For many students, science itself is a new language, with specialized vocabulary and an emphasis on observations and evidence, rather than feelings or opinions. Even the graphics in books and websites go beyond being decorative to include the language of tables, diagrams, graphs, captions, sidebars, and footnotes. The featured articles in this issue demonstrate classroom- and teacher-tested strategies for developing language skills in the school classroom.
“Poets and scientists both seek to observe, explain, and understand the world around them. Poetry’s brevity, conceptual focus, and rich vocabulary make it a natural teaching tool for connecting with science” is the big idea of Observe, Explain, Connect* The article describes how teachers can “take 5” to introduce and share poems. The authors also include a sample lesson plan in which poetry is used to jump-start a science lesson (I wonder if this would be the “Engage” part of a 5E lesson?) [SciLinks: Reading and Writing in Science, Recycling]
Friction in Different Languages* describes a “sheltered instruction” approach to working with English Language Learners in a science lesson. Using a 5E format, the instructors designed a lesson in which students investigated friction. The lesson incorporated video, hands-on exploration, and experimenting with different surfaces—a good lesson that could be adapted for all students. See What Causes Friction (Science 101) if you need a refresher on the concept. [SciLinks: Friction, Force and Friction]

Putting the “Her” in Science Hero* describes an interdisciplinary unit in which students are exposed to the work of female scientists. You might ask whether in 2014 this would be necessary? Try the activity suggested in the first paragraph: Ask students to name three scientists in one minute. As the author notes, many will say Einstein and struggle for the other two. The article describes a class activity in which students learn more about female scientists and create presentations on their work.
Assessments in the Arguments* describes how “round robin” journaling can be used to assess student knowledge before, during, and after instruction, followed by round robin white boarding. In both of these strategies, students examine each other’s work and evaluate their arguments.The author describes the logistics of what this would look like in a classroom, using light as the topic to be investigated. All of the language processes (reading, writing, speaking, listening) are represented in this lesson. [SciLinks: Light]
As the authors of The Poetry of Plants* (Teaching Through Trade Books) note, April is National Poetry month—a perfect time to integrate poetry and science. In addition to two featured books, the article has two 5E lessons: Is a Seed a Living Thing (K-2) and Food for Plants (3-5). In addition to the science concepts, students use and write poetry as a way to learn and communicate. (I once observed a lesson in which high school students created haikus based on their investigation of cells—very creative and engaging!) [SciLinks: What Are Living and Nonliving Things? Photosynthesis]
A lot of time is spent on reading and writing in the classroom, but sometimes speaking and listening—the other components of language—are overlooked. In Creating Effective Classroom Interactions* (The Early Years) the author describes her reflections as she examined a video of a lesson in her classroom in which young students were asked to share their experiences. She shares the lesson, along with suggestions on how to create and learn from your own class videos. [SciLinks: Ice]
Students are never too young or too old to hear a good book, article, or story read to them. Gather ‘Round* (Methods and Strategies) has suggestions that teachers of any grade level can use for doing read-alouds and includes activities for before and after the reading. (I liked the Science A-Z chart for identifying vocabulary.)
Discussing nutrition and food choices is the theme of A Healthful Balance* with an emphasis on portion size and caloric balance. [SciLinks: Nutrition]
*And check out more Connections for this issue (April/May 2014). Even if the article does not quite fit with your lesson agenda, there are ideas and links for lesson plans, handouts, background information pages, data sheets, rubrics, trade books, and other resources.
 

