students understand how animal behavior helps offspring survive....

Early Childhood Elementary

Journal Article

Teaching Teachers: Inquiry in Inclusive Preschools

This column enhances the repertoire of preservice and inservice teachers. Preparing preservice teachers to plan and implement physical science learning centers ...

Early Childhood Inclusion Inquiry Physical Science Teacher Preparation

Journal Article

The Early Years: Experiencing Inquiry

This column discusses resources and science topics related to students in grades preK to 2. This month’s issue shows how teachers can experience physical science inquiry with colleagues while investigating properties of matter using the EER cycle a...

Early Childhood Elementary Pre-service Teachers Preschool General Science Inquiry Science and Engineering Practices Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

The Early Years: Taking Math Outside

This column discusses resources and science topics related to students in grades preK to 2. This month’s issue uses children’s interest in collecting outdoor objects to develop their number sense and to build their understanding of math concepts...

Early Childhood Elementary Pre-service Teachers Preschool Environmental Science Mathematics Crosscutting Concepts Inquiry Science and Engineering Practices Teaching Strategies

Blog Post

Introducing Crosscutting Concepts in the Elementary Grades

Four years ago, I moved from teaching middle school science to teaching grades 2–5 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) labs. One of the biggest challenges I faced was limited lab time in our elementary school. Because we ...

By Cindy Workosky

Early Childhood Elementary Preschool Biology Crosscutting Concepts Disciplinary Core Ideas Multilingual Learners Equity General Science Inquiry Labs Learning Progression Lesson Plans Life Science Literacy New Science Teachers NGSS Phenomena Preservice Science Education Science and Engineering Practices Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning

Interactive E-book Kids

Sound All Around

The Sound All Around interactive e-book uses a variety of everyday events to introduce the concept of sound. Students explore how to make sounds, how sound travels, and how sounds are used. Characters Molly and Juan guide students to explore as they ...

Early Childhood Elementary Pre-service Teachers Preschool General Science Physical Science STEM Technology 5E Assessment Crosscutting Concepts Curriculum Disciplinary Core Ideas Instructional Materials Inquiry Learning Progression Lesson Plans NGSS Pedagogy Performance Expectations Phenomena Science and Engineering Practices Three-Dimensional Learning Interdisciplinary Literacy

Class Pack

Flight of the Pollinators PPSTEMK-2 Classpack

Using Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: K-2: Using Children’s Books to Inspires STEM Learning in your classroom is easier than ever! NSTA’s ClassPacks, each sufficient for a class of 28 students, are lesson-specific collections of materials—an unma...

Early Childhood Life Science Crosscutting Concepts Disciplinary Core Ideas Science and Engineering Practices

Class Pack

Build It! ClassPack: Grades K-2

Based on the award-winning, best-selling Picture-Perfect STEM series, this ClassPack pairs effortlessly with the Picture-Perfect STEM Grades K-2 Lesson "Build It!" to combine reading comprehension, literacy, and science in your classroom! Using Pictu...

Early Childhood Elementary Informal Education Pre-service Teachers Preschool Engineering General Science STEM Technology Instructional Materials Inquiry Lesson Plans Phenomena Science and Engineering Practices Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning Interdisciplinary Labs Literacy New Science Teachers Preservice Science Education Teacher Preparation

Journal Article

The Early Years: Mixing Materials

This column discusses resources and science topics related to students in grades preK to 2. This month’s issue discusses how students can observe the properties of matter and document changes as materials are mixed....

Early Childhood Elementary Pre-service Teachers Preschool Chemistry Physical Science