NSTA - National Science Teachers Association

Everyday Earth and Space Science Mysteries: Stories for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching By: Richard Konicek-Moran NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: What are the odds that a meteor will hit your house? Do you actually get more sunlight from Daylight Saving Time? Where do puddles go? By presenting everyday mysteries like these, this book will motivate your students to carry out hands-on science investigations...  [view full summary] What are the odds that a meteor will hit your house? Do you actually get more sunlight from Daylight Saving Time? Where do puddles go? By presenting everyday mysteries like these, this book will motivate your students to carry out hands-on science investigations and actually care about the results. These 19 open-ended mysteries focus exclusively on Earth and space science, including astronomy, energy, climate, and geology. The stories come with lists of science concepts to explore, grade-appropriate strategies for using them, and explanations of how the lessons align with national standards. They also relieve you of the tiring work of designing inquiry lessons from scratch. “What makes this book so special is the unique way science is integrated into the story line, using characters and situations children can easily identify with.”—Page Keeley, author of the NSTA Press series Uncovering Student Ideas in Science [hide full abstract] Member Price: $20.76 Nonmember Price: $25.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School

Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy: 45 New Formative Assessment Probes By: Page Keeley and Cary Sneider NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: What do your students know—or think they know—about what causes night and day, why days are shorter in winter, and how to tell a planet from a star? Find out with this book on astronomy, the latest in NSTA’s popular Uncovering Student Ideas in Science...  [view full summary] What do your students know—or think they know—about what causes night and day, why days are shorter in winter, and how to tell a planet from a star? Find out with this book on astronomy, the latest in NSTA’s popular Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. The 45 astronomy probes provide situations that will pique your students’ interest while helping you understand how your students think about key ideas related to the universe and how it operates. The book is organized into five sections: the Nature of Planet Earth; the Sun-Earth System; Modeling the Moon; Dynamic Solar System; and Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe. As the authors note, it’s not always easy to help students untangle mistaken ideas. Using this powerful set of tools to identify students’ preconceptions is an excellent first step to helping your students achieve scientific understanding. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $29.56 Nonmember Price: $36.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Everyday Engineering: Putting the E in STEM Teaching and Learning By: Richard Moyer and Susan Everett NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: “The idea for Everyday Engineering began with our interest in design and production issues related to the simple ballpoint pen. We were struck by the elegance of the means for retracting the reservoir and transferring the ink to paper …. For some...  [view full summary] “The idea for Everyday Engineering began with our interest in design and production issues related to the simple ballpoint pen. We were struck by the elegance of the means for retracting the reservoir and transferring the ink to paper …. For some months, we found ourselves taking a number of things apart—becoming more and more intrigued with the design of the seemingly simple. When thought about in this light, paper clips and pump soap dispensers become fascinating; so, too, is learning the history of how these everyday objects were developed.” —From the Introduction to Everyday Engineering Here’s an ideal way to spark students’ fascination with the marvels of engineering behind the seemingly simple. This book is a compilation of popular “Everyday Engineering” columns from NSTA’s middle school journal, Science Scope. The collection is made up of 14 activities that explore engineering’s role in five areas: the office, the kitchen, the bathroom, electricity, and outdoor recreation. Students can perform hands-on investigations of objects they use all the time, asking questions such as: • What makes a Bic click? • Why do squirt guns squirt? • What makes a better cereal box? Each activity includes a clear explanation of the science and history behind the object’s development plus a materials list, student data sheets, and safety suggestions. The collection is useful to classroom teachers as well as scout leaders, engineers leading outreach activities, after-school and summer enrichment program staff, and parents. Everyday Engineering may soon have your students taking a number of things apart—and putting together a lifelong interest in engineering. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $15.96 Nonmember Price: $19.95 Grade Level: Middle School

