How do you achieve the full concept of bringing the outdoors, indoors? How do you make sure your students are getting the most out of it? How do you transition smoothly where you do not lose any student’s attention?
— K., Louisiana

I love teaching outdoors! Part of the problem you face is the novelty of taking your students outside and the time spent walking out and back. Consider separating the activity into two sessions, the first one outside collecting data and the second one indoors analyzing the data. You need to do a lot of planning and preparation. Build the activity as an inquiry and allow students some flexibility in asking questions, gathering data and exploring. Run through it yourself in advance so you can avoid any obstacles (literally and figuratively) and gauge the time commitment. Create checklists that students will need to complete.

You can reduce difficult transitions by…eliminating them entirely! Have the students meet you outdoors and spend the entire period outside. Prepare the students beforehand so they know where to go, what to wear, what to bring and what not to bring (large back packs, food, and so forth). Prepare all the materials you will need the day before. Ask for some volunteers to help carry out and bring back any equipment. (I always thanked volunteers with a candy treat.) Once you have all the students outside, instruct them and give them a timeline to gather up the samples, return equipment, and have a discussion before dismissal. Do head counts frequently. To promote good discussions later, have students keep logs and take photos of their observations, which could be uploaded on a shared drive. The ‘indoor’ investigation can continue the next period.

Hope this helps!

Photo Credit: Creative Commons via Pixabay

What special features of plants and animals can inspire solutions to human problems?

That’s the driving question behind Jennifer Evans and Laura Chambless’s new eBook, “What Makes Them Special,” which provides K-5 students the engaging, highly interactive opportunity to be scientists and engineers while learning about structures and functions of animals and plants that live in their community.

This book, part of NSTA’s interactive eBooks+ Kids collection, takes students on a backyard exploration led by three characters, Lisa, DJ, and José, who help explain how nature has provided humans with many solutions to our problems. Students are given the opportunity to contemplate and ask lots of questions, define problems, analyze and interpret data, construct explanations, and argue from evidence. A companion Teacher’s Guide helps extend the learning experience into the classroom via shared discussions and activities.

When Chambless, the assistant director of K-5 math and science for the St. Clair County Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) in Marysville, Mich., learned that NSTA was seeking new authors–to write eBooks that helped teachers align their practice with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Three Dimensional Learning–she turned to her good friend and colleague, Evans, who also works for the St. Clair County RESA as the assistant director of English Language Arts.

“Jennifer and I both work in the classroom with teachers and kids on a daily basis across seven different school districts in our area,” Chambless said. “This allows us to understand what teachers know, are able to do, what they are missing, and what they need help with.”

The book’s very first chapter, “What’s Special About Dogs Paws?” takes experiences familiar to students, such as seeing a dog’s paws and watching them run across a gravel driveway, and connects it to deeper learning about science and engineering. After exploring this chapter, students will be able to pose questions based on their observations; agree or disagree with arguments though listening to others’ ideas during discussions; develop a sound argument backed up with multiple points of evidence; and increase their knowledge and understanding by identifying key content vocabulary that becomes part of their usable language.

Given that higher levels of student engagement and accountability can be achieved via eBooks than with traditional textbooks, students transcend from being passive to active learners, Chambless said. “Our eBook presents eight science and engineering practices about kids doing  science. Students learn how to critique the reasoning of their peers, using the evidence they learned in the book.”

“The questions that we have placed to teachers or students on each ‘page’ really make them think, at the right time, about what they just learned, what they just experienced. These eBooks allow students to explore at their own pace and then check to see if their thinking is on the right track. It’s an ‘in the moment’ assessment,” she added.

Both authors agreed that science educators need more teaching and learning resources that integrate content areas such as science and reading and writing so fluidly and easily.

“There is a natural connection with science and reading and writing,” Evans said. “More support is needed to expose teachers to the kind of resources that are available. In my experience, very few teachers are using enhanced eBooks. They just don’t know that they are available.”

Chambless and Evans expressed excitement as well as pride in being able to work together to produce resources that teachers can use in enhancing their instruction and better engage kids in the inquiry-based process of learning content.

“It was really cool to go into classroom where the students were doing an ELA writing lesson and I told them that I was in the middle of writing this book,” Chambless said. “The students  wanted to look at my rough draft to ‘see’ what a real author does.”

Chambless recently moved closer to Evans, which allows them to take evening walks through their neighborhood and talk about things such as their next collaboration.

Those evening strolls have been productive. The two are already at work on their next interactive e-book!

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As we watch students arrive for class, we notice that Alejandra hangs her jacket on a coat hook, while Calder reaches for scissors to make a fringe on his picture. Tessa replaces her rain boots with the sneakers from her cubby, and Nick searches for a spoon to eat his cereal. These daily scenes illustrate that students come to school already familiar with structure and function relationships. They know which tool will get the job done; that’s why Nick grabbed the spoon, and not the fork, and Tessa switched to her sneakers before PE.

These daily habits tell us that structure and function is everywhere, and our students already rely on this concept to navigate their world. Students implicitly use structure and function throughout their day, and as educators, we can empower them and deepen their understanding of the natural and engineered worlds by making these relationships explicit.

