New Teacher Welcome Hub

NSTA develops several types of instructional materials:

Daily Dos: Standalone lessons and resources that can be completed in 1-3 50-minute class periods.
Playlists: A sequence of 2-4 lessons
Units: A sequence of 6-8 lessons

As part of the NSTA instructional materials development process, all lessons are reviewed using the Sensemaking Tool. This process is designed to ensure alignment to the shifts in science instruction recommended by A Framework for K-12 Science Education.

When students-as-scientists have authentic, relevant opportunities to actively make sense of the world and beyond - what we call sensemaking - science learning becomes engaging, accessible, and important to ALL students.

NSTA recommends the following Instructional Materials for new teachers to gain experience with supporting student sensemaking. We have identified lessons for each discipline at each grade band in two categories.

All NSTA lessons include curriculum-based professional learning, but the two categories reflect the depth of the guidance.

Sensemaking First Steps: These resources provide guidance on how to support student sensemaking of a specific phenomenon or problem.
Sensemaking Next Steps: These lessons provide extensive guidance on a sensemaking strategy that can be implemented to explain a variety of phenomena or design solutions to problems.

Sensemaking First Steps

Why Did the Reaction Happen So Fast?

This resource uses a classic demo (Elephant’s Toothpaste) to illustrate phenomenon-centered science learning.

Where Did the Plant Come From?

This resource asks students to use the Crosscutting Concept of patterns to make sense of plants’ needs.

Why Doesn’t the Snow Melt?

This resource provides a phenomenon and guidance for supporting students in investigating it through the lens of energy and matter (Crosscutting Concept).

Can water change the path of light?

This resource uses a demo to illustrate phenomenon-centered science learning.

How can fish survive in a frozen lake?

This resource provides a phenomenon and guidance on supporting middle school students in analyzing data to develop initial models (Analyzing and Interpreting Data Science and Engineering Practice).

Why Should We Prepare for Earthquakes?

This resource provides a phenomenon and guidance on supporting high school students in analyzing data to answer their questions (Analyzing and Interpreting Data Science and Engineering Practice).

Sensemaking Next Steps

How can we create new things with trash?

This lesson introduces a cause, mechanism, and effect graphic organizer (Cause and Effect Crosscutting Concept) that can be used to explain a variety of phenomena.

Mysteries of the Deep: UUVs and Digitizing Ocean Communication

This playlist provides guidance on supporting elementary students in developing initial models, revising ideas over time, and developing class consensus models.

Why Are Wildfires in California Getting Bigger Over Time?

This lesson plan includes an Explanation Organizer (Constructing Explanations Science and Engineering Practice) that can be used to explain a variety of phenomena. It also provides guidance on how to use video resources in a way that supports sensemaking.

Using Technology to Predict Hurricanes

This unit provides guidance on supporting middle school students in developing initial models, revising ideas over time, and developing class consensus models.

Combustion of Rocket Propellants Playlist

This playlist provides guidance on considering the Crosscutting Concept of scale while investigating a phenomenon that can be used for explaining a variety of phenomena.

Using Data to Understand and Improve Health Outcomes

This unit provides guidance on supporting high school students in developing initial models, revising ideas over time, and developing class consensus models.

Embrace the Chaos: Advice for New Science Teachers

Blog Post

Teaching Through Tradebooks Column

Science & Children Journal Article

Outstanding Science Trade Books

Explore This Year’s List of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12

Mentoring New Science Teachers

The Science Teacher Journal Article

The New Teacher's Toolbox: Conquering the "So What Now" Moment

The Science Teacher Journal Article

The New Teacher's Toolbox: Parting Tips

The Science Teacher Journal Article

Science Trade Books and the 5E Model: A Mix of the Right Ingredients

Blog Post

Methods and Strategies: Creating a "We" Culture

Science & Children Journal Article

Web seminars are an excellent resource for new teachers, offering live professional learning experiences that leverage online technologies to create an interactive learning environment. Each seminar features NSTA staff, nationally acclaimed experts, authors, scientists, engineers, or other educational specialists, providing participants with diverse perspectives and valuable insights. New teachers benefit from engaging discussions and the opportunity to connect with other educators, which fosters a sense of community and support. With a maximum duration of just 90 minutes, these sessions are designed for busy schedules, and all webinars are recorded, allowing participants to access the content on-demand whenever it fits their needs. This combination of expert guidance and flexibility makes web seminars a vital tool for professional learning.

