Shanghai is a 13,558 miles round-trip from my home in Chandler, Arizona, and a continent away from my comfort zone. Though flashbacks of 1966’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (everything that could go wrong, did!) played in my head while trying to obtain my Visa (thank you Ted Willard for your incredible patience and problem-solving skills), I arrived safe and sound and received a kind welcome from my wonderful guide and interpreter, Ms Chaimeng Xue.

I was there to represent NSTA, as District XIV Director, at the 2015 Shanghai International STEM Forum on Science Literacy for Adolescents. NSTA was invited to speak to the conference attendees about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and NSTA’s efforts to support them.

My generous hosts from the Shanghai Science Association for Young Talents (SSAYT), who are also international members of NSTA, invited me not only to speak and collaborate, but also to spend a few days visiting Shanghai and nearby sites. I collected many lifetime memories as I explored the stunning and serene Yu Gardens built during the reign of Ming Emperor Jiajing in 1559 and the 900-year-old water village of Zhoushuang, tasted interesting and unique foods and teas, and walked the sycamore lined streets found all around Shanghai.

Working with NSTA’s resident NGSS expert, Ted Willard, I put together a “first timer’s glance” into the NGSS. The presentation addressed how the standards were developed, how they differ from anything we’ve done before, and how we’ll work as a collaborative nation and professional teachers’ organization to change the way science is taught and learned. I was able to share the presentation with an audience of science and technology teachers, specialists, and educators from all over China, along with several notable guests from the science and STEM education community in China, and guest Dr. George DeBoer from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

We joined a group of teachers from all over China for program presentations and an impromptu panel discussion on the many similarities and questions each of our countries’ faces regarding science and STEM education. The most critical concern for two large countries separated by oceans and traditions… how do we make it a priority for all?

With the help of my interpreter, I learned more about the science and STEM education issues in Shanghai, and China as a whole. Like us, China is placing much effort and focus on reforming the education system and improving students’ performance in science and technology. They also are giving a great deal of attention to the issue of testing and its impact on students as they plan their college career goals for single and multi-disciplinary studies drives planning and developing, and to STEM and what it means to the entire education community and its outcome for students. It was exciting to hear from Dr. DeBoer on how AAAS’s Project 2061 is supporting the standards effort to improve science education so all Americans can become literate in science, mathematics, and technology.

Heading back home on the 11-hour flight to Los Angeles I began to process all the beautiful sights, warm and welcoming people, and the interesting commonalities our two nations share in the quest to educate our children and prepare them for a world we are still mostly dreaming about. The opportunity to collaborate with so many like-minded people who share the same sense of urgency in education was both exciting and encouraging.

Jen Gutierrez spent 23 years as public educator and now is the K-12 STEM Education Specialist in the K-12 Standards Division at the Arizona Department of Education. She represented Arizona on the NGSS Writing Team and recently joined the NSTA Council as District XIV Director.

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

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Future NSTA Conferences

2015 Area Conferences

• Philadelphia, November 12–14
• Kansas City, December 3–5

2016 National Conference

• Nashville, March 31–April 3

2016 STEM Forum & Expo

• Denver, July 27–30

The hot parlor game recently among education advocates is whether the reauthorized version of No Child Left Behind will make it across the finish line this fall amid the turmoil in Congress and the unexpected departure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan at the end of the year.

Despite this, and the fact that members of the conference committee have yet to be named and the growing number of pressing issues Congress has to address in the next few weeks, Congressional education leaders (Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., plus Reps. John Kline, R-Minn, and Bobby Scott, D-Va., ) and their staff are diligently working on the differences between the House and Senate bills and hope to get compromise legislation that can be approved by both House conservatives and the Administration.

One big issue addressed last week was the accountability features in the legislation. A roundtable of prominent Senators and Administration officials called on law makers to ensure the new ESEA will help schools with low student achievement rates.

The Senate’s bipartisan bill, the Every Child Achieves Act (S.1177), contains a provision (S. 1177, Title II E, Section 2005) that would provide targeted funding to states for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs. However, the partisan House bill, the Student Success Act (H.R. 5), does not have a dedicated program for STEM.

