Skip to main content
 

All Resources

Methods and Strategies: Time to Change

Journal Article

Methods and Strategies: Time to Change

This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month’s issue discusses embedding literacy into the 5E while addressing the principles of the Next Generation Science Standards....

Elementary General Science 5E Assessment NGSS Pedagogy Teaching Strategies Literacy New Science Teachers Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old

Teaching Teachers: Is It Worth It? Can I Do It?

Journal Article

Teaching Teachers: Is It Worth It? Can I Do It?

This column enhances the repertoire of preservice and inservice teachers. An interactive word wall professional development explores how to build language proficiency during a science lesson....

Elementary Literacy Professional Learning old

Inquiry Into Action: Ecosystems and Animals

Journal Article

Inquiry Into Action: Ecosystems and Animals

Explore endangered animals that zoos and aquariums are working to protect....

Building Bee Houses: Designing and Constructing Solitary Bee Houses for Scientific Investigations

Journal Article

Building Bee Houses: Designing and Constructing Solitary Bee Houses for Scientific Investigations

Engineer a habitat for pollinators that will increase their numbers and diversity—and answer a student-generated research question....

Out in the Field: Learning About Plant Diversity

Journal Article

Out in the Field: Learning About Plant Diversity

Use plant-based education to teach students about the environment in which they live....

Teaching NGSS-Aligned Lessons in Science Classrooms

Journal Article

Teaching NGSS-Aligned Lessons in Science Classrooms

Learn to design and present three-dimensional science lessons....

Integrating Technology: Weather Versus Climate

Journal Article

Integrating Technology: Weather Versus Climate

This column shares how teachers use technology for assessment, student learning, or classroom management. Helping middle school students distinguish the differences during an after-school STEM career club....

Teacher's Toolkit: How to Start a STEM Club

Journal Article

Teacher's Toolkit: How to Start a STEM Club

This column provides how-to strategies and practical advice for the science teacher. This month’s issue describes the steps (and challenges) involved with implementing an after-school STEM career club that links hands-on activities to college majo...

From the Editor’s Desk: Sparking the “Need to Know”

Journal Article

From the Editor’s Desk: Sparking the “Need to Know”

Science Scope’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....

Citizen Science: Where the Wildlife Are

Journal Article

Citizen Science: Where the Wildlife Are

This column highlights formal and informal science research projects that students can join and contribute to by gathering and sharing data. See wildlife and do science with eMammal....

Disequilibrium: Exploring Buoyancy and Density with Cartesian Divers

Journal Article

Disequilibrium: Exploring Buoyancy and Density with Cartesian Divers

This column shows how to use discrepant events to confront misconceptions.In this month’s column, students design and test Cartesian divers....

Listserv Roundup: Technology tools for a paperless classroom

Journal Article

Listserv Roundup: Technology tools for a paperless classroom

This column shares recent conversations taken from the NSTA listserv community about current science education topics.This month shares how to create a paperless classroom....

Science For All: Planning and Preparing Your Students With Special Needs

Journal Article

Science For All: Planning and Preparing Your Students With Special Needs

This column shares strategies for increasing student engagement. This issue presents a few suggestions to help your students with ADHD and autism benefit from a field trip....

Teacher To Teacher: Teaching With Learning Cycles and Storylines

Journal Article

Teacher To Teacher: Teaching With Learning Cycles and Storylines

This column provides practical advice from your peers. This issue discusses how to frame the learning cycle around a storyline....

Scope on the Skies: Measuring the Universe

Journal Article

Scope on the Skies: Measuring the Universe

This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue discusses how to measure how far away galaxies are....

Preparing Preservice K–8 Teachers for the Public School: Improving Evolution Attitudes, Misconceptions, and Legal Confusion

Journal Article

Preparing Preservice K–8 Teachers for the Public School: Improving Evolution Attitudes, Misconceptions, and Legal Confusion

The study in this article examines the effectiveness of a curriculum on preservice teachers’ attitudes and knowledge of evolution and legalities of teaching it....

Impact of a Robert Noyce Scholarship on STEM Teacher Recruitment

Journal Article

Impact of a Robert Noyce Scholarship on STEM Teacher Recruitment

Funding from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program supports the University of Portland Noyce Scholars and Interns Program (University of Portland Noyce Program). This study examined the first 3 years of the University of Portland Noyce Progra...

Using Clickers for Deliberate Practice in Five Large Science Courses

Journal Article

Using Clickers for Deliberate Practice in Five Large Science Courses

Clickers are often used as an active learning tool in face-to-face classes to enhance student engagement and assess student learning. In this article the authors share the variety of ways they use clicker questions to promote deliberate practice in l...

Case Study: Assembling a Case Study Tool Kit: 10 Tools for Teaching With Cases

Journal Article

Case Study: Assembling a Case Study Tool Kit: 10 Tools for Teaching With Cases

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. The author shares the strategies and tools that teachers can use to manage a case study classroom eff...

Research and Teaching: What Determines Student Acceptance of Politically Controversial Scientific Conclusions?

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: What Determines Student Acceptance of Politically Controversial Scientific Conclusions?

The authors use large-scale survey data to explore the nature, extent, and determinants of student resistance to scientific conclusions about evolution, anthropogenic climate change, and the importance of vaccination....

Research and Teaching: Show Me the Way: Future Faculty Prefer Directive Feedback When Trying Active Learning Approaches

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Show Me the Way: Future Faculty Prefer Directive Feedback When Trying Active Learning Approaches

In this study, the authors incorporate feedback as a key component of a pedagogical course for future faculty who had never taught or were currently novice teaching assistants. They studied (a) how future faculty’s teaching beliefs changed over the...

