Last week in the Senate, Senators Franken and Kirk circulated a Dear Colleague letter addressed to the ESEA conference leaders, asking them to include the Senate language they introduced (and was passed) in the Senate bill that includes targeted funding for STEM education. As of Friday, October 30, 2015, the letter was signed by 16 Senators, (Kirk, Ayotte, Gillibrand, Cantwell, Coons, Mikulski, Stabenow, Heinrich, Murphy, Wyden, Hirono, Baldwin, Merkley, Capito, Blumenthal, and Udall). NSTA and the STEM Education Coalition were very active in garnering support for this Dear Colleague. As you will recall from previous legislative updates, a similar House Dear Colleague letter supporting the Senate language with dedicated STEM funding in the final ESEA conference bill sponsored by Representatives Hanna and Courtney garnered 34 signatures from both sides of the aisle.

“Will STEM education be the child left behind?” was the question asked during an October 28 NPR report. NPR report Eric Westervelt explored the differences for science education funding in the House and Senate NCLB reauthorization bills now under consideration (the Senate bill maintains language for a STEM end program, the House bill does not), noting that as legislators work toward passage of a final ESEA bill, “with hard-line House Republicans in full revolt, it’s possible the Senate’s STEM provisions would disappear in the inevitable legislative horse-trading.”

Although conferees for the final bill have not been named yet, Congressional education leaders and their staff are working behind the scenes on working out differences between the two bills. Stay tuned.

Also in the Past Week

As widely reported by most media outlets, Congress and the White House came to terms on a two-year budget deal that would lift the sequestration budget caps and address a range of short- and long-term spending issues. The deal would raise the FY2016 budget caps by $25 billion each for defense and non-defense spending (including education) and by $15 billion each in FY2017. It will allow lawmakers to complete the remaining appropriations bills before the December 11th Continuing Resolution expires.  Also important is the fact that this deal could help Rep. Paul Ryan, the new speaker of the House (and responsible for setting the House legislative agenda), push through with the final reauthorization of the ESEA. Read more.

ED Wants to Reduce Testing

Following a report from the Council of the Great City Schools on student testing in urban schools, the U.S. Department of Education and President Obama announced the Department would “review its policies to address any places where the Administration may have contributed to the problem of overemphasis,” and released a Testing Action Plan that “presents principles for fewer and smarter assessments, specific steps the department is taking to mitigate the issue, and examples of state and local efforts to reduce testing.” The Department recommends that “states place a cap on the percentage of instructional time students spend taking required statewide standardized assessments to ensure that no child spends more than 2 percent of her classroom time taking these tests.”

NAEP Math and Reading Scores Released

Finally, politicians and Department of Education officials took keen note of the NAEP scores released this week, which were sobering: Fourth-graders and eighth-graders lost ground on national mathematics tests this year. Eighth-grade reading scores dropped, and fourth-grade reading performance was stagnant. Large achievement gaps between the nation’s white and minority students and between poor and affluent children still exist in both subjects.

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.

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I like to provide activities that help students learn science vocabulary, but at a recent department meeting we discussed the value (if any) of word games and puzzles. Do you have any insights or research on the topic? –W., New York

Many K-12 teachers use word games and puzzles to help students review concepts and learn vocabulary. The puzzles are available to students who finish other activities early or in emergency packets for substitute teachers. As long as they are not overused, many students seem to enjoy puzzles as well as word games that include active use of the words.

Find-a-words or jumble puzzles focus on word recognition, and I’m not convinced they are effective learning tools worth the time to find, create, or solve (or assign as homework, as I once saw a teacher do). On the other hand, crossword puzzles and similar games ask students to think of words to fit the clues (or clues to fit the words), which reinforces a knowledge of definitions and context, spelling, and differentiating between similar terms.

Teachers spend many hours creating or finding puzzles, duplicating them, and using class time for students to complete them. How do we know if solving these puzzles is an effective learning strategy?

I found a study, Reviewing for Exams: Do Crossword Puzzles Help in the Success of Student Learning?, that looked at the value of this type of review. The introduction describes different types of puzzles and a rationale for using each. The results of the study were mixed, but the conclusions are fodder for discussion. For example, do students understand that games and puzzles can help them learn, as opposed to being strictly a recreational or “fun” activity? (I sometimes used a crossword puzzle as an alternative to a traditional quiz. The students were incredulous at first: “This is fun—it can’t be a quiz!”)

In NSTA’s Journal of College Science Teaching (JCST), the authors of Utility of Self-Made Crossword Puzzles as an Active Learning Method to Study Biochemistry in Undergraduate Education put a different spin on puzzles. Rather than asking students to complete teacher-made puzzles, the students were asked to create crosswords using key concepts from the course. (The article has the instructions for the puzzle-makers and an example.) A majority of the students felt that the puzzles enhanced their learning of biochemical concepts and their exam scores were slightly higher (although no level of significance was included).

Designing and Solving Crossword Puzzles: Examining Efficacy in a Classroom Exercise describes a case study with suggestions and comments from students, including the survey questions that were used. The article also has a discussion of the value of word games in the classroom.

These studies were conducted with college-level students. It would be interesting to repeat with younger students, and I thought of some questions that would make interesting action research at the K-12 level (and a professional development opportunity): What would happen if other students were given peer-created puzzles to solve—would this additional level of review be helpful? Would this provide feedback on the clarity of the clues or help designers target the areas they need to study more? What would the design process look like as a team project?

From the example given in the JCST study, it appears that the puzzles were created manually with students manipulating the words, creating the puzzle grid, and submitting a version in which they filled in the answers. Would there be a difference if the students were to use an online puzzle generator or app in which most of the design work was done by the program? Hmmm…

I sometimes wish I could have another hour or more with a presenter of a session at a conference or other professional development program. I want to more-fully explore the ideas presented or a question the discussion raised in my mind. I was able to try to fill this niche for two teachers in an early childhood full-day program for children ages 2-5. They wanted to expand their understanding of physical science and their strategies for teaching it.

We had joint meetings and discussions, participated in hands-on explorations, viewed video of ourselves and did independent reading. I led modeling of lessons. The objective and outline follows and I hope you will comment on it, and also describe professional development that was most beneficial to you, or training that you presented that you think helped early childhood educators understand more about science inquiry and the practices of science and engineering, and teaching them.

An example of a 7-week series about physical science for a small group of educators

Training Objectives:

Through examining their own practice, and the science education standards and position statements based on research into how children learn, participants will expand their knowledge of:

• the nature of science,
• selected science content,
• resources for early childhood science education, and
• how to implement science inquiry in the context of the program’s emergent curriculum.

We will begin with the understanding that we are learners together, seeking to understand how children learn and how to teach science and engineering concepts in early childhood programs. Hands-on exploration of materials by the participants will reveal ways to engage children and scaffold their understanding of science concepts.

Participants will examine the 2014 National Science Teachers Association’s position statement on Early Childhood Science Education and the standards used by their own early childhood center. Discussion will center on:

• the practices of science and engineering as described in A Framework for K-12 Education,
• how “science inquiry” is part of the practices, and
• what the practices look like in the emergent curriculum of an early childhood classroom.

Through their experience doing hands-on manipulation of materials to make changes, observing model teaching, and through discussion, participants will understand the value of using open-ended productive questions to focus children’s attention on problem solving rather than solely teaching children science facts.

Participants will develop a beginning understanding of physical science concepts or expand upon their current level.

Participants will be able to implement physical science inquiries in their classrooms.

Discussion topics:                                                           Independent reading:

What would you add or omit from this professional development?

“Children are naturally fascinated by spiderwebs, and when they learn that these webs are clever traps made by small and skillful spiders that never had a single lesson, these structures become even more remarkable. My wish is that after reading this book, you and your child feel a sense of wonder the next time you see a spiderweb.”

Emily Morgan, author of Next Time You See a Spiderweb

The latest book in the Next Time You See series of NSTA Kids books, Next Time You See a Spiderweb will have even the most nervous of spider observers fascinated by the structures that spiders can create. The beautiful photography in the book reveals the many incredible shapes and sizes spun by different types of spiders.

Check out this video to get a sense of the innate skill that spiders possess to create the web traps they need to catch their prey. Using tangled webs, funnel-webs, and orb webs, spiders spin sticky silk without getting stuck themselves.

Author Emily Morgan is an educator who knows how to connect with children both intellectually and emotionally. Her Next Time You See series is intended to inspire children in grades K–6 to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena.

Next Time You See a Spiderweb explains how spiders create the silk and spin it from their bodies. The strength and flexibility of spider silk intrigues scientists because the silk is stronger than a thread of steel and can stretch great lengths without breaking. Scientists are trying to mimic spider silk to create new materials that could help people improve their lives.

Engineers and architects also study the construction of spiderwebs to learn how most of a spiderweb can remain intact, even when a part of it is damaged. If they can learn how that works, they might be able to design structures that can hold up in an earthquake.

This is a book that children and adults will want to take along on their next nature walk. And the next time you see a spiderweb, remember that a small, skillful spider knows how to create something remarkable that people cannot, but wish they could.

Browse sample pages of this new book.

Fall for These Savings on NSTA Press Books!

Between now and October 31, 2015, save $15 off your order of $75 or more of NSTA Press books or NSTA Press e-books by entering promo code FALL15 at checkout in the online Science Store.

As a beginning science teacher, I have issues with time management. Some days a lesson I thought would take the entire class period doesn’t. Other activities take longer than I planned. How do teachers handle this?  —D., Vermont

It’s a challenge for science teachers to design activities and investigations that fit into our allotted time. Secondary teachers deal with projects and investigations that don’t always fit neatly into 45- or 60- or even 90-minute packages. (One of my challenges was a class split in half by a lunch period!) Elementary teachers may have more flexibility, but time for science can be affected by schedules for specials or limited by a focus on reading and math.

Some curriculum documents or lesson plans have recommendations on how much time to allow. But even if you teach the same lesson to several classes on the same day, you’ll find that the time required may differ based on student interest and experiences, distractions, interruptions, or equipment glitches.

As you get to know your students and after teaching a lesson or activity a few times, you’ll get a feel for the time required. I would suggest annotating your lesson plans at the end of the day for future reference. How much time did the activity take? How much progress did each class make (if you teach more than one)? What affected the amount of time? What should be done differently next time?

I posed your question to a colleague, and she suggested from her experiences that it’s better to overplan than to wind up with a lot of extra time. She also recommended choosing activities that fit within your class period or can be paused and continued the next day.

It may take some work at first, but it’s good to have a repertoire of backup activities for days (or class periods) when an activity finishes early. These could include vocabulary games, time for students to update science notebooks, card sorts, or quick writes (responding to an open-ended question or prompt). The books in Page Keeley’s Uncovering Student Ideas series from NSTA have short “assessment probes” that challenge students and provide insight into their thinking. You could choose ones related to your current topic or that preview upcoming topics.

You probably can’t control the length of the class periods, but you can maximize the time you have. It’s important to have routines in place for the beginning and end of the class period to avoid spending time on logistics. Bell-ringers at the beginning of the class period can focus students’ attention on the lesson. Students having assigned roles for lab activities and established procedures for collecting or distributing materials can help make for smooth transitions between activities.

At the end of the class, students are tempted to race out the door. Keep an eye on the clock to have time for clean up. Plan for a brief exit activity or discussion to help students reflect on or “pack up” what they were learning or doing before they leave.

But even with careful planning, some individual students may finish a lesson or activity with time to spare. If you tell students to “get busy on something,” what students find to do on their own is often distracting to others or not related to science learning. Be ready with related resources for these students as others continue: an extension to the activity, a collection of reading materials, vocabulary reviews, or online resources or apps to examine.

One thing you’ll learn is that teachers have to be flexible!

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.