Thanks to the support from many STEM education advocates, the final House Dear Colleague letter supporting the Senate language with dedicated STEM funding in the final ESEA conference bill garnered signatures from both sides of the aisle. Thirty four House members—9 Republicans and 25 Democrats–signed the Hanna-Courtney Dear Colleague.  NSTA and the STEM Ed Coalition worked with Rep. Richard Hanna (R-NY) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) to organize the bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter.

STEM Education Act Is Now Law

President Obama signed the STEM Education Act into law last week. The bipartisan bill 1) officially adds computer science to the definition of STEM subjects for the National Science Foundation and other science agencies, 2) reaffirms NSF’s commitment to informal STEM education by reauthorizing certain informal STEM research priorities; and 3) expands eligibility for some categories of teachers for the prestigious NSF Noyce Teacher Scholarship program for STEM educators. Read more.

Jodi Peterson is Assistant Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. e-mail Jodi at jpeterson@nsta.org; follow her on Twitter at @stemedadvocate.

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

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Each of the K-12 journals this month includes DCIs, SEPs, and CCs, Oh My! Understanding the Three Dimensions of the NGSS with in-depth descriptions of what the Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and Cross-cutting concepts mean for science curriculum, instruction, and assessment. A must read!

 The themes of the three K-12 Journals in October fit together nicely – the History and Nature of Science lends itself to interdisciplinary studies, and studying the earth provides a context for these studies.

The Science Teacher: History and Nature of Science

The featured articles focus on how historical events and discoveries connect with scientific knowledge and how this knowledge changes with new events and discoveries. See this month’s Science Scope for more lessons on the interdisciplinary Nature of Science.

• Teaching the Manhattan Project describes an interdisciplinary unit that examines the relationship between discoveries in science and the development of nuclear weapons.
• William Smith’s Mapping Milestone – Last summer, I had the opportunity to see Smith’s geologic map of Great Britain at the Geological Society in London. The 100-year old map is amazing in its size, detail, and importance. This article focuses on how “Interactive Historical Vignettes” (including one based on this map) can be used to help students understand the nature of science.
• Chemical Solitaire – Students use element cards to explore patterns among elements and how to organize them as new elements are added to the mix.
• A Cool Controversy – Glaciers are used as a historical context for learning current concepts. Students make and use models of glaciers and photos of student work are included.
• Are We Alone in the Universe? – Recent discoveries on Mars have raised interesting possibilities. This article describes how the SOURCES framework can be used to integrate primary sources into science investigations. The article includes links to some of these sources.
• Idea Bank: Exploring the History of Science With Movies Liven up student learning about scientists and their work with video segments. The article includes sources for brief, focused video segments as well as suggestions for using them in the classroom.
• Career of the Month: Science and Technology Librarian The Smithsonian recently had an article on the “death” of the card catalog. Find out what a 21^st century science librarian does and why their jobs are important.
• Safer Science: Safety in the Field Be sure to read NSTA’s Safety Advisory Board’s white paper on Field Trip Safety, described in and linked from this article.

Here are some SciLinks with content information and suggestions for additional activities and investigations related to this month’s featured articles: Glaciers, Ice Ages, Life on Other Planets, Nuclear Reactions, Our Universe, Periodic Table.

Continue for Science and Children and Science Scope.

Science and Children: Earth’s Systems

This issue focuses on Systems, with examples from earth science, specifically related to climate and weather. Although many elementary students study the weather, understanding how weather and climate are related (and changing) is important for students. As the editor notes, “The core ideas should begin with place-based weather concepts and then expand to global climates.”

