Reflecting on one’s practice, whether it is a conversation with a single student, a lesson, or a unit plan, is the surest way for a teacher to improve. Going through the process of becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) is a journey of reflective practice. The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent organization with a board of directors composed mainly of classroom teachers. In this article, the author describes the process he went through to obtain an Early Adolescence/Science certificate for ages 11-15.
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This month’s column reveals our themes for the upcoming school year and beyond, which have been intentionally designed to touch on all the NSES content standards for grades 5-8. In addition, you are encouraged to write a manuscript to share with your fellow middle-level teachers. If you have a wonderful idea or activity but do not see it listed among the themes, write about it anyway because we are always looking for topics of general interest. Last but not least—the editor sends her best wishes for a summer of rest, relaxation, and inspiration to write!
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In this activity, Namib and Antarctic arthropods are used to illustrate several important biological principles. Among these are the key ideas that form follows function and that the environment drives evolution. In addition, students will discover that the climates of the Namib Desert and the Antarctic Peninsula are similar in several ways, and that these arthropods have evolved some analogous adaptations. This investigation is a good introduction to the phylum Arthropoda, the most successful group of animals on Earth, and spotlights the group’s ability to occupy some of the most challenging niches on the planet (National Science Content C—Life Science; NRC 1996).
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Although it is hard to claim that one or two school visits by a scientist will change how students think about science and their place in it, the authors’ experience suggests that, for many students, a school visit by a scientist makes a big and long-lasting difference. The goal of this paper is to describe work done by the British Columbia Scientists and Innovators in the Schools (SIS) organization during the 2005-2006 school year and to provide some tips about how to make a school visit a success.
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The tilt of the Earth on its axis and the manner in which sunlight strikes the Earth remains one of the most misunderstood concepts taught in an introductory astronomy course. The misconceptions that surround the reasons for the seasonal variations we experience on Earth often go unchanged as students’ progress through their education. To help students to understand the world in which they live, the activity described in this article allows students to create a physical model of the Earth-Sun system to help them better understand the effect the tilt of the Earth has on the length of the day. In addition, they utilize the internet to collect and analyze data for themselves.
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The decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 to redefine the term planet has caught the attention of the public and students from grade school to graduate school. The IAU’s decision has not changed the makeup of the solar system; it has merely offered a different way of thinking about the bodies that make it up. This activity will enhance students’ understanding of these new definitions through the use of a research-based instructional strategy called direct vocabulary instruction. This middle school vocabulary activity was developed for NASA’s Dawn mission by educators at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) and their colleagues on NASA’s Dawn team.
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The Science Belief Quiz is an online instrument that was developed to assess and increase student understanding of science concepts and to combat misconceptions. The following are four items from the quiz related to astronomy. A follow-up teacher demonstration that you can use to clarify the reason for the seasons is included.
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Perhaps Pluto is no longer a planet, but does that mean we should remove it from our solar system models? Is it time to order new textbooks, buy new posters, and invent new mnemonic devices? Slow down, no need to panic! Pluto hasn’t gone anywhere or changed at all, we simply changed the category in which to classify it. So rather than wave goodbye to this distant icy rock, take advantage of the situation to give our students a more complete view of the solar system, as well as some insight into the scientific process using the sorting and modeling activities described in this article.
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With the introduction of physics concepts at the elementary and middle school grades resulting from the National Science Education Standards and No Child Left Behind legislation, teachers are looking for exciting technology that will turn kids on to the study of light. Enter the laser diode pointer. Given their easy availability, low cost, portability, and inexpensive upkeep (they operate on AAA batteries), laser pointers would seem to be the ideal piece of classroom science equipment. However, before adopting laser pointers for demonstrations or hands-on labs, teachers and students should be aware of the risks associated with their use.
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This summer, in addition to viewing several of the bright visible planets and another lunar eclipse, there will be an opportunity for viewing the target of an upcoming NASA mission, the asteroid Vesta. Highlights of the summer skies and other celestial phenomena are described in this month’s column.
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Anyone who teaches about the solar system can’t help but be impressed by the vast array of solar system objects, all of the robotic explorers, and the rapidly evolving view of each object and the systems they inhabit. Far from being a disconcerting jumble of, literally, alien places, the study of the solar system is a perfect example of how science progresses and evolves in the presence of new evidence and analysis. Here are some compelling visual activities (including mathematical computations) that give students an illustration of how empty the solar system is.
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Nearly 20 years after the release of The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ video, A Private Universe, much research has been done in relation to students’ understanding of space-science concepts and how to effectively change these ideas. However, student difficulties with basic space-science concepts still persist. This article will describe some of the common student misconceptions related to phases of the Moon, introduce a conceptual-change teaching approach, and provide an example of an activity that can be used to address these common misconceptions.
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A few new wrinkles have been added to the popular activity of building a scale model of the solar system. Students can learn about maps and scaling using easily accessible online resources that include satellite images. This is accomplished by taking advantage of some of the special features of Google Earth. This activity gives students a much more powerful sense of the enormity and emptiness of the solar system and, at the same time, provides an opportunity to make connections with the community.
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Building physical models relative to a concept can be an important activity to help students develop and manipulate abstract ideas and mental models that often prove difficult to grasp. One such concept is time. A method for helping students understand the cyclical nature of time involves the construction of a Time Zone Calculator through a series of physical models. This article explains how to construct a Time Zone Calculator and provides suggestions for its use.
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