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Building race cars made of food and powered by potential energy stored in a rubber band is one of the hands-on, inquiry-based activities in the Roads, Rails, and Race Cars after-school program, held in schools around Nebraska. Photo credit: Mid-Ameri...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Photo Credit By dotmatchbox at flickr I’m starting to plan some formal assessments but, because it’s my first time, I’m not exactly sure if I’m creating a test correctly. Do you have any advice? —L., Nebraska...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Wow, do I have big shoes to fill! Mary Bigelow is stepping down as NSTA’s original Ms. Mentor after years of advising teachers across the globe. She has demonstrated a noteworthy commitment to helping the science teaching community with thoughtful,...
By Gabe Kraljevic
Blog Post
Challenging Our Brightest Thinkers
Although I encourage all of my students to consider a career in the sciences, I know it is probable that only the most persistent, passionate, and brightest will chose such a career path. I’ve been fortunate to teach many such students. This past M...
By Korei Martin
Blog Post
I did not have a formal mentor when I was a new teacher. As I struggled, several colleagues and an administrator must have seen some potential and offered me advice and support. I was glad to return the favor during my career as a classroom teacher a...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
President Trump Calls for $200 Million Boost for STEM Education
Last week President Trump issued a presidential memorandum calling for a $200 million boost to STEM education and computer science in K–12 schools. The memorandum, signed during an Oval Office ceremony attended by Ivanka Trump and U.S. Ed...
By Korei Martin
Blog Post
Intersection and integration of play and science learning
I was at a conference proudly wearing my tee shirt that says “Play” when I was given a chance to reflect on what I meant by an esteemed colleague and mentor who asked, “Ah yes, but what kind of play?” My reflection continues as I continue to ...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Toward High School Biology: A New Curriculum for Your Middle School Students
Would you like to challenge your middle school students to explain a range of phenomena—from how nylon thread can form from two clear, colorless liquids to how a snake that eats only eggs can make body structures that don’t look anything like an ...
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
I am K-6 science specialist in Australia. I am keen to make contact with others in this unique employment situation. I’m interested in issues such as timetabling (scheduling), support from the school, and any issues with the teachers’ union. – ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Documenting science investigations in preschool: Solar eclipse and butterfly metamorphosis
Thank you to the director, Sandra Redmore, and the teachers of Clarendon Child Care Center, Andria Shelton, Barbara Foster, and Sarah Abu-El-Hawa, for sharing their teaching practices and science explorations!...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
When students miss a lab activity, what are some meaningful ways they can make up the work? — R., Oregon Most students don’t want to miss lab investigations, but when they do, it can affect their learning in the rest of the unit. Finding time...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Seeking a New Way to Assess Science at All Levels
The word assessment can prompt feelings of dread, mistrust, or outright hate in many teachers. That’s distressing, as quality instruction includes quality assessment. Unfortunately, we have allowed assessment to become the “tail that wags the dog...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Kentucky’s Systems Approach to Assessing Three-Dimensional Standards
One thing is clear about our multi-dimensional standards: They require a complex and thoughtful approach to assessment. No single, conventional, summative test can be expected to provide reliable data sufficient enough to satisfy the demands of all p...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Focusing on Instruction to Improve My School
How do you envision science education in your classroom? Your school? Your district? In hectic life of a modern educator, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the initiatives, expectations, and pressures of our profession. As a first-year high sc...
By Cindy Workosky