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Today’s news features Voyager 1 as it appears to be reaching the edge of the solar system. It’s hard to believe that Voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977—36 years ago—and they’re still sending data (although it takes 17 hours f...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
What are your thoughts on The Condition of Education Report?
The National Center for Education Statistics Releases The Condition of Education 2013 Report The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released its annual report, The Condition of Education. This year’s report presents 42 indicators of im...
By Christine Royce
Blog Post
What Could Be More Perfect? Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons!
For the lesson on Amazing Caterpillars in Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry’s new Even More Pictu...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Introducing guest blogger, Sarah Erdman, writing about toddlers
Watching children investigate the world inspires us to examine their methods, especially when we are raising them! Careful observation of infants and toddlers shows how we can support their developing ideas about the natural world. Guest blogger Sara...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Examples of science assessments
Last year I gave a pretest to my classes, consisting mostly of vocabulary. I’ve decided to change the assessment and focus more on determining how students think. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, I’m looking for existing tests or...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Teaching about the natural world–at school and at home
Cope’s Gray Treefrog © John White ̵...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
A Key Guide for Implementing NGSS
“Although it sometimes occurs, teachers should never be handed standards, including the NGSS, and then be expected to translate them into classroom practice on their...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
As a SciLinks webwatcher, I spend time every week looking for and reviewing websites on a variety of science topics. I recently came across several biology videos on the Education Portal website....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Are you looking for a way to encourage students to pursue topics of interest? To go beyond the information in a textbook? To take advantage of online resources and the electronic devices that are becoming more common in classrooms? To give students a...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Everyone talks about the Sputnik Moment, when the nation realized we had to focus on science to remain competitive. But I was more inspired by people closer to Earth. A recent Facebook post wishing Jacques Cousteau a happy (posthumous) birthday got s...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
At the NSTA conference this spring, I stopped by the booth sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
On behalf of the staff of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the many dedicated members of our leadership team, I would like to welcome and thank the following members of our Board, Council, Standing Committees, Advisory Boards, and...
By Bill Badders
Blog Post
At the end of the school year…
My mentee just finished his first year as an elementary teacher. I’d like to give him some suggestions for how to reflect on his experiences and plan for next year. –—Cindy, Coral Springs, Florida A beginning science teacher had a simi...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Accessing nature for lifelong learning
During my volunteer stint at a nearby nature center, which is part of a public park, I observed the people coming in and out. Many of them were focused on using the restroom, but many others did take time to look at the exhibits or ask questions of t...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
East coast periodic cicadas—prepare children to comfortably view these interesting insects
When I’m introducing young children to a small live animal, such as a worm or a beetle, I may first offer them a chance to use a magnifier to look at a photograph of the animal, up close....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
From reading various tweets and blogs, I often find interesting projects and applications. Some are definitely related to science and math, while others have more of a tangential application. I recently found one of the latter (and it’s pretty ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Searching for evidence of animals using plants for food or shelter
What can tell us if an animal is using a plant for food or for a place to rest or live? What will we see if a caterpillar has been eating a leaf a bird has been roosting on a tree branch? These questions were posed to kindergarten and first grade c...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Interacting with NSTA colleagues
I am the only science teacher at my school and I do not have anyone to ask for help. How can I post a question to all the members of NSTA? (I became a NSTA member in September.) I see there are forums and [e-mail] lists, but I do not know how to ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Diagnosis for Classroom Success: Making Anatomy and Physiology Come Alive
I was intrigued with the concept of Diagnosis for Classroom Success as soon as I heard about it....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Thank You to NSTA's Outgoing Board, Council, Committee, Advisory Board, and Panel Members
On behalf of the staff of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and our leadership team, I would like to thank the following members of our Board, Council, Standing Committees, Advisory Boards, and Panels whose terms of appointment end on ...
By Karen Ostlund
Blog Post
Science of Innovation: anti-counterfeiting devices
Knockoffs. You can buy them anywhere—from a street vendor, a flea market, or the local discount shop. But what if you’ve decided to pay more for the “real thing”? How can you be sure you’re getting the handbag, shoes, device, or even medica...
By admin
Blog Post
In addition to NSTA publications, I read many others related to science and education, both in print and online. I usually scan the pages and images, focusing on articles of interest. However, the May 2013 issue of Smithsonian was so compelling, I ha...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Science of Innovation: synthetic diamonds
You’re celebrating a romantic little restaurant or some other special place. Your significant other presents you with a small velvet box containing a huge diamond ring or flawless diamond cuff links. Would you like the sparkling gems any less if yo...
By admin
Blog Post
Guest Post by LaMoine L. Motz, PhD, Sandra West Moody, PhD, and James T. Biehle, AIA...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
With the heavy spring rains in my neighborhood there has been some erosion of soil on a slope in the park and soil from the baseball field has been washed across the sidewalk. There are not many fiction or non-fiction books for young children that in...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Rodger Bybee Makes The Case for STEM Education
What do we mean when we say “STEM education”? For years now, we’ve recited that STEM means “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.” We’re often somewhat less precise when it comes to defining what STEM ...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Classroom Science: Finding the Right Balance Between Supervision and Curious Experimentation
A recent Huffington Post article (Kiera Wilmot, 16, Arrested And Expelled For Explosive ‘Science Experiment’) has drawn quite a bit of attention from our readers. And it certainly got our attention as well. The National Science Teachers Associati...
By David Evans, NSTA Executive Director
Blog Post
NSTA Press: 2013 AEP Distinguished Achievement Awards Finalists
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is pleased to share the news that several of our publications have been named finalists for the 2013 Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Awards. We would like to thank our s...
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Blog Post
Communicating with parents and other caregivers is important for student success. The topic of parental involvement has been addressed in NSTA blogs and publications, with ideas for parent conferences, back-to-school nights or open houses, summer act...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Flatten the Classroom with the iGo Microscope
Although many handheld technologies of Star Trek seem antiquated, or perhaps even steam punkish in todays world, there are still a few pieces of Treknata that we dream of. But that list just got one item shorter with the iGo wireless microscope....
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
Toward the end of the school year, you might be looking for a culminating activity in which students can apply what they’ve learned during the year to new situations or problems. This issue has ideas that help students investigate the big idea of t...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
What will we do, where will we go with the NGSS?
On Tuesday, April 9, the final Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a new set of voluntary, rigorous, and internationally benchmarked standards for K—12 science education, were released....
By Christine Royce
Blog Post
I am a student teacher in sixth grade earth science. My question is about makeup exams. I have several ideas, but can you suggest other systems or procedures for allowing students to make up exams? —Dawn, San Jose, California...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Upping the Ante: A Classroom Gas Chromatograph!
The gas chromatograph, until recently, has been a founding member in the exclusive club of scientific instrumentation that lived only in the rarified air of serious scientific laboratories....
By Martin Horejsi
Blog Post
What science happens in your sandbox?
A pile of sand, a sandbox or a sensory table full of sand are tools for imaginative play, sensory exploration and science investigations....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Including Students With Disabilities in Advanced Science Classes
The 2013 National Science Foundation (NSF) report Women, Minorities, and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
One of the themes in several articles and blogs I’ve read makes the case that the study of earth science should not stop at the end of middle school!...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
At a session this morning, when the presenters described the agenda it was not exactly what was described in the program. I was already familiar with the topic, so I slipped out. Since other sessions had already started, I decided to use the time on ...
By Mary Bigelow