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In this funny fairy tale, it takes a village to figure out the height of Milton the friendly giant. The townspeople’s attempts to gauge just how big he is will entertain young readers as they learn the importance of standard units of measurement. How Tall Was Milton? even accounts for the real-life origin of such silly-sounding units as feet.
In this funny fairy tale, it takes a village to figure out the height of Milton the friendly giant. The townspeople’s attempts to gauge just how big he is will entertain young readers as they learn the importance of standard units of measurement. How Tall Was Milton? even accounts for the real-life origin of such silly-sounding units as feet.
Children don’t have to be botanists-in-training to discover the message of this book: “All plants are interesting. Even the weeds.” Young readers are sure to be intrigued by the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and functions in flowers, fruit trees, and all sorts of other flora. How Does a Plant Grow? will inspire children to be newly alert to the many wonders of the plant world, from how seeds sprout to why leaves turn to the light to the vital roles of stems and roots.
Children don’t have to be botanists-in-training to discover the message of this book: “All plants are interesting. Even the weeds.” Young readers are sure to be intrigued by the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and functions in flowers, fruit trees, and all sorts of other flora. How Does a Plant Grow? will inspire children to be newly alert to the many wonders of the plant world, from how seeds sprout to why leaves turn to the light to the vital roles of stems and roots.

What Does an Animal Eat?: I Wonder Why

Kids who want to know all about animals will find this book fascinating. What Does an Animal Eat? offers insights into two special aspects of hungry animals: how their teeth and beaks offer clues to what they eat and the food chain’s role in helping to make sure there’s enough for all. Illustrated with detailed drawings, the book’s simple explanations lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of animal adaptation and the need for human help to protect the food chain.
Kids who want to know all about animals will find this book fascinating. What Does an Animal Eat? offers insights into two special aspects of hungry animals: how their teeth and beaks offer clues to what they eat and the food chain’s role in helping to make sure there’s enough for all. Illustrated with detailed drawings, the book’s simple explanations lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of animal adaptation and the need for human help to protect the food chain.

On their walk home from school, twins Jane and Jim explore why sounds can be startling (like sirens), soothing (like music), or mysterious (like eerie creaking in an empty house). By coming along, young readers of What Makes Different Sounds? can learn as the twins do. They’ll be introduced to the roles vibration, pitch, and volume play in how rustles, rumbles, and rat-a-tat-tats are made and transferred to their own ears.

On their walk home from school, twins Jane and Jim explore why sounds can be startling (like sirens), soothing (like music), or mysterious (like eerie creaking in an empty house). By coming along, young readers of What Makes Different Sounds? can learn as the twins do. They’ll be introduced to the roles vibration, pitch, and volume play in how rustles, rumbles, and rat-a-tat-tats are made and transferred to their own ears.

"The changing safety legal standards and professional best practices affecting academic laboratories are efforts to match the rise of modern science's discoveries and applications. Unfortunately, teacher preservice preparation and inservice professional development have not kept pace with these changes. This volume helps bridge the gap by raising awareness of safety issues and how to develop a safer learning and working environment in secondary schools."
—Author Ken Roy on The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science
"The changing safety legal standards and professional best practices affecting academic laboratories are efforts to match the rise of modern science's discoveries and applications. Unfortunately, teacher preservice preparation and inservice professional development have not kept pace with these changes. This volume helps bridge the gap by raising awareness of safety issues and how to develop a safer learning and working environment in secondary schools."
—Author Ken Roy on The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science
“Over the years, the Science and Children editorial team has received a significant number of manuscripts that focus on inquiry. …But no matter how many articles we publish on the topic, the interest in inquiry has not diminished. In fact, our readers have clamored for more. …With interest high and an understanding essential, we designed A Year of Inquiry: A Collection for Elementary Educators, a book structured around an entire year of support, instruction, and learning through inquiry.”
—From the introduction to A Year of Inquiry
“Over the years, the Science and Children editorial team has received a significant number of manuscripts that focus on inquiry. …But no matter how many articles we publish on the topic, the interest in inquiry has not diminished. In fact, our readers have clamored for more. …With interest high and an understanding essential, we designed A Year of Inquiry: A Collection for Elementary Educators, a book structured around an entire year of support, instruction, and learning through inquiry.”
—From the introduction to A Year of Inquiry
 