NSTA was in Boston last week, where more than 11.5K science teachers gathered for our national conference on science education. It was no surprise that all the selfies seemed to be group shots—because that’s what science teachers do, they share! So we can’t think of a better way to give you a taste of the rich, collaborative experience we had in Boston than to tell it through the voices of the attendees who shared their stories with us.
The conference kicked into high gear on day one with Mayim Bialik speaking on the power of one teacher. A “proud product of the public school system,” Bialik told us about the teacher who inspired her to become a scientist and then sat down with NSTA President Bill Badders to answer questions from the audience. One of our bloggers featured a great image of Bialik talking about “science, teaching, and the Big Bang Theory.”
But what about lesser-known presenters? Apparently the experience builds character. We already knew that science teachers were super heroes, and now we have the proof. The “Hashtag WORTH IT” blog post features one of our favorite stories of the week, and one we heard over and over in various iterations. One teacher, inspired… becomes presenter, sees herself in a new light, and becomes a next generation superhero!
Blogger Nicole Fuhrman shared some really fun stories with us that show the lighter side of the conference–especially focusing on the super networking–and talks about how important building relationships is in effective classroom management. And that’s what everyone was doing in Boston last week, learning and building their professional learning communities.
One of the most important professional collaborations we strengthened last week is focused around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). A day-long NGSS forum facilitated a deep dive into the Next Generation Science Standards with writers, state science supervisors, assessment experts, and  was the highlight of the week for many, especially the NGSS curators who gathered to learn to use the newly launched NGSS Hub, with user-friendly access to the standards.
Other conference highlights included Bill Nye speaking about Dancing with Mars, Meet Me in the Middle Day, the Elementary Extravaganza, the 2014 Teacher Awards gala (where NSTA’s own former Executive Director, Gerry Wheeler, received the NSTA Presidential Citation), a tropical flamingo roaming the Exhibit Hall, and these top 10 from Ms. Goldstein.
We heard over and over how energized teachers felt by the experience–and our staff felt the same. And it’s not over! NSTA will be heading to New Orleans next month for the 2014 STEM Forum and Expo. Ainissa Ramirez will be the keynote speaker, and strands will focus on Primary, Upper Elementary, Middle Level, High School, Partnerships, and Administrators.
See more of the story:

• Highlights, news and featured reports from the 2014 NSTA National Conference, 3-6th April 2014 in Boston, MA, from WebsEdge/Education TV.
• NSTA’s Boston 2014 Facebook album

Bonus Feature: Who was the most photographed personality at the conference? An extremely nonscientific survey of Twitter pics reveals a tie between YouTube guru Paul Andersen and the Flamingo, with the Geico Gecko and Schmitty the Weather Dog coming in a distant second…
 

With a nod to David Letterman, here are my top 10 reasons for spending time in the exhibit hall:

10.  Interacting with people. You get a chance to meet and talk with other members and vendors.

9.  Planning ideas for your summer “vacation.” Lots of information about summer programs, travel opportunities, and graduate study.

8.  Playing with cool science-related toys (I mean teaching materials), such as robots or models.
7. Getting ideas to share with colleagues and students. For example, organizations such as USGS, NOAA, NASA, and publishers have a wealth to share.

6. Learning new strategies at vendor mini-classes. And there’s usually a drawing at the end to win some of the tools.

5. Being introduced to new species, such as a big brown bat.
4. Picking up freebies to take home. How many birdfeeders will be put  up on Monday?


3. Seeing new technologies. This is the first time I saw a 3-D printer up close and personal.
2.  Gathering information on science equipment.

Number 1 best reason to visit the exhibit hall!

The Elementary Extravaganza was pulsing with energy as educators from many settings rushed in at 8am to get personal attention from the hundreds of presenters who were ready to share their work. Thanks to the sponsors–www.BioEdOnline.org, Delta Education, School Speciality, ScienceCompanion, and Carolina, as well as NSTA.
The setting with presentations at round conference tables made it possible for everyone to do the hands-on activities, share their experiences, and ask their questions.
To find the handouts for the many presenters, go to the NSTA Boston conference sessions schedule, search for “Elementary Extravaganza” and click on the links to the handouts.
Which Elementary Extravaganza or conference session did you find useful? Share your resource links in a comment below.
The Ramps and Pathways table I was staffing featured physical science and engineering design materials–see how they engaged the educators! (Handouts ran out but will be uploaded onto the NSTA session schedule.)

On the train to Boston on Wednesday, the view for most of the ride was gray and dreary. But coming out of the station–blue sky and sun! After what seemed to be an endless winter, I hope that was a sign to indicate the bright ideas we’ll learn from our colleagues here at the conference.
In addition to the general sessions and a stroll through the Exhibit Hall, I went to a session hosted by Gary Nakagiri, an educator from California on “Developing a Toolkit for the Next Generation of Science Leaders.” He demonstrated with us the use of case studies to examine beliefs and facilitate the change process. I’m wondering if a collection of case studies around the implementation of NGSS would be a helpful resource?
We’ve all heard of amusement park physics and seen projects that related physics and music. Using the nearby Philadelphia Museum of Art (yes, the one whose steps Rocky ran up in the film), a team from Drexel University has developed an app for “Physics in the Art Museum.” The app can be accessed for free through the App Store. Search for “Drexel” (right now, the app is best used on a iPad). You can use it without going to the museum, because photos of the art work are included in the app. I visted the Boston Museum of Fine Arts this evening after the conference (it has later hours on Thursdays), and I found myself looking at art from a new perspective!

