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How's the weather at your science museum?
photo courtesy of the Franklin Institute...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Catch sessions on Framework and Science Standards in Hartford
Greetings … Interested in learning more about NRC’s Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards now in development, catch one of the many sessions slated for the Hartford Regional Conference. Featured P...
By Cindy Workosky
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I recently became the science department chairperson. My meetings are a disaster! People arrive late and complain when I try to discuss issues. I don’t think we accomplish anything. What can I do to make meetings more productive? —Irene...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Our department chair is encouraging us to add comments to student writing assignments. This sounds time-consuming; I have more than 100 students in my Earth science classes. Would students even read my comments on lab reports or term papers? —S...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Young children using microscopes to see more
Hypolimnas misippus butterfly head photo by Muhammad Mahdi Karim...
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Science teaching awards for 2011-2012 [Updated]
Calling all full time pre-kindergarten through second grade teachers! (Tell your upper elementary colleagues too.) Win an award for your innovative science inquiry program through the National Science Teacher Association that will put some cash in yo...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Important lessons learned from a teacher
After reading the moving NPR story of a neurosurgeon who thanked his high school science teacher, investigative reporter Steve Silberman began to imagine all the other stories out there of a teacher’s influence on prominent writers, teachers, and s...
By Claire Reinburg
Blog Post
My middle school students this year are very scatterbrained. It seems to take forever for them to get focused at the beginning of class and to find the materials they need when I ask for them during class. When it’s time to get into groups for ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Treating the economy with STEM students
Treating the economy with STEM students By Shiv Gaglani...
By Christine Royce
Blog Post
What is in motion in your classroom, in addition to children?...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
It’s almost October and it’s time to celebrate science. Get ready for Earth Science Week this year (October 9–15, 2011)....
By Mary Bigelow
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It all started with the zebrafish…
photo by Elizabeth Zimmermann, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs Students in Roc...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
Professional Learning Communities and You!
The question for this issue of the Leaders Letter focused around professional learning communities people are involved in as well as the benefits that each person has received. In Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching the definitio...
By Christine Royce
Blog Post
I’ve recently been asked to mentor a new teacher in the science department. I’ve never had this role before. I want to help her, but I don’t want to be too intrusive or judgmental. What should I do? —Erica, Abilene, Texas...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico (NASA, International Space Station Science, 05/04/10)...
By admin
Blog Post
Are your high school students WORTHY?
photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman Corp....
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
The July 2011 release of the Framework for K-12 Science Education, from the National Academies, places new emphasis on the topic of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the discussion of K–12 education priorit...
By Claire Reinburg
Blog Post
Chemistry of soap and detergents
Slippery, slathery, sparkly soap. We squirt a dollop on our hands, rub it in timed to the birthday song, rinse off, and our hands are squeaky clean. But what is soap, and why does it work?...
By admin
Blog Post
The American Jobs Act and science labs
NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle...
By Francis Eberle
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Science of natural disasters, for young children
With ten-plus inches of rain, even fenceposts sprout with fungus....
By Peggy Ashbrook
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Models, and maps, and spatial understanding
Teaching spatial awareness is part of most early childhood standards, such as the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework (Understands directionality, order, and position of objects, such as up, down, in front, behind.), and it is p...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I just started my first teaching position (middle school Earth science) and already I feel overwhelmed. It seems like I need 36 hours in a day. What can I do to get everything done? Does it get any easier? —Ted, Fargo, North Dakota...
By Mary Bigelow
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How will you implement your professional development learning this year?
Professional development strengthens teaching skills and introduces the latest research about learning....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
— The Scientific Process Berkeley’s Understanding Science website is a great resource for learning more about the process of science. The resource goes much deeper than the standard “PHEOC” model of the scientific method by emphasizing ...
By Eric Brunsell
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Welcome back for the 2011–2012 school year!
NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle...
By Francis Eberle
Blog Post
Benefitting from undergrad research experience
photo by Karolis Panavas...
By Debra Shapiro
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I’m an elementary teacher and I’m thinking of taking the Praxis test to be certified to teach science in middle school. It has been many years since I was in high school and college, and I only took the basic science classes. Could you sugges...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
It’s a challenge for science teachers to design activities and investigations that fit into the time periods we have. But science research and investigation doesn’t always fit neatly into 45- or 60- or even 90-minute packages. (One of my ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Authentic experiences in microscopy
OK—you’ve seen the adventures that students have to explore living things, but you don’t have the funds for a field trip and your school is not close to a park or other greenspace. What to do?? Or, you’d like to have your studen...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
YouTube is an amazing resource, with videos on just about any topic. There are animations, videos of demonstrations that you might not be able to do in your classroom, and records of talks by famous scientists....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Our district has a goal for every teacher to reinforce student literacy skills. We’re struggling with this at the secondary level. Most of our students seem to have decent reading levels, and the reading specialists provide extra help for those...
By Mary Bigelow