Of all the objects in a classroom, we love the paper clip to explain structure and function. Grab a paper clip and ask your students, “What does it do?” This reveals the function. Straighten the paper clip and ask, “Does it still hold paper?” No, because you changed the shape, which means you also changed the function. As you might predict, several of your students might point out that the new shape is perfect for poking—a different function.

Now make a paper clip–shape with a piece of string and ask, “Can this paper clip bind paper? It has the right shape after all.” After your students respond no, ask them why not. They may say no because it has the wrong physical properties and is too flexible. This simple exercise helps students understand that the shape and physical properties—the structure—of an object enable its function.  

We developed Quick Start questions to explore the crosscutting concepts. We rely on the four below to deepen our understanding of structure-and- function relationships. Here’s how they work with our paper clip:

• What does it do? (function) Holds papers together;
• What is its shape? (structure) Curved, flat, and spiral-shaped;
• What are the physical properties? (structure) Thin and rigid yet flexible; and
• How do the shape and physical properties enable the function? The flexible and rigid nature, along with the curves of the paper clip, apply pressure to papers, holding them together.

We invite you to use shoes to further explore this relationship in the engineered world. Before class, channel your “inner Kardashian” and bring various types of shoes, such as sandals, hiking boots, mud stompers, cleats, running shoes, dress shoes, and tap shoes. Make signs that say things like beach, fashion runway, bog, mountain, and dance floor. Ask your students to match the shoes to the signs.

Use the Quick Start questions to reinforce the role that shape and physical properties play in enabling function. Nothing makes this point like donning high heels and trying to kick a goal. Despite having some cleat-like qualities, heels are clearly not the functional equivalent.  

Drawing by Zander Lubkowitz

Structure and function relationships exist throughout the biological world. We bet you have never seen a raptor trying to drink at a hummingbird feeder, nor a pelican trying to peck a tree for insects. The raptor’s beak is sharp and shaped to tear flesh, not sip nectar from tubular- shaped flowers. The pelican’s beak serves as a ladle for scooping fish and does not have the shape or the strength to peck wood and bark.

Image courtesy of Ralph Fletcher, an author, educator, and nature photographer.

Bird beaks are a rich and easily accessible topic for exploring structure and function in the natural world. Observing bird beaks can take place on the playground, through your classroom window, and even in a picture book like Sneed B. Collard’s Beaks!

Image courtesy of Ralph Fletcher, an author, educator, and nature photographer.

A great time to apply the concept of structure and function is when reading aloud, particularly from picture books. Some books—most often nonfiction ones—expressly focus on structure and function: for example, What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (by Steve Jenkins) or Bridges Are to Cross (by Philemon Sturges). Apply the Quick Start questions to any page in these books to begin the conversation.

Sometimes a question describing an unlikely scenario invites humor, but also focuses students on the way structure enables function. For example, a rope bridge doesn’t work well for a dump truck trying to cross a river. Once you start looking, you will see structure and function everywhere, even in fiction, like the fairy tale featuring houses made of straw, sticks, and bricks. Your students will be amused when they realize that The Three Little Pigs is actually a tale of structure and function going wrong before it goes right.

Teachers have so many opportunities to launch a discussion about the crosscutting concepts in their daily classroom routines, and one of our favorites is the read-aloud. Read-alouds are perfect because the crosscutting concepts shout or whisper on every page of every book, once you know how to find them.

Image courtesy of Ralph Fletcher, an author, educator, and nature photographer.

Valerie Bang-Jensen and Mark Lubkowitz, professors of education and biology respectively, teach at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. They present frequently on the NGSS crosscutting concepts and their book, Sharing Books, Talking Science: Exploring Scientific Concepts With Children’s Literature (Heinemann 2017).

Note: This article was featured in the October issue of Next Gen Navigator, a monthly e-newsletter from NSTA delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction.  Click here to sign up to receive the Navigator every month.

Visit NSTA’s NGSS@NSTA Hub for hundreds of vetted classroom resources, professional learning opportunities, publications, ebooks and more; connect with your teacher colleagues on the NGSS listservs (members can sign up here); and join us for discussions around NGSS at an upcoming conference.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Future NSTA Conferences

2018 Area Conferences

• National Harbor (MD), November 15–17
• Charlotte, Nov. 29-Dec. 1

2019 National Conference

• St. Louis, April 11-14, 2019

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As an entomologist, one of my greatest challenges is trying to overcome my students’ feelings of fear and disgust regarding insects. Insects often have negative images in society. Walk through any toy store, and you will likely find plastic insects with the words “gross” or “creepy” written on their colorful packaging.

One of our main jobs as educators is to give students informative experiences that correct misconceptions and open their minds to new ideas. To accomplish this, I incorporate insects into my lessons.

Insects are excellent models for many behaviors and physical adaptations. Because of their diversity (i.e., millions of species!), insects offer numerous examples of reproductive, defensive, foraging, and feeding strategies. One area of the NGSS in which using insect models works well is with the Crosscutting Concept (CCC) of structure and function. Encouraging students to learn about the structures that evoke so much fear opens doors to further curiosity and learning.

A structure-and-function investigation that students especially enjoy involves insect mouthparts. This two-part investigation is easily adaptable and can be used in many units of instruction, ranging from comparative morphology to adaptations.

Insect mouthparts

How is the structure of the mouthparts a reflection of their function and the insect’s diet type? Insect feeding serves as the phenomenon for this investigation.

Part 1:  Behavioral analysis of mouthparts

Give students an assortment of adult insects that have different types of mouthparts: for example, grasshoppers or caterpillars (chewing mouthparts), houseflies (sponging mouthparts), mosquitoes or stink bugs (piercing-sucking mouthparts), butterflies (siphoning mouthparts), bees (chewing-lapping mouthparts), or horseflies (rasping mouthparts). Using magnifying glasses or dissecting microscopes, students observe and describe the mouthparts as they function on a moving, living organism. You will be surprised about how amazed students will be to observe a living insect and its complexity. Allow them to formulate hypotheses regarding which foods each mouthpart type is best suited for consuming. Provide students with leaves and sugar water–soaked sponges for feeding their insects. How accurate were their hypotheses?

Allow students to observe feeding using their magnifying glasses or microscopes. They will be able to see that the mouthparts are interacting appendages that work together to manipulate and consume food. What different mouthpart appendages do they see? How are each of these components shaped? How do they manipulate the food? How does each component’s shape reflect its apparent function?

Part 2: Mouthpart dissection

Yes! Dissections can fit into an NGSS framework. Separating all components of grasshopper mouthparts during a small dissection exercise reinforces the concept of interacting structures and allows students to better visualize the structure of each mouthpart appendage. For this dissection, I recommend using large grasshoppers. Grasshoppers have chewing mouthparts that allow them to eat solid foods, like leaves. Of all the insect mouthpart types, chewing mouthparts have the greatest number of similarities to the human mouth. Preserved specimens can be ordered for a low price from a scientific supply company.

Divide students into pairs, and provide each pair with a grasshopper. Have students use dissecting scissors and a probe to carefully separate and disconnect the different components of the mouthparts. Have students create an expanded view of the mouthparts by placing them on their dissecting trays, as in the photo.

Use the following questions to guide the investigation:

• Do any of these components resemble structures of the human mouth?
• Some of the mouthpart appendages are composed of many tiny segments and contain microscopic hairs. What other structures on the grasshopper or the other insects from part 1 have a similar structure? What do you think this means in terms of function?
• Describe the shape and composition of each mouthpart appendage. How do you think each component contributes to food manipulation or consumption?
• What other types of insects do you expect to have similar mouthparts?
• How do you think these mouthparts would differ if the insect ate firm, woody plants instead of leaves?
• Consider part 1. Which appendages do you think are modified in these other mouthpart types? Which components, if any, do you think are common across mouthpart types?
• What body systems are involved in mouthpart movement, taste perception, and digestion of the consumed food?

Customize this investigation to fit your needs!

• Add modeling! Have students create models of the process of food consumption. Models can be created before the investigation, then revised as new evidence is gathered in the dissection. These models serve as excellent artifacts of student learning.
• Is your class ready for a full-body dissection? Have students dissect the grasshopper’s body to reveal the structures of the digestive system. This provides for a more comprehensive lesson, covering all structures from consumption to excretion.
• Don’t have access to grasshoppers? No problem! Modify the investigation by having students perform an online or literature search for images of grasshopper mouthpart components. Have students then create paper cutouts of each of the components. Stack the components as they would exist in a living grasshopper, and fasten them together using a metal brad. Allow students to move the pieces around as if the insect were chewing. Have them describe the structure of each piece and consider the interactions in their paper models to deduce the function.

I hope you will be inspired to use insects in your classroom. Working with these organisms is likely a new experience for your students and a great way to illustrate the complexity of life all around them. How have you used insects in your classroom? What other topics could be brought to life in your classroom with an insect model?

Happy dissecting!

This investigation builds upon:

Angela Cruise is president of Cruise Consulting Group, LLC, which specializes in lesson development and educational consulting for the agricultural, forensic, and life sciences. Cruise has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola University Maryland and a PhD in entomology (forensic entomology concentration) from North Carolina State University. She has taught science at the college level and has organized and participated in dozens of elementary and middle school outreach events across North Carolina. Cruise has developed lessons for one of the country’s largest biological suppliers and has participated in several intensive NGSS training programs. She is excited to share her love of insects with students and teachers everywhere!

Note: This article was featured in the October issue of Next Gen Navigator, a monthly e-newsletter from NSTA delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction.  Click here to sign up to receive the Navigator every month.

Visit NSTA’s NGSS@NSTA Hub for hundreds of vetted classroom resources, professional learning opportunities, publications, ebooks and more; connect with your teacher colleagues on the NGSS listservs (members can sign up here); and join us for discussions around NGSS at an upcoming conference.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Future NSTA Conferences

2018 Area Conferences

• National Harbor (MD), November 15–17
• Charlotte, Nov. 29-Dec. 1

2019 National Conference

• St. Louis, April 11-14, 2019

Follow NSTA

Young children often experience a developmental stage in which they question everything. Why aren’t there dinosaurs anymore? Why do cats purr? Why are some potato chips green? They go from simply observing their surroundings to analyzing, experimenting, and wanting to make sense of their world.

