The National Association for the Education of Young Children  2011 national conference takes place next week in Orlando. This conference will be the site of the first meeting of the NAEYC Early Childhood Science Interest Forum and I hope to see you there!
With your participation, the Early Childhood Science Interest Forum will:

• Provide a forum for the exchange of effective strategies and
  quality materials for teaching science.
• Establish and maintain a collaborative relationship with other
  professional organizations with similar goals.
• Build understanding of the nature of quality science teaching and
  learning.
• Promote public understanding of the importance of inquiry-based
  science curriculum and appropriate content, and a picture of what young
  children are capable of doing and learning.
• Support efforts to expand professional development opportunities
  for teachers and administrators.

The forum is open to all—please add your voice. Join us at the first meeting at the NAEYC 2011 conference in Orlando, Florida, on November 4, 2011 from 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM in room W311A of the Orange County Convention Center. (Search the sessions using the phrase “Early Childhood Science IF” to add it to your itinerary.) We’ll show a brief video clip to stimulate discussion, and plan for the future. We will also have a table with literature at the Interest Forum Café at the conference and will be there at most lunch hours. The Early Childhood Science Interest Forum will have an online presence on the NAEYC forum page—right now you can find the forum page on Facebook.
NAEYC members can add  the Early Childhood Science Forum to their membership profile as soon as it becomes available by signing in at http://www.naeyc.org/community
Other notes about the NAEYC national conference:
Science and Children editor Linda Froschauer and I are presenting a session titled “Science inquiry for you and your students: Fun experiences with hands-on materials to awaken the scientist in your young students!” on Thursday, November 3 from 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM in Room W303 at the convention center. Come and participate!
There are over 30 sessions offering science content including sessions by contributors to Science and Children such as Marie Faust Evitt’s Urgent curriculum: Thinking BIG to meet teaching challenges, in Room W105 on Friday November 4, at 1pm.
If you’re presenting a session, let readers know by commenting below.
Peggy

 
Space. The Final Frontier.
Well, not really according to James Garvin, Chief Scientist for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.  He insists, “Our exploration has just begun.”
Dr. Garvin was the keynote speaking during yesterday’s general session at the 2011 NSTA Hartford Area Conference.  He guided attendees through the evolution of the space program—through words and images—explaining the importance of blending science, space, engineering and IT.
The Apollo 11 voyage was ahead of its time, much like most space exploration. Something as inconsequential as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin “planting” the United States flag involved awesome science and engineering to create the billowing effect of the flag.
Fast forward to more recent missions with Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiters and we see more examples of science, engineering and technology coming together. These types of missions have allowed NASA to develop a record book of cosmic collisions to study for years to come.
Dr. Garvin also led us through past exploration of other planets.

1. Mercury: so close to the sun and so many different facets and signatures discovered, but the story still isn’t finished.
2. Venus: so imperfectly unexplored because of the atmosphere.
3. Earth: we’re poised to learn so much more about our planet; to use the data we have to more accurately predict catastrophic events like Katrina.
4. Mars: massive canyons, collapsing oceanic volcanoes and more ice than we thought existed on the planet.

What does all this mean—we need science teachers!  To prepare our students for STEM careers so they can explore microgravity and asteroids or as Dr. Garvin pointed out so brilliantly, “To look into the dark space of our galaxy to see what’s going on” (because we look at the light places all of the time).
“The next chapter hasn’t been written yet,” said Dr. Garvin.  “Inspire your students so we can continue the work.”

Trade books are an important way for young children to learn about the wonders of the natural world outside of their neighborhood, and the details of the natural world at their doorstep. From giant squids to the day’s weather, from craters on the Moon to craters made by ant lions in the backyard dust, trade books both whet and satiate children’s appetite for information through words and illustrations. Teachers rely on the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC) to guide book choices. NSTA and CBC will announce the Outstanding Science Trade Books 2012 Awards at a reception on Friday November 11, 2011 at 3:30-4:30pm at the area conference in New Orleans at the New Orleans Marriott, 555 Canal Street, Suite 4022, New Orleans, LA. (Please RSVP by October 31 to ebrady@nsta.org ) The books are chosen by a book review panel appointed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and assembled in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). The criteria are listed on a NSTA website products and publications page (scroll down). Thank you to the book selection panel–it’s a tough job but someone has to do it.
Some of my favorites among last year award winners are:
How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Just One Bite by Lola M. Schaefer. 2010. Chronicle Books.
S is for Scientists by Larry Verstraete. 2010. Sleeping Bear Press
These award winners are listed in the NSTA Recommends data base along with other fine trade books. Do you have any personal or award-winning favorite books that you would like to recommend?
Peggy