The flickering of fireflies has always been one of my favorite things about summer. This regular summer phenomenon always seemed extraordinary to me, so when I started the Next Time You See book series, fireflies were high on the list of topics I wanted to write about. As I researched the book, my fascination with fireflies continued to grow. I had known that fireflies flash in order to mate, but I was amazed to find out that each species has its own flashing pattern, and that the males are the ones we see flying and flashing, while the females stay still and decide whether or not they want to flash back. I was captivated when I came across this photo on nature photographer Judd Patterson’s flickr stream titled “Elkmont Synchronous Firelfies.” I thought, Synchronous fireflies—does that mean what I think it means?

It turns out there are only two places in the world (that we know of) where the fireflies flash in unison. One is in Southeast Asia and the other is a five-hour drive from my home in Cincinnati, in Elkmont, Tennessee. So, I decided right then that I was going to see this for myself.

It turns out that there is only one week each year that you can see this amazing phenomenon. I missed my chance last summer, but this summer I was ready. I checked the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website regularly to see when scientists predicted the fireflies would be flashing, and in April, as soon as the information was posted, my family made reservations for one of the peak nights, June 9.

June 9 finally came, and that morning, over a Tennessee pancake breakfast, we read about the scientists and park rangers who study the synchronous fireflies in a book by my friend Mary Kay Carson called Park Scientists. While going into the park’s visitor’s center that afternoon, we recognized one of the scientists featured in the book and stopped to take a picture. I took that lucky encounter as a sign that this was going to be a great day.

When we arrived, we found that hundreds of people were there for the same reason we were. We rode a trolley seven miles into the mountains as the Sun was setting, and we found a nice place in the woods where we sat and waited for the forest to grow dark.

We found just the right place on the path. We had to bring the book! That’s Judd’s synchronous firefly photo on the cover. I waited for the fireflies with my son, Jack

The forest rangers handed out pieces of red cellophane to cover our flashlights so the fireflies would not be distracted by our lights. First came the blue ghost fireflies, which don’t really flash—they glow a blue light for a few seconds, then the light fades away. Next, we began to see a few random glimmers of yellow light, and before we knew it, the forest was sparkling with thousands of tiny lights. Then it would go completely dark for a few seconds before the light show started again. We counted the flashes of the synchronous fireflies, 1-2-3-4-5-6, and then darkness. Over and over for hours, the forest would be ablaze with flickering lights and then go completely dark. We couldn’t believe our eyes. It was like we were in some kind of magical place—an enchanted forest. My husband likened it to the flash bulbs that go off at the Super Bowl halftime show. It was impossible to capture the full effect of this phenomenon on camera or video. My husband made some long-exposure attempts. His photos were beautiful, but no photo could compare to what we saw as we stood in that enchanted forest.

John Muir said, “In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” This sentiment rang true with us that night. What we experienced was far more amazing than we had ever expected, and the memories we made will last forever.

