NSTA - National Science Teachers Association

Extreme Science: From Nano to Galactic By: M. Gail Jones, Amy R. Taylor, and Michael R. Falvo NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Whether we are imagining microbes or mammoths, dinosaurs or diatoms, molecules or stars, people of all ages are fascinated with the very large and the very small. New technologies have enabled scientists to investigate extremes of science previously unknown....  [view full summary] Whether we are imagining microbes or mammoths, dinosaurs or diatoms, molecules or stars, people of all ages are fascinated with the very large and the very small. New technologies have enabled scientists to investigate extremes of science previously unknown. An understanding of scale and scaling effects is of central importance to a scientific understanding of the world. Help your middle and high school biology, Earth science, chemistry, physics, and mathematics students develop quantitative evaluation with Extreme Science. Authors Gail Jones, Amy Taylor, and Michael Falvo offer a detailed look at types of scale, measurement, powers of ten, estimation and models of scale, surface area to volume relationships, limits to size, and behaviors at different scales. Scaling conceptions are one of the four recommended unifying themes in the AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy. A knowledge of scaling will serve as a solid framework for students to anchor further learning and allow them to make cross-curricular connections between seemingly disparate topics. The investigations in this book are designed to help students develop a comprehensive and flexible sense of scale through experiences with the quantitative units and tools of science. Investigations build on our research that has documented how people learn scale. To aid in comprehension, Extreme Science uses the 5Es (engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate) to illustrate each topic. By using this learning method, the activities help students learn to invent scales, develop benchmarks, estimate, and apply body rulers (estimating using fingers, arms, or pacing off distances). In so doing, students will come to understand scale on an intrinsic level and will appreciate that no problem is too big or too little to be scaleable. Comprehending scale at the largest and smallest levels is where a quantitative understanding of the world begins. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.96 Nonmember Price: $29.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Inquiry: The Key to Exemplary Science Edited by: Robert E. Yager NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Science teachers aiming to foster inquiry in their classrooms will find the sixth title in the Exemplary Science monograph series, Inquiry: The Key to Exemplary Science full of helpful advice and new techniques. The 18 chapters in...  [view full summary] Science teachers aiming to foster inquiry in their classrooms will find the sixth title in the Exemplary Science monograph series, Inquiry: The Key to Exemplary Science full of helpful advice and new techniques. The 18 chapters in this monograph illustrate various forms of inquiry, offer detailed examples of planning and execution, and provide case studies highlighting successful implementation of inquiry. Student learning, development of positive attitudes, the ability to use concepts and skills in completely new situations are all demonstrated for use in your classroom. The National Science Education Standards call “for every student (every year) to experience the richness and excitement of knowing and understanding the natural world.” Editor Robert Yager notes that “in one sense, inquiry can be used as a synonym for science. Both include starting with questions, collecting evidence concerning the explanations offered, and arguing with others about the validity of the explanations. Science is a continuing quest for better understanding of the natural universe. This quest is inquiry! [hide full abstract] Member Price: $19.96 Nonmember Price: $24.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Activities Linking Science With Math, K-4 By: John Eichinger NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Science does not exist in a vacuum and, therefore, shouldn’t be taught that way. In that spirit, Activities Linking Science With Math, K-4, is a hands-on guide for preservice and inservice elementary school teachers who want to connect science...  [view full summary] Science does not exist in a vacuum and, therefore, shouldn’t be taught that way. In that spirit, Activities Linking Science With Math, K-4, is a hands-on guide for preservice and inservice elementary school teachers who want to connect science instruction with other areas of study—including visual arts, social sciences, language arts, and especially math. The 20 discovery-based and academically rigorous activities provided in this volume enrich students’ awareness of the world around them, encourage their natural curiosity, and promote the development of their problem-solving skills. The lessons—such as Digging Into Soil, Exploring the Mysteries of Fingerprints, and What Makes a Boat Float?—are teacher friendly, too, requiring no advanced expertise in any subject area and using only inexpensive and easily accessible materials. Each includes a list of needed materials, a step-by-step procedure, discussion questions, and assessment techniques. Activities align with the latest national standards for both science and math and cover topics from all scientific disciplines. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $22.36 Nonmember Price: $27.95 Grade Level: Elementary 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: $19.96 Nonmember Price: $24.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School

All in a Day's Work: Careers Using Science, 2nd Edition By: Megan Sullivan NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: “Almost all careers in the 21st century require a working knowledge of science and mathematics,” says Steve Metz, The Science Teacher field editor, in his introduction to All in a Day’s Work, 2nd edition. “The pending retirement of 78...  [view full summary] “Almost all careers in the 21st century require a working knowledge of science and mathematics,” says Steve Metz, The Science Teacher field editor, in his introduction to All in a Day’s Work, 2nd edition. “The pending retirement of 78 millions baby boomers can only add to the need for science and mathematics training, as companies begin recruiting replacement workers in science fields, sometimes—believe it or not—as early as middle school!” This expanded second edition will help you give students an exciting look at the vast array of jobs built on a foundation of science, including: • the expected—high school science teacher, microbiologist, and radiation therapist, • the unexpected—bomb investigator, space architect, and musical acoustics scientist, the adventurous—astronaut, deep-cave explorer, and dinosaur paleontologist, and • the offbeat— shark advocate, roller coaster designer, and oyster wrangler All in a Day’s Work, 2nd edition is a compendium of 49 of the popular “Career of the Month” columns from the NSTA high school journal The Science Teacher. Each column profiles a person in a science-related job and can be reproduced and shared with your high school students as they make career and education plans. Each profile includes suggestions about how to find additional career information, including links to websites and relevant professional organizations and interest groups. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $12.76 Nonmember Price: $15.95 Grade Level: High School

