Introduction:

The PASCO Wireless Smart Cart is a device with Bluetooth capabilities that has sensors for force, position, velocity, rotational motion, and three degrees of freedom in acceleration. The wheels on the Smart Cart moves with low friction. A nice touch is that the Smart Cart offered in different colors, i.e., red or blue. Moreover, the Smart Cart features a tray on top where different masses can be placed so students can explore how different masses effect the measurements of various dependent variables. Image 1 shows a blue Smart Cart.

Image 1: A picture of the PASCO Wireless Smart Cart in blue.

Before users can begin data collection with the Smart Cart, it must be charged. Hence, a micro USB cable is included to charge the device. According to PASCO, the Smart Cart has a battery life of 11 hours for high sample rates and 70 hours for low sample rates. Therefore, science teachers and students will have several days to use it before it needs to be recharged. More specifically, the user manual (found at https://www.pasco.com/file_downloads/Downloads_Manuals/Wireless-Smart-Cart-Manual-ME-1240-1.pdf) mentions that with typical use, the Smart Cart’s battery should last from one to four weeks. To improve battery life (when inactive) the Smart Cart turns itself off after a few minutes. While charging, the battery indicator LED light appears yellow; however, once the Smart Cart’s battery is fully charged, the battery indicator LED turns green. When using a wall outlet, a full battery charge should take approximately 3-hours. However, since we used a computer to charge it, it took a slightly longer than three hours for a full charge.

After charging the battery, students can begin to collect data. Subsequently, data from the Smart Cart can be streamed to various devices, e.g., laptops, tablets, or cell phones. Uploading can be done wireless (i.e., a Bluetooth connection) or be using a USB connection. If you are interested in wireless, simply set-up the wireless Bluetooth connection by opening the PASCO data collection software. PASCO offers two forms of data collection software – Capstone and SPARKvue, which are compatible with Mac or Windows devices.

We used SPARKvue when we tested this device. From our experience, we suggest that when students connect the device of their choosing to the Smart Cart, they should open the PASCO data collection software and click on the Bluetooth icon. After clicking the Bluetooth icon, they can select the device from the “Wireless Devices” list (make sure it matches the device ID number located on their Smart Cart). When this is complete, the Bluetooth LED indicator will flash with a green light.

Once the Bluetooth connection is complete, users can begin to experiment. A nice feature of the Smart Cart is that it offers a variety of choices for beginning the experiments. For example, students can choose to enter data manually, collect data with a sensor, open a PASCO experiment, or even open an experiment that has been saved. A picture of the different options that users have is shown below in Image 2. When we tested the Smart Cart, we chose the “Collect Sensor Data” option. Once this option was selected, there were a variety of measurements we could take that included: position, velocity, acceleration, force, and more.

Image 2: Users have a variety of choices to choose from when they start a new experiment.

Additionally, users can choose the template they want for their data (e.g., an individual graph or a graph with a table). Hence, an image displaying the data collection choices users are presented with is displayed in Image 3. After selecting the desired measurement and template, users can start collecting data. To begin collecting data, students must click the green start button at the bottom of the screen. Conversely, to end data collection, students can click the red stop button. Images of sample graphs can be found below in Image 4 and Image 5.

Image 3: Users can select which measurements they would like to measure for their experiment. One measurement or multiple measurements can be selected, and the data can be displayed in different templates.

Image 4: A graph illustrating the velocity of the Smart Cart.

Image 5: A graph illustrating the velocity (shown in green at the top) and force (shown in purple on the bottom) of the Smart Cart.

Classroom Applications

The PASCO Wireless Smart Cart is a useful tool for physical science labs and experiments. Students can use the Smart Cart to examine several physical science concepts e.g., mechanics, kinematics, Newton’s Laws, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, and elastic/inelastic collisions. On the PASCO website, you can find samples of different labs and experiments for using the Smart Cart in your classroom. These free resources are excellent and can be found at https://www.pasco.com/digital-library/index.cfm.

Additionally, another resource that we found to be valuable is a compatible software program called “MatchGraph!” In the program, students are provided with different graphs and instructed to use their Smart Cart to replicate a graph by attempting to “match” the path displayed on the graph. Below you will find a brief video showing how to use MathGraph.

In Conclusion

From our experience, there is no doubt that the Smart Cart is a major improvement over the equipment that science teachers have used in the past (Remember those old metal carts with rusty wheels?). The Smart Cart is easy to use and is compatible with virtually every device that today’s science teachers and students have access to in contemporary classrooms. In summary, we believe that Pasco’s Smart Cart is a winner!

