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Our new principal, who used to be a language arts teacher, doesn’t seem to understand what it’s like to be a science teacher. He’s a good guy, but what can we do to “educate” him on what we do? –L., Massachusetts...
By Mary Bigelow
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First Time at an NSTA Conference? Up Your Game With These Insider Tips
Are you attending the 2016 NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Nashville in March 31-April 3? If this is the first time you’ve attended the national conference, it can be overwhelming! Here are some suggestions to consider before you...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Teaching Energy Across the Sciences, K–12
Students’ experiences with hearing and using the term energy to describe everyday events give them a very intuitive sense of what energy is and how it behaves. Those feelings, however, are often at odds with school science instruction....
By Carole Hayward
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“Engineering Habits of Mind” Empower Performance: Featured Presentation at #NSTA16 Nashville
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By Guest Blogger
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My mentor wants to video my middle school science class. I’m not having specific problems with students and I think my lessons are good, but this still makes me nervous. Why would she want to do this? —G., Minnesota...
By Mary Bigelow
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Reading aloud, asking questions and engaging in discussion
“Do you remember Moomintroll?” my sister asked me recently....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
To prepare children to be close observers of the small animals that will be more easily seen in spring, I bring a container-habitat of beetles into the classroom during winter months. These Tenebrio beetles and larvae (widely known as “mealworms�...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
First Look: Hands on with the Pasco Wireless Temperature Sensor
The humble electronic thermometer is often the gateway technology into the world of digital data collection, and Pasco Scientific just made that tech much more affordable. And Bluetooth to boot!...
By Martin Horejsi
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Ideas and information from NSTA's February K-12 journals
This month, all three journals include Planning NGSS-Based Instruction: Where Do You Start? This article is another must-read for teachers who are looking for ideas to incorporate student questions and interests with the Next Generation Science Stand...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I write a weekly note home to the families to accompany some photos for families to look at together and reflect on the week’s explorations with their preschool child. Sending a note home to families is part of an early childhood program’s way to...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Teacher Professional Learning: Transforming Teacher Practice
Several weeks ago the National Academies on Science (NAS) released a report that the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) believes should be required reading for every school administrator....
By Guest Blogger
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Survey Reveals Challenges with Teaching Climate Change
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By David Evans, NSTA Executive Director
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My upper elementary students have had very little formal science instruction. I’m finding that they have a lot of “knowledge” that consists of misconceptions, half-truths, and opinions. I’m looking for suggestions on how to de...
By Mary Bigelow
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The Power of Developing Questioning Strategies in the Science Classroom
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By Guest Blogger
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Mastering Scientific Practices With Technology
In this video, columnist Ben Smith shares information from the Science 2.0 column, “Mastering Scientific Practices With Technology,” that appeared in a recent issue of The Science Teacher. Read the article here. ...
By sstuckey
Blog Post
Adding More STEM to the School Day
Middle school students dissect a frog as p...
By Debra Shapiro
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Prepare Your Students for the August 21 Solar Eclipse with Solar Science
Great extras accompany this book, including safety glasses for viewing the eclipse and an Observer’s Guide to the All-American Total Solar Eclipse....
By Carole Hayward
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ECE galore in January 2016 Science and Children!
Writing about my science teaching for early childhood educators means thinking about a potential community that spans geographic distance and different biomes, seasons, cultures, educational backgrounds, ethnicities, and teaching careers, among other...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
As the science chairperson, I’d like to change the format of our monthly afterschool meetings. Do you have any ideas what we can do in terms of professional development or other projects? It seems like we don’t get much accomplished with ...
By Mary Bigelow
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Zika, @neiltyson, and flick picks from POTUS: Twitter tales for science teachers
You can’t believe everything you see in social media, but when something’s popular on Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat, it’s sure to be something you can use to catch students’ attention. The stories that caught our eye this week run...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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Ideas and information from NSTA's January K-12 journals
All three journals this month include the article Addressing Three Common Myths About the Next Generation Science Standards – another must-read article that applies to all grade levels and science subjects....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Positive classroom environments support teaching science
Science teaching is only a part of the work of early childhood science educators. Supporting children’s development of social-emotional skills and executive function are foremost in every activity we engage children in....
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Did You Vote for NSTA's New Leaders? Here's Why You Should
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By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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“Knowledge” — how to use the term to illustrate the “doing” of science
“Knowledge” has several meanings for its use with student learning! A definition of “Knowledge” is traditionally considered information to help reform science education. It refers to information that can be used to indicate what others have...
By Robert Yager
Blog Post
I struggle with getting my biology students to prepare for assessments. What are your thoughts? — J., Arizona This is not an uncommon problem and J. was able to provide some additional details:...
By Mary Bigelow
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President Obama Gives Shout Out to Computer Science and STEM in SOTU
In his last State of the Union address on January 12 President Obama called for schools to “offer every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one.”...
By Jodi Peterson
Blog Post
Students communicate their results
I am interested in strategies to help students write lab reports. I have gone over this at the beginning of the year and a few times in between. But students still have trouble explaining the purpose, hypothesis, process, and conclusion. I want the s...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Do you “Pin?” Early childhood preservice teachers on the NSTA Learning Center forums are recommending Pinterest as a source for lesson plans and activities: “Dig into pinterest!!!! It has been my best friend as a student teacher this year!”...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Do You Have Adequate Time to Teach Science in Middle School?
“I have all the time I need to teach my science content and processes,” said no teacher, ever! When I was an elementary teacher, I often felt pressured to spend more time on math and reading than on science because, after all, those were the subj...
By Guest Blogger
Blog Post
Planned, Purposeful Activities
My fifth grade students get excited about hands-on activities, but sometimes they use an activity as a reason to socialize or joke around. Sometimes the class appears chaotic. I’m looking for ideas on what I can do to make sure this is a good use o...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
A "Spring" in December
The unusually warm December weather has brought out flowers in some of the plants that usually bloom in Spring in m...
By Peggy Ashbrook