Air, Water, and Weather: Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It By: William C. Robertson, Ph.D. NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Thunderstruck by storm fronts? Perplexed about air pressure? Hazy on how weather works? If you’ve always been shaky on the science behind such phenomena, Air, Water, and Weather is designed to help you develop a deep understanding of the basics so you...  [view full summary] Thunderstruck by storm fronts? Perplexed about air pressure? Hazy on how weather works? If you’ve always been shaky on the science behind such phenomena, Air, Water, and Weather is designed to help you develop a deep understanding of the basics so you can teach without fear. Best-selling author Bill Robertson acts as your friendly guide, bringing both wisdom and wit to the study of weather. He starts with basic properties of air and water. You’ll learn about pressure, the Coriolis force, the Bernoulli Effect, density, and explanations of why hot air doesn’t rise all by itself and why heating air doesn’t necessarily cause it to expand. These concepts form a foundation for explanations of weather patterns, including the jet stream, storm fronts, and the formation of tornadoes and hurricanes. Air, Water, and Weather is the sixth book in the award-winning Stop Faking It! series published by NSTA Press. It offers all the features readers have come to love: accurate explanations, irreverent drawings, and activities that use easy-to-find materials. As usual, Robertson avoids memorization for its own sake—no need to commit cloud types to memory!—and makes learning a mostly sunny experience. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $19.96 Nonmember Price: $24.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School

Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction By: Olaf Jorgenson, Jackie Cleveland, and Rick Vanosdall NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Just as middle schoolers are “wired” to learn in active, hands-on ways, this book is wired to help you spark a vital connection to these students to keep them tuned-in to science. Doing Good Science in Middle School combines practical insights about adolescent...  [view full summary] Just as middle schoolers are “wired” to learn in active, hands-on ways, this book is wired to help you spark a vital connection to these students to keep them tuned-in to science. Doing Good Science in Middle School combines practical insights about adolescent learners with what master teachers know about how to shift from passive, textbook-centered instruction to inquiry-based investigations. Chapters cover the psychology of the middle school learner; why inquiry and collaboration are the cornerstones of good science; integrating science, literacy, math, and technology; classroom management and safety; plus additional resources and sample forms. But at the book’s core are 10 must-do activities. All are developmentally appropriate, inquiry- and Standards-based lessons of use to teachers at all experience levels (including preservice). Doing Good Science is a truly comprehensive practitioner’s guide. It brings you ideas for presenting curriculum, strategies for reaching all students, and a research basis for justifying your practices in the classroom—all through a combination of humor and true stories from experienced educators who make a solid case for inquiry in real-world middle school. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $19.96 Nonmember Price: $24.95 Grade Level: Middle School

Making Science Mentors: A 10-Session Guide for Middle Grades By: Bernie Zubrowski, Vivian Troen, and Marian Pasquale NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Many peer-mentoring guides claim to be unique. This one is. It trains middle school science teachers to be effective mentors for other middle school teachers—and does so using a long-term, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning how...  [view full summary] Many peer-mentoring guides claim to be unique. This one is. It trains middle school science teachers to be effective mentors for other middle school teachers—and does so using a long-term, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning how to be a more effective science educator. Developed under a grant from the National Science Foundation, the principles of this guide’s procedures and materials were field-tested with 50 mentors and new teachers in a variety of middle schools. Making Science Mentors comes with everything you need to set up and run a comprehensive program: • 10 session-by-session lesson plans • A planning and observation protocol to guide mentor-mentee interaction, both in conferences and during classroom observation • Handouts and citations (on paper and on CD) for use in preparing mentors • Video clips on DVD that show middle grades science classrooms and teacher mentoring Making Science Mentors is ideal if you have state, district, or school-based teacher preparation programs and don’t want to start from scratch when setting up a research-based mentoring system. As the authors promise, “Using this guide, you will master inquiry-based mentoring and share it with mentors, who, in turn, will share it with their mentees, all in the name of improving the classroom experiences—and achievement—of students.” [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.96 Nonmember Price: $29.95 Grade Level: Middle School