As a physics and chemistry teacher for over 30 years, Adah Stock learned firsthand the importance of proper safety precautions in the science lab. Stock’s emphasis on safe practices paid off; she only had one small accident in the lab in over 30 years of teaching. Stock, an NSTA member since 1986, is now retired from classroom teaching, but still works in science education as a consultant. She credits NSTA’s journals, conferences, and other services for helping her keep on top of safety practices.
Stock: NSTA absolutely helped me learn about safety precautions for the classroom. The NSTA journals were especially helpful. I particularly enjoy Science Scope’s “Scope on Safety” column and The Science Teacher’s “Safer Science” column. (Note from NSTA: For more information on these columns, see the “Safe Science” blog post from May 2014.)
One journal article I read a while ago talked about how important it is to install ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) safety outlets in schools. Students sometimes can be mischievous and put objects into electrical outlets. I learned that the middle school I was teaching in did not have GFCI outlets. So, I presented the NSTA article to my principal, who subsequently installed the safety outlets. Adding the GFCI outlets wasn’t expensive, but was necessary. By reading the articles and learning about what can possibly go wrong, you say to yourself, “I need to watch out for this.”
When I was a chemistry teacher in Texas, my district was building a new high school. The superintendent invited me to look at the specs for the building. When I looked at the specs, I noticed that the chemistry room had only one door. I knew that from reading NSTA articles that you need two doors in a chemistry lab. So, I told the architect, “Where is the other door?” And, he said, “What for? It would ruin the aesthetics of the room.” I told my superintendent that having only one door was a bad safety hazard. What if there is a fire in the lab? Students need another door to get out. My superintendent looked at the architect and said, “Put another door in.” I never got to see that building because I moved away before it was built, but knowing about proper safety precautions helped me prepare the school for the future.
I showed many journal articles to administrators over the years and showed them what the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires. Sometimes, administrators weren’t aware of what precautions to take and thought that OSHA only pertained to companies, which it doesn’t. I became knowledgeable about safety in the science classroom thanks to NSTA. I would write down when I spoke to the administrators about my safety recommendations, what I suggested, and what NSTA articles I showed them. You have to educate administrators about safety and you have to cover yourself, honestly, in case there is an accident. You need to show that you took the proper steps to prevent the accident.
(Note from NSTA: For additional information, NSTA’s Safety Advisory Board has written a number of safety issue papers that address current safety issues in school science laboratories and classrooms. In addition, NSTA has compiled a list of safety resources that include state agencies, nonprofit and for-profit companies, and science supply houses that provide safety services and products for K–12 teachers and administrators. For a safety handout to give students, see “Safety in the Science Classroom.”)
What other features of your membership have you found helpful?
Stock: I love NSTA Reports because it keeps me up-to-date on current science education news and has provided me with summer opportunities throughout my career. I found out about AAPT’s Physics Teacher Resource Agent program (PTRA) through NSTA Reports and ended up being one of the first teachers to participate in that program in 1986. The program led to amazing opportunities for me and gave me a lifetime friend.
I also love the conferences. The first one I attended was in Dallas. The workshops gave me unbelievable ideas about what I could do in the classroom. And, overall, the conferences gave me energy. I always felt that attending a conference was like taking 12,000 mg of Vitamin C! I became so energized.
And, even though I no longer teach, I still work with teachers through my consulting business. When I want to look for information on a specific topic or grade level, I use the NSTA Learning Center. Coming from my perspective, you don’t have to go the library anymore. Being an NSTA member gives you access to all those articles in the Learning Center; what a terrific resource!
Not a member of NSTA? Learn more about how to join.
Jennifer Henderson is our guest blogger for this series. Before launching her freelance career as a writer/editor, Jennifer was Managing Editor of The Science Teacher, NSTA’s peer-reviewed journal for high school science teachers.

Think of it as a linear particle accelerator, but instead of atoms, golf balls are propelled at speeds up to 200 miles per hour through a corridor that is 70 feet long and banked with infrared sensors. That’s the tool the United States Golf Association (USGA) Research and Test Center uses to test golf balls. The USGA regulates the diameter and weight of a golf ball, and places standards on speed, distance, and aerodynamics.
Find out more about the sport of golf and those uniquely dimpled balls with the video springboard Science of Golf: Why Golf Balls Have Dimples, produced by NBC Learn and the USGA. Lesson plans focused on engineering processes developed by NSTA help you take the videos into your classroom, exposing your students to not only another sport, but to the science and engineering behind it.
To find out more about what engineers and others do in “real life,” visit the USGA Research and Test Center. It might be a career path for some of your students.
In the meantime, grab your favorite beverage and give the videos, available cost-free on www.NBCLearn.com, a quick overview. While Martin Kaymer dominated the U.S. Open and Michelle Wie made a clutch birdie to secure a win in the Women’s, there’s more excitement still to come this summer at the U.S. Senior Open, played July 10-13, played in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Find out for yourself what the game—and the science—is all about.
Exotic image of a pink golf ball courtesy of Aftab Uzzaman.
P.S. And although color is not addressed in the video, know that pink balls undergo the same rigorous testing, as do the yellow, blue, green, and fluorescents. As long as it has dimples—it’s fair game!
Video
SOG: Why Golf Balls Have Dimples is about how small depressions on the surface of a golf ball make it unique and especially suited for the game.
STEM Lesson Plan—Adaptable for Grades 7–12
SOG: Why Golf Balls Have Dimples guides students in designing and testing a dimpled golf ball according to criteria and constraints established by the class. It also provides ideas for STEM exploration plus strategies to support students in their own quest for answers.
You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans: [contact-form 2 “ChemNow]