Everyone across the country is getting ready to view the sky event of the decade – the All American total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. 

Older kids may have studied eclipses in an earth science or general science class. But there is a way to get younger kids ready to view the solar eclipse. NSTA Kids Press recently published an eclipse book that we think you will want to share with your students. Please check out When the Sun Goes Dark.

In this richly illustrated, 36-page book, 12-year-old Diana and her younger brother, Sammy, want to know why their grandparents travel thousands of miles to see total eclipses of the Sun. Readers follow the kids’ questions and interactions and learn the science behind solar and lunar eclipses, what makes these sky events so special, and how to observe a solar eclipse safely. When the Sun Goes Dark provides a great introduction for families and serves as an excellent resource for teachers and librarians as they prepare for the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse that will be visible throughout North America.

Please check out the many 5-star reviews are on both the NSTA and Amazon websites

We hope your students enjoy the book and you have clear skies on August 21^st.

Welcome to guest blogger Emily Townsend! Emily has been teaching for a decade to students of all ages, kindergarten to adult. She has a love of language that was born through her first year teaching abroad in Shijiazhuang, China. She has recently discovered that science and language learning are obvious allies, and is delighted in the gains in academic vocabulary scientific inquiry lessons can provide. She currently co-teachs in six push-in English Language Development classrooms and tries to instill a love of both subjects (science and LA) in her students. She is a hiker, camper, and want-to-be bird watcher, and lives with her husband and their dog on the Oregon coast. 

“In early childhood education, our textbooks are the materials we offer children…” (Cuffaro 2005). 

In May, after a winter of 167 days of rain, with summer in view, in a push-in class of emerging bilinguals, I shared this quote with my co-teachers and took Cuffaro’s advice to heart. A kindergarten physical science unit was born from materials found in drawers, cupboards, and recycling bins. Before any introduction or explanation to the class about force, energy, or machines, we passed out our “text”: cardboard box lids and marbles. Our inspiration was a lesson from Head Start on Science, Section 3: Physical Science (Ritz 2007).  This book takes children on investigations with blocks and magnets and, in our case, marbles, to lead them in answering their own questions about the movement and makeup of the world.

To plan our investigation and Engage, the first step in the 5E Model (Barufaldi 2002, Bybee 2014), we asked our young scientists: ‘What can we do with these materials?’  ‘What can we create?’. Motion was on their minds as well, which led to the next round of questioning; ‘How can the marble move?’, ‘In what different ways can the marble get from one side of the box to the other?’. Two lists were generated: speeds and patterns:  fast to “not moving much” and zig-zag to curvy. 

As students set out to make their marble behave in these ways, one particularly data-driven young mind raised the question, “Can we use a whiteboard to write down what happens?”. Oh, but of course, you can record your findings! Our budding scientists set out for the second ‘E’, Explore, and maneuvered their marble with “different strengths and directions of pushes and pulls” (NGSS K-PS2-1, NGSS Lead States) and, gloriously, take data. When students take the initiative, as this student led her classmates in doing, it moves the lesson from teacher-directed to student-driven. Deeper learning occurs when motivation and desire meet investigation.

We offered guiding questions as students explored, then introduced a new element: paint.  By adding a new material we heightened their learning with the opportunity for compare and contrast, and cause and effect.  Students already had one experience, so by adding a new way to explore, they were encouraged to observe changes.  Students also realized the paint created resistance for the marble where it was thick and it was more difficult to move the marble.  The effects of the paint allowed the investigation to blossom into something new. 

When whiteboards were full and box lids were decorated, students returned for the next phase of the 5E Model, Explain. They shared their findings, using their data and box lid as proof.  We asked, “How did you make a curvy and straight line?” “Did the marble stop or bounce when it reached the side?”  “Why?” Students used their own words to define the science they had encountered.  We guided the discussion with sentence frames that came up naturally, “It moved…” and “It rolled” were obvious using regular past tense.  However, students also used “It drawed..” and “It maked..”, which allowed the organic incorporation of the correct irregular past tense in language frames as the discussion continued. 

Another natural connection in language was body parts.  In our English Language Development classroom, this vocabulary is explicitly taught and our investigation presented a perfect opportunity to practice.  When students described how to make the marble move, they were encouraged to name the body parts used to create the movement; such as elbow, shoulder, wrist, and even waist.  Other students could then mimic their movement using the oral descriptions as a guide.