• Speleothems and Sand Castles – Students can study the formation of stalagmites and stalactities in the classroom.
• Using Models Scientifically – Kick up the study of the water cycle to incorporate more about using models.
• From Droughts to Drones – Students study local situations using current technology.
• Animal Detectives – How do animals, specifically wolves, relate to and interact with their habitat?
• NGSS in Action – Studying soil provides a context for English Language Learners.
• Teaching Through Trade Books: Wonderful Water  – The two lessons here focus on the role of water in earth processes.
• The Early Years: About the Weather – Our youngest students can learn to document local weather and look for patterns. 
• Formative Assessment Probes: Wet Jeans – What do students understand (or misunderstand) about the water cycle, including evaporation and condensation.
• Engineering Encounters:
  Nature as Inspiration – How can a study of plant structures lead to ideas for collecting and storing water?

Here are some SciLinks with content information and suggestions for additional activities and investigations related to this month’s featured articles: Caverns, Drought, Groundwater, Landforms, Soil, Weather, Water Conservation, Water Cycle, Wolves.

Science Scope: Interdisciplinary Projects

“Viewing similar content from multiple perspectives can enhance learning, produce a greater depth of understanding, and foster creativity and insight,” according to the editor. Many of these articles also address the Nature of Science, the theme of The Science Teacher.

• Using a STEM-Based Approach to Make Recycling Metallic Elements Relevant has suggestions for an interdisciplinary investigation into properties of metals and the costs and logistics of recycling them.
• See Less Sea-Less Seagulls: Planning for an Interdisciplinary STEM Unit describes an extended interdisciplinary project and the planning and preparation it required.
• Connecting the Dots: Lasers Link Students to Their 3-D World has suggestions for building and using a 3-D mapping instrument.
• Shrimp and Black Gill: Studying the Effect of Apostome Ciliates includes resources for a role-playing game that simulates ecological relationships and interactions.
• Using Biographical Letters to Draw on the Nature of Science shows how writing and science can be integrated into a study of the history and nature of science with classroom examples.
• Tried and True: Using Observations of Fossils to Reconstruct Ancient Environments – Not all science investigations are experiments. This article shows how students can conduct observations of fossils and derive conclusions from them.
• Teacher’s Toolkit: Bridging the Three Dimensions of the NGSS Using the Nature of Science describes how to adapt a lesson to incorporate the nature of science. The sample lesson is one on exploring the features of the ocean floor.

Here are some SciLinks with content information and suggestions for additional activities and investigations related to this month’s featured articles: Ciliophora, Crustaceans, Fossil Record, Fossils, Landforms, Lasers, Ocean Floor, Metals, Recycling, Scientists’ Biographies, Sonar.

A few months ago, I started to write an op-ed with the statement that science teachers are saving our democracy. Why do I believe this? Because science teachers provide the tools our children need to remain well-informed, participatory citizens. Jefferson said, “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own governance.” Today there are (well-financed) anti-science campaigns against teaching evolution or teaching about climate change that represent serious threats to the very basis of our democracy. The only viable defense against these threats is scientific literacy, and the defensive lineup consists of science teachers. “Scientific” knowledge, shared among all citizens, should be the basis for public policy as opposed to an appeal to “revealed knowledge” or authority.

Recently, while looking through old books at the local library book sale, I came across the Winter 1940 volume of Science and Society. The lead article underscored the role of science teachers as critical links in preserving democracy. J. D. Bernal, one of the fathers of crystallography, wrote “Science Teaching in General Education” and much of it sounds as if it were written yesterday afternoon. He presaged the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) when he said:

The old methods of teaching, with their formal approach, and their rigid separation between science and the humanities, are plainly incompetent to deal with these developments [the development of the importance of science]. The attempt to apply them results in parrot-like learning, in a stifling of intelligence and criticism, and in the production of individuals who know so little of the major factors affecting their lives that they are more at the mercy of demagogues and quacks than an illiterate population…. The reform of education is not a luxury; it is a necessity if we are to safeguard existing democracy.

And speaking of traditional science education, Bernal goes on:

At its worst, it simply handed out information that was so out of relation with life as to become meaningless and impossible to remember. The greatest defect of scientific education in the past has been its inability to transmit the most characteristic aspect of science, namely, its method. It is most important that all, and particularly those who are not continuing in scientific careers, should learn scientific method by practicing it.

 And how did he characterize the objectives of science education?

