The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Like Robert Frost in Dust of Snow, seeing the individual crystalline shape of a tiny snowflake always brings a smile to my eyes. Yes, no two are alike, so that’s a LOT of smiles! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains that each crystal (initially formed around a particle of dust or a pollen grain) falls through a slightly different path of atmospheric conditions, so the resulting patterns are slightly different.

But snowflakes are always six-sided. Why? Visualize this for students using the Chemistry of Ice video, part of The Chemistry of Crystals learning package from NBC Learn and its partners NSF and NSTA. This learning package explores the molecular nature of crystals through ones students use every day—ice and salt. Look through the various assets in this learning package. You’ll find plenty of places to insert them into your instruction. Then, leave comments to let us know how they worked for you.

–Judy Elgin Jensen

Photo of snowflakes by Andrew Magill.

Video: “Chemistry of Ice”  explains how the molecular structure of H2O changes as it reaches its freezing point, and turns from a liquid to a less dense solid crystal lattice.

Video: “Chemistry of Salt (NaCl)” explains and illustrates the molecular structure of sodium chloride (NaCl) crystals; the structure and symmetry of crystal lattices; and why one crystalline solid, salt, melts another, ice.

Video: Think of “Molecule Profile: H₂0—Water” as a “highlight reel” of animations and facts about water.

Video: An NBC Weather News report, “Record Breaking Storm Slams Mideast to Northwest” tracks dangerous winter conditions from February 2011 across nine states.

Video: The NBC News report, “How Snowflakes Form” highlights 1986 research at the Schlumberger-Doll Research Lab that visualizes the NOAA description.

Video: The NBC News report, “Alternatives to Road Salt: Liquid Made from Beets” describes an environmentally friendly way to extend salt reserves in winter weather.

Video: The NBC News report “Crystals, Bouncing X-Rays and Atoms: An American Chemist and the Nobel Prize,” profiles Herbert Hauptman and his work on developing direct methods for the determination of crystal structures, which led to the 1985 Nobel Prize in Chemistry that he shared with Jerome Karle.

Middle school lesson: In this lesson, students explore mixtures and solutions and determine how to separate the components of salt water.

High school lesson: In this lesson, students will design an experiment to quantify effectiveness of different salts in melting ice at different temperatures.

Please tell us what you think. Click here to complete a 15-minute survey. Thanks.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans:

[contact-form 2 “ChemNow]

Hello Fellow Bloggers and NSTA Members,
I came across this contest from Discover magazine and wanted to share. We have some talented folks on here, and some of you may want to try it. If you enter, please share your entry with us (you can put it under the NSTA Reports category if you like, which is the category for news and general blogs) and let us know if you win! Click here for more information.

As a college student in the 70s wracking up science courses for my secondary teaching degree, scientists’ warnings of accelerated global warming made a believer out of me. Recently, looking at photos of Mt. Kilimanjaro or glaciers in Chile taken over the last forty years, I still find it curious that there are doubters out there. Perhaps they just don’t understand the science behind it.

This learning package—Carbon, Captured: Carbon Dioxide, developed by NSTA, NBC Learn, and NSF—emphasizes the chemistry behind global warming and how scientists research its causes and changes over time. Begin using the materials in this package as part of a chemistry or physical science unit on chemical bonding, and then progress to real-world applications. Or use the package as the core of a cross-science discipline unit with a still-timely environmental theme.

Then, don’t forget to let us know how the materials worked for you!

–Judy Elgin Jensen

Spring 2010 photo of Mt. Kilimanjaro by John Haylett. 

Video: “The Chemistry of CO₂: Carbon Dioxide,” explains and illustrates the bonding of the carbon and oxygen molecules into CO₂ and describes its role in the Earth’s atmosphere and how changing levels of CO₂ can affect the temperature on Earth.

Video: Part of NBC’s Changing Planet series, “Black Carbon” explains how these particles are polluting the air and causing serious health and environmental concerns for people around the world.

Video: Part of NBC’s Changing Planet series, “Thawing Permafrost” explains how this result of global warming is cause for concern beyond the far north, because the carbon released from thawing permafrost could raise global temperatures even higher.

Video: Part of NBC’s Changing Planet series, “Ocean Acidification” shows how marine organisms in the pristine Arctic and Antarctic oceans are being impacted by increased amounts of carbon dioxide being absorbed by the waters.

Video: Part of NBC’s Changing Planet series, “Survival of Trees” highlights how Dr. Joy Ward at the University of Kansas investigates ancient tree specimens from the Ice Age to see how trees in the past have adapted, helping her to understand how trees may adapt today and in the future in light of global warming.

Video: The NBC News report “Producing Biofuels May Worsen, Not Lessen, Carbon Dioxide Emissions,” highlights a study about the true impact of biofuel production on the environment.