Web Seminars First Steps

Teacher Tip Tuesday

Immediately implementable, instructional strategies or resources that support students’ sensemaking in K-12 classrooms.

This type of web seminar can be used by new teachers to efficiently add new tools to their educator “tool belts.”

Science Updates

Science in the news, science-related anniversaries or celebrations, targeting all teachers of science and general science enthusiasts.

This type of web seminar can be used by new teachers to develop science content background and identifying engaging real-world phenomena and problems.

Other Good Places to Start

Web Seminars Next Steps

Book Beat Live

Engage with authors and educators to discover how NSTA Press and NSTA Kids books deepen student sensemaking and literacy through engaging stories, authentic phenomena, and research-based instructional practices. Connect with peers and leave with ready-to-use classroom strategies, hands-on Science, STEM, and Literacy ideas.

This type of web seminar can be used by new teachers to build their library of science texts.

Transforming Science Learning

Build a deep understanding of contemporary research on how students learn science through immersive experiences in high-quality science instructional materials and productive discussion on how to provide ALL students access to science/STEM literacy through sensemaking.

This type of web seminar can be used by new teachers for sustained support in shifting their instruction towards research-based best practices.

= STEM Resource

PLUs are bite-sized, self-paced asynchronous learning units that allow new teachers to explore and apply practical teaching strategies. Once submitted, an experienced teacher reviews each participant’s work and provides feedback.

PLU First Steps: These PLUs focus on broad approaches that can be used at the beginning of the school year (and throughout the year) to ensure that all students are engaged in sensemaking.
PLU Next Steps: These PLUs dive deeper into specific topics and strategies that support student sensemaking.

PLU First Steps

What Is Sensemaking?

Learn to recognize the four critical attributes of sensemaking and how these attributes work together to help ensure all students have access and a strong desire to learn science.

Engaging Students in Science Learning: A Productive Approach to Classroom Management

In this module, participants consider the relationship between fostering student engagement through tapping into their curiosity and positive behavior choices in the classroom.

Leveraging Assets to Build on Student Experiences, A Focus on Curiosity

During this Professional Learning Unit, we discuss instructional strategies that take an asset approach to student learning.

Co-Constructing Classroom Agreements with Students: Supporting a Classroom Culture for Sensemaking

Science is social! Norms can support a classroom community in which students and teachers actively try to make sense of the natural and built worlds.

PLU Next Steps

The Three Dimensions of Teaching and Learning: Module 1: Introduction to Disciplinary Core Ideas

In this module you will use A Framework for K-12 Science Education as a resource for developing an understanding of Dimension 3 - Disciplinary Core Ideas.

We have got a Problem to Solve! Now What? Engaging in Engineering Design in the Science Classroom

Science standards based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education require us to provide opportunities for students to learn “how science is utilized, in particular through the engineering design process..."

Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms: Module 1: Using Science Notebooks for Sensemaking

In this module, you will examine various ways scientists use science notebooks and a science notebook strategy to experience the critical components of sensemaking.

= STEM Resource

Making Sense of Sensemaking: Designing Authentic K–12 STEM Learning Experiences

In Making Sense of Sensemaking, readers will learn how to navigate the journey from traditional teaching to a dynamic, student-centered approach that emphasizes understanding over rote learning.

Productive Uncertainty in Science Education: Engaging Students in Meaningful Science Practice

Productive Uncertainty in Science Education provides the support that teachers and students need for more complex science investigations.

Instructional Sequence Matters, Grades 3–5: Explore Before Explain

Instructional Sequence Matters, Grades 3–5 is a one-stop resource that will inspire you to reimagine how you teach science in elementary school.

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

This guidebook uses an Explore-before-Explain instructional sequence to help you facilitate the design of active meaning-making lessons in science.

Learning with AI: The K-12 Teacher’s Guide to a New Era of Human Learning

Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming education with "Learning with AI," a pivotal co-publication from Johns Hopkins University Press and the National Science Teaching Association.

Collection of Interactive E-Books+ Professional

Gain an in-depth refresher of content knowledge. Interactive eBooks+ provide learning experiences that are both engaging and inspiring.

The New Science Teacher's Handbook: What You Didn't Learn From Student Teaching

By reading The New Science Teacher’s Handbook, you will learn 12 specific steps that will help you on your way to becoming a skilled classroom teacher.

Creating and Using Instructionally Supportive Assessments in NGSS Classrooms

In six easy-to-follow steps, this book empowers science teachers to create tasks that guide students to use their knowledge, not just memorize facts.