What’s Included:
– Smart Cart with onboard sensors
– Hook
– Rubber bumper
– Magnetic bumper
– USB cable for charging

Specifications:
– Force
o Range: +/- 100 N
o Resolution: 0.1 N
o Accuracy: +/- 2%
o Maximum Sampling Rate: 500 samples per second
– Position
o Resolution: +/- 0.2 mm
– Velocity
o Maximum Velocity: +/- 3 m/s
o Maximum Sampling Rate: 100 samples per second
– Acceleration
o Range: +/- 16g (g=9.8 m/s2)
o Maximum Sample Rate: 500 samples per second
– Bluetooth Distance
o Maximum Wireless Range: 30 m (unobstructed)

Cost:
– $169 per Smart Cart

About the Authors:

Edwin P. Christmann is a professor and chairman of the secondary education department and graduate coordinator of the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Emily Ferraro is a graduate student in the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

I hope 20 years from now I can still get excited about being a part of kids’ lives. I am looking for suggestions on how to enjoy teaching for a long time. — J., Missouri

One of the best compliments I ever received was in my last year of teaching: “I walked past your classroom this morning and I just hope I have the same passion when it’s my time to retire!” I really don’t know how to address your question without talking about my approach to my career.

I always expected that some students in every class would pose difficulties and planned accordingly. Similarly, I could only expect a few students to actually be enthused about my course. This led me to focus on developing life-long learners, not scientists or engineers. I shared my passion for learning and tried to make learning fun to accomplish this. I dedicated myself to creating fun environments, being a bit zany, and always being passionate about what I taught, which incidentally made it fun for me.

I embraced change and kept current in my subjects and teaching approaches (life-long learning.) I also tried to distance myself from colleagues who were generally negative and frequently complained. Sure, we all have bad times and need to vent but to live in a negative funk all the time is not good for anyone.

And I had a lot of hobbies.

Hope this helps!

In addition to an overview/review of the 5E model and the STEM disciplines, the Guest Editorial: Using the BSCS 5E Instructional Model to Introduce STEM Disciplines (in Science & Children)has a framework and suggestions for integrating the Model and STEM disciplines into planned and purposeful instruction. (An interesting read for all grade levels.)

Regardless of what grade level or subject you teach, check out all three K-12 journals. As you skim through titles and descriptions of the articles, you may find ideas for lessons that would be interesting for your students, the inspiration to adapt a lesson to your grade level or subject, or the challenge to create/share your own lessons and ideas.

The Science Teacher – Scientific Reasoning and Argumentation

Editor’s Corner: Scientific Reasoning and Argumentation – “When students defend and critique scientific explanations, experimental designs, or engineering solutions, they learn to create and evaluate arguments using evidence and logical reasoning. Through critical discourse, they are challenged to distinguish opinion from evidence. They learn that argumentation is how scientists collaboratively construct and revise scientific knowledge.”

The lessons described in the articles include a chart showing connections with the NGSS. The graphics are especially helpful in understanding the activities and in providing ideas for your own investigations.

• Incorporating argumentation does not necessarily mean a need to develop new lessons or investigations. A New Twist on DNA Extraction illustrates a modification of a traditional DNA extraction activity from follow-the-directions to an emphasis on protocol design and collaborative problem solving. The article includes examples of student work.
• The authors of Using Scientific Argumentation to Understand Human Impact on the Earth use the High Adventure Science project that guides students through the process. “When students hear “construct an argument” they often think in terms of an exchange of opposing viewpoints or an attempt to persuade others that an idea is correct or incorrect. Scientific arguments are different; developing a scientific argument involves defending a claim based on evidence, and should also include an examination of the evidence to determine its limitations and merits.”
• Let’s Invent! has suggestions for incorporating invention as a way to engage students in engineering design and local problems. The article describes two strategies that any teacher could use to start students inventing: Grab Bag Inventing and Problem Finding.
• Formatively Assessing NGSS addresses a need that many science teacher have: how to assess the three dimensions of the NGSS. The authors describe three models for assessment–sequential, concurrent, and embedded—with examples and tips. There is a helpful table showing how formative assessment strategies that teachers may already use can align with these models.
• “Proxy data are preserved physical characteristics of the environment that stand in—serve as proxies—for direct measurements.” Proxy Climatology shows how students used tree rings to investigate climate change. The author includes a link to the lesson, including rubrics and data sets.
• Focus on Physics: Quickly Teaching Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration—Part 1 takes a realistic look at prioritizing the number and depth of topics and distinguishing between the tool and concepts of physics.

These monthly columns continue to provide background knowledge and classroom ideas:

• Career of the Month: An interview with paleontologist Emily Lindsey
• Right to the Source: Learning to Think – An 1856 book from the Library of Congress encourages thinking in children.

For more on the content that provides a context for projects and strategies described in this issue, see the SciLinks topics Acceleration, Climate Change, Dendochronology, DNA, Motion, Paleontologist, Paleontology, Speed, Velocity

Many authors share resources related to the lessons and strategies in their articles. These resources include rubrics, graphic organizers, handouts, diagrams, lists of resources, and complete lessons. You can access these through the Connections link for The Science Teacher.

Keep reading for Science & Children and Science Scope.

Science & Children – STE and M

Editor’s Note: STEM Lessons for All – “STEM is more than just the collection of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or even the discrete attention to these four disciplines; it is the integration of disciplines used to find answers, solve problems, and create solutions. This month’s focus on STEM offers ideas for incorporating all four elements of STEM and provides support and guidance in creating STEM lessons for all students.”