Animal Coloration: Activities on the Evolution of Concealment By: Robert Stebbins, David Ipsen, Gretchen L. Gillfillan, Judy Diamond (Revised New Edition), and Judy Scotchmoor (Revised New Edition) NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: A classic resource for teachers is now back in an updated edition! Using an inductive and experimental approach, Animal Coloration aims to increase students’ awareness of the ways wild organisms are adapted to their environments. Even though...  [view full summary] A classic resource for teachers is now back in an updated edition! Using an inductive and experimental approach, Animal Coloration aims to increase students’ awareness of the ways wild organisms are adapted to their environments. Even though the activities suggest a specific teaching procedure, each activity is also intended to be an investigation by the students and an opportunity for them to make and test hypotheses based on their observations. Through these activities, students will begin to appreciate how scientific knowledge and understanding are attained. Each of the activities provides an opportunity to incorporate National Science Education Content Standards, including science and inquiry, life science, and history and nature of science. Also new to this revision is a table summarizing each activity with learning outcomes and relevant content standards. Originally published in 1966 by the Regents of the University of California (UC), Animal Coloration is the result of over five years of field-testing and experimentation by the Elementary School Science Project at UC Berkeley, funded by the National Science Foundation. This book was difficult to find for far too long (worn copies are a cherished part of many teachers’ libraries), so NSTA Press is especially proud to bring the book to a new generation of teachers and to update the work for its long-time admirers. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $17.56 Nonmember Price: $21.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School

Science Formative Assessments: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning By: Page Keeley NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Use assessment to inform instruction and learning in the science classroom! Science education expert Page Keeley shares 75 specific techniques that help K–12 science teachers determine students’ understanding of key concepts and design learning opportunities...  [view full summary] Use assessment to inform instruction and learning in the science classroom! Science education expert Page Keeley shares 75 specific techniques that help K–12 science teachers determine students’ understanding of key concepts and design learning opportunities that will deepen students’ mastery of content and standards. This book describes how each technique promotes student learning; considerations for design and implementation, such as required materials, timing, modeling the technique, and grouping students; modifications for different types of students or purposes; and ways the techniques can be used in other content areas. These flexible assessments can be used with any science curriculum. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $26.36 Nonmember Price: $32.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Dig In! Hands-On Soil Investigtions By: NSTA Press, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and USDA NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Give students the dirt on soil with a practical book that brings new meaning to the term "hands-on." Using these 12 activities and two original stories as guides, kids will soon be up to their elbows in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use,...  [view full summary] Give students the dirt on soil with a practical book that brings new meaning to the term "hands-on." Using these 12 activities and two original stories as guides, kids will soon be up to their elbows in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use, animals that depend on soil, plants that grow in soil, soil science, and soil conservation. Each teacher-tested lesson plan offers helpful background, assessment methods, and suggestions for further exploration. This book also contains SciLinks--Internet links, housed on an NSTA web site, that we promise to keep up-to-date and relevant to your teaching for as long as the book stays in print! [hide full abstract] Member Price: $17.56 Nonmember Price: $21.95 Grade Level: Elementary School

Math: Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It By: William C. Robertson, Ph.D. NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Flummoxed by formulas? Queasy about equations? Perturbed by π? Now you can stop cursing over calculus and start cackling over Math, another volume in Bill Robertson's accurate but amusing Stop Faking It! bestsellers. As Robertson...  [view full summary] Flummoxed by formulas? Queasy about equations? Perturbed by π? Now you can stop cursing over calculus and start cackling over Math, another volume in Bill Robertson's accurate but amusing Stop Faking It! bestsellers. As Robertson sees it, too many people view mathematics as a set of rules to be followed, procedures to memorize, and theorems to apply. This book focuses on the reasoning behind the rules, from math basics all the way up to a brief introduction to calculus. Among the questions it covers: Why do you "carry" numbers when adding? Why do you need a common denominator when adding fractions? (Robertson says you don't, by the way!) Where does the number π come from? And who in the heck invented those strange formulas for area and volume, such as πr2 and (4/3)πr3? Like the other six titles in this award-winning NSTA Press series, Math provides clear explanations, irreverent illustrations, and easy-to-follow activities. But Robertson spares you problem sets to do or tests to take. That's because Math is not so much a book that helps you do math as it is a guide to understanding it conceptually. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $17.56 Nonmember Price: $21.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, 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: