JoinAll Blog Posts
Blog Post
In science classes, do students work better in random groups or with their friends? I’m a student teacher in middle school. – S., Arizona...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Cars and plants: following children's interests and teaching science
“Regardless of the curriculum, it is important to remember that every lesson portrays an image of science to students and conveys information about what science is and how science works.”...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Are you interested in enhancing your STEM teaching repertoire? Or in integrating engineering concepts but not sure where to start? There have been some new features added to a free resource which is appropriate for in-school and informal K-12 educato...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Explore the Power of Investigating
How can a teacher build and maintain a learning environment that will help students investigate meaningful questions? That’s the central question of The Power of Investigating: Guiding Authentic Assessments by Julie V. McGough and Lisa M....
By Carole Hayward
Blog Post
Using the Crosscutting Concepts to Scaffold Student Thinking
At the recent NSTA National Conference in Los Angeles, three-dimensional learning was, of course, a major topic of discussion. When those discussions focus on classroom instruction, though, the crosscutting concepts are often the forgotten dimension....
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
At the core of a Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) classroom is the sequence of exposing students to an interesting natural phenomenon, having students generate questions about the phenomenon, investigating student questions, then creating a s...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Introducing Crosscutting Concepts in the Elementary Grades
Four years ago, I moved from teaching middle school science to teaching grades 2–5 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) labs. One of the biggest challenges I faced was limited lab time in our elementary school. Because we ...
By Cindy Workosky
Blog Post
Do you have any ideas for faculty meetings for a new science department chairperson? I’m sure I can handle most of the responsibilities, but I’m terrified of leading meetings. —S., Indiana Facilitating a meeting is not unlike teaching a...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Relating weather watching to periodic nature events
Two-years-olds may be too young to remember the seasonal changes that happened in the last year but they are not too young to understand and talk about the natural changes that happen on a shorter time scale—the cycle of day and night....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Trump Budget Proposes Cuts in Education
President Trump’s budget is not expected out until Tuesday, May 23, but the Washington Post is reporting that the Administration is planning massive cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, and is proposing that another $1 billion be provide...
By Jodi Peterson
Blog Post
Build Your Middle Level STEM Repertoire This Summer at the 6th Annual STEM Forum & Expo
I want to personally invite as many middle level educators as possible to attend the 6th Annual STEM Forum & Expo, hosted by NSTA. This year’s roster of middle level sessions explores a wide array of STEM education professional development. NST...
By Korei Martin
Blog Post
Many of the chemicals on the Department of Homeland Security’s Anti-Terrorism Standards Chemicals of Interest List can be found in high school storerooms. These chemicals may be prone to theft and unauthorized lab experiments. Some terrorist websit...
By Kenneth Roy
Blog Post
Dive In! Immersion in Science Practices for High School Students
Are you ready to integrate science practices into your classroom?...
By Carole Hayward