Systems thinking

By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2012-10-14

A system is more than a collection—each component is related to others, and changing one component affects the others. The featured articles in this issue describe how students can learn systems thinking (as well as content concepts).
The authors of Modeling Earth’s Climate describe a model that shows the interdependence and complexity of the components that affect climate. The suggested computer model (the URL is provided) lets students study feedback loops and test their hypotheses. [SciLinks: Global Warming and Global Climate Change]
Why Do I Crave That Cookie? is a question I often ask myself (although usually in the plural). The authors of this article have designed a set of activities in which students explore the relationships among body systems. A set of questions that drive the unit is suggested—for example: How do I know I’m hungry? Where is the cookie? What happens to food in my stomach? How do nutrients get to other parts of the body? This makes more sense than the typical lessons on each system.  [SciLinks: Body Systems]
A study of introduced species can exemplify what happens when an ecosystem is disturbed with, for example, a species with no native predator. Nonnative, Invasive, Exotic, Oh My! describes a such a study. [SciLinks: Invasive Species]

Classification systems are important in science. Engaging Students in Classifying Matter has ideas for helping students learn chemical and physical changes and properties. [SciLinks: Physical/Chemical Changes]
Many students view computer science as game-playing, without understanding the system behind the applications they use. The activities described in A Computer Story: Complexity from Simplicity use electric circuit construction, digital systems, base-n number systems, and truth tables to examine the decision-making that is the basis of computing. [SciLinks: Electrical Circuits]
All Things Being Equal describes an investigation into factors that affect the equilibrium of a system and includes questions that can be used as an assessment of student understanding. [SciLinks: Chemical Equilibrium, Factors Affecting Equilibrium, Le Châtelier’s Principle]
Scientific Discoveries the Year I Was Born doesn’t exactly address systems thinking, but the activity does show students that science isn’t just something that happened in the time of Galileo or Newton. By researching more recent discoveries and inventions, students can see that science and engineering are not just the domain of old folks. I must admit I looked up events from my birth year, including the use of radiocarbon dating and  the first recorded snowfall in Los Angeles.
Don’t forget to look at the Connections for this issue (October 2012), which includes links to the studies cited in the research article. These Connections also have ideas for handouts, background information sheets, data sheets, rubrics, etc.

A system is more than a collection—each component is related to others, and changing one component affects the others. The featured articles in this issue describe how students can learn systems thinking (as well as content concepts).

 

Destination Atlanta, GA for professional development in November 2012

By Peggy Ashbrook

Posted on 2012-10-13

Atlanta, Georgia is the place to be this November for professional development opportunities at two conferences—the National Science Teachers Association’s area conference November 1-3, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s national conference November 7-10.