In addition, new science vocabulary was introduced.  It provided students with common language to discuss their findings.  Ramp, inclined plane, and force were pre-planned content vocabulary for the unit. Other concepts, friction and gravity, were brought up by students when describing problems and successes they encountered. When the need for these words arose in class, they were given in learner-friendly definitions.  For example, gravity came up in a discussion of the marble only rolling down the ramps.  When asked why, a student explained that things only fall down. The rest of the class agreed that they had had the same experience, so we introduced the idea of gravity, a force that pulls things to the Earth. For objects to move up a ramp, they would need another force, a student’s push. By giving students vocabulary in context of their experience, we provided meaningful exposure.  Students now had a link in their brains between their lives and Tier 3 content vocabulary (Beck, McKeown, and Kucan 2002). 

Extension, ‘E’ number four, could be done using different sizes and shapes of boxes, by adding obstacles within the box for the marble to maneuver, or by providing students with a goal of creating a picture with the paint.  These could be presented whole group or in centers. 

The 5th ‘E’, evaluation, came in the creation of roller coasters and machines during exploration with blocks and other recyclable materials to manipulate marbles. Although the goal of the unit was not to have students use simple machines, we found that introducing the everyday uses of these machines allowed students to create and explore the effects of pushes and pulls with common vocabulary. Each simple machine (inclined plane, wheel and axle, screw, wedge, and pulley) was introduced through a similar investigation, where students explored the effects of pushes and pulls on an object.  We raided our classrooms for on-hand materials to use in these explorations.  A marshmallow, ruler, and pencil were used for a lever, cardboard cylinders and a heavy box for wheels and axles (Ashbrook 2016), and a pencil, spool, and string for pulleys.  After each exploration, we named the machines they created and identified their use in our everyday lives. In the end, students combined their knowledge for the 5th ‘E’, evaluation, and created roller coasters, using many simple machines, with blocks and other recyclable materials.

In each exploration, students were given a goal and the necessary equipment to reach it.  Each time we were amazed by their scientific and engineering design ingenuity, their curiosity, and ability to apply new knowledge to their current schema.  All around the room, among children of all backgrounds and language proficiency levels, we heard, “I love science time!”.

Works Cited:

Ashbrook, Peggy. 2016. Chapter 17: “Roll with It!” Science Learning in the Early Years: Activities for PreK-2. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association, 2016. 99-104. 

Barufaldi, Jim. 5E Model of Instruction. Austin: CSCOPE, July 2002.

http://www.ptisd.org/upload/page/0204/docs/CScope.5E_Expanded.pdf

Beck, Isabel L., McKeown, Margaret G., Kucan, Linda. 2002. Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York City: The Guilford Press.

Bybee, Rodger. 2014. Guest Editorial: The BSCS 5E Instructional Model: Personal Reflections and Contemporary Implications. Science and Children. 51(8): 10-13

Cuffaro, Harriet K. “Block Building: Opportunities for Learning.” Community Playthings.  Community Playthings, 1 Feb. 2005. Web. 21 June 2017.

http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2005/block-building-opportunities-for-learning 

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. 

www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards  

Ritz, William C. Ed. 2007. A Head Start on Science: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder: 89 Activities for Children Ages 3-7. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press

This week in education news, controversy over science education nothing new in Oklahoma; President’s budget would zero out the funding for innovations in teacher training; the debate over teaching climate change in U.S. schools heats up; experiential learning helps students own their future; computer science educators should prepare students with how to deal with pressing ethical questions related to the capabilities of technology; mentors for new teachers found to boost student achievement; and NSTA and the STEM Education Coalition warn the U.S. Department of Education that excluding science as a top priority in new state education plans would be a mistake.

Controversy Over Science Education Nothing New In Oklahoma

Science teacher Heather Johnston has fielded an increase in student questions about the concept of rising temperatures across the planet, an example of the intensifying political debate over climate change creeping into her classroom. But even when a student might express disbelief in the scientific theory, Johnston, who teaches at Norman High School, views it as an opportunity to invite students to practice their scientific investigation skills. Click here to read the article featured in Tulsa World.

How Trump’s Budget Would Gut Innovations In Teacher Training

It’s no secret that traditional teacher training and “professional development” can feel far removed from the real world of the classroom. That’s daunting to many who might enter the profession, frustrating to many already there — and ultimately hurtful to students. So when Louisiana announced that every new teacher in the state would receive a full year of “residency-based” training, modeled on how doctors learn their craft, the question the rest of the country should have asked is, “How do we make that happen here?” Unfortunately, the Trump administration is moving in precisely the opposite direction, with a plan to zero out the funding for innovations like Louisiana’s. Click here to read the article featured on The 74.

3 Climate Change Challenges For Science Teachers

Climate change is adjustments in the Earth’s weather and climate patterns, including the accelerated increase in the planet’s overall average temperature, that scientists have observed for more than a hundred years, says David Evans, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association, a professional group for science educators. While leaders worldwide determine how to address climate change, high school teachers in the U.S. face a number of challenges. Click here to read the article featured in U.S. News & World Report.