As a high school teacher of ninth-grade biology and AP Biology, I often incorporate this innate questioning strategy by asking my students “why questions” when introducing phenomena.

Why isn’t there a vaccine for colds?

Why is life carbon-based and not silicon-based?

Why are amphibians and reptiles often green, but not mammals?

Why are ticks being blamed for meat allergies?

Science seeks to answer these questions and more, reigniting childhood curiosity and deepening understanding. In my biology courses, these questions are examined under multiple lenses, and solutions can be found by zooming to the subcellular level. The explanations often lie in the crosscutting concept, structure and function.

The statement “structure correlates with function” has been a key focus of ConnectedBio, a four-year National Science Foundation–sponsored project I was selected to participate in. Working alongside faculty from Michigan State University’s Lyman Briggs College and the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action and digital innovators from Concord Consortium, I and other teachers are currently helping to design technology-enhanced three-dimensional lessons for high school biology. These lessons are an extension of Evo-Ed cases.

One case study focuses on clam toxins. I teach about this by first displaying headlines of dogs becoming ill then dying after swimming in green water, along with images depicting dead marine life near red- or green-colored waters. I ask students: What is causing this? Several of my students cite toxic algae, having previously heard the news reports. This leads to the follow-up question to launch our investigation: Why are some algal blooms toxic? 

To answer this driving question, my students first engage in knowledge-building activities. I have them do the following:

• Examine maps to understand geographically where the blooms occur.
• Analyze a marine food web to see how the toxin moves through an aquatic ecosystem.
• Dissect a bivalve to learn about its anatomy: most notably, the two body systems we will investigate, nervous and muscular.

These initial activities segue into modeling how a neuron fires an action potential. Depending on the student’s grade level, the teacher may choose to provide an overview of the events: 1) dendrites stimulated, 2) axon opens channels, 3) molecules are released in the synapse, and 4) a muscle cell contracts. This simplified sequence could be used for the NGSS performance expectation HS-LS1-2, linking two interacting body systems, which is a component of the disciplinary core idea HS-LS1.A.

For an AP course, in which I implement this case study, a detailed account of ion movement, the neurotransmitters involved, and cell-to-cell communication covers essential knowledge 3.E.2 in the AP Biology Curriculum Framework.

Using bulletin-board paper and laminated cutouts, my students demonstrate how a neuron “talks” to a muscle cell.

The connection between structure and function unfolds as the students see specific ions (Na⁺ and K⁺) fitting together like puzzle pieces into Na-K pumps located along the axon and “keys” (neurotransmitters) fitting into specific “locks” (receptors) on the adjacent muscle cell.

The neurotoxin (saxitoxin) is peach-colored above.

 To connect these actions to the clam case study, the neurotoxin released by the algae (saxitoxin) is introduced. I ask students these questions:

How does the toxin’s structure enable it to interact with the neuron?

How does the toxin affect the function of the nerve impulse?

Image credit: MacQuarrie & Bricelj MEPS 2008

The lesson continues with the students observing a photo of two populations of clams in the presence of the neurotoxin and asking this: What impact will the toxin have on the muscle? Tank B contains clams that are sensitive to the toxin, rendering them unable to burrow and escape predators. Tank A contains clams with a genetic mutation that alters the shape of the channel, preventing the toxin from binding. Toxin-resistant clams can still burrow and extend their siphons to feed. By demonstrating structure and function on a genetic level, students realize that when the toxin is present, mutated clams are more evolutionarily fit.

The case study culminates by having students examine a negative consequence of a mutated channel when the toxin is absent from the environment. Researchers observed that the mutation affects the efficiency rate of a nerve impulse. To model this impairment, one student wears an oven mitt to hinder movement while digging in a container of substrate to retrieve a hidden object, while another student designated as lacking the mutation models a more agile burrower by searching for the object with a bare hand. This demonstrates once again how structure affects clam behavior and why nature maintains variation.

From start to finish, this case study engages students in the interplay between structure and function. Each component builds upon authentic, coherent discoveries to cultivate analytically-minded students. As you design lessons around this crosscutting concept, consider these questions:

What “why questions” will you ask your students?

How will structure and function allow your students to deepen their learning experiences?

Rebecca Brewer teaches Advanced Placement and ninth-grade biology at Troy High School in Troy, Michigan. With more than 19 years of experience, Brewer hopes her constructivist approach to instruction—which emphasizes student-led learning—sparks students’ passion for biological concepts. She has co-authored the high school biology textbook Biology Now; works for MiniOne, a biotechnology company that is training teachers to use its kits and equipment; and creates educational digital resources for Science Friday and PBS NewsHour Extra. In addition, she serves as the director of Michigan’s Outstanding Biology Teacher Award program, and is a past honoree.

In 2011, Brewer received $27,000 for her classroom as the first-place winner of the ING Unsung Hero Award, and in 2007, she was a named a member of USA Today’s All-USA Teacher Team, which recognizes the top 20 educators in the United States. You can contact her on Twitter: @brewerbiology.