The lessons described in the articles have a chart showing connections with the NGSS. Many are based on the 5E model and include classroom materials, illustrations of student work, and photographs of students engaged in the activities.

• Crossing the Amazon by LEGO integrates robotics and the engineering design to solve a problem. The authors also discuss low-tech options.
• Simulating a Non-Native Invasion includes a detailed unit plan for engaging students in the design of a computer simulation to model and predict how the introduction of an invasive species to an ecosystem affects native populations.
• You don’t need a lot of specialized equipment to engage students in STEM activities, as described in A Water Wheel Challenge! (check out the photographs). Students design, build, test, and refine a water wheel as they study energy conversions.
• Unpacking the STEM Disciplines exemplifies how STEM and the 5E model are a natural fit. In this unit, students take a global issue and personalize it at a local level as they are “guided through the four STEM disciplines in a personalized learning experience about the general theme of humans’ impacts on Earth and a specific place-based project on the use and disposal of plastic water bottles in the school.”
• What may appear to be play in The Early Years: Teaching the M in STEM is actually an investigation in which young learners observe motion and the properties of matter.
• Teaching Through Trade Books: Seasonal Weather Patterns has two related lessons. Sunshine and Seasons (K-2) focuses on observing the amount of daylight and the angle of the Sun’s rays. In A Picture of the Weather (3-5), students gather and graph data to look for patterns.
• Engineering Encounters: Authors and Engineers describes how students can learn engineering principles as they design, construct, and test pop-up books based on their own writing. The article includes photos of student work and has links to download materials.
• No excuses! Students of all ages are natural STEM learners. Teaching Teachers: Seven Myths of STEM debunks common misconceptions about designing and implementing STEM education activities and suggests sources for free or low-cost activities.
• Methods & Strategies: Improving the Quality of Engineering Design Challenges has five “optimizations” for guiding teachers, as students apply what they are learning to problem-solving designs.

These monthly columns continue to provide background knowledge and classroom ideas:

• Science 101: Why Does Water Swirl When it Goes Down a Drain? clears up misconceptions about this phenomenon.
• Formative Assessment Probes: Balance Beam has hands-on opportunities for students to explore algebraic equations.
• The Poetry of Science: Poetry by the Numbers
• Early Childhood Resources Review: Creative Investigations in Early Engineering & Technology

For more on the content that provides a context for projects and strategies described in this issue, see the SciLinks topics Coriolis Effect, Design, Energy Transformations, Engineering Structures, Environment, Forces and Motion, Invasive Species, Levers, Momentum, Physical Properties of Matter, Science of Bridges, Seasons, Weather, Weather and Climate, What Causes Earth’s Seasons?

Many authors share resources related to the lessons and strategies in their articles. These resources include rubrics, graphic organizers, handouts, diagrams, lists of resources, and complete lessons. You can access these through the Connections link for Science & Children.

Science Scope – Stability and Change

From the Editor’s Desk: Stability and Change—Integral to Systems – “Discussions and investigations related to topics such as erosion, evolution, and climate change can serve to explicitly highlight the connection of stability and change to systems…Possessing a deep comprehension of systems and how systems respond to change is essential when solving problems. Involving your students in this work parallels that of scientists and engineers and helps them see the interconnectedness of human-made and natural systems.”

Articles in this issue that describe lessons (many of which use the 5E model) include a helpful sidebar documenting the big idea, essential pre-knowledge, time, safety issues, and cost. The lessons also include connections with the NGSS.

• Cougars and Bears and Wolves, Oh Elk! has a lesson in which students modeled population changes, analyzed graphs, used their research as evidence to support a claim, and produced a written summary. The authors provide samples of handouts and rubrics.
• The question Is Our Water Safe to Drink? could apply to many communities. This project provided an authentic opportunity for students to investigate. The article includes a timeline for the lesson, student sketches, and suggestions for designing a filtration tool.
• Investigating Bark Beetle Outbreaks was the task of middle school students as they studied the effects of climate change on beetle populations and used a computer simulation to study changes over time and identify causes.
• Focusing on one of the NGSS performance expectations, Using Storylines to Support Three-Dimensional Learning in Project-Based Science describes a process and a planning tool to engage students in making sense of phenomena using a “storyline” that runs through a unit.
• Practical Research: Sound Practices in Climate Change Education elaborates on three themes: “connecting students with local climate change impacts; encouraging students to collect, analyze, and draw conclusions from their own data; and fostering relationships between climate scientists, teachers, and students.”
• The process in Teacher’s Toolkit: Using the Five Practices to Facilitate a Meaningful Discussion on Plate Tectonics in a Middle School Classroom includes anticipating, monitoring, selecting, sequencing, and connecting. The authors include examples from a middle school lesson.
• Citizen Science: Plant Phenology for Budding Biologists describes an ongoing project in which students observe changes over time and contribute their observations to a database about seasonal plant growth.
• Teacher to Teacher: Making Sense of Stability and Change notes how students should understand the concept of “systems” in order to contextualize their observations on how things change and how they stay the same. The authors discuss what this would “look like” in a real classroom (including a graphic organizer).

