Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides an in-depth understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Noting that the changes to the standards will likely cause some stress, the authors developed this resource to help teachers. “This is an exciting time in science education. We have many opportunities before us to make significant and lasting change in the ways we teach science at the K–12 level. But with major change comes some anxiety. We hope this book can begin to answer some of your questions based on the reforms found in the Framework and the NGSS,” the authors state in the first chapter.

Helping Students Make Sense of the World addresses three major questions:

• How will engaging students in science and engineering practices help improve science education?
• What do the eight practices look like in the classroom?
• How can educators engage students in practices to bring the NGSS to life?

Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book edited by Christina Schwarz, Cynthia Passmore, and Brian Reiser, explains what is different about practice-centered teaching and learning and how it fits into what teachers have already been doing. “We like to think of the focus on practices as a kind of Inquiry 2.0—not a replacement for inquiry but rather a second wave that articulates more clearly what successful inquiry looks like when it results in building scientific knowledge,” state the editors.

Developed for K–12 science teachers, curriculum developers, teacher educators, and administrators, the book’s lessons are classroom-tested and designed to make implementing the practices as easy as possible.

Check out the sample chapter Developing and Using Models.  Helping Students Make Sense of the World is also available as an ebook.

Follow NSTA

Save

This week in education news, Idaho legislators remove climate change language from new state science standards, California renews push to promote environmental education in public schools, three global indexes show that America’s public schools are doing something right, and Intel dropped its sponsorship of the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Idaho Legislators Strip Climate Change Language in New Science Standards

Idaho Lawmakers on the state’s House Education Committee voted to approve the new K-12 science standards only when references to human activity as a prime cause of climate change that had appeared in a draft of the standards were removed. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

California Renews Push to Promote Environmental Literacy in Schools

Environmental education in California got another big push last November when the State Board of Education approved integrating five key environmental principles into the new science frameworks last November. The frameworks provide a blueprint for introducing the Next Generation Science Standards, which the state adopted in 2013, and are gradually being introduced in schools across the state. Click here to read the article featured on the EdSource website.

Three Global Indexes Show that U.S. Public Schools Must be Doing Something Right

Three global indexes show that U.S. public schools must be doing something right. Test scores aren’t the only measure of achievement. Click here to read the article featured in The Washington Post.

Intel Drops Its Sponsorship of Science Fairs, Prompting an Identity Crisis

Intel ended its support last year for the national Science Talent Search and now will drop its backing of the International Science and Engineering Fair. Intel’s move away from traditional science fairs leads to broader questions about how a top technology company should handle the corporate sponsorship of science, and what is the best way to promote the education of the tech work force of the future. Click here to read the article featured in The New York Times.

Spatial Skills: A Neglected Dimension of Early STEM Education

Mounting empirical evidence suggests that spatial skills actually predict success in STEM fields out to adulthood. Indeed, they may serve as a STEM “gateway.” Despite the evidence, however, the importance of spatial skills is often overlooked as a key feature of STEM education. This frequent neglect of spatial development creates an additional barrier to children’s STEM learning. Click here to read the article featured on Education Week’s Leadership 360 blog.

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.

Follow NSTA