Note: This article is featured in the October 2018 issue of Next Gen Navigator, a monthly e-newsletter from NSTA delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction.  Click here to sign up to receive the Navigator every month.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Although astronomical fall for the northern hemisphere begins when the autumnal equinox occurs on or around September 22,   meteorological seasons vary geographically. October may be when your area “really feels like fall.” Does your school or program mark the season by harvesting from your own garden or by visiting a “pumpkin patch”? Pumpkins are an excuse for an unofficial National Pumpkin Day on October 26, a 2-day festival  and all day “Punkin Chunkin’ affairs before or after Halloween. 

Playing with pumpkins involves children in sensory experiences as they handle pumpkins of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Before pumpkins are cut open to feel the slimy innards and count seeds, they can be weighed, floated, and rolled, introducing concepts of measurement and motion. Adults learn a lot too!

Children may have a hard time saying which of two pumpkins–one taller but thinner and one wider but shorter–is the “biggest.” A discussion leads to understanding that many attributes can be measured. The Erikson Early Math Collaborative website has more resources in their “Idea Library” for engaging children in learning math than a pumpkin has seeds! In “Halloween and Animal Fun While Exploring Big, Bigger, and Biggest” by Lisa Ginet describes how to use children’s literature to begin understanding “bigness.” Use the Idea Library’s Foundational Math Topic: Measurement section to find more ideas illustrated by videos.

What happens to pumpkins that don’t get eaten? In “The Rotten Truth—Discovering Decay!” early childhood educators describe a preschool study that included investigating the needs of living organisms and an important part of the pumpkin story that is often not explored—what happens to pumpkins when they decompose, and why is decay important? The writers also created an e-book, The Rotten Truth, describing and illustrating the study with photo galleries, video, and a description of the authors’ process. It is free from iTunes, for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

“Teaching Through Tradebooks: Pumpkins” by Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan is a free article in the October 2008 issue of Science and Children. 

Which of the USA states harvests the most acres of pumpkins? Take a look at the data from the US Department of Agriculture:

Agriculture: Economic Research Service, Pumpkins: Background & Statistics

Nutrition: SNAP-Ed Connection, Pumpkins

Recipes: Fall is Here! Celebrate with Pumpkin, 5 Different Ways by Corey Holland, RD, Nutritionist Consultant, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Oct 20, 2016.

In less than a month, science educators will convene for the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in National Harbor, Maryland.

NSTA conferences are packed with opportunities to network, learn new ideas, share your own ideas, and gather valuable resources for you and your department. The conference in National Harbor is no exception. If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time. Here are five reasons to attend:

1. Build a Stronger Understanding of 3D Learning
   
   Do you and your colleagues need help in understanding the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards? If so, two workshops centered on three-dimensional teaching and learning will be offered: Making Sense of Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning (Level 1) and Designing Three-Dimensional Lessons and Units Train-the-Trainer (Level 2). And, if you can only attend the NSTA Area Conference in National Harbor for one day, workshop registration includes Thursday access to the conference.

   Workshop participants will build a solid understanding of the three dimensions and how they integrate, take home a powerful toolkit of resources to further their implementation efforts, and learn how to use their resources to support broader implementation efforts in their schools and districts.

2. Gain Solid Professional Development

   With more than 300 presenter sessions and over 100 exhibitor workshops, you’ll walk away inspired to get back to your classroom with a ton of new ideas.

   Don’t miss the general sessions from nationally known presenters, including keynote speaker Mireya Mayor, primatologist, scientist, National Geographic Explorer, and author. Mayor will share her journey with anecdotes from her distant explorations of South America, Africa, and Madagascar, recounting behind the scenes explorations and exciting scientific discoveries.

   Concurrent sessions at the conference promote best practices in instructional planning and assessment, and focused sessions on instructional strategies make connections between literacy and scientific concepts and build pedagogical knowledge of science teaching.

   You can make a list of “must-attend” sessions ahead of time with the online session builder.

3. Explore the Exhibit
   
   One of the most exciting aspects of an NSTA conference is the exhibit! Discover cutting-edge solutions and the latest innovations and curriculum resources in the conference exhibit hall, and don’t forget to pick up FREE samples of high-quality teaching tools. 

   Find out how to help your students earn grants and savings bonds PLUS learn how you can win a comprehensive lab makeover for your school. In addition, engage in hands-on lab activities led by expert trainers, play a game of Giant Connect 4 or Jenga with your friends in the new NSTA Teacher’s Lounge, and enter to win Southwest Airlines tickets + FREE registration to next year’s National Conference in St. Louis or the STEM Forum & Expo in San Francisco!

4. Get Credit for the PD

   Make sure you receive credit for your work at the conference. You can earn one or two graduate-level credit/units in professional development through Dominican University of California course #EDUO 9029. To obtain credit/units, you must be registered for the NSTA National Harbor area conference, complete the required assignments, and pay a fee of $95 for one credit/unit or $190 for two credits/units. An NSTA transcript is also required.

