As we set up our classrooms and examine the school grounds we can make space for science exploration by putting out some simple tools and seeking advice from experienced teachers. If you have advice on setting up a classroom to support science exploration and engineering investigations, please give us advice by commenting below. Here are a few ideas I’ve learned from other teachers, and researchers, and used over the years.
Magnifiers are a tool that can enhance children’s explorations. I have seen two-year-olds learn how to hold magnifying glasses to get a close-up look at leaves, feathers, and other interesting objects. A variety of these tools can be available to be used throughout a school:

• in the dress-up area for imaginative play or looking closely at fabrics,
• in the book corner for examining illustrations,
• at snack time to see the wrinkles in a raisin or the fibers of a celery stick,
• outside on the playground or in a teacher’s pocket to be available to look at small creatures or grass leaves, and
• at the fish tank to see the details of a fish’s body.

Measuring tools such as chain links, stacking cubes, measuring “hands” (see Oct 2006 The Early Years column) and rulers encourage children to make comparisons and document their observations. Bathroom scales, spring scales and balances are useful for measuring how much something weighs and answering the question, “Which one weighs more?” Measuring cups of various sizes with numbers on them support children’s exploration of volume of water or sand in the sensory table or on the playground.

Egg cartons or other small boxes suggest making a collection and sorting—leaves, seeds, pebbles, beads, jar lids or alphabet tiles.
Tools for exploring the properties of water can be as small as a pipette or dropper, and as large as a turkey baster, or even a hose! A variety of sponges supports comparing the ability to absorb water. A length of clear plastic tube can be part of an investigation into the movement of water or marbles.
 
Small clipboards are fun for children to use to record their observations through drawing or writing. “Writing” can happen anywhere inside or outside a school, not just at a Writing Center. If you have a Science Center, be sure to include paper and drawing tools so children know that scientists draw and write about what they observe and think.
Adding “water plants” or “feed fish” to a Job Chart is one way to involve all children in daily science tasks. If they have a recording page to draw on they may spend a bit more time in the process and notice a new leaf budding or the movement of the fish’s tail.
Check to see how sunny the windowsill is–you may be able to grow non-toxic houseplants such as spider plants or start seedlings for the fall school garden.
A space for conversation and group discussion while viewing documentation or introducing new materials is as important as the materials themselves. Reading about productive questions and “science talk” prepares us to develop these practices in ourselves and students. Science investigations take root where teachers lay the groundwork!

Why am I at the table with a laptop, a tablet and a smartphone? Is this the ultimate example of multitasking? Have I finally leaped into geekdom?
Actually, I’m looking at three versions of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The standards have been on the NGSS website since last spring.  And now there is a free NGSS app that I downloaded for my iPad and iPhone (it’s also available for Android devices). Of course the information is the same, but I was curious how the app compares in format and user-friendliness to the full web version.
I admit I’m a big-picture type of person, so the web version, with each color-coded standard on a separate page appeals to me conceptually. But I can see how this text-dense format could be overwhelming. I also found it easy to overlook the clarification statements and assessment boundaries, which have critical information to use in developing curriculum and planning instruction.

The app version is similar in that it uses the same color-coding and options. But I’m pleased that the app uses a slightly different format, making it easier to read. (OK, the smaller screen of the iPhone is a challenge for my eyes.) The iPad version is very user-friendly with an index in the left margin for the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) and Topic Arrangements, like the website. Each performance expectation is displayed separately, and the clarification statements and assessment boundaries are clearly marked. Users can click on the links for expanded information on the practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts, which follow the same color-coding scheme as the website documents. The connections to Common Core standards are more prominently displayed, too.

The app has a Resources tab with the appendices and a link to the NRC Framework and additional materials from NSTA. And the app is available even if you’re not connected to the Internet.
The search feature in the app is not as robust as in the web version. For example, I searched for the term “gravity” on both. The app version showed the performance expectations where the term occurred (at the middle school level). The web version showed these, as well as the occurrences of the term in the clarification statements, assessment boundaries, and DCIs at the elementary level.
Here is more information from NSTA about the app:
Download the Next Generation Science Standards app, developed in partnership with MasteryConnect, by searching “MasteryConnect” or “Next Generation Science Standards” in your app store or visiting the iOS Store or Android Marketplace. As part of the partnership with MasteryConnect, NSTA is providing additional free resources within the app, including several articles from NSTA’s peer reviewed journals, and free chapters from its line of NGSS-related titles, including The NSTA Reader’s Guide to the Next Generation Science Standards and Science for the Next Generation: Preparing for the New Standards. Look for the app to be available in the Windows Store soon.

Just when we finally got our heads around the idea that Pluto is no longer considered a true planet, now we have evidence of another element to add to the Periodic Table.
Here is a roundup of recent news articles on the topic to share with students:

• New Element 115, Ununpentium, May Join Periodic Table
• New Super-Heavy Element 115 Confirmed
• Meet 15, the Newest Element on the Periodic Table
• New Element 115 Takes a Seat at the Periodic Table
• Evidence for new periodic table element boosted
• New Element 115 May Finally Be Added to the Periodic Table

[For more information on the elements, check out SciLinks: Periodic Table of Elements, Elements Above 109]
 
 
 

If you’ve ever flown into a city of any size, you know you can spot a golf course a mile away. The well-manicured fairways, even when snaking around natural contours, contrast sharply with the local vegetation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in water-starved deserts where the climate promotes year-round play.

And no one is more aware of this stark contrast than the United States Golf Association (USGA). Their attention to water use is inherent in the USGA Mission Statement and a key segment of the USGA’s Environmental Commitment. Use the video Science of Golf: Water Conservation and the connected NSTA-developed lesson plans to raise student awareness of issues surrounding turfgrass and water conservation.

The Science of Golf series is just one of NBC Learn’s explorations into the science of sport, where scientists and engineers really explain “how it works.” This series was produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the United States Golf Association (USGA) and Chevron. The videos are available cost-free on www.NBCLearn.com.

Give them a try with your students here at the beginning of the year to excite them about science inquiry and other STEM subjects. No prior golf experience needed!

–Judy Elgin Jensen

Image of Estancia Club Golf Course near Scottsdale, Arizona, courtesy of AZGlenn.

Video

SOG: Water Conservation discusses water usage and conservation related to maintaining turfgrass on golf courses.

STEM Lesson Plan—Adaptable for Grades 7–12

The lesson plan provides ideas for STEM exploration plus strategies to support students in their own quest for answers and as well as a more focused approach that helps all students participate in hands-on inquiry.

The SOG: Water Conservation lesson plan describes how students might investigate a question about the conservation of irrigation water for a golf course.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans: [contact-form 2 “ChemNow]