These monthly columns continue to provide background knowledge and classroom ideas:

• Disequilibrium: Surface Tension and Surfactants
• Scope on the Skies: The Van Allen Radiation Belts
• Interdisciplinary Ideas: Expanding the Power of Data Analysis with Google Sheets
• Science for All: Building a Bridge Over Homework—How to design at-home assignments that are both valuable and effective. The article includes a table on how to differentiate homework assignments.
• Making in the Middle: Robots and Sequences

For more on the content that provides a context for projects and strategies described in this issue, see the SciLinks topics Changes in Ecosystems, Changes to the Earth’s Surface, Climate Change, Ecosystems, Energy Transformations, Forces, Forests, Homeostasis, Limiting Factors, Plant Growth, Plate Tectonics, Predator/Prey, Radiation from the Sun, Robots, Seasons, Systems, Water Quality

Many authors share resources related to the lessons and strategies in their articles. These resources include rubrics, graphic organizers, handouts, diagrams, lists of resources, and complete lessons. You can access these through the Connections link for Science Scope.

“I work at a school in a science department that needs a little bit of re-innovation. I am trying to invigorate my department and help connect them with ideas that will help our students shine!” High school teacher Meghan W. had a great reason for wanting to be at NSTA’s National Conference last year, and no doubt many science teachers feel the same. NSTA conferences have great science ed PD, and we bring together the brightest minds in the field. Here are 10 more reasons high school educators won’t want to miss #NSTA19 in St. Louis this April.

1. High School Share-a-Thon—Saturday, April 13, 9:30–11:00 AM
   Join NSTA’s High School Division Director, Carrie Jones (ncscienceteacher@yahoo.com) for a high-energy morning designed just for high school educators. Session organizers say this is the place to come if you need new lessons for your high school classroom. Stop by for networking, great ideas, fun activities, handouts, and door prizes.
   (See page 13 of the program preview for more information.)

2. NGSS@NSTA Forum—Friday, April 12, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
   Held annually, this forum is considered to be the best place to explore three-dimensional teaching and learning. This year’s NGSS@NSTA Forum will focus on instructional materials. At the opening session, you’ll discover tools you can use to evaluate resources; and then five additional sessions will highlight instructional units designed to address three-dimensional standards. Click here for a list of the sessions. 
   (See page 11 of the program preview for more information.)

3. Dozens of sessions will be led by high school educators. Below is a small sampling of what you’ll find when you search the session browser for events targeted for high school science teaching:

• Developing Inclusive, Three-Dimensional Science Communities in High School Chemistry Classrooms, Thursday, April 11, 8:00–9:00 AM
• A Generation of Citizen Stewards, Thursday, April 11, 8:30–9:00 AM
• STEP UP 4 Women: Bringing the Representation of Women in Physics to 50% with High School Interventions, Thursday, April 11, 12:30–1:30 PM
• Creating a High School Physics Course in the NGSS Style, Friday, April 12, 8:00–8:30 AM
• Adventures in Flipped-Mastery: The Do’s and Don’ts of Changing a Traditional Classroom into a Flipped Learning and Standards-Referenced Environment, Friday, April 12, 9:30–10:30 AM
• Integrating E-Books into the Secondary Classroom Friday, April 12, 11:00 AM–12 Noon
• NGSS Session: What Can and Should We Do with CRISPR? A Next Generation Storyline That Connects Science to Students’ Interests and Concerns, Saturday, April 13, 12:30–1:30 PM

4. HHMI Night at the Movies—Thursday, April 11, 6:00 PM, at the Ferrara Theatre in America’s Center.
   Admission is free! Complimentary refreshments before the show.
   (See page 33 of the program preview for more information.)

5. Global Conversations: Welcome to My High School Classroom (W-2)—Wednesday, April 10, 7:20–11:45 AM
   Welcome to My Classroom is a program sponsored by NSTA’s International Advisory Board and is intended primarily for international participants to view science classrooms. Those with W-2 tickets will visit the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, an innovative college preparatory grades 9–12 high school with high expectations for its academic team and student body. For more information, visit slps.org/collegiate.
   (See page 18 of the program preview for more information.)

6. Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)–sponsored session: Citizen Science Investigations—Data-Rich Learning at Your Doorstep—Thursday, April 11, 3:30–4:30 PM
   Experience how citizen science provides a context for developing students’ understanding of data and variability along with science skills and concepts through local ecosystem investigations.
   Click here to see more ASTC-sponsored sessions.

7. Learn how to get published in The Science Teacher (NSTA’s high school journal) or any of NSTA’s journals—Saturday, April 13, 9:30–10:30 AM
   Meet the editors of NSTA’s four grade-level teaching journals. Find out what types of articles they’re looking for, why it’s important to use your own classroom experience as the subject matter, how the review process works, and more. Would-be authors will find that it’s not so daunting to share their great ideas with peers.

