Middle School Resources

Grades 6-8, is a time of tremendous physical, emotional, and cognitive changes for students. It is also a pivotal time for understanding and gaining enthusiasm for science.

Featured Resources

Social-Emotional Learning in the Science Classroom

From the Editor's Desk...

Journal Article

Fieldwork Fridays: Connecting Scientific Learning to Nature

Building routines around place-based learning allows students to apply their scientific learning to nature and form a connection with their local environment and the species in it over the course of a school year. Each Friday, in what are referred to...

Journal Article

Unlocking the Power of Emotional Connections: Strategies for Teaching Climate Change in Middle School

In the face of the escalating climate crisis, effective climate education is imperative, not only for imparting knowledge, but also for inspiring action. This paper explores innovative strategies for teaching climate change in middle school, recogniz...

Journal Article

Dyeing to Last: Using Natural Dyes to Create an Ideal Fabric

In this project-based lesson, students explore how chemistry concepts relate to creative expression by investigating a variety of dyeing conditions. Through sequenced discussions and investigations, students arrive at a dyed cotton product that optim...

Journal Article

Journal and Lesson Plans

Middle School Journal

Lesson Plans

NSTA Competitions

Shell Science Lab Challenge

For teachers

eCYBERMISSION

For teachers and students, grades 6-9

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision

For students, grades K-12

Bestselling Middle School Books

NSTA Press Book

Novel Engineering, K–8: An Integrated Approach to Engineering and Literacy

New in 2020! Download and read a sample chapter from this book to learn more.With the Novel Engineering approach, “students become excited about what they are reading, writing, designing, and building! This excitement in turn helps them make stride...

NSTA Press Book

Discovery Engineering in Biology: Case Studies for Grades 6–12

Show your students how amazing it can be to just “see what will happen” when they blend biology, engineering, and serendipity. Focusing on innovations sparked by accidental or unexpected observations, the case studies in this resource are a livel...

NSTA Press Book

Supporting Emergent Multilingual Learners in Science, Grades 7–12

Many middle and high school teachers are educated to teach science content—they don’t anticipate that one day they may be teaching it to students who need to learn both content and English. If the day has come when you’re facing that two-pronge...

NSTA Press Book

Discovery Engineering in Physical Science: Case Studies for Grades 6–12

Who knew that gecko feet inspired scientists to develop a stickier adhesive or that cockleburs in dog fur led to the invention of Velcro? Discovery Engineering in Physical Science uses these and other surprising cases of innovations sparked by accide...

Latest Resources

Web Seminar

Unlocking Success: A Step-by-Step Guide to NSTA Proposal Submissions, August 19, 2025

Ready to share your best ideas with the science education community? Join us on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET, for a dynamic web seminar where we will guide you through the process of submitting a successful proposal for the NS...

Blog Post

Dealing With Chemical Waste in the Science Instructional Space

NSTA Press Book

The Explore-Before-Explain Guidebook for Science Education: Creating High Quality Lessons for the Classroom and Professional Learning

PREORDER NOW! TO SHIP 7/1/2025 This guidebook uses an Explore-before-Explain instructional sequence to help you facilitate the design of active meaning-making lessons in science....

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, July 1, 2025

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers: June 24, 2025

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers: June 17, 2025

Web Seminar Series

Enhancing Instruction with the NSTA Sensemaking Tool

Join us for a dynamic four-part webinar series, scheduled on March 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM ET, where educators will explore how to use the NSTA Sensemaking Tool to give actionable feedback on lessons, and support instructiona...

Member Web Seminar

OpenSciEd Teacher Training: Best Practices for Success: Making Participation Inclusive During Discussions, February 26, 2026

Class discussions are at the heart of OpenSciEd’s instructional model, but ensuring that all students feel empowered to participate can be a challenge....

Member Web Seminar

OpenSciEd Teacher Training: Best Practices for Success: The Putting the Pieces Together Routine, January 28, 2026

Join us on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM ET, to strengthen your use of this powerful routine—and support your students in putting the pieces together to build lasting understanding....

Member Web Seminar

OpenSciEd Teacher Training: Best Practices for Success: Student Notebooks and Progress Trackers, November 19, 2025

Are your students making their thinking visible? Student notebooks and progress trackers are essential tools used in OpenSciEd classrooms for supporting sensemaking, self-assessment, and learning over time but only if they are used intentionally....

Member Web Seminar

OpenSciEd Teacher Training: Best Practices for Success: Scientists Circle, September 25, 2025

Looking to deepen student engagement and discourse in your OpenSciEd classroom? Join us on Thursday, September 25, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM ET, for a focused, practical webinar on implementing the Scientists Circle, one of key instructional rout...

Member Web Seminar

Instructional Routines to Support Sensemaking, March 11, 2026

Helping students make sense of complex scientific ideas requires more than just content delivery, it requires purposeful, consistent opportunities for thinking, talking, and connecting ideas. Instructional routines are structured, repeatable strategi...

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