Whether you’re looking for ideas on systems thinking, adding strategies to your teaching repertoire, or creativity in science, this month’s K-12 journals have it all. Regardless of what grade level or subject you teach, check out all three journals. As you skim through the article titles and description, you may find ideas for lessons that would be interesting your students or the inspiration to adapt a lesson to your heeds or create/share your own.

NSTA members, as always, have access to the articles in all journals! Click on the links to read or add to your library.

Science Scope – Earth Systems

From the Editor’s Desk: Earth: The Ultimate Recycler “…I’ve found students don’t always easily comprehend the importance or the mechanisms behind geoscience processes. Even something as simple as the water cycle is fraught with misunderstanding as students tend to harbor ideas that range from thinking that the water coming from various sources in their house differs in terms of its potability, to thinking that the water from a water bottle has never been part of the water cycle.”

Articles in this issue that describe lessons (many of which use the 5E model) include a helpful sidebar documenting the big idea, essential pre-knowledge, time, safety issues, and cost. The lessons also include connections with the NGSS.

• Classroom-Scale Experiments in System-Scale Modeling With Application to the Global Cycle of Water and Energy shows how to connect modeling with experimentation, using energy flow in the water cycle as a context.
• Expand students’ knowledge and experiences of plate tectonics. Getting Beneath the Surface has a series of five activities that model how plate move.
• Students are interested in weather and weather patterns. The unit documented in When Air Masses Collide! Incorporates seven “investigations” (the last is a culminating assessment) on predicting the weather based on several variables.
• From the layers of the Grand Canyon to the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, our National Parks have fascinating rock formations. The lesson in National Parks Investigation integrates learning about types of rocks and the rock cycle with exposure to the resources of the National Park system.
• Integrating Technology: Using Science and Technology to Protect Urban Water Sources involves students in an investigation of urban water quality. The authors share a graphic organizer/worksheet for students to compare data on two cities.
• Classic Lessons 2.0: Where Did the Leaves Go? updates a traditional lesson into a 5E investigation on how leaves decompose. The article includes examples of student work and suggestions for implementation.
• Teacher To Teacher: Using Phenomena to Drive Student Questions incorporates student questions and misconceptions about flooding in urban areas.
• Turn cloud gazing into Citizen Science: Cloudy With a Chance of “Cirrus” Science, using a NASA app.
• Graphs summarize and present data. If your students need a refresher on graphing,, Interdisciplinary Ideas: Data Literacy 101 has suggestions on choosing effective graphs for a variety of purposes and types of data.
• Scope on the Skies: Ozone: The Protective Layer Above Us has a refresher on the effects of ozone on climate.

These monthly columns continue to provide background knowledge and classroom ideas:

• Disequilibrium: The Connection Between Weather and Air Masses
• Science For All: Creating a Culturally Responsive Middle School Science Classroom
• Teacher’s Toolkit: Community Connections: Involving family in homework.

For more on the content that provides a context for projects and strategies described in this issue, see the SciLinks topics Air Masses, Biotic/Abiotic Factors, Clouds, Decomposers, Ecosystems, Flooding and Society, Floods, Greenhouse Effect, Ozone, Phases of Matter, Plate Tectonics, Rock Classification, Rock Cycle, UV Index, Tornadoes, U.S. National Parks, Water Cycle, Water Quality, Watersheds, Weather, Weather Forecasting

Keep reading for The Science Teacher and Science & Children.

The Science Teacher – Creative Thinking

Editor’s Corner: Creative Science “Problem- and project-based learning, authentic engineering tasks, and student-centered inquiry can all involve students in creative, complex problem-solving and design. And, Job security increasingly requires imagination and creativity. As routine tasks become digitized and automated, successful workers will be those who imagine and create. “

The lessons described in the articles include a chart showing connections with the NGSS. The graphics are especially helpful in understanding the activities and in providing ideas for your own investigations.

• Earth’s Energy Budget focuses on the relationships between energy, greenhouse gases, aerosols, and temperature. The article includes a description of the Energy Budget Model and samples of student explanations.
• Learning Biology Through Molecular Storytelling uses a storytelling approach along with data from the Protein Data Bank (URL provided) to help students connect the shapes of biomolecules with their functions.
• In The Bold Fold activity, students create protein models while studying transcription, translation, and protein folding. The authors include their research on student learning using this model.
• There are stories in every data set. Data Jams has advice on using a model to improve students’ data literacy, analyze scientific research, and share their findings. The authors share their experiences and include photographs of student projects.
• Infographics are another form of story telling. Creative Visual Representation shows how students can synthesize data sources to support a claim in a visual format. The examples provided show infographics as alternatives to research papers, in poster sessions, and as reinforcement.
• In addition to Focus on Physics: Making Sense of Distribution Curves, the author includes action research on the distribution of grades as a context/example.
• Artists can apply their talents in science, as described in Career of the Month: Medical Artist.