   For more information about obtaining graduate credit, see the course syllabus.

5. Have Fun and Take Advantage of the Conference Location!

   Attending the conference is a lot of fun, but so is the conference location. The National Harbor is only minutes from Washington, DC, and across from Alexandria, Virginia—just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  The area consists of shops and restaurants, a marina, and The Capital Wheel – a 180-foot observation wheel featuring panoramic views of the nation’s capital! You will receive discounts to a number of National Harbor businesses when you show your conference badge.

Take advantage of the conference location and allow time for visits to DC’s majestic monuments, museums, the zoo, and more.

We look forward to seeing you at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in National Harbor!

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The Case for (Quality) Homework

Do math worksheets and book reports really make a difference to a student’s long-term success? Are American students overburdened with homework? In some middle-class and affluent communities where pressure on students to achieve can be fierce, the answer is yes. But in families of limited means, it’s often another story. Read the article featured in Education NEXT.

Math Scores Slide to a 20-year Low on ACT

The average math score for the graduating class of 2018 was 20.5, marking a steady decline from 20.9 five years ago and showing virtually no progress since 1998, when it was 20.6. Matt Larson, the immediate past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), said the math scores “are extremely disappointing, but not entirely unexpected.”  In a report released earlier this year, NCTM called for major shifts in the way math is organized and taught in high school. Read the article featured in Ed Week.

Leon Lederman and Project ARISE 

Leon Lederman, who died earlier this month at age 96, was one of the most accomplished particle physicists of the 20th century. Project ARISE (American Renaissance in Science Education) was the initiative that led to Lederman becoming an outspoken advocate for the Physics First movement, and its effects can still be seen in schools nationwide. Project ARISE was designed to address what Lederman perceived as the appalling state of physics education in US high schools. Read the article featured in Physics Today.

Lunchroom leftovers make for an ‘eye-opening’ science project

The Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers and the Wisconsin Science Festival are partnering on a Statewide Science Challenge to address food waste in cafeterias. Called “Lunchroom Leftovers,”  student teams are conducting detailed analyses of food waste in their school cafeterias. The data will be collected statewide and shared via a statewide map. Read the article featured in the State Journal.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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Fish Ladder, Bonneville Dam, OR

What are some good activities and lessons to incorporate engineering into biology/life science?
– K., Connecticut

There are several websites that will give you lesson plans to incorporate engineering into all topics in science. Search the NSTA Learning Center (https://learningcenter.nsta.org) for ideas and check my collection which you may find useful: https://goo.gl/6TrTHk .

The possible end products of engineering design are: theoretical plans; models; list of procedures; and, finally, prototypes or actual working designs. Here are a few possible design projects that come to mind loosely organized by engineering disciplines.

Civil Engineering:

• Migration corridors for different species. Start with a case study on how engineers help a species safely migrate across roadways, pipelines, dams and other human-made barriers.
• Irrigation systems to minimize erosion.
• Campgrounds which have a zero-carbon footprint and are ecologically friendly.
• Waste handling systems

Electrical Engineering:

• Use geographic data to place a hydroelectric dam in the most advantageous and least disruptive location for an ecosystem and watershed.

Mechanical:

• Traps to safely capture organisms.
• Reclaiming plastics from oceans
• Biomimicry: construct something using features found in nature.

Biomedical:

• Artificial limbs and organs for animals or humans. This also allows you to incorporate 3D printers for prototyping.
• Use computer probes to collect data on heart rate, oxygen, and more.

Aeronautics:

• Systems to protect jets and airports from birds.
• Collect environmental data using drones or weather balloons.

Computer:

• Use microprocessors like Arduino or Raspberry Pi and program sensors to collect physical data on habitats, aquariums, terrariums, and more.
• Create enclosed habitats or greenhouses that collect data and respond to changing conditions.

Hope this helps!

Photo credit: Don Graham via Wikimedia Commons

Walk into the average STEM workspace and you may find random scribbled notes, models and figures, the occasional pen missing a cap, and a variety of tools specific to STEM work. Beyond the desks, the hum of electronics, and an exorbitant amount of plaid button-downs, you’ll sense an air of excitement and passion. Looking amongst the sea of faces during light lunchroom banter and serious conference meetings, you’ll find the occasional female. In fact, if you were looking for equal representation of both sexes in STEM careers, you’d think not much has changed since the days of Susan B. Anthony and the Women’s Rights Movement. According to the US Department of Commerce, engineers are the second largest STEM occupational group, but only about one out of every five engineers is female.  In our own adolescent-filled classrooms across the country, you will find that many of our students, male and female alike hold the notion that STEM jobs are meant for men. How do we effectively introduce the amazing world of science, technology, engineering, and math to our girls? How can we make them realize they have what it takes to carve a niche, break the glass ceiling, and get involved in these pioneering professions? With these, and many other questions in mind, we eagerly delved into the Northrop Grumman Foundation Teacher’s Academy as Teacher Fellows in its second cohort.

