Five Tools and Processes for Translating the NGSS

This multimedia online guide is designed to help K–12 educators make instructional shifts in the classroom necessitated by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The guide—which was developed by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) with support from BSCS Science Learning and K–12 Alliance at West Ed—is a five-tool, professional development structure that teachers can use to navigate the process of collaboratively designing meaningful units that embrace the components of NGSS. The first tool helps teachers develop a 3-D unit blueprint; the second tool guides teachers in developing evidence of learning statements based on the unit blueprint; the third tool helps teachers translate the unit blueprint into the 5E (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) instructional model; the fourth tool helps teachers specifically outline what teachers and students are doing during each step of the instructional model; and the fifth tool helps teachers develop a 3-D performance assessment, which becomes the “evaluate” lesson in the 5E sequence.

Bee a Buddy Comic Book

Bee a Buddy, a comic developed by The Bee Conservancy, is best suited for grades 2–6. In the story, students learn about bee biodiversity through the eyes of Bea, a mason bee, and follow her journey as she overcomes unique challenges that lead her to find friendship and wisdom with unexpected pollinators: Fay (fairy bee), Buzz (Sonoran bumble bee), Wicket (red mason wasp), and Honey (a European honeybee). A companion Resource Guide provides suggested learning focuses when using the comic book with different age levels. For example, first- and second-grade teachers might use the book to help students learn about how bees build their homes, the importance of sharing, and why every bee is special, while third-grade teachers might focus on their reading on bee diversity and cooperation, emphasizing how some bees like Bea, a mason bee, live alone while others live in big groups. Teachers of grades 4–6 might focus on environmental issues regarding bees and pollination and the complex relationships of organisms in nature. (Note: E-mail registration is required to download the book and resource guide.) 

Free to Use and Reuse Sets: Scientists and Inventors

This collection of digital resources from the Library of Congress showcases the work of American scientists and inventors in many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The collection contains more than 40 “free to use and reuse” images and other documents (i.e., resources in the public domain or with unknown copyright), primarily from the 1800s and 1900s. Most appropriate for use with middle and high school audiences, the images feature men and women in the sciences and represent diverse fields (e.g., agriculture research, space science, plant pathology, aeronautics, zoology, and other fields) and types of scientific investigations, covering everything from Benjamin Franklin’s 1774 “experiments and observations on electricity” to modern-day studies of stem cell samples at the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Colorado Anshutz Medical Center, 2016. The content can be used to spark discussions to help students grasp the idea of history of science as an endeavor influenced by social conditions and political and financial aims. 

Webinar on Climate Misinformation

Finetune Your BS Detector to Spot Climate Misinformation, a webinar taking place on November 13, will feature as its presenter Dr. John Cook, who holds a PhD in Cognitive Science and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change at the University of Melbourne. He is also a research assistant professor at the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University and founded the website Skeptical Science. Cook will discuss the research on countering misinformation using critical thinking and how it can be practically implemented in fact checking and other applications such as misinformation games. A recording of this talk will be sent to all registrants, allowing teachers to show it to their students. The webinar will be held by 350 Chicago, a chapter of the international environmental organization 350.org.

Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) Virtual Share-a-thon 

This free two-hour event on November 16 is designed for K–12 educators and hosted by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Past OEST award winners will present innovative curriculum, programs, and activities they have developed or successfully implemented in their educational settings. The Share-a-thon offers a unique opportunity for educators to gain insights and practical tools directly from award-winning teachers. Attendees will receive comprehensive resources, enabling them to adapt and integrate these proven strategies into their own classrooms or educational contexts. Whether you're looking to enhance your Earth Science curriculum or seeking fresh, engaging activities for your students, the OEST Virtual Share-a-thon will provide valuable, actionable ideas to elevate your teaching practice. The event will feature the following topics.

•    3D NGSS-aligned climate change module, with a focus on energy budget;
•    Watershed curriculum overview: geologic maps, aquifers, groundwater, and water rights litigation;
•    Permafrost investigation (with Polar STEAM) and Aral Sea investigation;
•    Engaging learners with scaffolding, field-based experience, and science projects;
•    ArcGIS Storymaps for students to document field experiences;
•    Sieving for Fossils activity and Faux Fossil Lab with homemade dough balls;
•    Grades 6–8 student experiences of the New Jersey 2024 earthquake;
•    Hazards of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake (NGSS ESS 3-1);
•    Remotely controlling a camera on the International Space Station and using IRIS/EarthScopes resources for seismicity; and
•    1970s Voyager Golden Record (Space Science).

Register before November 16 for this event.

2025 National STEM Scholar Program

Middle school science teachers nationwide can apply for the 2025 class of the National STEM Scholar Program, a professional development program providing advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) training, national network building, and “big idea” project support for middle school teachers inspiring the next generation of STEM pioneers. The National Stem Cell Foundation and The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University (WKU) partnered to create the program, which selects 10 teachers annually from a national pool of applicants based solely on their description of a “big idea” Challenge Project they would implement in their classrooms if funds were available. Funded projects have included robotics labs, 3-D printing labs, rocketry programs, aquaponic farms, trout hatcheries, oyster reef restoration, and more. In addition to a week of advanced STEM training and project development on the WKU campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky, each class spends a day with a nationally or internationally recognized STEM speaker. Each successful Scholar applicant receives the following: 
•    Advanced STEM education and leadership training on the WKU campus May 25–31, 2025. All expenses—travel, lodging, meals—are included; 
•    A notebook/tablet (Chromebook or similar) to facilitate ongoing collaboration; 
•    A generous stipend for technology and supplies to implement a classroom Challenge Project; and 
•    Sponsored attendance at the 2026 NSTA National Conference on Science Education.

Applications are due by February 1, 2025.