Resources for Environmental Literacy: Five Teaching Modules for Middle and High School Teachers By: Environmental Literacy Council and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Resources for Environmental Literacy offers a fresh way to enhance your classroom productivity. The environmental context it provides can improve your students’ science learning even as learning the science improves their ability to deal with...  [view full summary] Resources for Environmental Literacy offers a fresh way to enhance your classroom productivity. The environmental context it provides can improve your students’ science learning even as learning the science improves their ability to deal with five real-world topics: • Biodiversity • Genetically modified crops • Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis • Global climate change • Radioactive waste But this resource doesn’t encourage students to take a particular stand on these subjects. Instead, it builds skills in critical thinking and analytical reasoning about complex issues. For ease of teaching, each of the book’s modules includes such useful features as: • Student learning goals based on Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the Standards • Background content for teachers, organized into sets of “essential questions”—such as “What is a species?” and “What is the science involved in the genetic engineering of crops?”—with answers you can draw on when guiding students. • A suggested teaching approach, including misconceptions to watch out for and assessments to use. • Student activities and materials you can adapt to your classroom needs. Resources for Environmental Literacy is designed especially for teachers of middle school life science and physical science as well as high school Earth science, biology, and physics. The modules offer appropriate teaching strategies plus high-quality resources to deepen your students’ understanding of key environmental topics. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $26.36 Nonmember Price: $32.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 2: 25 More Formative Assessment Probes By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Joyce Tugel NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: If Hollywood filmed this sequel, the studio would call it “Probes II: More Battles Against Misunderstandings.” Like the blockbuster before it, Volume 2 will reveal the surprising misconceptions students bring to the classroom—so you can adjust your teaching...  [view full summary] If Hollywood filmed this sequel, the studio would call it “Probes II: More Battles Against Misunderstandings.” Like the blockbuster before it, Volume 2 will reveal the surprising misconceptions students bring to the classroom—so you can adjust your teaching to foster a sound understanding of science. The popular features from Volume 1 are all here. The field-tested probes are short, easy to administer, and ready to reproduce. Teacher materials explain science content and suggest grade-appropriate ways to present information. But Volume 2 covers more life science and Earth and space science probes. New topics include forms of matter, changes in matter, living things and life processes, rocks and landforms, the day/night cycle, and objects in the night sky. Volume 2 also suggests ways to embed the probes throughout your instruction, not just when starting a unit or topic. This new classroom tool will help you not only uncover students’ existing ideas, but also use that knowledge to improve your teaching and advance student understanding of science concepts. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.96 Nonmember Price: $29.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Teaching With Purpose: Closing the Research - Practice Gap By: John E. Penick and Robin Lee Harris NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: The best science teachers don’t just get up in front of the class and start talking. They draw from a plan… a rationale… a purpose. This book helps you create and implement a detailed, research-based teaching rationale that works even with students of...  [view full summary] The best science teachers don’t just get up in front of the class and start talking. They draw from a plan… a rationale… a purpose. This book helps you create and implement a detailed, research-based teaching rationale that works even with students of varied needs in less-than-ideal facilities. The key is a method that this book’s authors and their colleagues have used to help more than 3,000 preservice and inservice science teachers achieve improved results in their classrooms. Teaching with Purpose provides a framework for coordinating your unique students and school with your desired educational outcomes and the education research literature. You can use this framework in several aspects of teaching: for planning lessons and units, selecting activities and curriculum, and analyzing your role as teacher. All this is explained within the book’s easy-to-grasp structure. It covers the case for a research-based teaching rationale, the elements of such a rationale, how to develop and implement it, and then how to become a mentor to others. Throughout the text, more than a dozen elementary, middle, and high school science teachers comment on how developing a research-based rationale has made them better educators. The book’s combination of theory and practice, instruction and inspiration, makes it ideal for planning personal development and for use at teacher workshops. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $6.36 Nonmember Price: $7.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

More Everyday Science Mysteries: Stories for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching By: Richard Konicek-Moran NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Where do rotten apples go after they fall off the tree? Does the temperature of the wood affect the heat of the fire? Can you make water boil faster? How large a mirror do you need to see your whole body? This second volume of 15 mystery stories examines...  [view full summary] Where do rotten apples go after they fall off the tree? Does the temperature of the wood affect the heat of the fire? Can you make water boil faster? How large a mirror do you need to see your whole body? This second volume of 15 mystery stories examines more science concepts and reinforces the value of learning science through inquiry. Each mystery presents opportunities for students to create questions, form hypotheses, test their ideas, and come up with explanations. Focused on concepts such as weather and climate, thermodynamics, interdependency of living things, adaptation, life cycles, properties of matter, reflection and refraction, and chemical bonds, these mysteries draw students into the stories by grounding them in experiences students are familiar with, providing them with the foundation for classroom discussion and inquiry. “These stories are bound to reveal the wonderful ideas all students have, give them the confidence to explore their own thinking, and provide opportunities for them to ‘do’ science rather than have science ‘done’ to them.” —Page Keeley, NSTA President 2008–09 [hide full abstract] Member Price: $20.76 Nonmember Price: $25.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School