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Methods and Strategies: Ask the Right Question

Journal Article

Methods and Strategies: Ask the Right Question

This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month’s issue shows how teachers can use literature and higher-level thinking questions to enhance science instruction....

Elementary General Science Assessment Inquiry NGSS Pedagogy Teaching Strategies Interdisciplinary Literacy New Science Teachers Preservice Science Education

Engineering Encounters: The Internet of Things for Kids

Journal Article

Engineering Encounters: The Internet of Things for Kids

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. In the “Talking Window Garden” project, students create “smart” plant pots that use sensors to collect and analyze data on the health of their plants....

Elementary Engineering Life Science STEM Technology

NSTA Press Book

Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, 3-5: Using Children’s Books to Inspire STEM Learning

"Teachers in our district have been fans of Picture-Perfect Science for years, and it’s made a huge impact on how they fit science into their school day. We are so excited to do more of the same with these Picture-Perfect STEM books!"—Chris Gible...

By Emily Morgan, Karen Ansberry

Postsecondary Elementary Informal Education STEM Assessment Curriculum Instructional Materials Inquiry Lesson Plans Teaching Strategies Interdisciplinary Literacy New Science Teachers Preservice Science Education Teacher Preparation

Using the Crosscutting Concepts to Scaffold Student Thinking

Blog Post

Using the Crosscutting Concepts to Scaffold Student Thinking

At the recent NSTA National Conference in Los Angeles, three-dimensional learning was, of course, a major topic of discussion. When those discussions focus on classroom instruction, though, the crosscutting concepts are often the forgotten dimension....

By Cindy Workosky

Middle School Elementary High School Chemistry Crosscutting Concepts Curriculum Engineering Equity Inquiry Literacy New Science Teachers Physical Science Physics Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old STEM Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies Technology Three-Dimensional Learning

Introducing Crosscutting Concepts in the Elementary Grades

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

Investigating Weather and Climate

Interactive E-book Kids

Investigating Weather and Climate

Clear patterns emerge from weather data collected over time. These patterns are the foundation of what we understand as a location’s climate. By investigating the data of different climates for long-term patterns, students begin to notice that not ...

Elementary Climate Change Earth & Space Science General 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

Sound All Around

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

I Live Where I Live Because...

Interactive E-book Kids

I Live Where I Live Because...

In order to survive in an environment, organisms have many different physical characteristics that help regulate their temperature, move, find food, and protect themselves. The students’ first analyze data from a case study on the peppered moth, le...

Elementary Biology Environmental Science Evolution Life Science STEM Technology 5E Assessment Crosscutting Concepts Curriculum Disciplinary Core Ideas Multilingual Learners Inquiry Learning Progression NGSS Pedagogy Performance Expectations Phenomena Science and Engineering Practices Three-Dimensional Learning

Digging Deeper: Designing Solutions

Blog Post

Digging Deeper: Designing Solutions

This month’s Digging Deeper column for the Next Gen Navigator focuses on the practice of constructing explanations and designing solutions, and specifically the design process that addresses the engineering component of the Next Generation Science ...

By Cindy Workosky

Elementary 5E Crosscutting Concepts Curriculum Inquiry Instructional Materials Mathematics NGSS Phenomena Physical Science Physics Science and Engineering Practices STEM Teaching Strategies Technology Three-Dimensional Learning

Space Exploration ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Class Pack

Space Exploration ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Using Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: 3-5: 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...

Elementary Informal Education Earth & Space Science STEM 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

Solving the Puzzle ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Class Pack

Solving the Puzzle ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Using Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: 3-5: 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...

Elementary Informal Education Earth & Space Science STEM 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

Hurricane ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Class Pack

Hurricane ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Using Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: 3-5: 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...

Elementary Informal Education Middle School Earth & Space Science STEM 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

Bionic Animals ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Class Pack

Bionic Animals ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Using Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: 3-5: 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...

Elementary Informal Education Middle School Engineering Life Science STEM 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

Spider Science ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Class Pack

Spider Science ClassPack: Grades 3-5

Using Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: 3-5: 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...

Elementary Informal Education Middle School Life Science STEM 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

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