Prior to beginning the externship portion of the year-long Academy we already had somewhat of an understanding regarding the lack of female representation in STEM. According to the 2013-14 Computing Research Association Taulbee report, almost 86% of recipients of bachelor’s degrees in Computer Engineering (CE) in the USA in 2014 were male. Although the total number of reported CE bachelor degrees earned increased by 14% from 2013 to 2014, the proportion of females receiving CE degrees during that time decreased (Zweben & Bizrot, 2015). With seven out of ten STEM jobs sitting in the computer sciences, females will be shut out. So while more people are earning STEM degrees, less of them are women. While there are many socio economic factors to consider in the cause of this occurrence, the common trend remains that women are not as exposed to these careers and they often believe (or are taught) that they do not have the innate toolset to thrive in STEM. Some studies claim a biological basis for differences in achievement and preference between males and females (Baron-Cohen 2003; Geary 1998; Kimura 1999). However, there is growing empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that observed gender differences are largely socially and culturally constructed and that few innate psychological differences in cognitive ability and preference exist between genders (Bussey & Bandura 1999; Hyde 2005; Hyde & Linn 2006; Spelke, 2005). In simpler terms, men are not biologically predisposed to achieve more and/or do better in STEM than their female counterparts.

 As youth, girls were traditionally associated with playing dress up with their dolls, while boys were thought of as interested in designing, constructing, and “getting their hands dirty.” This old paradigm often still persists. Research suggests that women’s interest in continuing to pursue careers in predominantly male fields like computer science and engineering is related to the level of self-confidence in their ability in those fields, and early opportunities to engage in computing and engineering design challenges can play a significant role in the development of this confidence (Gürer & Camp, 2002; Zeldin & Pajares, 2000). Therefore, the solution lies in us, as a society, shifting the paradigm and creating even more opportunities of equity for females in STEM. 

In conjunction with the global security company, Northrop Grumman, as a key component of the Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy, we completed a two week externship where we were given the opportunity to work alongside some of the industry’s best engineers and technologists. In these experiences, we gained first-hand insight into the critical workforce skills our students need to be competitive in STEM careers as well as how we could create enticing STEM environments in our classrooms.

In California, Rossy Guzman found that many of the junior engineers that were in their mid-twenties were inspired by early exposure to STEM. When asked what ignited their interest in engineering, they often answered, “When I was in high school I joined a STEM club” or “My teacher would give us problems where we had to find creative solutions.” This attests to the fact that we must hit the ground running, so to speak, when it comes to early childhood exposure to STEM, as early exposure can have a lasting effect. In terms of female representation, Rossy found that during her externship at the Palmdale Northrop Grumman facility, she only spoke with one female mechanical engineer. She was one of four female mechanical engineers in her graduating class. When discussing this lack of representation with her engineer mentor, he mentioned the need for more job applications from females, and he has worked in the Palmdale facility close to 25 years. However, he mentioned something important, specifically saying that when he has worked with female engineers, they do a great job. When asked to elaborate, he said he holds this belief because, “women pay close attention to details. In our field, a small detail can be the difference between a successful or failed project.” After her time in the externship, Rossy found that the greatest strengths in the STEM workplace include “collaboration, communication, and adaptability.”

When Erika Myers was an extern she asked her engineer mentor(s) what skills they found in the most successful engineers, collaboration and communication topped the list. Engineering managers reported that they were looking for engineers who could clearly express their ideas and work with other engineers. Further, every engineer she encountered agreed that being able to “think like an engineer” made for good engineers. Many reported being “okay” in math and science, but liked solving problems that helped people which is what made them pursue engineering as a career. With this information in mind, Erika translated insightful conversations into direct classroom application. To begin, she provided more opportunities for students to share their learning with others. She wanted to give students a chance to explain their process, as well as ask questions of others about their processes. She aimed to make this sharing occur in many different formats— sometimes peer-to-peer, while other times sharing was done with her school community and parents. This encouraged students to be thoughtful in the way they presented their learning process.

In addition, Erika, a STEM teacher in Downers Grove, Illinois, also wanted to frame her units with problem-based learning. After talking with engineers during her Northrop Grumman experience, many reported that female students often wanted to see the purpose behind their creation, and it was even more favorable if the solution helped people. For example, rather than presenting a project as “We are going to learn about circuits,” instead she learned to present the project as “We are going to create a guitar that can be played out of cardboard using Micro:bit.” An even better solution would be to say “We are going to make instructional videos for creating musical instruments with Micro:bit for students who have limited supplies.” Since females students tend to be interested in engineering fields where they see the direct impact their solutions can have, Ms. Myers has had positive results with her female students when she approaches them with a challenge based in the needs of others. This lends itself to introducing real world problems and having students come up with solutions that can have real impacts.

In New York City (NYC), STEM educator Candace Miller found that her students shared the same passion for real world applications in engineering. Collaborating with Radio Frequency and Systems Engineers in a New York City program opened her eyes to the feats of engineering all around the city. At every street intersection in NYC, you’ll find green boxes that contain technology that literally connects the city and keeps everything running smoothly. Unbeknownst to the average New Yorker, some of these engineers work 12-hour shifts to monitor, troubleshoot, and ensure that the city’s major services (think NYPD and NYFD) run efficiently. Candace and the team planned and held the annual Smart Cities Communication session at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering summer program for middle school students. During this event, the students were tasked with thinking of innovative ways to make the city run smoother.