Night photo of the skyline of Atlanta, Georgia

Photo by Chuck Koehler from Cartersville, GA, USA


Both organizations offer sessions on teaching science in early childhood programs.
Here are just a few of those sessions at the NSTA conference. (Add your sessions to this list by commenting below.)
Thursday, November 1 12:30–1:30 PM. Teaching Forms of Energy to Younger Students. Georgia World Congress Center, B313. Join me for hands-on experiments on the fundamental concepts of energy. We’ll explore the science of motion, heat, sound, and light. Presenter(s): Karen Reagor (The NEED Project: Manassas, VA)
Thursday, November 1 3:30–4:30 PM. iScience. Georgia World Congress Center, B315. This engaging and enlightening session focuses on how iTechnologies (iTouches and iPads) can enrich the elementary science classroom. Presenter(s): Suzanne Edwards (Trinity School: Atlanta, GA); Anna Allen (Trinity School: Atlanta, GA); Kate H. Burton (Trinity School: Atlanta, GA)
Friday, November 2 11:00 AM–12:00 PM. Simple Setup STEM Activities. Georgia World Congress Center, B313. Planets, light and shadow, insect life cycles, fossils, and physical and chemical changes are used to develop scientific thinking in simple and adaptable labs. Presenter(s): Virginia Lucy ( Lilburn, GA)
Friday, November 2 12:30–1:30 PM. How Does Your Garden Grow? Georgia World Congress Center, B213. A school or community garden represents an ideal way to integrate across the elementary curriculum. Come discover lessons, plans, and trade books for any space or any school. Materials provided by Georgia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. Presenter(s): Juliana Texley (Palm Beach State College: Boca Raton, FL); Steve A. Rich (West GYSTC: Carrollton, GA)
Friday, November 2 12:30–1:30 PM. PreK and Kindergarten Science Activities That Encourage Critical Thinking. Georgia World Congress Center, B314. Experience hands-on engaging activities that can be used to encourage critical-thinking and problem-solving skills while introducing preK–K students to important science concepts. Presenter(s): John Payne (Mercer University: Lithia Springs, GA)
Friday, November 2 2:00–3:00 PM. CESI Session: Powerful Paper Projects for Physical Science. Georgia World Congress Center, B308. Join us to make flying, spinning, rolling, and floating creations that easily, cheaply, and memorably teach the basic concepts of force and motion. Click here for more information. Presenter(s): Barbara Z. Tharp (Baylor College of Medicine: Houston, TX); Julie Thomas (Oklahoma State University: Stillwater, OK); Michael Vu (Baylor College of Medicine: Houston, TX); Dee Mock (Baylor College of Medicine: Houston, TX)
Friday, November 2 3:30–4:30 PM. CESI Session: Council for Elementary Science International Share-a-Thon. Georgia World Congress Center, B308. Join CESI as we share a wealth of ready-to-use, classroom-tested hands-on activities created just for the K–8 teacher. Handouts and website links! Presenter(s): Many, many wonderful teachers.
Saturday, November 3 8:00–9:00 AM. Teaching Younger Students About Energy Outside the Science Classroom. Georgia World Congress Center, B313. Use language arts, math, and presentation skills to teach K–3 students about the energy resources we use. Activities can be implemented today with no special materials. Presenter(s): Karen Reagor (The NEED Project: Manassas, VA)
Saturday, November 3 9:30–10:30 AM. Science & Children—A Year of Inquiry. Georgia World Congress Center, B313. The highly anticipated Next Generation Science Standards are explicit—inquiry remains an important strategy to use in the classroom. Come learn ways to infuse components of inquiry into your curricula. Presenter(s): Linda Froschauer (Field Editor, Science & Children: Westport, CT)
Logo of the National Association for the Education of Young ChildrenNAEYC Executive Director Jerlean Daniel invites us to the 2012 annual conference the week following the NSTA conference. Here are some of the sessions offered at the NAEYC conference:
(Add your sessions to this list by commenting below.)
More Ramps and Pathways: An approach to teaching physical science and engineering in early childhood. Betty Zan, Sonia Yoshizawa. 11/7/2012 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM Room B213 Georgia World Congress Center
Learning to think: The role of scientific inquiry. Ingrid Chalufour, Nancy Clark-Chiarelli, Cindy Hoisington. 11/8/2012 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Room B216 Georgia World Congress Center
Science inquiry and practices: Fun experiences with hands-on materials to awaken young scientists. Peggy Ashbrook, Linda Froschauer. 11/8/2012 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Room B208 Georgia World Congress Center
Early Childhood Science Interest Forum Meeting. All are welcome at this annual meeting to discuss and plan. 11/9/2012 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Juniper Room Omni Hotel at CNN Center
Finding the trees in the forest: Support toddlers’ developing problem-solving skills. Jill Uhlenberg, Rosemary Geiken. 11/10/2012 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Room B208 Georgia World Congress Center
Map of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.A “heads up” to programs in the DMV (Washington, D.C. metro area)—in 2013 the NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo will be held in D. C. on November 20-23. Plan now so staff can attend the conference next year. I hope to see you at one of these conferences—participate in worthwhile professional development with opportunities to network, and visit the vendor booths to see the products they list in the catalogs.

Atlanta, Georgia is the place to be this November for professional development opportunities at two conferences—the National Science Teachers Association’s area conference November 1-3, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s national conference November 7-10.

This book tells the amazing story behind seashells: how they are made by mollusks, used for protection and camouflage, and full of clues about all they’ve been through. Inspired by Next Time You See a Seashell, young readers will find these intricate objects even more fascinating when they discover their origins in slimy, snaily creatures.
This book tells the amazing story behind seashells: how they are made by mollusks, used for protection and camouflage, and full of clues about all they’ve been through. Inspired by Next Time You See a Seashell, young readers will find these intricate objects even more fascinating when they discover their origins in slimy, snaily creatures.

The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science, Volume 3

"The changing safety legal standards and professional best practices affecting academic laboratories are efforts to match the rise of modern science's discoveries and applications. Unfortunately, teacher preservice preparation and inservice professional development have not kept pace with these changes. This volume helps bridge the gap by raising awareness of safety issues and how to develop a safer learning and working environment in secondary schools."
—Author Ken Roy on The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science
"The changing safety legal standards and professional best practices affecting academic laboratories are efforts to match the rise of modern science's discoveries and applications. Unfortunately, teacher preservice preparation and inservice professional development have not kept pace with these changes. This volume helps bridge the gap by raising awareness of safety issues and how to develop a safer learning and working environment in secondary schools."
—Author Ken Roy on The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science
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