8. Meet the authors of your favorite NSTA Press books and share ideas for using their innovative strategies in the classroom. All NSTA Press sessions will be held in America’s Center. Click here to see all of the sessions. Many of the sessions are great for high school teachers, including the following:
   • Integrate Engineering into the Science Classroom Using Case Studies
     Thursday, April 11, 5:00–6:00 PM
     Struggling to add more engineering to your science class? Join us for hands-on case studies for grades 6–12 physical and life sciences.

   • Reading Nature—Engaging Biology Students with Evidence from the Living World
     Friday, April 12, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
     Engage adapted primary literature using an NSTA Press publication that allows biology students to not only understand core ideas, but understand how they are justified.

   • Beyond the Egg Drop-Infusing Engineering into High School Physics/Science Classrooms
     Friday, April 12, 2:00 PM–3:00 PM
     Egg drop, marshmallow tower, motor-building…we certainly don’t lack “activities” in our science classroom. How can we go beyond trial-and-error? Explore concept-based engineering infusion and assessment options.

   • Once Upon an Earth Science Book
     Sunday, April 14, 9:30 AM–10:30 AM
     Want your students to read and write more effectively? Join Jodi Wheeler-Toppen, author of the Once Upon a Science Book series, for lessons that integrate literacy and Earth science content.

9. The Exhibit Hall—Daily
   Some call NSTA’s exhibit hall the “science teacher’s playground,” and while it truly is fun, you’ll also pick up a lot of PD and get to try top-notch science ed resources while there. Check out this blog to see what happens there (and only there)—from the whacky to the wonderful. View the exhibit floor and plan your route here (and don’t forget to leave room in your suitcase for all the swag).

10. Meet your fellow high school teachers at the First-Timers Session—Thursday, April 11, 8:00–9:00 AM.
    This may be last on our list, but it should be first on yours. You’ll find tables marked “High School” (among other topics you may choose from like STEM and NGSS), where you can meet other attendees with similar interests, get to know the NSTA leadership, win prizes, and have a lot of fun. It’s the best way to kick off your conference experience!

Can’t Attend But Want the Experience?

Follow along on Twitter and Instagram using #NSTA19, like NSTA on Facebook and check out our St. Louis album, or follow The Science Teacher editor on Twitter for high school–specific information about the conference and other happenings at NSTA.

Pro Tips

Check out more sessions and other events with the St. Louis Session Browser. Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA19, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it and share.

Need help requesting funding or time off from your principal or supervisor? Download a letter of support and bring it with you.

And don’t forget, NSTA members save up to $90 off the price of registration. Not a member? Join here.

Future NSTA Conferences

2019 National Conference
St. Louis, April 11–14

8th Annual STEM Forum & Expo, hosted by NSTA
San Francisco, July 24–26, 2019

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

Follow NSTA

Children and people of all ages continually explore and learn through their senses. Prior experiences that build understanding of how we use our senses to learn about the world are the foundation for understanding the Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Core Ideas. Some children seek out specific experiences such as the two-year-old who would enthusiastically cling to my arm when I wore an especially soft microfiber fleece jacket, and the four-year-old who liked to be the last one to wash her hands so she could be there long enough to create a mound of bubbles to feel. Stomping in puddles and rolling down a grassy slope were favorite experiences of other children. The weight or softness of a certain doll, the bark texture of a special stick, or the size of a particular toy car, are why these objects meet the needs of some children.

Debra Hunter gives examples of how children address multiple areas of development through play at the sensory table (2008), including cognitive and physical development. An intentionally designated space or time for planned messy experiences make it possible for both children and adults to linger with the experience and not feel stressed to end at a set time. Having fun at a sensory table engages children in exploring the properties of matter, developing fine motor skills, and developing a beginning understanding of measurement and volume, force, and motion. Working together to share tools or create a shared experience strengthens children’s oral language and social/emotional development. Experiences with sensory materials introduce new vocabulary such as “sticky” and “absorb.”

A sensory play experience attracts different children depending on what material is provided. Just as some children are drawn to certain materials, others avoid them. “Children differ in their ability to process and respond to information from the environment while engaging in activities” (Thompson and Raisor). Sensory activities that support infant and toddler exploration require closer supervision but provide the same opportunities for learning about the world (Schwarz and Luckenbill). Extensions 25(5), the HighScope newsletter has three articles about sensory play: Look, Listen, Touch, Feel, Taste: The Importance of Sensory Play;  Observing and Supporting the KDIs at the Sand and Water Table; and Providing Sensory Experiences That Meet the Needs of All Infants and Toddlers; that remind us that sensory play is “’food for the brain.’ Stimulating the senses sends signals to children’s brains that help to strengthen neural pathways important for all types of learning.”

Taking allergies and other safety concerns such as eye protection into consideration, and reflecting on the daily routine and available spaces, opens up possibilities for creative sensory learning experiences.

Boddy, Jessica. 2017. Are We Eating Our Fleece Jackets? Microfibers Are Migrating Into Field And Food. NPR. February 6, 2017, 1:21 PM ET

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/02/06/511843443/are-we-eating-our-fleece-jackets-microfibers-are-migrating-into-field-and-food 

High Scope. 2011. Extensions newsletter. Volume 25 No. 5. https://highscope.org 

Hunter, Debra. 2008. Teachers on Teaching: What Happens When a Child Plays at the Sensory Table? Young Children. 63(6): 77-79. 