Candace noted that some of the most creative ideas came from the female students who appreciated the direct impact their ideas could have on the daily lives of New Yorkers. While the male students had a tendency to come up with practical ideas that involved construction and pulverizing waste in the city, the female students distinctly thought how their ideas could improve the lives of the public. Adapting this real world application to the classroom facilitated a new sense of ownership and interest in STEM. Instead of viewing engineering as something that people do with machines, Candace found that her students, especially her girls, realized that engineering is what people do with machines, for others. Looking through the lens of how STEM and engineering has had an ever-changing effect on humanity in terms of medicine and other such practical applications has her female students more interested than ever! In fact, the US Dept. of Commerce found that women with STEM degrees are less likely than their male counterparts to work in a STEM occupation; they are more likely to work in education or healthcare. Exposing our students to how STEM lends itself to these commonly attractive fields for girls lets them realize their skills can go further than they imagine, and can help people in ways outside of what they currently know.

To echo this sentiment, Brooke Reynolds, a teacher in St. Johns, Florida found that the more we expose our students to engineering, the more they come to love it! Reflecting her classroom culture, her students don’t look at gender when they work in a group on a project, they consider the ideas each student comes up with. This helps her girls stand out because they are usually organized, detail-oriented, creative, and are oftentimes the vocal leaders of the group. In fact, the general consensus throughout each of our Northrop Grumman externships is the fact that collaboration and communicating ideas are essential aspects of the engineering process. Simply addressing the basic who, what, and how of STEM careers provides a basis of understanding the applied skills. She finds that “5th grade and middle school aged children are still filled with wonder and get excited about trying new things out. The more we expose them to what engineering is all about the more they come to love it and are not scared of it.”

Through the fellowship and externship Brooke has learned a lot about women in engineering and why they chose this path. One of the Liaison Engineers at Northrop Grumman located in St. Augustine, FL, oversees 5 male engineers ranging in age from 40-60 years old. She has been with Northrop Grumman for 14 years and moved up from working on the E-2D and F-5 plane engineering department to the liaison engineering department which oversees the other departments and fixes problems they can’t solve. She said “She feels that she chose this path because she “likes math and science and loved that engineering can help [her] apply the math and science into real life.”

While we were located in various cities across the country, working with different branches of the Northrop Grumman family, during our summer externships, we all shared in the same motivating learning experience with these passionate engineers. We gained knowledge regarding why they chose a STEM path and how their student experiences encouraged them to do so. To contradict the nerdy paradigm of geniuses working purely for the love of science, we’ve learned that many of these amazing people are engineers simply because they love seeing things that they imagined or drew on paper come to life in ways that improves lives. In addition, the general consensus is that Northrop Grumman is a company that focuses on making sure their employees of all sexes feels welcome and supported on their journeys to become better engineers, collaborators, innovators, and people. We took these experiences and applied them to our classrooms to have all of our students realize that they are and can be meaningful contributors to the amazing world of STEM and help form a STEM literate society. 

Special thanks to NSTA, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation, Stephanie Fitzsimmons, K-12 STEM Education Programs Manager at Northrop Grumman, the countless engineers that shared their space and time with us, and the incredible, affable NSTA Program Director of the Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy, Wendy Binder.

Applications are now being accepted for the fourth annual Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy. The program—designed specifically for middle school teachers (grades 5-8)—was established to help enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), while increasing teacher understanding about the skills needed for a scientifically literate workforce. This year the Academy, which is administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), will support 29 teachers located in school districts in select Northrop Grumman communities in the United States and Australia.

Rossy Guzman

About The Authors 

Rossy Guzman is a science teacher at The Palmdale Aerospace Academy in Palmdale, CA where she teaches 7th grade and 9th grade integrated science. Rossy has worked as a science teacher for nine years inspiring students to pursue careers in the STEM field. Rossy strives for ways to empower students of all backgrounds to succeed in her classes. The Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy has been a pivotal part in her quest to insure her students engage in workforce skills grounded in real-world applications. . In her spare time, she loves to read, drink green tea, and explore quaint towns. 

Candice Miller

Candace Miller is a middle school STEM and science teacher in Brooklyn, New York. Her favorite subjects to teach at Seth Low Intermediate School 96 are biology and engineering, and she hopes to inspire at least one kid to become an astronaut, as she’d love to travel in outer space herself! Until then, she plans on continuing to spread the importance of STEM in education. 

Erika Myers

Erika Myers is a lifelong learner who loves to share her passion for teaching students. She teaches middle school STEM in Downers Grove, Illinois. Among her favorite topics to teach are robotics, electronics and coding. She loves to watch her student come alive when engaged in projects in her class. She hopes to spark an interest in engineering in her students!

Brooke Reynolds

Brooke Reynolds is a 5th grade Math and Science teacher in Saint Johns, Florida. Her favorite subject is science and she loves to spark students’ interest with inquiry-based labs and STEM activities. She loves watching students learn something new, truly understand their discovery, and how it is related to STEM and Engineering.

References

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