Video: The NBC News report “First-Ever Image of a Molecule,” shows the picture of a molecule of pentacene taken by researchers at IBM.

Middle school lesson: This lesson explores carbon and calcium carbonate and describe how the carbon cycle is at work in the environment.

High school lesson: In this lesson, students set up experiments to help them better understand CO₂ and its presence in and impact on the carbon cycle and the environment.

Please tell us what you think. Click here to complete a 15-minute survey. Thanks.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans:

[contact-form 2 “ChemNow]

Before Samuel L. Jackson battled snakes on a plane and before Indiana Jones infamously muttered “I hate snakes,” there was my Mom, who was terrified of them. Growing up on a small midwestern farm, Mom often helped with the spring plowing. She would carry a hoe with her on the tractor just in case she plowed up a nest of snakes. Then she could quickly jump off and chop them up! And we never got through the strawberry-picking season without the shout to “Get the hoe!” because she’d seen some hapless garter snake among the leaves. You’d think that as a farmer she would have understood their importance in the ecosystem. But her fear, however irrational, was just too great!

You might have a similar fear—one of roller coasters, spiders, heights, or public speaking. How does your body respond when you find yourself face-to-face with it? Find out in the Chemistry of Fear and Fright, part of the Chemistry Now series of lesson packages produced by the partnership of NBC Learn, NSF, and NSTA. Perhaps use the Common Phobias photographs as a bellringer slide show. But be careful … you and your students could become too frightened to continue!

P.S.

Need a team project? Listen to the 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast (available on the Internet for free download) and use the historical perspective included here as a springboard for projects, discussions, and research into fear, mass hysteria, and the power dramatization.

–Judy Elgin Jensen

Photo of vertical drop SheiKra roller coaster by Joshua Kaufman

Video: “Chemistry of Fear and Fright,” explains what fear is, chemically: a series of responses in the brain and body caused by the release of two hormones that ready the body for “fight or flight” action.

Video: The NBC animation “Word Roots: Phobos,” creatively shows derivations of the Greek root phobos, meaning “fear.”

Video: The news report “New Ways to Treat Phobias” gives students insights into kinds of phobias and how they can be treated.

Video: The historical perspective “Orson Welles Recalls ‘War of the Worlds’ Broadcast 40 Years Later”  describes how the broadcast scared the public and Orson Welles reaction to the public panic.

Middle school lesson: This lesson guides students in exploring how the human body reacts to fear triggers.

High school lesson: In this lesson students investigate how Daphnia respond to stresses and make an analogy to how the body reacts to fear triggers.

Please tell us what you think. Click here to complete a 15-minute survey. Thanks.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans:

[contact-form 2 “ChemNow]

Stepping into the ‘real world’ as any type of new teacher is daunting; doing so as a science teacher can be even more difficult, with science-specific issues like lab safety and management added to the mix of responsibilities. Rise and Shine: A Practical Guide for the Beginning Science Teacher is an easy-to-use, comprehensive support system for any new science teacher. This book answers questions that relate to teaching in general, like classroom management, student engagement, and professional development, but also contains a wealth of information on challenges specific to teaching science. Chapter sections such as “Science Reading and Writing” and “Boosting Science Vocabulary” emphasize specific skills science students should learn and suggest the best ways to teach them. Tidbits of advice from experienced teachers throughout the book add real-life wisdom and tips to make the beginning of a career in the classroom as smooth as possible. Rise and Shine is the perfect resource for science teachers who are just starting out, who are in a new teaching situation, or who are mentors looking to support a new science teacher. NSTA Press^® Extras has a list of Rise and Shine: A Practical Guide for the Beginning Science Teacher Online Extras that relate to the chapters in the book and include links to documents and online resources such as a sample 6^th grade syllabus, safety guidelines from NSTA, and tips for setting up a science classroom. Rise and Shine is one of several guidebooks for new teachers available from NSTA Press, including Help! I’m Teaching Middle School Science and You Want Me to Teach What?! Sure-Fire Methods for Teaching Physical Science and Math.

We need your help!!! NBC Learn, NSF, and NSTA have teamed up to bring you video / lesson plan packages that explore various science concepts. But we want to know how we can make them better and more usable in your classroom. Your feedback will point us to improvements. Please settle in with a cup of coffee or a soda, tell us about your video usage, and what you would like to see in lesson plans. You’ll need about 15 minutes, and that includes time to watch a sample. And then, take advantage of all of the free materials available now!