Schwarz, Trudi and Julia Luckenbill.  2015. Let’s Get Messy! Learning Through Art and Sensory Play in Spotlight on Young Children: Exploring Play.  NAEYC. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books

Thompson, Stacy D. and Jill M. Raisor. 2013. Individualizing in Early Childhood: The What, Why, and How of Differentiated Approaches: Meeting the Sensory Needs of Young Children. Young Children. 68(2): 34-43  https://issuu.com/naeyc/docs/meeting_sensory_needs_thompson_0513 

Vanover, Sarah. The Importance of Sand and Water Play. National Association for the Education of Young Children blog. 7/18/2018 https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/importance-sand-and-water-play 

This week in education news, Senator Klobuchar is running for president; girls of color have a place in STEM; report finds that the teaching force has been greatly changing, but few have noticed; University of California system now allowing high school computer science courses will be counted toward the core curriculum credit; President Trump calls for new AI workforce-development efforts; Linda Darling-Hammond named new head of California State Board of Education; Tennessee governor proposes $4M for STEM education; Astronaut Mark Kelly is running for U.S. Senate; and report finds that homework tends to be aligned to state standards, but not all that rigorous.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a STEM Fan, Is Running for President

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is the latest Democratic senator to announce her candidacy for the White House in 2020. We highlighted the Minnesota senior senator’s work on education issues late last year. Klobuchar, the daughter of an elementary school teacher, has worked to boost science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) during her tenure in the Senate—she was first elected to her seat in 2006. Read the blog featured in Education Week.

A 17-Year-Old Wants to Spice Up Science Classes and, Eventually, Democratize Education

Steven Wang got into the tech field about seven years ago – as a pre-adolescent. Now, at 17, he has a startup that is on the verge of being acquired and a concrete vision for how he wants to use technology to transform the learning experience for students all over the world. Read the article featured in The Hechinger Report.

A Principal’s View: How Introducing STEM Has Radically Changed My Washington, D.C., School — and Just Won Us a Major Innovation Award

Some might not expect a school in southeast Washington, D.C., to have the only all-black robotics team at a national competition. Others might look at Hendley Elementary School’s Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) scores and not assume that our students are coding, problem-solving, and engaging in critical thinking daily. Even I could have been discouraged when I saw that less than 10 percent of our fourth- and fifth-grade students participated in the annual school science fair when I started as principal. Instead, I was motivated by it. Read the article posted on The 74.

Richard Ingersoll: The Transformation of the Teaching Workforce

Internationally acclaimed researcher Richard Ingersoll discusses his new edition of Seven Trends: The Transformation of the Teaching Force, a landmark study examining 30 years of data on the teacher labor market. Ingersoll joins CPRE Director Jonathan Supovitz to highlight a number of key findings, including an ongoing “greening” of the workforce and an “unheralded victory” for minority recruitment initiatives. Listen to the discussion featured on CPRE.org.

University of California Now Allows High-School Computer Science as Core Curriculum Credit

The University of California system has announced it’s now allowing high school computer science courses to be counted toward the core curriculum prerequisites for admission to its nine universities around the state — an “acknowledgement that CS, much like the traditional science courses, has merits for students going through high school,” said Claire Shorall, a high school computer science teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area who has been advocating for the change. Read the article featured in EdScoop.

Trump Calls for New AI Workforce-Development Efforts, But Offers No New Money

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a new executive order directing federal agencies to focus their attention on artificial intelligence, including new workforce-preparation efforts that could reach down into K-12. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Gov. Newsom names new head of State Board of Education in California

In his first State of the State speech, Gov. Gavin Newsom named Linda Darling-Hammond, a Stanford University professor emeritus and one of the nation’s most prominent education researchers, to head California’s State Board of Education. Read the article featured in EdSource.

New Girl Scout Study Shows What Girls Are Doing to Gain Traction as Digital Leaders

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the premier leadership development organization for girls, released Decoding the Digital Girl: Defining and Supporting Girls’ Digital Leadership. For the report, the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) surveyed close to 2,900 girls and boys ages 5–17 and their parents to learn more about girls’ digital leadership, differences between girls’ and boys’ digital engagement, and the role of parents/caregivers in this domain. Read the press release.

Higher Ed is Pushing STEM Diversity, But is Change Happening Fast Enough?

Efforts to draw underrepresented students into science and tech fields are making progress, but a new report reveals more work is needed. Read the article featured in Education DIVE.

Gov. Bill Lee Proposes $4M for STEM Education, Creation of K-8 Computer Science Standards

Gov. Bill Lee is prioritizing STEM education in his legislative agenda, which proposes to boost opportunities for students statewide, including the creation of statewide K-8 computer science standards. This is Lee’s second education initiative tied to his legislative priorities and would create the Future Workforce Initiative focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Read the article featured in the Nashville Tennessean.

