By Korei Martin
Posted on 2015-11-08
Looking for ways to incorporate science and writing? Want a good look at Earth systems that are normally non-accessible? Curious about how crowd-sourcing and science go together? Do you know how middle and high school level science courses affect college students’ choice of major? The November K–college journals from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have the answers you need. Written by science teachers for science teachers, these peer-reviewed journals are targeted to your teaching level and are packed with lesson plans, expert advice, and ideas for using whatever time/space you have available. Browse the November issues; they are online (see below), in members’ mailboxes, and ready to inspire teachers!
A major practice of science is the communication of ideas and the results of inquiry. The articles in this issue of S&C will help you integrate science and writing in ways that strengthen both.
Featured articles (please note, only those marked “free” are available to nonmembers without a fee):
Featured articles:
No matter where you live on this planet, you won’t have to go far to find evidence of the Earth’s systems at work. In this issue, however, we provide you with a number of ways that you can explore Earth systems at work in locations that might be outside the range of your typical field trip, such as glaciers, deep-sea platforms, and active volcanoes.
Featured articles (please note, only those marked “free” are available to nonmembers without a fee):
Featured articles:
Citizen science harnesses the power of people by crowd-sourcing data collection and analysis. In our classes, it can create opportunities for students to participate in authentic research and the generation of new scientific knowledge. The opportunities are boundless. When students participate in citizen science projects, they go beyond canned labs where the outcome is known to discover the multidimensional nature of scientific research. Students provide essential data for important investigations, as described in this issue; they analyze data sets to discover patterns and construct explanations from evidence; they ask questions, generate and test hypotheses, and become involved in meaningful research. What better way to get students excited about science?
Featured articles (please note, only those marked “free” are available to nonmembers without a fee):
Featured articles:
Journal of College Science Teaching
Read about a unique project designed for an introductory-level physics course that links sustainability, arts, and scie
nce in an effort to engage students in the creative process in science. See the Research and Teaching column for a study that investigated why college-level students select science majors and how the science preparation they received in middle school and high school may have influenced their choices. Meet JCST‘s new Two-Year Community column editor, Apryl Nenortas, by reading her introduction and learning about her vision for the column.
Featured articles (please note, only those marked “free” are available to nonmembers without a fee):
Featured articles:
Get these journals in your mailbox as well as your inbox—become an NSTA member!
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
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By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2015-11-08
Each of the K-12 journals this month includes Three-Dimensional Instruction: Using a New Type of Teaching in the Science Classroom with suggestions on how to integrate Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and CroEarath ss-Cutting Concepts into our teaching. “None of the dimensions can be used in isolation; they work together so that students can build a deeper understanding as they grapple with making sense of a phenomenon or finding solutions to problems.” A must read!
Science Scope – Earth Science Activities
It’s not hard to get middle school students into the Earth Sciences, making connections with the topics and their own lives! Each featured article this month has a full-page description of how the lesson aligns with the NGSS middle school standards.
The November issue of The Science Teacher has a Safety Acknowledgment Form for Earth Science.
Here are some SciLinks with content information and suggestions for additional activities and investigations related to this month’s featured articles: Acid Water, Astrobiology, Geologic Time, Glaciers, Hot Spots/Volcanoes, Life on Other Planets, Ocean Currents, Ocean Waves, Polar Climates, Polar Marine Ecosystems, Plate Tectonics, Properties of Ocean Water, Reptiles, Rock Cycle, Space Exploration, Volcanic Eruptions, Volcanic Features.
Continue for The Science Teacher and Science and Children.
The Science Teacher — Citizen Science
“Citizen science harnesses the power of people [including students] by crowdsourcing data collection and analysis.” 21st-Century Citizen Science provides a rationale for this type of global awareness and interactions, as students engage in authentic research. (Career of the Month: Citizen Scientist (and Research Chemist) describes how a chemist became a butterfly advocate.)
Here are some SciLinks with content information and suggestions for additional activities and investigations related to this month’s featured articles: Characteristics of Birds, Compost, Electronic Circuits, Pollination, Science Fair, Soil Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture.
Science and Children — Writing in Science
“Science and engineering include specialized ways of talking and writing,” and learning how to communicate the findings of investigations and the results of design projects is essential. As the article in this issue demonstrate, it’s never to early to get children thinking and communicating as scientists or engineers.
Here are some SciLinks with content information and suggestions for additional activities and investigations related to this month’s featured articles: Composting, Invertebrates, Light and Color, Rocks, Sound, States of Matter, Whales, Worms.
Each of the K-12 journals this month includes Three-Dimensional Instruction: Using a New Type of Teaching in the Science Classroom with suggestions on how to integrate Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and CroEarath ss-Cutting Concepts into our teaching.