We all have an opportunity to comment on the draft of the Next Generation Science Standards! The last date to comment on this draft is June 2^nd, just days away. This is a busy time of year for teachers but we can contribute to the usefulness of the NGSS by reviewing and commenting using the survey provided on the NGSS website. I am going to lay out some of my thoughts on the standards for grades K-2, and hope that you will add your comments, either here or in the NSTA Learning Center Forum, in addition to using the survey. By reviewing this May draft of the standards we can contribute, at least in the areas where we feel comfortable.
I found it easier to have the “How to Read the Next Generation Science Standards” page open while I read through the standards. It also helped me to remember that the standards, called performance expectations, are made of three dimensions: Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts. In my first read I did not read through the “Foundation Boxes” where these dimensions are listed. But it really helped me to read them the second time I read through the K-2 NGSS. Take a look, join the discussion and when you are ready, give your feedback using the survey which will go to the state and other teams that will work on the next draft.
Click here to go to the Next Generation Science Standards website to see the May 2012 draft. Resources are also available on the NSTA Learning Center website (free registration for all). Two documents were particularly helpful for me:
PDF of the NGSS May 2012 Draft (with page numbers and TOC added by NSTA)

The pdf on the NGSS website does not have page numbers but the one on the NSTA site does. The early childhood portion for grades K-2 is through pdf page 11, marked page 10 on the NSTA paginated version.

How to Conduct a Study Group

The bare-bones name doesn’t describe this document which offers a timeline, suggests questions to consider as you read and discuss the May 2012 draft of the NGSS, and includes the NGSS Matrix of Standards by Discipline and Grade Level (also available as a separate single-page document at the Learning Center).

The “How to Read the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)” document explains the layout but I still needed to look through the standards and then go back to the “How to Read” document again before I felt comfortable with the layout.
I look forward to discussions here and on the NSTA Learning Center’s forums. Here are a few of my thoughts after my first reading of the K-2 section of the draft NGSS, and without the benefit of talking it over with other educators. I offer them as a starting point and hope that you will correct any mistakes. (I label the Performance Expectations, Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts in each comment to make it easier to find what I’m commenting on.)
On the layout of the draft:

I find the format unifying. The connections to the Common Core Mathematics and English Language State Standards will make it easier to integrate the curriculum and see where teaching math and ELA concepts support the practice of science and engineering, and vice versa. It is helpful to have the Science and Engineering Practices listed with each draft standard (performance expectation). I can see how the practices are the foundation for what I teach. The Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts are also listed and I like not having to switch back and forth in a document to see how the different dimensions relate to each other and to my current curriculum.

Wishing preK was included:

The Science and Engineering Practices that are the foundation for many of the K-2 performance expectations contain the wording: “…in grades K-2 builds on prior experiences and progresses to…” The Framework acknowledged that “…the capacity of young children—from all backgrounds and socioeconomic levels— to reason in sophisticated ways is much greater than has long been assumed.” It seems to me that standards for preK could be included in this document.

Adding wording for “Experiencing the Natural World” as it relates to the Kindergarten standard, K.SPM Structure and Properties of Matter:

Although there is no performance expectation for Experiencing the Natural World, some of the standards, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts require a foundation of experience in nature. The standard K.SPM Structure and Properties of Matter section “d.” states: “Distinguish between opinions and evidence in determining whether objects in a given set occur naturally or are manufactured.” The Disciplinary Core Idea PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter states in part: “Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties (e.g., visual, aural, textural), and by its uses, and by whether it occurs naturally or is manufactured.” The Influence of Engineering, Technology and Science on Society and the Natural World states: “Every human-made product is designed by applying some knowledge of the natural world and is built by using natural materials…”

Children must have experience with the natural world to be able to distinguish what is natural and what is manufactured by people, and they must have knowledge of the natural world to be able to apply it when designing a product. I would like to see this experience explicitly listed somewhere in the NGSS.

Kindergarten performance expectation, K. WEA Weather

Several of my preK students have become “regulars” at recording the amount of rainfall in the rain gauge on the playground. This experience helps them construct a relationship between the presence of dark clouds and rain. They are beginning to understand that scientists make measurements to collect data. One 4-year-old asked me why the rain gauge does not have a “zero” to mark the bottom of the line of numbers on the gauge. This comment shows he knows that if you don’t have any, you have “zero” and that zero marks a starting point on a measurement tool. Young children can also notice patterns in clothing choices if they graph the number of people wearing shorts/sweaters/coats on a regular basis throughout the year. This data represents temperature changes that can be documented without using a thermometer.

I have a question about the K. WEA performance expectation. In part “d”, should kindergarteners “Analyze weather data to determine that some kinds of severe weather are more likely to occur than others in the local region”? I think it should be written without “severe,” as in: “Analyze weather data to determine that some kinds of weather are more likely to occur than others in the local region.” This would include all weather, severe or mild. This is not to avoid talking with young children about severe weather but because severe weather may not occur often enough to see any pattern.

I’d like the clarification statement for K. WEA Weather-d. to include a comparison between “normal precipitation” and “drought” as one of the examples of severe weather.