These monthly columns continue to provide background knowledge and classroom ideas: Right to the Source: Coloring the Russian Empire One Photograph at a Time

For more on the content that provides a context for projects and strategies described in this issue, see the SciLinks topics Biomolecules, Blackbody Radiation, Climate Change, Communication Skills, DNA, Energy in the Atmosphere, Eukaryotic Cell Structures, Graphing Data, Organelles, Proteins, Sickle Cell Disease, Transcription, Translation, UV Index

Science & Children – Teaching Strategies

Editor’s Note: Finding a Way — With so much going on in the classroom, above and below the surface, a teacher needs to have a wheelbarrow full of strategies to help deal with the expected and not-so-expected events.

The lessons described in the articles have a chart showing connections with the NGSS. Many are based on the 5E (or 7E) model and include classroom materials, illustrations of student work, and photographs of students engaged in the activities.

• Don’t get turned off by the title! Killing Two Birds With One Stone describes ways to integrate reading/writing with science through interactive notebooks. Samples of student pages are included.
• Science Is “RAD” also addresses notebooking, including strategies for helping students with disabilities or who need additional support. (RAD is a mnenomic for Record-Analyze-Develop an Explanation as a writing strategy).
• Asking questions about meaningful issues can involve elementary students. Debate, Dialogue, and Democracy Through Science! incorporates the Socioscientific Issues framework to increase students’ “science content knowledge, understanding of the nature of science, quality of argumentation abilities, and characteristics for global citizenship, including empathy and perspective taking” The sample lesson shows students learning about the characteristics and value of wetlands using hands-on activities and trade books.
• Engaging in Argumentation shows how argumentation and the 5E model can be integrated, including suggestions for students who are English Language Learners. A useful diagram illustrates the integration, along with graphic organizers and photos of student work.
• Testing Oil Spill Cleanup Methods Ethically incorporates engineering practices and discussion about ethics as students design strategies to clean up an oil spill.
• Engineering Encounters: The Soda Can Crusher Challenge also involves students in the engineering design process.
• The author of The Early Years: Begin With Open Exploration where students “acquire hands-on knowledge of what they know and begin to wonder, think, and raise questions.” The included lesson Exploring Isopods has an example of this open exploration.
• In addition to recommending trade books, Teaching Through Trade Books: Biological Diversity: In the Present and in the Past has lessons on Honing Into Habitats (K-2) and Looking at Living Fossils (3-5).
• Methods and Strategies: Hiding in Plain Sight also addresses integrating literacy and 5E science lessons through trade books.

These monthly columns continue to provide background knowledge and classroom ideas:

• Teaching Teachers: Seeing the Struggle and Reaping the Rewards — A Pathway for Beginning to Explore the Next Generation Science Standards
• The Poetry of Science: Teaching Strategies
• Science 101: How Can I Make Science Fun and Have Students Learn More By Using Phenomenon-Based Learning? (a Background Booster for teachers on electric circuits, magnets, speed and motion)

For more on the content that provides a context for projects and strategies described in this issue, see the SciLinks topics Biodiversity, Buoyancy, Electric Current, Fishes, Food Chains, Forces and Motion, Fossils, Habitats, Insects, Magnets, Plant Growth, Reading and Writing in Science, Water Quality, Wetlands

What you call these small animals probably depends on where you grew up. Pillbug, sowbug, roly-poly, woodlice, potato bug, cochinilla, slater, and Armadillidium vulgare are some of the names I’ve heard for my favorite animal, the isopod. What kind of animal is it? To answer this question begin by making close observations, taking comfort in knowing that they will not scratch, bite, or sting you, and they don’t smell bad and are not sticky. And they are relatively sturdy animals that can be handled without damaging them, and the common land species are plentiful in many places so are not endangered. Avoid touching other invertebrates such as spiders, bees, and centipedes because they may bite or sting. And wash your hands after handling the isopods, just in case.

Searching for isopods, observing their behavior, and where they are found introduces children to a kind of animal that likes damp places. Reading about them, creating a container habitat, and caring for the isopods provides young children with multiple occasions to observe their body structure and learn that they are different from familiar animals such as worms, caterpillars and butterflies, fish, birds, and pet dogs in many ways. Children build on their prior experiences each time they are engaged with a science concept. Using a simple hand lens will reveal small details. Taking and enlarging digital photographs is also a good way to see small body parts.

Any enclosed habitat becomes soiled over time and needs to be refreshed. Children delight in misting the container with water and adding leaves. Your isopods will need some fresh soil and decaying vegetable matter, preferably from the area where you found them.

I wrote about the value of children’s open exploration of phenomenon and materials in the Early Years column in the September 2018 Science and Children. The activity page, “Exploring Isopods,” gives beginning instructions for implementing this open exploration. Learn more about open exploration in the Young Scientist books. See other articles in Science and Children about learning through observing isopods by searching on the “Your Elementary Classroom” page or in the NSTA Learning Center for “isopod.” I’m not the only educator who likes these animals!

Online there are scientific studies about these cute animals and an International Symposium on Terrestrial Isopod Biology. Here are two online sites that have additional information for children and educators. How will your children share what they learn through observation?

Featured Creatures, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/Armadillidium_vulgare.htm 

BioKids, Kids’ Inquiry of Diverse Species

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Armadillidium_vulgare/ 

This week in education news, West Virginia hasn’t externally tested whether the SAT test’s “Analysis in Science” section actually measures what students are learning in their science classrooms; New Teacher Center unveils new coaching standards; teachers face barriers to using data in the classroom, including a lack of time and training to put data to work for students; and national teachers group confront climate denial.

