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This April, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) will feature a special strand “Leading From the Classroom” at our 2014 National Conference on Science Education, in...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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Science of the Winter Olympics: Injury & Recovery
Lindsey Vonn—probably the closest to a household name as any winter Olympian. Sadly, we won’t be able to see her defend her women’s downhill gold medal in Sochi due to her ACL injury. But you can find out a bit more of the back story in Injury ...
By Judy Elgin Jensen
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This month’s guest editorials address the theme of science for ALL students:...
By Mary Bigelow
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Kindergarten teacher shares her class' bird investigation
Talking with other early childhood educators enriches my understanding of how children learn and I often learn good ideas for teaching about particular science concepts. I had an online conversation with Mary Myron who I met at the 2013 annual confer...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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What science teachers are reading in January 2014
From data literacy to citizen science to using trade books in science lessons, take a look at what science teachers are reading so far in 2014 at NSTA’s website....
By Claire Reinburg
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Science of the Winter Olympics: Competition Suits
You’re barely in the door of your local sporting goods store before you’re bombarded with displays of clothing designed specifically for every sport—even fishing! Are you better at any one of these sports when you’re wearing the specially des...
By Judy Elgin Jensen
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I feel overwhelmed by the grading process. It seems like I spend most of my waking hours grading homework, lab reports, tests, quizzes, notebooks, and projects. I teach two science courses at the high school and meet 150 students every day. What ca...
By Mary Bigelow
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There are many ways students can be motivated in science. Some students have a passion for the subject that goes beyond the classroom. Others may find the types of activities in the classroom to be motivational—working with others, using technology...
By Mary Bigelow
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Science of the Winter Olympics: Science of Ice
The phrase “a level playing field” has a lot of different meanings. But for the skaters, curlers, hockey players, lugers, and bobsledders in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games it means just one thing—ICE. And how is it that all of these athletes can...
By Judy Elgin Jensen
Blog Post
This April, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) will feature a special strand “Teaching Elementary Science with Confidence!” at our 2014 National Conference on Science...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
Science of the Winter Olympics: Slopestyle Skiing
The count down is on for February 7, the start of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia! Twelve new winter sports will join those we always look forward to watching. Among them is Men’s and Women’s Ski Slopestyle. To the uninitiated, it ...
By Judy Elgin Jensen
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Science of ice, brief explanation
For all those who are experiencing the solid form of water or teaching about it, here is a cool video from the National Science Foundation (NSF) about the science of ice. In this short video, athletes J.R....
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Basic Data Literacy: Helping Your Students (And You!) Make Sense of Data
We are surrounded by data. When you read, watch, or listen to the news, you are presented with the conclusions drawn from data someone else has collected....
By Carole Hayward
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NSTA's K-College Science Education Journals: January 2014 Issues Online
Communicating science—NSTA’s journals are all about it this month—helping children be captivated by the wonders of science, empowering them to share, and making science relevant to students as they grow into responsible citizens. The links ...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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Learning about shapes, with tips from a special education teacher
Working in a school with teachers who have a different expertise than I have means I have access to an informal professional learning community’s broader depth of knowledge. Early childhood teachers represent a wide variety of cultures, ages and ed...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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This April, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) will feature a special strand “Science and Literacy: A Symbiotic Relationship” at our 2014 Nat...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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Lab Incident at a Manhattan High School: Another Hard Safety Lesson to Learn
On January 2, 2014, a chemistry lab safety incident involving a fire injured students at Beacon High School in Manhattan (NYC). An article in The New York Times reported that two students were burned as a result of a fireball of methanol vapor create...
By Kenneth Roy
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I’m a new teacher fresh out of college, and I took a job as a chemistry teacher in a different state. I had a good student teaching experience, so I’m okay with the students and the curriculum and I love the area, but as a newbie I feel i...
By Mary Bigelow
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On the winter solstice I took a walk through the yard and thought about the amount of sunlight that it receives throughout the year....
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Navigating the authority-figure/friend territory
At least these no longer apply!...
