If you’ve been to Chicago, you know it’s an ideal place to focus on design and architecture. So this March, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) will feature a special strand “The Science of Design: Structure and Function” at our 2015 National Conference on Science Education, in Chicago, March 12–15. Our conference organizers recognize that architecture and engineering provide the infrastructure for human-made systems, that designing for the future requires imagination and a commitment to sustainability, and that teaching about this involves the crosscutting concepts of structure and function and the practices of science and engineering. Communities like Chicago provide examples of great design and great science.

Sessions organized around this strand include a featured presentation on Friday, March 13, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (“The Power of Play”) by Peter Exley (Architecture is Fun, Inc.: Chicago, IL). Not familiar with Exley? Check out this profile on him in Chicago Artists Month. And there will be hundreds more sessions in Chicago that highlight great design and great science; below is a small sampling so you see what’s in store:

• The Maker Movement
• From the Love Canal to Phytoremediation: What’s New in Environmental Engineering?
• Engaging Girls in Engineering Through Community Service
• McREL Pathway Session: Green STEM in Elementary Classrooms
• Understanding Car Crashes: Engineering Truly Impactful STEM Lessons
• Helping Middle School Students “Discover Engineering”
• Eco-Structure and Function: Analyzing River Health with Engineering Practices in Problem-based Situations
• Engineering Design Inspired by Nature

Want more? Check out more sessions and other events with the Chicago Session Browser/Personal Scheduler, or take a peek at the online conference preview (pdf). Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA15, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it!

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

Follow NSTA

This March, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) will feature a special strand “Teaching Every Child by Embracing Diversity” at our 2015 National Conference on Science Education, in Chicago, March 12–15. We’re starting with the knowledge that all classrooms are diverse; learners bring a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and experiences to the study of science. So we want to help educators find new ideas and resources for meeting the needs of all students, including English language learners, students with special needs, and those with diverse learning styles and abilities. Successful instructional approaches must address methods, materials, facilities, and partnerships. These sessions will confirm the belief that every student can excel in science.

Sessions organized around this strand include a featured presentation on Thursday, March 12 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (“Next Generation Science Standards and English Language Learners: The Development of Deep and Generative Practices”) by Aída Walqui (WestEd: San Francisco, CA). Not familiar with Walqui? Check out this interview in Language Magazine, where she discusses Five Principles for Succeeding with Adolescent English Learners. And there will be hundreds more sessions in Chicago to inspire teachers who want every student to have the chance to succeed in science; below is a small sampling so you see what’s in store:

• Aprendamos Juntos! (Let’s Learn Together): Embracing Native Languages in Non-bilingual Classrooms to Build Intermediate Science Literacy in English
• Mixed Media Journaling in the Diverse Science Classroom
• SC-10: STEM for ALL: Practices and Methods that Promote Equal Access to STEM
• A New Movement: Thinking on Your Feet
• Science for Bl(all)ck Children: Making Meaning Through Language and Culture
• Implementing the 3-E Instructional Model to Enhance Science Learning Experiences for Students with Special Needs
• Your Kids Can, Too! Scientific Argumentation for All Students
• Any Time, Any Place, Any Pace Lab Science
• El Club de Padres: Maximize Science Learning for Your Bilingual Students by Promoting a Learning Partnership with Their Parents

Want more? Check out more sessions and other events with the Chicago Session Browser/Personal Scheduler, or take a peek at the online conference preview (pdf). Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA15, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it!

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

Follow NSTA

In cold weather children’s systems of clothing for comfort may become more complicated with added parts of boots, leg warmers, mittens, scarves, hats and coats with multiple fastenings. Reading a book aloud during the time it takes children to get dressed to go outside can help those who are fastest be patient while waiting for others to finish. 

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright is recommended by Kathy’s Book Corner at ScienceStart! for introducing the topic of freezing and melting (changing the state of matter from a solid to a liquid.) Kathy Conezio suggests activities to do at home or school related to the theme of the books she reviews. You can also find videos of books being read aloud by Jessica Bruederle and other readers, but nothing beats sitting on a lap or gathering by a knee to listen to a story being read from an actual book. The reader can pause to ask children what they think might happen next or to describe a time they had a similar experience.

Do you use videos for story time or for children to revisit favorite books? What technology system works best in your home or program? 

NSTA Recommends is another wonderful resource for finding books that are scientifically accurate and useful for learning about science concepts in early childhood. Build It! Structures, Systems and You by Adrianne Mason describes many systems and their parts. While the text level of Snow and People by Nikki Bundy is recommended for grades 2 and above, the photographs and labeled illustrations will engage preschoolers in talking about their clothing system for keeping warm. 

I asked my local librarian for books about light and shadow and she found many non-fiction books that address science concepts such as, “How is a shadow formed?” Local libraries—another example of a system!