The Assessment Boundary limits this comparison to the students’ local region—very appropriate for young children to learn about their local region before learning about distant regions.

Is this wording awkward? Performance Expectation 1.SF Structure and Function-c

In performance expectation 1.SF Structure and Function-c, the wording “external inputs” seems awkward.

I wonder why only “external” body parts are part of this Disciplinary Core Idea LS1.A and “smell” and “taste” are not listed in along with “see” and “hear.”

In performance expectation 1.LS Light and Sound

Part “a”, “Investigate to describe that objects can be seen only when light is available to illuminate them,” states a difficult concept to teach. Is it more appropriate for older grades, second or third?

In performance expectation 1.PC Patterns and Cycles

I would like to see the Clarification Statements for Part “a” expanded a bit to include other events. For Part “a”, a caterpillar eating a leaf is an example of a quickly occurring natural event, and the life cycle of a butterfly is an example of a slower event. For Part “b”, the day and night cycle is a very appropriate example of a cycle that young children can easily observe.

In performance expectation 2. ECS

I would find it helpful to have the Clarification Statements specifically refer to how water as ice can move Earth materials. Ice is noted in the supporting Disciplinary Core Idea ESS2.C.

About 2.SPM Structure, Properties, and Interactions of Matter.

This performance expectation seems a little disjointed. Part “c”, “Provide evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot” is about the property of melting temperature, a specific property of matter, while Parts “a” and “d” are about properties in general. Also, Part “b” is about designing an object from a set of pieces, which may be written to help students build understanding that matter is composed of smaller pieces. If so, the Clarification Statement could reflect this.

Performance expectation 2. PP Pushes and Pulls

The Assessment Boundary for Part “a” and “b” could be even further spelled out for easier understanding: “Simultaneous pushes and pulls to be along a single line; pushes and pulls to be between objects in contact.” By mentioning only simultaneous pushes and pulls, it makes it seem that single pushes and pulls are not to be taught. I might say, “Limit assessment of simultaneous pushes and pulls to those that are along a single line—not in more than one line; pushes and pulls to be between objects in contact, not at a distance.” I’m being a little picky but this is a difficult topic to state simply.

I think it is very appropriate that the term “gravity” is not part of a Performance Expectation until third grade (3.IF Interactions of Forces) even though many children learn the term as early as preschool but with very limited understanding.

So those are my beginning thoughts. After I get to discuss the NGSS with other educators, such as yourself, I’ll fill out the survey—by June 2^nd. I welcome your comments, and corrections. What do you think?
Is the format easy to understand?
What would help you understand the meaning more easily?
Are the concepts that you think young children should have some experience with in grades K-2 addressed in this draft?
Peggy

Some of you may remember the good ol’ days when you had to trek to a  library or subscribe to multiple publications to catch up on science and education topics. I must confess that back then, it was difficult for me to find the time to spend a few hours in the library (plus travel time) to find the publications and to read them all right there and then.
Fast forward to today, when it’s easy to bring selected resources right to your computer, cell phone, or tablet. It seems we now have the opposite situation–so much information it’s hard to know where to start.
Most organizations, institutions, and agencies have electronic resources that they share, free of charge. You can choose from several format options: newsletters delivered via e-mail, Facebook updates, Tweets, notices that are linked to a website with the information, RSS feeds, or podcasts. Check the websites of your favorite organizations, museums, university or college science departments, publications, or scientific agencies to see what they offer. Look for the networking logos to see what options you have. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some that I subscribe to, “like,” or follow:

• NSTA has both Facebook and Twitter links. There’s also an overview of many resources (including the latest posts to the forums) via the NSTA dashboard.
• Edutopia  from the George Lucas Educational Foundation is one of my favorites for seeing teachers and students in action.
• SmartBrief and the Inservice blog from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) with educational news on a variety of topics from newspapers, professional publications, bloggers, and reporters. You don’t have to be a member to subscribe to this service!
• The National Science Foundation provides articles and other updates, including the “Latest News” section with articles that could be easily be shared with students.
• Scientific American has news articles, podcasts, lesson ideas, and blogs on the latest research.
• Breaking News from NASA
• Discover Magazine’s Not Exactly Rocket Science
• ISTE Connect for updates on instructional technology
• Free Technology for Teachers has great suggestions and is one that I look at regularly.
• Smithsonian,  American Museum of Natural History,  The Exploratorium…the resources and information from museums, parks, zoos, and science centers are endless.

Do I read everything in these newsletters, tweets, blogs, and articles? No, I’ve learned to be a gourmet rather than a glutton! I scan the titles and look for those that sound interesting or relevant. And sometimes I look for topics I know little about, just to learn more.
Do you have your own favorites to share?