I’m looking forward to learning, collaborating, meeting, laughing, learning, sharing, and getting a break from the usual schedule while attending the National Science Teachers Association’s conference in Boston. It’s one of several NSTA yearly conferences so if you aren’t attending this one, check the schedule –there might be an area conference or an expo near you.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children will have a booth on the Exhibit floor, and members of the Early Childhood Science Interest Forum plan to meet and share what we’ve learned from the sessions we attend.
Will I get to see the “Make Way for Ducklings” pond? I’m not sure yet. I will get to be part of the fabulous Elementary Extravaganza where over 100 presenters share their useful, fun, and informative activities, lesson plans, student work and  science and engineering tools for children from preK up to sixth grade.
I’ll have a table where Dr. Beth Van Meeteren and I will have materials on the Ramps and Pathways physical science activity for you to try out! This activity engages children in learning about motion, and can develop into a science inquiry when children have time to remain involved over weeks and months.
Let’s share our what we find useful in comments below!
 
 
 
 

This is my sixth conference with NSTA — my first, in 2008, was in Boston as well. When I tried to walk through the NSTA Science Store this morning, it was packed virtually shoulder to shoulder (the lines are considerably shorter now if you want to get some NSTA gear or pick up a few NSTA Press books). The crowd who came to hear keynote speaker Mayim Bialik was more than the room could hold, so a number of people were redirected to another room so they could still attend.

Outside the NSTA 2014 exhibit hall, waiting for it to open.

While microscopes may open up dazzling possibilities for teachers to provide new understandings of the physical world, many science students often view microscopes with less enthusiasm. These youngsters have to set up slides, huddle around a limited number of microscopes, and take turns trying to see what was intended, fearing they may mistake air bubbles for single-cell organisms. Science lessons should foster curiosity and discussion, not worry.

The new Focus Microscope Camera addresses the limitations of microscopes by connecting to the iPad, making microscopy more social, collaborative, and hands-on. The product connects virtually any microscope to the iPad, keeping both the camera and the tablet charged while in use. The kit includes the camera, microscope lens, AC adaptor, lens adapters, calibration card (for precise measurement), and 30-pin connector (the latest iPads and iPod Touches will need a lightning adaptor as well).

With the Focus Microscope Camera, magnified images are viewable in real time by students gathered around a shared iPad or by the whole class when the iPad view is projected wirelessly to a large screen. The Focus app (available for free download) allows students to collectively manipulate and examine the microscopic material. Additionally, the measurement and annotation tools enable them to document their findings. Included lens adapters make the camera compatible with any compound or dissecting microscope.

The product is easy to use for both teachers and students. The app offers a live interactive viewport, allowing still photos, video, time-lapse capture, fingertip point-to-point measurements, and pinch-finger zoom. And using the capabilities of the iPad, students can efficiently capture their observations, analyze their data, and share their results within a single class period.

The Focus app has precise tools. For example, students can easily examine hundreds of cells to determine the mitotic index of a tissue (e.g., onion root tips) and label the cells as mitotic or non-mitotic or by specific mitotic phases. In addition, students can study C. elegans (soil nematodes used for studying human disease) by accurately measuring the lengths of the worms to determine their life stage. Measurements can be done in units of microns, millimeters, or centimeters.

With the Focus Camera, teachers of all experience levels and disciplines can make lessons accessible and exciting while igniting student curiosity and encouraging active participation. The camera system was developed by two engineers in the medical instruments industry who recognized its potential in science education. The creators may not have realized how enabling the product would be for students with physical and visual disabilities.

Various accessories have been developed for the Focus Camera. An optional quick-change variable-focus lens turns the camera into a stand-alone benchtop science camera, useful for dissections, geology, ecology, forensics, and more. You will find this arrangement very useful once you realize how much your students appreciate seeing key images on a large monitor or TV.

The Focus Microscope Camera is an affordable, rugged, revolutionary technology that brings microscopy out of the dark ages from an isolated, often frustrating experience, to a 21st-century experience with active engagement, sharing, and collaboration in classrooms for students of all ages. This makes the Focus Microscope Camera an attractive and must-have technology in any science classroom setting.