The first objective is to provide enough understanding of the science in society to enable the great majority that will not be actively engaged in scientific pursuits to collaborate intelligently with who are, and to be able to criticize or appreciate the effect of science on society.

The second objective, which is not entirely distinct, is to give a practical understanding of the method of science [i.e., scientific practices] sufficient to be applicable to the problems that the citizen has to face in his individual and social life.

Finally, Bernal discusses the critical role of science teachers in achieving those objectives and the need for educators to use real-world problems to connect with their students and their community. Perhaps most importantly, he reflects on the role of the science teacher in the face of the “anti-scientific and anti-social forces [that] are powerfully entrenched in the school system.” The widespread adoption and implementation of NGSS by teachers, even in non-adopting states, is a testament to their enlightened commitment to reason.

Sadly, anti-scientific and anti-social forces are still powerfully entrenched in the school system. As we move ahead into the 2016 election season, and as we continue to address almost daily threats to the teaching of evolution and climate change, we must insist that our thought leaders are committed to supporting science education that emphasizes the practices of science over those hard to remember “facts.” We must recognize that science education is for all students, our future citizens. The very fate of democracy may well depend on it. I hate to consider the alternative.

Dr. David L. Evans is the Executive Director of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Reach him at devans@nsta.org or via Twitter @devans_NSTA.

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

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My background is in engineering and now I’m teaching middle school general science. I’m comfortable with the topics in physical and earth science, but I’m a little shaky on the life science topics, including cells, genetics, and evolution. Could you suggest some strategies or resources I could use to get up to speed quickly?  —T., Minnesota

Teachers often find themselves reassigned to different subjects, and even the subjects we prepared for have ongoing discoveries and developments. Many of us can identify with your situation of keeping a few steps ahead of the students for a while (I was a chemistry major whose first teaching assignment was middle school life science).

For the content areas you identified in your question, here are several websites with information in a visual, understandable format (there are many others, of course):

• Learn Genetics has tutorials and readings on cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, human health, and ecology.
• Bozeman Science has brief videos geared toward high school students with good explanations of key concepts.
• Understanding Evolution has a collection of resources for students and teachers on the science and history of evolutionary biology.

Books geared for middle or high school students on the topics you’re discussing can provide a quick update at a level that your students will also understand. Check out the suggested reading lists in the NSTA journals or search the NSTA Recommends site.

Look for seminars or speakers at nearby colleges/universities. Professional societies., museums, zoos, nature centers, or botanical gardens often have lectures open to the public or special programs for teachers.

The resources at the NSTA Learning Center will help you, too. These resources include online web seminars and podcasts, as well as SciPacks. These collections of interactive, self-paced learning opportunities (called Science Objects) guide you through specific areas of science. In addition to the information you’ll learn, you also have access to an online mentor who can answer content questions for you. There are several related to life science, including Cell Structure and Function, Cell Division and Differentiation, Heredity and Variation, and Cells and Chemical Reactions.

Reading NSTA journals such as The Science Teacher, Science Scope, and Science & Children is an easy way to stay current, and your NSTA membership includes online access to all of them, including the archives. Even though you’re teaching middle school, the other two journals will have additional teaching ideas and content updates.

Participating a professional learning community through social media offers a just-in-time way to share ideas and information. NSTA has e-mail lists related to biology, middle school, and general science. NSTA also hosts discussion forums in life science and general science. Twitter has many hashtags for science teachers, including #nsta and #biologyteachers. In all of these resources, you’ll find colleagues are eager to offer just-in-time information, suggestions, and resources.

Check with your administrator to see if and how your independent studies could be considered part of your professional development plan.

With your expertise in engineering, you can be a resource for your colleagues as they learn more about the engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics. You might be interested in the TeachEngineering site, in which topics and practices in life, earth and physical science are taught, connected, and reinforced through real-life problems or scenarios. There is an option to search the site by grade level, topic, and NGSS standards. The lessons have been designed by university engineering faculty and teachers. For example, Engineering and the Human Body illustrates the format and design of the units.