Boost Girls’ STEM Education To Combat Sexism In Tech

One of the worst-kept secrets in the tech world is how “awful” tech companies can be to women. You don’t have to go far to find a story about sexism or discrimination. There are a lot of theories about why this is happening, but I think the root cause doesn’t get enough exposure: More girls need to be encouraged to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM-related fields from a very young age. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week’s Market Brief.

Debate Heats Up Over Teaching Climate Change In US Schools

The struggle over what American students learn about global warming is heating up as conservative lawmakers, climate change doubters and others attempt to push rejected or debunked theories into the classroom. An overwhelming majority of climate scientists say man-made emissions drive global warming, but there’s no such consensus among educators over how climate change and its causes should be taught. Click here to read the Associated Press article.

How Experiential Learning Helps Students Own Their Future

Passion and purpose. One drives students’ ability and eagerness to learn. The other can keep them wavering in life to no end. As an educator and father, I’ve been quick to notice that my students and even my own children, for that matter, are passionate about the subjects they learn and concepts that come naturally to them; however, often these passionate students get lost in the application of that passion to its purpose—i.e., how it applies to a career or real-life situation. Click here to read the article featured in Education DIVE.

Teaching Computer Science Is Great, But It’s Not Enough

In recent years, the dizzying pace of technological innovation has motivated a surge of interest in creating quality computer-science-education experiences for all K-12 students in the United States. In early 2016, President Barack Obama announced the Computer Science for All initiative, which called for more than $4 billion in federal funding to expand computer science in elementary, middle, and high school. Though Congress never set aside the proposed $4 billion, the initiative set in motion a new focus on computer science, triggering change across the country. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Project-Based Learning’s Next Project: Understanding When It Works

Can project-based learning help close the achievement gap? New research focused on young elementary schoolers suggests that a well-designed and well-taught project-based-learning curriculum can help make a difference for students living in poverty. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Mentors for New Teachers Found To Boost Student Achievement—By A Lot

If new teachers are paired with high-quality, trained mentors and receive frequent feedback, their students may receive the equivalent of up to five months of additional learning, a new study found. Click here to read the article featured in TEACHER.

Digital Generals Are As Important As Military Generals (Because The US Is Losing the Digital War)

There are some economic realities that are inescapable. The very structure of the US economy has shifted dramatically in just fifteen years. Look at the list of the most valuable companies then and now. In 2001, GE, Microsoft, Exxon, Citigroup and Walmart were the top five US companies by market cap; but by 2016 the list was Apple, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook. During the same fifteen years, Internet growth increased from about 50% to over 90%, and the number of Americans accessing the Internet via high speed connections grew from less than 5% to over 75%. Click here to read the article featured in Forbes magazine.

Science Teachers Warn Trump Team Against ‘Poor Policy Choice’

A nationwide group representing science teachers and a science education coalition have written to the U.S. Department of Education warning that excluding science as a top priority in new state education plans would be a mistake. In a letter sent Thursday to Jason Botel, the department’s acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, the National Science Teachers Association and the STEM Education Coalition said that the department’s recent feedback on states’ plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act improperly discourages states from using science in school accountability systems. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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As a recent graduate, I’m preparing for interviews. Do you have any hints for successful interviews? —A., Minnesota

I’ve been on interview committees, and when applicants have comparable credentials, little things can make an impression. In addition to what your college mentors recommended for interviewing, I’d suggest the following.

Do some research before the interview in case you’re asked what you know about the school or community. Look for nearby science-related resources (parks, museums, nature centers, etc.). Learn a little about the history of the community and what it’s famous for. Visit the school’s website to learn about the school culture, facilities, extracurricular activities. Look over the student and faculty handbooks if they are available online.

I’m sure your college mentors suggested answering questions completely and succinctly. Don’t fake a response or answer with unrelated information. If you don’t know an answer, write the question down and add it to your list of things to learn about.

Even though you know to dress professionally for the interview, you could accessorize subtly with the school colors. Turn off your cell phone before the interview and arrive in time to mentally organize yourself. Also organize any materials you bring to the interview.

Shake hands firmly and repeat names as you are introduced. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Jones.” Even though you’ll be nervous, show your enthusiasm and personality.

Purge your personal social media sites of inappropriate information or photos. Don’t share things that you would not want your future students and their parents (and school administrators) to see.

The committee may ask if you have any questions. Show your interest by asking

• What is the school’s philosophy toward science instruction?
• What mentoring and professional development activities are available?
• What kind of lab resources and technology are available?
• What is the role of extracurricular activities in the school?
• How do teachers use community resources that you identified before the interview?

Good luck!