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Cotton candy, roller coasters, and STEM
Have you ever taken your students to STEM education events at an amusement park? We’re working on a story about theme parks where students can learn while having fun, such as Ohio’s Kings Island, which holds Math and Science Days every sp...
By Debra Shapiro
Blog Post
In SciLinks, as the webwatchers review new sites, each site is correlated to a specific keyword (such as Food Chains, Phases of the Moon, or Magnetic Fields). But sometimes, we run into collections of activities that include a broad spectrum of scien...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I am a school librarian. When I was cleaning out a cupboard, I found a box of nature-related prints. There are over 300 of them, with a copyright of 1900. Most are of birds, but there are others of flowers, other animals, seashells, and rocks. Are th...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Have you considered attending the 2010 National Congress on Science Education (NCSE)?
Scheduled for July 21–24 in Las Vegas, Nevada, this national conversation on science education provides an opportunity for chapters and associated groups, the NSTA Council, the NSTA Board of Directors, and NSTA staff to collaboratively address ...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
Update on the success of using local butterflies
Yes, I will do this again next spring! We had caterpillars crawling out of the net housing, more caterpillars appearing than expected, wasps pupating next to their caterpillar host, a few deaths due to neglect, and beautiful (is there any other kind?...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
More oil spill resources (again)
Last month we shared some resources on the Gulf oil spill and the situation is even more critical now....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
News from the Maine Science Teachers Association
The Maine Science Teachers Association has announced that the date of their annual conference has been changed to Friday, November 12. Held at the Gardiner Area High School, the theme is Change for Sustainability featuring former Governor Angus Kin...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
Summer reading, summer camping, summer science
What can you suggest to your students and their families for summer science explorations?...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Connecting scientific principles to student interests is a way of showing students how science relates to “real life.” Earlier this year, the Winter Olympics provided a context for studying the physics of winter sports. And with the 2010 World Cu...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I would like to have a science club in our middle school. How should I get started? What types of competitions we can enter? What else should I consider? I have taught Life Science and Physical Science for 15 years. —Liz, Billings, Montan...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Using Science Notebooks in Middle School
Science notebooking is a valuable exercise, as evidenced by an article in the current issue of NTSA Reports. “Enhancing Learning with Science Notebooks” is extremely timely as it coincides with the release of Michael Klentschy’s new book, Using...
By Amy America
Blog Post
Latest from NSTA's online outposts
What’s New for May 31 on NSTA’s various online outposts Happy Memorial Day! Many of you are wanting to download the resources from the conference in Philadelphia. Here’s how. Highlights of stimulating conversations taking place right n...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
Educational technology standards
I had an interesting conversation with some teachers about technology skills for the 21st century. Many years ago in the last century (the mid 1980s), when personal computers were emerging into the schools, we had similar discussions and made up list...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
At our elementary school, we’re exploring the idea of changing from self-contained classrooms to departmentalizing in grades 4 through 6. In terms of science instruction, what are some advantages and disadvantages we should consider? —Eri...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Deadline extended for NSTA New Science Teacher Academy
The deadline to submit applications for the 2010 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy has been extended to June 21, 2010. Science teachers located throughout the country, who will be entering their second or third year of teaching and whose schedule is a...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
What's new for May 24 on NSTA’s various online outposts
Many of you are wanting to download the resources from the conference in Philadelphia. Here’s how. Highlights of stimulating conversations taking place right now on our listservs:...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
As a SciLinks user, you have access to thousands of websites in the database. An intrepid group of reviewers called NSTA Webwatchers—made up of science teachers—work behind the scenes to search for potential entries and review them for inclusion ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
A local laboratory is relocating, and the company is offering to donate materials and equipment to our high school. Our principal says this looks like a good deal, but we science teachers are a little cautious. What precautions should we take? —...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Latest from NSTA's online outposts
What’s New for May 17 on NSTA’s various online outposts Many of you are wanting to download the resources from the conference in Philadelphia. Here’s how. Highlights of stimulating conversations taking place right now on our listservs:...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
New "Quiz Manager" in SciLinks
Perhaps you’ve used the “Favorite Websites” feature of SciLinks, in which you can create lists of websites to share with students....
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
I read Jean Craighead George’s My Side of the Mountain at just the right time in my life—young enough to believe that I could live in the woods like Sam and old enough to try some of...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I’ve just been hired for my first teaching position as a high school biology teacher. I’m excited, but a little apprehensive. What can I do now to get ready, before I get access to the school? —Grace, Little Rock, Arkansas ...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Learning from the experience of others
As the revision of the national science education standards gets started, many educators, administrators, parents, and other community members will be concerned not just the final product, but how the final product will be decided. Henry Kepner, Jr.,...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
Learning about the butterfly life cycle with local butterflies
This year I have challenged myself to use only local animals in the classroom, for budget and ecological reasons. Luckily for me and my students, Cabbage White and Black Swallowtail butterflies go through their life cycle to adulthood in our area bef...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Latest from NSTA's online outposts
What’s New for May on NSTA’s various online outposts Many of you are wanting to download the resources from the conference in Philadelphia. Here’s how. On our listservs, flood relief efforts for a school in Tennessee are being arran...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
The value of resources and peers in the learning process
Recently, I was searching NSTA’s archives for membership quotes. Resources was a prominent theme; “thanks for the resources”, “I didn’t know you had such great resources”, and “where can I find resources”. It reminded me how valua...
By Howard Wahlberg
Blog Post
Finding the right book for science teaching
There are quite a few science topics included in the books on the Association for Library Service to Children’s Young Readers list of 2010 Nota...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
Ontario ExploraVision winners honored
More than 30 student teams from across Ontario were honored at a reception in April. The teams received honorable mention awards in the 2010 Toshiba ExploraVision competition. Ralph Hyatt, president and CEO of Toshiba of Canada, presented each tea...
By Lynn Petrinjak
Blog Post
The Frugal Science Teacher, 6–9: Strategies and Activities
School budget challenges coupled with the general state of the national economy has resulted in the need for teachers to not only be prudent but also imaginative....
By Amy America
Blog Post
Jean May-Brett of the Louisiana Department of Education has passed on several websites that teachers may find useful in discussing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico:...
By NSTA Web Director
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Once Upon a Life Science Book: 12 Interdisciplinary Activities to Create Confident Readers
As the great Dr. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know....
By Amy America
Blog Post
Clickers in the science classroom
We are applying for a grant to upgrade the technology in our science department, and we’re thinking of buying “clickers.” Do you have any advice?...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
Maple tree seed toss makes a good gross motor activity
The seeds of maple trees are shaped like single wings and rotate around the heavy seed end when tossed into the air....
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
When young children use magnifiers
click on the image to view it in another window...
By Peggy Ashbrook
Blog Post
I’ve been teaching biology for the past three years. Next year, based on student interest, the science department wants to add a biology elective in human anatomy/physiology. I’d love to teach this, but I would have three sections of biol...
By Mary Bigelow
Blog Post
This semester, a group of students from a nearby college are participating in a study abroad program in the UK. Last week they set out to learn more about sustainable energy—in Iceland. So they are right on the scene of the current events there...
By Mary Bigelow