Research and Teaching: Introducing Engineering Design to a Science Teaching Methods Course Through Educational Robotics and Exploring Changes in Views of Preservice Elementary Teachers

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Introducing Engineering Design to a Science Teaching Methods Course Through Educational Robotics and Exploring Changes in Views of Preservice Elementary Teachers

Preservice elementary teachers need to know how to integrate the engineering design process into their science teaching. In this article, the authors describe how they used the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Kit as part of a NGSS-aligned engineering unit in an ...

Research and Teaching: Comparing Student Learning in the Team-Based Learning Classroom With Different Team Reporting Methods

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Comparing Student Learning in the Team-Based Learning Classroom With Different Team Reporting Methods

The increase in classroom technology has resulted in the use of clickers and other audience response systems (ARS) for simultaneous reporting of choices in the team-based learning (TBL) classroom. A variety of techniques and practices using ARS techn...

Research and Teaching: Improving the Science Teaching Self-Efficacy of Preservice Elementary Teachers: A Multiyear Study of a Hybrid Geoscience Course

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Improving the Science Teaching Self-Efficacy of Preservice Elementary Teachers: A Multiyear Study of a Hybrid Geoscience Course

This article describes the impact of a hybrid Earth and space science course, taught online and complemented by a 2-hour face-to-face lab, on the science teaching self-efficacy of elementary preservice teachers over a 3-year span....

Harnessing Solar Energy, Grade 4: STEM Road Map for Elementary School (Book Sample)

Book Chapter

Harnessing Solar Energy, Grade 4: STEM Road Map for Elementary School (Book Sample)

What if you could challenge your fourth graders to use solar energy to provide the world with clean water? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Harnessing Solar Energy outlines a journey that will steer your students...

Amusement Park of the Future, Grade 6: STEM Road Map for Middle School (Book Sample)

Book Chapter

Amusement Park of the Future, Grade 6: STEM Road Map for Middle School (Book Sample)

What if you could challenge your sixth graders to design an amusement park for children of tomorrow to safely enjoy? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Amusement Park of the Future outlines a journey that will stee...

Journal Article

Creating Professional Development for Informal and K–12 Educators

The results of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate surveys help science education professional development providers successfully work with educators.  ...

By Lindsay Bartolone

Informal Education

Early STEM Learning

Journal Article

Early STEM Learning

Editor Dennis Schatz welcomes readers to the fourth issue, which addresses the theme STEM for Early Learners.   Welcome to the fourth issue, addressing the theme STEM for Early Learners. Karen Worth, expert in science, technology, engine...

By Dennis Schatz

Early Childhood Informal Education

Journal Article

Head Start on Engineering

The Head Start on Engineering project engages parents and children in a multicomponent family engineering program that includes professional development for teachers, workshops for parents, take-home family activity kits, home visits, classroom ext...

By Scott Pattison, Gina Svarovsky, Ivel Gontan, Pam Greenough Corrie, Marcie Benne, Shannon Weiss, Verónika Nuñez, and Smirla Ramos-Montañez

Informal Education Engineering STEM

Journal Article

A Screencasting Strategy to Support STEM Learning in the Early Grades

Learn how a research–practice partnership used screencasting to promote early elementary students’ mathematics learning and communication.  ...

By Josephine Louie, Pamela Buffington, and Jennifer Stiles

Informal Education

Connected Science Learning October-December 2017

Journal

Connected Science Learning October-December 2017

Volume 1, Issue 4 STEM Education for Early Learners ...

Informal Education

Scientists and Engineers Are DREAMERS (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are DREAMERS (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are dreamers. They read about amateur scientist Luke Howard in the book The Man Who Named the Clouds. After reading, they observe clouds as water-cycle components and learn how clouds help ...

Scientists and Engineers Are THINKERS (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are THINKERS (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are thinkers. They read about inventor Philo Farnsworth in the book The Boy Who Invented TV. After reading, they create a new invention or a replica of an invention from recyclables or ever...

Scientists and Engineers Are INSPIRED (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are INSPIRED (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are inspired. They read about inventor Thomas Edison in the book Young Thomas Edison. After reading, they ask Thomas Edison’s three questions at four learning stations that are focused on...

Scientists and Engineers Are DILIGENT (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are DILIGENT (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are diligent. They read about inventor George Washington Carver in the book A Picture Book of George Washington Carver. After reading, they will become familiar with six plant parts as they...

Scientists and Engineers Are IMAGINATIVE (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are IMAGINATIVE (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are imaginative. They read about scientist Annie Jump Cannon in the book Annie Jump Cannon, Astronomer. After reading, they learn about how Annie Jump Cannon observed variations in the brig...

Scientists and Engineers Are VISIONARY (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are VISIONARY (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are visionary. They read about engineer George Washington Ferris Jr. in the book Mr. Ferris and His Wheel. After reading, they create a three-dimensional model of a Ferris wheel and learn h...

Scientists and Engineers Are PATIENT (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are PATIENT (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are patient. They read about scientist Gregor Mendel in the book Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas. After reading, they create a model of inherited traits in a snow-people family to un...

Scientists and Engineers Are OBSERVANT (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are OBSERVANT (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are observant. They read about primatologist Jane Goodall in the book Jane Goodall’s Life With the Chimps. After reading, they observe crickets and discover how crickets move and communic...

Scientists and Engineers Are PUZZLERS (Grades 3–5)

Book Chapter

Scientists and Engineers Are PUZZLERS (Grades 3–5)

In this lesson, students learn that scientists and engineers are puzzlers. They read about Charles Darwin in the book Darwin: With Glimpses Into His Private Journals and Letters. After reading, they become familiar with how plant and animal adaptatio...

Asset 2