Slightly cooler air and the smell of freshly cut grass and sharpened pencils can only mean one thing – school is back in session! NSTA and its sponsors are kicking off another exciting school year of rewarding and recognizing high-performing science educators and students through our large-scale, nationally known competitions and grant programs. As you begin another year with fresh ideas, focused plans, and great expectations, consider participating in one of the following programs for you and your students:
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision
ExploraVision is a competition that encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of a future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. Teams of two to four students research scientific principles and current technologies as the basis for deigning innovative technologies that could exist in 20 years. Students compete for up to $240,000 in savings bonds (maturity value) for college and cool gifts from Toshiba. First- and second-place teams also receive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor and coach to Washington, D.C. for a gala awards weekend in June 2014. Applications are now being accepted; the deadline for applications is January 30, 2014. For more information about the program or to learn how to apply, visit the competition website.
eCYBERMISSION
eCYBERMISSION is a free, online collaborative learning competition for students in grades six through nine. Sponsored by the U.S. Army and administered by NSTA, eCYBERMISSION is one of several science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives offered by the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP). The competition challenges student to think about real-world applications of STEM by working in teams to identify a problem in their community and use the scientific method, scientific inquiry or the engineering design process to find a solution. Students compete for state, regional and national awards, with potential winning of up to $8,000 (maturity value) in U.S. savings bonds. Registration for the competition is now open. To learn more about the eCYBERMISSION program and to register, click here or contact eCYBERMISSION Mission Control at 1-866-GO-CYBER (462-9237) or via email at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com.
America’s Home Energy Education Challenge
America’s Home Energy Education Challenge (AHEEC) is a national student competition, created to help families save money by saving energy at home. AHEEC engages students in elementary and middle schools to make smarter energy choices that reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels and put money back in their parents’ pockets. This initiative aims to educate America’s youth about the benefits of energy efficiency, motivate students to play a more active role in how their families use energy, and help families across the country reduce their energy bills. Participating schools compete for more than $50,000 in prizes that will be distributed at the regional and national levels of the competition. Official registration for the Challenge ends November 15, 2013. To register to join America’s Home Energy Education Challenge or to find more information about the competition click here.
Shell Science Lab Challenge
The Shell Science Lab Challenge, sponsored by Shell Oil Company (Shell) and administered by NSTA, encourages teachers (grades 6-12) in the U.S. and Canada, who have found innovative ways to deliver quality lab experiences with limited school and laboratory resources, to share their approaches for a chance to win up to $93,000 in prizes, including a grand prize school science lab makeover support package valued at $20,000. The deadline for submissions is December 20, 2013. For more information about the Challenge or to download an application, click here.
The DuPont Challenge^© Science Essay Competition
The DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition is a student competition that invites seventh through 12^th grade students to write a 700 to 1,000-word essay about a scientific discovery, theory, event or technological application that has captured their interest. Developed in collaboration with The Walt Disney World Resort, NASA and NSTA, the competition offers young students the opportunity to explore science, develop new skills and gain confidence in communicating scientific ideas. Created to honor the Challenger astronauts, students can win savings bonds up to $5,000, and a trip to Walt Disney World and to the Kennedy Space Center. Teachers win too! Along with the trips with their students, teachers can also win $500 grants. To learn more about the competition, check out the website.

Learn how to make elementary science instruction come alive in your classroom! Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry, the authors of the bestselling Picture-Perfect Science series, will be presenting preconference workshops at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) fall conferences to help you do just that. During the full-day workshop, you will participate in model lessons, learn about the BSCS 5E Instructional Model, and gain an understanding of how to integrate science and reading in your instruction. Teachers, science specialists, administrators, and more will benefit from this great course and receive a copy of Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons so they can bring these lessons home. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity at whichever fall conference you’re attending! Get more information and register today!

• Portland: www.nsta.org/portlandpp
• Charlotte: www.nsta.org/charlottepp
• Denver: www.nsta.org/denverpp

The number one compliment we hear from teachers is that the lessons are complete and ready to take back to their classrooms and use.
—Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry, coauthors of the Picture-Perfect Science Lessons series

Word of mouth (or in this case text of blog) is one of the greatest ways to share ideas and new information.  While some apps have a fee associated with them and others do not, the ability to utilize apps in the classroom is priceless – IF they are well selected and implemented in a meaningful manner.
As was included in the current edition of the Leaders Letter there is a new app out that helps the science teacher utilize the Next Generation Science Standards.  Just imagine, you can have all aspects of the NGSS at your fingertips and in your pocket! While relatively new, I have had the opportunity to interact with this app in the past few weeks and while not yet my favorite (there are so many out there) it is definitely on my top ten list of “necessary and needed tools for planning.”
The  Next Generation Science Standards App was announced about a month ago by NSTA, in partnership with MasteryConnect, and is a free app for the Next Generation Science Standards. The Next Generation Science Standards app gives you multiple ways to view the standards, including DCI and Topic arrangements, and also includes convenient search functionality.
Another highlight of this particular app is that it makes referencing standards in the Common Core simple by providing a linkage between the NGSS App and MasteryConnect’s Common Core App.
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. You can download the Next Generation Science Standards app (as well as MasteryConnect’s other free apps) by searching “MasteryConnect” or “Next Generation Science Standards” in your app store or visiting the iOS Store or Android Marketplace. (Look for the app to be available in the Windows Store soon.)
So the question then becomes – what is your favorite app used for science – it could be an app that you have students engage with; a planning tool that you utilize such as the NGSS one discussed above; or one that allows you to integrate technology into your class such as Socrative. Take a moment and share a review, post a link, or tell fellow educators how to find it!

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]