By Mary Bigelow
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We’ve certainly had a variety of weather-related events in recent history: killer tornadoes, devastating hurricanes and floods, and fluctuating temperatures. But the “hazards” that are the focus of this issue are those related to fo...
By Mary Bigelow
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Connecting science and students' interests
It’s hard to think of a science topic that children are not interested in! Just about anything will stimulate their thinking and inquisitiveness. The cover of this issue brought back memories of these interests—I had a set of specimens embedd...
By Mary Bigelow
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Preparing for your first teaching job
I’m finishing my student teaching and looking forward to getting a job as a high school physics teacher after I graduate. How can I prepare for my first job, even before I get one? —Carl, Denver, Colorado...
By Mary Bigelow
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Sensory table explorations of matter
Experiences are the beginning of understanding science and engineering concepts. When two-year-olds explore materials and make a mixture, they are learning about the properties of “matter.” Water is a favorite kind of matter for many children and...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Opportunities for learning and networking at NSTA conferences
I just returned from the NSTA area conference in Denver. As always and whenever they are, these conferences are wonderful learning opportunities for science teachers....
By Mary Bigelow
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International Comparisons – Should We Pay Attention or Not? What Are Your Thoughts?
According to the Key Results of the PISA study which was recently released, “PISA assesses the extent to which 15-year-old students have acquired key knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies....
By Christine Royce
Blog Post
This is my first year as a middle school science teacher. I teach two different grade levels and after a few months I’m still feeling swamped. It seems like I spend every waking moment working either in my classroom or at home on lesson plans a...
By Mary Bigelow
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Cook up science fun this holiday season
December holiday breaks and winter weather can make it difficult to keep students engaged in the classroom. Why not embrace the spirit of the season and rekindle student interest in science by incorporating cooking themes when students already have w...
By Claire Reinburg
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Recognition and awards for science teaching in K-grade 6
Do elementary school teachers teach “real” science? Of course they do—reading just a few articles from Science and Children is evidence of this rigorous teaching that builds on earlier experiences and is the foundation for later learning. Tea...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Draft Early Childhood Science Education Position Statement—comment please!
When children compare a wet cloth to a dry cloth, is this teaching a science concept? What role do adults have in preschool science learning? Should teachers discuss science facts with preschoolers or only engage them in hands-on experiences?...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Patterns is one of the crosscutting concepts in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)....
By Mary Bigelow
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Save the Date: NSTA National Conference on Science Education Boston, April 3–6, 2014
Science teachers, put our national conference on your 2014 calendar now. The National Science Teachers Association will be coming to Boston April 3–6, 2014 to put on the premiere event for science education....
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
I’ve noticed my students don’t seem to have a lot of motivation in science class. They are sometimes afraid they’ll make mistakes, and they’re often reluctant to try something new. What can I do to encourage more student engag...
By Mary Bigelow
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NSTA's K-12 Science Education Journals: December Issues Online
The holidays are upon us, but you don’t get a break from teaching quite yet. You need science education resources that you can use in your classroom tomorrow, and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has them for you! Written by edu...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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Science + Literacy Featured at NSTA’s Conference in Denver, CO, December 12-14
Learn about science + literacy from experts in the field (your peers!) at NSTA’s Conference on Science Education in Denver, CO, December 12–14....
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
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What is your favorite children's or young adult book?
Recently, NSTA and the Children’s Book Council (CBC) announced the winners for the annual list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 (books published in 2013). Previous year’s lists and winners also include books that are...
By Christine Royce
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Science in Washington, DC at the NAEYC 2013 annual conference
Meeting to plan the ECSIF annual meeting. ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Developing critical consumers of science
Each month, the NSTA journals have many ideas for helping students become producers of knowledge, through science investigations and engineering problems. This issue, however, looks at how students can become informed consumers of science and enginee...
By Mary Bigelow
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DC State Board of Education Considers NGSS
Yesterday I appeared before the DC State Board of Education and urged them to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (see my testimony below). I spoke about how the NGSS would bring positive changes to District classrooms with its new approach t...
By David Evans, NSTA Executive Director