http://www.nsta.org Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the National Science Teachers Association is a member-driven organization, 55,000-strong. We publish books and journals for science teachers from kindergarten through college. Each year we hold four conferences on science education: four regional events in the fall and a national gathering in the spring. We provide ways for science teachers to connect with one another. We inform Congress and the public on vital questions affecting science literacy and a well-educated workforce. And with your help, we can do even more. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59200 Center promotes Darwin Day to inspire next generation of scientists. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59199 The American space agency looks set to pull the plug on its joint missions to Mars with the European Space Agency. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59197 Video taken of the far side of the moon by NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission will be used in classroom's across the country with footage taken by MoonKAM ("Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students") cameras. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59196 A Republican proposal to end the federal mandate for science testing in public schools is coming under fire from a broad-based coalition that supports improved STEM education. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59198 What the journey of a handful of dust tells us about our fragile planet. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59195 The federally chartered National Research Council is joining those who are warning about the possible environmental, health, and safety implications of nanotechnology. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59194 Only 21 states require students to attend high school until they graduate or turn 18. The proposal President Obama announced on Tuesday night in his State of the Union addressand#8212;to make such attendance compulsory in every stateand#8212;is a step in the right direction, but it would not go far enough to reduce a dropout rate that imposes a heavy cost on the entire economy, not just on those who fail to obtain a diploma. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59193 We hear it said often that "what gets tested gets taught." With that in mind, advocates for teaching science and history may be concerned about a bill just approved by the Virginia Senate that would eliminate standardized testing for the state's 3rd graders in those two subjects. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=59192 Congratulations to Toyota TAPESTRY Awardee Rebecca Grella and her student Samantha Garvey, a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59191 The lack of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educators is a national crisis, according to education leaders such as Martha Cyr, executive director of the newly created STEM Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts. So WPI is one of many higher education institutions nationwide focusing on preparing its undergraduates to teach STEM topics inside the classroom and, ultimately, prepare students for careers in science or math. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59190 Teaching the science of climate change can be challenging in itself. Around the country—from Washington State to Oklahoma—pressure and pushback from skeptical students, teachers, and administrators add to the challenge. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=59158 From kindergarten insults to old movie lines, rats often have been given a bad rap. But instead of being solely motivated by self-preservation (as in the old saying, “like rats fleeing a sinking ship”), rats in one study assisted a trapped comrade—although they received no material reward. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=59157 Countless books are published each year, creating a daunting task for educators looking for reading material beyond the textbook to engage students. For nearly 40 years, NSTA and the Children’s Book Council have collaborated to select the best published each year for their list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12, and this year’s list is no exception. http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/summary.aspx?id=59189 STEM education—science, technology, engineering and math—is being touted by lawmakers and business people as the key to future job creation and international competitiveness. But as campuses move to aggressively bulk up their STEM programs, they are grappling with a perpetual question in K–12 education: How to pay for it? http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=59156 Ms. Mentor gives advice on taking time for technology and intergenerational science.