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

Creating Engineering Design Challenges: Success Stories From Teachers

If you’ve ever wished for advice you can trust on how to make science and math more relevant to your middle or high school students, Creating Engineering Design Challenges is the book for you. At its core are 13 units grounded in challenge-based le...

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

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 1, Second Edition: 25 Formative Assessment Probes

This is the new updated edition of the first book in the bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Like the first edition of volume 1, this book helps pinpoint what your students know (or think they know) so you can monitor their learni...

Latest Resources

Web Seminar

Sensor Immersion: Incorporating Data Science in the Classroom, February 9, 2026

Join us on Monday, February 9, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET, to learn how to incorporate data science in the classroom. As science becomes more advanced in its techniques and approaches, incorporating them into K-12 classrooms, as recommended by...

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, October 14, 2025

Virtual Workshop

OpenSciEd Middle School Unit 7.6 Unit Launch Workshop Series

Join us on November 18, 20, and December 2, 4, and 9, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET for an immersive professional learning experience exploring how OpenSciEd Unit 7.6: Earth’s Resources and Human Impact engages students in making sense of real-w...

Virtual Workshop

OpenSciEd Middle School Unit 8.4 Unit Launch Workshop Series

Join us on February 10, 12, 17, 19, and 24, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET, for an immersive professional learning experience exploring OpenSciEd Unit 8.4: Earth in Space. In this unit, students notice and explain patterns in the sky, beginning wit...

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, October 7, 2025

Web Seminar

Leading Curriculum Implementation–Launch through Sustainability AKA I Just Spent Millions of Dollars on New Instructional Materials, What Do I Do Next? January 15, 2026

Join us on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM ET, for a discussion about curriculum implementation, from launch to sustainability. Explore phases of curriculum implementation and make connections to strengths and needs in your speci...

Web Seminar

Lab Safety Considerations for Pre-Service and In-service Secondary Science/STEM Teachers, March 9, 2026

Secondary Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers! Join us on Monday, March 9, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM ET to learn about safety considerations for the science laboratory....

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, September 30, 2025

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, September 23, 2025

Reports Article

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, September 16, 2025

Web Seminar

2025 Arctic Report Card Headlines, January 29, 2026

Join us on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET, to learn about the state of the Arctic environment....

Blog Post

PFAS Hazards and Safety Protocols for Science and STEM Instructional Spaces

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