NSTA - National Science Teachers Association

Classroom Management By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Average User Rating: Perhaps the most important skill a good teacher should possess is the ability to control students. A teacher who can devise fascinating and unique lesson plans for her classroom is useless if she can't get the kids to sit down and listen to her instructions....  [view full summary] Perhaps the most important skill a good teacher should possess is the ability to control students. A teacher who can devise fascinating and unique lesson plans for her classroom is useless if she can't get the kids to sit down and listen to her instructions. Unfortunately, many beginning teachers simply are not prepared to manage their classrooms effectively. Managing a classroom means you must teach your students behavior expectations, not just post your rules on the classroom wall. Classroom management becomes even more of an issue when it applies to the active nature of the science classroom. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Middle School

Tests and Forms By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Average User Rating: This section includes resources that any new teacher would want to have at their fingertips. It offers reproducible lists, quizzes, and forms. These resources will assist in making the first year of teaching a smooth and successful one. This section includes resources that any new teacher would want to have at their fingertips. It offers reproducible lists, quizzes, and forms. These resources will assist in making the first year of teaching a smooth and successful one. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

The First Day By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Average User Rating: There are many ways to start the school year, but icebreakers can be very successful. They help create a comfortable, lively, and active atmosphere students will come to expect and enjoy when they enter. Don't limit yourself to using these types of...  [view full summary] There are many ways to start the school year, but icebreakers can be very successful. They help create a comfortable, lively, and active atmosphere students will come to expect and enjoy when they enter. Don't limit yourself to using these types of activities only at the beginning of the year. Use them also to rejuvenate after a long break, after a long, difficult unit has been covered, or before beginning a new unit. Students will understand the reasons for group work, perk up when it comes time to problem solve, and be able to help each other "see" other methods or answers to problems. And, when your students go home after those first days of school, your class will be the one they talk about at the dinner table. This free chapter also includes the Table of Contents and Introduction for this book. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Writing for Science By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Steward Boles A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Average User Rating: Writing, as we all know, is an integral part of any discipline. And, because of the important role that writing up lab reports and research plays in the field of science, you must help your students work on writing throughout the year. This chapter...  [view full summary] Writing, as we all know, is an integral part of any discipline. And, because of the important role that writing up lab reports and research plays in the field of science, you must help your students work on writing throughout the year. This chapter covers basic skills and methods of instruction for teaching your students proper formatting for lab reports, essay and short-answer questions, and research assignments. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Middle School

Lab Set-Up and Safety By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Average User Rating: Whether your assigned classroom is for science labs or there is a specific lab area shared among several teachers, you need to set up properly for group experiments and other hands-on activities. There are several ways to set up lab groups in various...  [view full summary] Whether your assigned classroom is for science labs or there is a specific lab area shared among several teachers, you need to set up properly for group experiments and other hands-on activities. There are several ways to set up lab groups in various combinations, depending upon class size, available materials, and storage space. Some schools have spacious rooms with desks and lab areas that include cabinets, sinks, and an adjoining teacher prep/storage room, while others may have one sink, little storage space, and desks or tables with stools or chairs. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Substitute Teachers By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Our lives are ones of uncertainty and surprise, yin and yang existences. Some things we can control and others we are powerless to command, even with the best intentions. Teachers are not exempt from emergencies, jury duty, and illness. Luckily, most...  [view full summary] Our lives are ones of uncertainty and surprise, yin and yang existences. Some things we can control and others we are powerless to command, even with the best intentions. Teachers are not exempt from emergencies, jury duty, and illness. Luckily, most schools plan for such incidents by having willing substitutes on hand. Teachers need to follow the Scout's motto to "be prepared" and keep the classroom running smoothly and efficiently for students and subs. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Using Your Community Resources By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Within the field of education, it is important for communities to take an active role in developing relationships with the local schools and learning facilities. One good reason in particular is that children and adolescents need to feel that they are...  [view full summary] Within the field of education, it is important for communities to take an active role in developing relationships with the local schools and learning facilities. One good reason in particular is that children and adolescents need to feel that they are an important and integral part of the community in which they call home. School and community partnerships fulfill a developmental need that cannot be satisfied by teachers alone. For this reason alone, fortifying those partnerships and developing well-established community resources is a valuable opportunity for student growth. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Why Did We Write This Book? By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Average User Rating: Congratulations! You have secured a position to teach the fascinating world of science to middle school students! Science to young adolescents!?!? Before your elation turns to hesitation, and then outright dread, know that we...  [view full summary] Congratulations! You have secured a position to teach the fascinating world of science to middle school students! Science to young adolescents!?!? Before your elation turns to hesitation, and then outright dread, know that we are here to help. Think of this book as an inanimate but spirited mentor to turn to for questions or problems as you take on this challenging, yet ultimately rewarding task. The book is full of ideas, examples, hints, and tidbits that will help you prepare for and sail through the school year ahead. We have been in your shoes, and we only wish this help had been available in a book during the first year each of us taught middle school science. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Teaming By: C. Jill Swango and Sally Boles Steward A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science Teaming is a method of grouping students so they share the same set of teachers for their core subject areas—science, math, language arts, social studies, and sometimes physical education and health. Most often, teams are created when an entire grade...  [view full summary] Teaming is a method of grouping students so they share the same set of teachers for their core subject areas—science, math, language arts, social studies, and sometimes physical education and health. Most often, teams are created when an entire grade is broken into groups who share the same set of teachers. Small schools that do not have enough students to form teams can create a grade-level team or multigrade-level teams. The core subject teachers usually share a common planning period and, in many situations, also share a team planning period. Teaming is most often used in middle grades education because its positive outcomes are particularly appropriate to the developmental needs of young adolescents. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School

Adapting Labs and Troubleshooting A chapter from Help! I'm Teaching Middle School Science A great deal of information is available on how children learn—brain research, multiple intelligence aspects, concrete versus abstract thinking, environmental stimuli, and so on—but one key feature can be gleaned from all of the studies, and that is the...  [view full summary] A great deal of information is available on how children learn—brain research, multiple intelligence aspects, concrete versus abstract thinking, environmental stimuli, and so on—but one key feature can be gleaned from all of the studies, and that is the importance of hands-on learning. No matter what method students use to garner information, the learning process can be augmented with the inclusion of labs, activities, or simulations that mimic real-life experiences. This is especially true in the middle school science classroom. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Middle School