Helping our students make sense of data while they are working with phenomenon can be an excellent way for students to build critical 21st-century data skills in engaging and authentic ways. Here I outline an instructional strategy we can use when integrating data visualizations in our phenomenon-based units. Additionally, I recommend two reflection exercises to consider when thinking more broadly about the intersection of data, communication, and phenomenon in your current curriculum

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This article discusses an innovative approach to science education focused on engaging students through authentic learning experiences and hands-on activities. It emphasizes the importance of linking classroom instruction with real-world science research practices, particularly in the context of coral reef ecosystems through an authentic learning opportunity. The article shares insights from piloting a coral reef ecosystem lesson with high school biology students, noting their enthusiastic engagement and skill development in data interpretation and communication. The lab activity is an opportunity for students to simulate underwater research techniques and analyze authentic data to assess the health of coral reef ecosystems. The article underscores the urgency of educating students about threats facing coral reefs, including climate change, pollution, and human activities. Whether we live near an ocean or far away it is important to help students understand how the ocean is connected to our daily lives. By integrating ocean literacy principles into the curriculum, educators can empower students to understand the interconnectedness of marine ecosystems and human behaviors, encouraging informed citizenship and environmental stewardship. This article advocates for transformative science education that cultivates critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Student activities based on deposition in a beaker introduce Walther’s Law, which states that, if uninterrupted, vertical deposition is duplicated in the horizontal. When gravel, sand, and clay (mud) are stirred in a beaker of water, they settle out predictably. The heaviest (gravel) deposits first, then sand, and, finally, clay. This is Walther’s Law in the vertical. The same sequence is seen in streams flowing into the sea. Gravel settles out first, followed by sand and clay. This is Walther’s Law in the horizontal. Activities in this article use Walther’s Law to introduce high school Earth-science students to stream deposition, shifting shorelines, and regional deposition.

Socioscientific issues (SSIs) can help students think about the moral and ethical issues related to science. When SSI issues are based on local phenomena and issues within students’ communities, they can also resonate more with students. This article uses the SSI of tilling to help students understand the pros and cons of this farming practice, but also helps us teach some basic soil principles such as light absorption based on soil coverage, permeability in compact vs non-compact soil samples, wind erosion, water erosion, and the concept of buffers (partially addressing HS-ESS3-4 and HS-ESS2-5).

Pendulum paintings are fun to make and fascinating to observe in process, but they can be used to model real scientific analysis using messy data. In this activity, students create pendulum paintings and develop an analysis using measurements of multiple variables to try to create a mathematical model that will predict the amount of time for the pendulum to stop. Through this analysis of messy data, students expand their critical thinking skills in an attempt to model a complex system. This mirrors what scientists do in the actual study of complex systems such as weather or ecosystems. Additionally, students may see mathematic functions and equations through a different lens as models of real systems, reducing math-related anxiety and promoting mathematical thinking.

Media has always played a significant role in shaping education. Visual cues and observable phenomena brought to life on screens or through vivid and engrossing sound effects make science accessible to people in ways that textbooks, journals and technical reports cannot. With the release of blockbuster films that tackle complex subjects, the science education community gets a chance to revisit how the story of science is told. This commentary considers how two blockbuster movies might be used to discuss how to teach science-technology-society topics in secondary classrooms. The NSTA Position Statements will also be examined in the context of science storytelling through popular media.

Local landscapes examined via Google Earth provide a natural arena on which students can analyze how humans modify and interact with their environment. These lessons guide students through an exploration of the natural and built environments both near and far so students begin to understand how each of these environments compare and the role they play in our everyday lives. With this knowledge, students progress from natural and built environments to the concept of land cover classification, a system of dividing out land cover into categories that describe its use and impact. The students then move toward examining the natural and built environment and each land cover classification in terms of environmental justice themes with the specific example of soil pollution. In each of these lessons, students are encouraged to examine a variety of categories and scales that their surrounding environment can be divided into to determine how we interact with the world and the results of those interactions.