Astronaut Mark Kelly Announces “Next Mission”: Running for U.S. Senate

Astronaut Mark Kelly is setting his eyes on a new frontier: the United States Senate. In a four-minute-long video, Kelly announced that his “next mission” is to run for Arizona’s Senate seat formerly occupied by the late Sen. John McCain. Read the article featured on CBSNews.com.

Is Homework Valuable or Not? Try Looking at Quality Instead

Homework is one those never-ending debates in K-12 circles that re-emerges every few years, bringing with it a new collection of headlines. Usually they bemoan how much homework students have, or highlight districts and even states that have sought to cap or eliminate homework. Now, a new analysis from the Center for American Progress suggests a more fruitful way of thinking about this problem. Maybe, it suggests, what we should be doing is looking at what students are routinely being asked to do in take-home assignments, how well that homework supports their learning goals (or doesn’t), and make changes from there. Read the article featured in Education Week.

The Two Codes Your Kids Need to Know

A few years ago, the leaders of the College Board, the folks who administer the SAT college entrance exam, asked themselves a radical question: Of all the skills and knowledge that we test young people for that we know are correlated with success in college and in life, which is the most important? Their answer: the ability to master “two codes” — computer science and the U.S. Constitution. Read the article featured in The New York Times.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

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

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“So I can inspire more students to love science!” That’s why middle school teacher Katherine W. told us she wanted to come to our national conference. Inspiration is high on the list for most people who come to an NSTA conference, as is the best science ed PD you’ll find anywhere, plus lots of amazing people. Here are eight more things middle level educators won’t want to miss at #NSTA19 in St. Louis this April.

1. Meet Me in the Middle Day—Friday, April 12, 10:15 AM–4:30 PM
   Join the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association (NMLSTA) for an amazing day designed just for middle school educators. The day’s events include 15 workshops and presentations, two roundtable networking sessions featuring a variety of topics, and an afternoon share-a-thon with up to 100 presenters swapping ideas. You’ll walk away with new friends and ideas you can use in your classroom next week!
   (See page 10 of the program preview for more information.)

2. Show your NSTA St. Louis Conference Badge and receive complimentary admission to the Butterfly House for a self-guided tour, courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Great care was taken in the design and engineering of the 8,000-square-foot glass conservatory garden to assure a natural and safe habitat for the butterflies. As many as 80 butterfly species and 150 tropical plant species are exhibited.
   (See page 20 of the program preview for more information.)

3. Dozens of sessions will be led by middle school educators. Below is a small sampling of what you’ll find when you search the session browser for events targeted for middle level science teaching: 
   • Middle School Science Fair: Tips and Tricks
   • Ice, Ice, Baby: An Integrated 3-D Storyline Unit for Middle School Science Using Instant Ice Packs
   • Stratospheric Ballooning for Middle School Students
   • All Kids Have a Voice: Using Protocols and Other Activities in the Middle School Science Classroom to Build Equity

4. Association for Multicultural Science Education (AMSE)-Sponsored Session: How to Be a DonorsChoose Rockstar—Using Crowdfunding to Get a Killer STEM Space!—Saturday, April 13, 3:30–4:30 PM
   Grow your STEM program in this session. Learn how to fill your space with learning tools, supplies, and more to complete your three-dimensional learning space.
   Click here to see more AMSE-sponsored sessions.

5. Teacher Researcher Day Session: Using Argumentation with a Social Justice Aspect to Improve Scientific Literacy—Thursday, April 11, 2:00–3:00 PM
   Most people cannot remember their middle school science classes. By adding a social justice aspect for argumentation, students are able to see how science impacts not only their daily lives but also the lives of others in a global context.
   Click here to see more Teacher Research Day sessions.

6. Learn how to get published in Science Scope (NSTA’s middle level journal) or any of NSTA’s journals.—Saturday, April 13, 9:30–10:30 AM
   Meet the editors of NSTA’s four grade-level teaching journals. Find out what types of articles they’re looking for, why it’s important to use your own classroom experience as the subject matter, how the review process works, and more. Would-be authors will find that it’s not so daunting to share their great ideas with peers.

7. Meet the authors of your favorite NSTA Press books and share ideas for using their innovative strategies in the classroom. All NSTA Press sessions will be held in America’s Center. Click here to see all NSTA Press sessions.

   Many of the sessions are particularly useful for middle school teachers, including the following:

   • What Is the Difference Between Weather and Climate?
     Thursday, April 11, 2:00–3:00 PM
     Laura Tucker, co-author of the popular Uncovering Student Misconceptions series, will share student responses to address this key concept for teaching climate change.
   • Instructional Sequence Matters—Structuring Lessons with the NGSS in Mind
     Thursday, April 11, 5:00–6:00 PM
     Learn how to be an explore-before-explain teacher who structures lessons so student evidenced-based claims are the foundation for learning and promote long-lasting physical science understanding.
   • Reading Nature—Engaging Biology Students with Evidence from the Living World
     Friday, April 12, 9:30–10:30 AM
     Engage adapted primary literature using an NSTA Press publication that allows biology students to not only understand core ideas, but understand how they are justified.
   • Once Upon an Earth Science Book
     Sunday, April 14, 9:30–10:30 AM
     Want your students to read and write more effectively? Join Jodi Wheeler-Toppen, author of the Once Upon a Science Book series, for lessons that integrate literacy and Earth science content.

8. The Exhibit Hall—Daily
   Some call NSTA’s exhibit hall the “science teacher’s playground,” and while it truly is fun, you’ll also pick up a lot of PD and get to try top-notch science ed resources while there. Check out this blog to see what happens there (and only there)—from the whacky to the wonderful. View the exhibit floor and plan your route here (and don’t forget to leave room in your suitcase for all the swag).

9. Meet your fellow middle school teachers at the First-Timers Session—Thursday, April 11, 8:00–9:00 AM.
   This may be last on our list, but it should be first on yours. You’ll find tables marked “Middle School” (among other topics you may choose from like STEM and NGSS), where you can meet other attendees with similar interests, get to know the NSTA leadership, win prizes, and have a lot of fun. It’s the best way to kick off your conference experience!

Can’t Attend But Want the Experience?

Follow along on Twitter and Instagram using #NSTA19, like NSTA on Facebook and check out our St. Louis album, or follow the Science Scope editor on Twitter for middle school–specific information about the conference and other happenings at NSTA.

Pro Tips

Check out more sessions and other events with the St. Louis Session Browser. Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA19, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it and share.

Need help requesting funding or time off from your principal or supervisor? Download a letter of support and bring it with you.

And don’t forget, NSTA members save up to $90 off the price of registration. Not a member? Join here.

Future NSTA Conferences

8th Annual STEM Forum & Expo, hosted by NSTA
San Francisco, July 24–26, 2019

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

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As a member of her local nature preserve, Katie Dunbar learned so much about the symbiotic relationship between animals and their environment. Take beavers, for example. The absence or presence of this one species has the ability to completely alter its ecosystem.

“Beavers are considered a keystone species for the vital role they play in their ecosystems,” said Dunbar, a K-5 librarian for the Palisades School District in Kintnersville, Pa. “If you remove them, the whole ecosystem changes. Their very existence ensures a healthy balance across plant life, animal species, and water levels.”

When Dunbar learned that NSTA was seeking authors, she wanted beavers to factor prominently in her storytelling. She admitted to having “great fun researching these fascinating, three feet-long little rodents” for her eBook+ Kids interactive book, Beavers Building Ecosystems.

While on a visit to Maine, Dunbar hunted down known beaver habitats, but admitted to being “completely surprised” upon discovering some of them.

“There was a huge variety in their dams, some of which I didn’t know were there until I stepped on them,” Dunbar said. “Between the trees and the brush, I couldn’t even tell that a pond was there.”

Dunbar’s eBook actively encourages K-5 students to participate in hands-on, three-dimensional learning. The content takes students through science and engineering practices; crosscutting concepts; and disciplinary core ideas. A detailed teachers’ guide supplements the e-book and can be used as a tool for class-wide, small group, or independent study of the content; provides additional ideas and activities; and assesses students on the content standards to which this e-book is aligned.

“The e-book allows students to make so many more connections with the content than if they were just reading a printed book,” Dunbar explained. “You can tell kids the connections, but they are not going to remember. If they get to interact with ideas and make connections themselves they will remember.”

Once considered a nuisance, more recent evidence points to the positive effects beavers have on ecosystem repair, esp. in the west, in managing storm water runoff, elevating low water tables, preventing river bed erosion, and creating of new wetlands.

“I hope that students who interact with this e-book get excited about this little critter who makes so many positive changes,” Dunbar said.

The author is hard at work on her second e-Book about pygmy mammoths. Did you know that the Chanel Islands are the only place in the world where pygmy mammoths are known to have existed? Dunbar shared that they evolved from the Columbian mammoths of North America after swimming out to the Chanel Islands.

Stay tuned!

Find out how to order Beavers Building Ecosystems.

Read an excerpt from the Teacher’s Guide.

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Have you ever been challenged by student teachers and the methods they bring to the classroom that differed from yours? Have students ever favored your student teacher over you? How did you react? 

— R., Ohio

On a few occasions I did learn some new activities or labs which I would gladly discuss with the student teacher and look at employing myself. I think because I dedicated myself to keeping current on new ways of teaching and tried many different techniques throughout my career, there weren’t really too many times that a student teacher came up with a completely new way to teach something. In fact, even though I and many other teachers have switched to student-centered approaches, some preservice teachers still start in a teacher-centered manner, much in way they themselves had been taught in school!

It was quite a blow to my ego whenever students preferred my student teacher and moaned when I took over the class again! I would brush it off, justifying it as their attraction to someone younger (and better looking). If I only had to teach for five weeks with a reduced workload I could be a rock star, too, I told myself. However, I also had to face up to the fact that some were better than me and that there will always be teachers better than me. And that’s a good thing for everyone. If teachers don’t improve then our education doesn’t move forward. And that means that we stop progressing.

Better said by John Dewey:
“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”

Hope this helps!

Sound Attribution via Creative Commons 3.0: “Sad Trombone Sound” by Joe Lamb. Released: 2011.