WV Hasn’t Externally Tested SAT’s Alignment To State’s Science Standards

The West Virginia Department of Education hasn’t yet had an external, independent study done of whether the SAT test’s “Analysis in Science” section actually measures what Mountain State students are learning in their science classrooms. The department, nevertheless, plans to report SAT science scores to the federal government, at least for last school year. Read the article featured in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

New Teacher Center Releases Instructional Coaching Standards

The Santa Cruz, California-based New Teacher Center has released standards for instructional coaching programs and practices that are intended to improve teacher effectiveness, support teacher leadership, and create more equitable learning experiences for students. Read the brief featured in Education DIVE.

Climate Change Is Not Up For Debate. Why Do So Many Teachers Act Like It Is?

Is it hot enough for you? Five of the hottest years on record have occurred in the last eight years. It’s not just temperature. This summer, the Mendocino Complex Fire became the largest in recorded California history. From simple increases in temperatures to complex feedback effects on ocean currents, weather patterns, and hydrological cycles, the consequences of human-driven climate change are no longer distant theoretical threats, but the subject of near-daily headline news. And yet far too many students are still not learning about this urgent problem in their science classrooms. Read the commentary featured in Education Week.

Survey: More Than Half Of Teachers Say They Don’t Have Enough Time To Dig Into Data

More than 90% of teachers report using data — test scores, graduation and absenteeism rates, and behavior in the classroom — to understand how their students are progressing, according to the Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) first-ever survey of teachers’ views on data. But the results, released Wednesday, also show that more than half of the 762 K-12 teachers responding — 57% — say they don’t have enough time during the school day to dig into students’ data, and more than 40% placed most of the responsibility for creating time to work with data on principals and district leaders. Read the brief featured in Education DIVE.

National Teachers Group Confronts Climate Denial: Keep The Politics Out Of Science Class

In response to what it sees as increasing efforts to undermine the teaching of climate science, the nation’s largest science teachers association took the unusual step Thursday of issuing a formal position statement in support of climate science education. Read the article featured on Inside Climate News.

Teach Like It’s Summer School All Year Long

Middle school teachers in southern Wisconsin’s Janesville School District spent the summer giving kids opportunities to learn while doing. They gave them real-world problems to solve, they sent them outside to explore, they prioritized hands-on projects. In this modern summer school, where more students enroll for the enrichment opportunities than to make up credits, teachers have a greater incentive to make learning fun. Read the article featured in The Hechinger Report.

I Work 3 Jobs And Donate Blood Plasma to Pay the Bills. This Is What It’s Like to Be a Teacher in America

Hope Brown can make $60 donating plasma from her blood cells twice in one week, and a little more if she sells some of her clothes at a consignment store. It’s usually just enough to cover an electric bill or a car payment. This financial juggling is now a part of her everyday life—something she never expected almost two decades ago when she earned a master’s degree in secondary education and became a high school history teacher. Brown often works from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. at her school in Versailles, Ky., then goes to a second job manning the metal detectors and wrangling rowdy guests at Lexington’s Rupp Arena. With her husband, she also runs a historical tour company for extra money. Read the article featured in TIME.

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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NSTA recently issued a position statement calling for greater support for science educators in teaching evidence-based science, including climate science and climate change. The statement promotes the teaching of climate science as any other established field of science and calls on teachers to reject pressures to eliminate or de-emphasize climate-based science concepts in science instruction. The statement acknowledges the decades of research and overwhelming scientific consensus indicating with increasing certainty that Earth’s climate is changing, largely due to human impacts. It also establishes that any controversies regarding climate change and its causes that are based on social, economic, or political arguments—and not scientific evidence—should not be part of a science curriculum. Read more about the statement and access climate resources at www.nsta.org/climate.

NSTA has asked a few members of the position statement panel to give science teachers further insights on important issues related to the teaching of climate science.

What are the key takeaways from NSTA’s position statement on the teaching of climate science?

When I think about classroom teachers, I know that they wish the best for their students, especially in preparing them for the challenges they will face once they leave school. In order to do that, and to best refine their own science knowledge and skills, teachers need the very best findings and tools that science can offer. They also need to know that other stakeholders will support them in the classroom. This position statement lays out a beacon in all of the noise that surrounds the teaching of the science of climate and climate change. The statement expresses not just the urgency and critical importance of understanding climate change, but also offers constructive tools for distinguishing science from non-science around climate change. It also lays out what teachers themselves should perhaps demand of other stakeholders if their students are to leave school with tools for resilience in dealing with future climate change effects and not face the future with sense of despair over the environment.

Eric J. Pyle (Chair)
Professor, Department of Geology & Environmental Science
Coordinator, Science Teacher Preparation, College of Science & Mathematics
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

What challenges do K–12 teachers face teaching climate science and how can this statement help them?

This statement addresses three of the challenges that K–12 teachers face when teaching climate change: teacher-training, lesson planning, and networking.

Researchers and college faculty are reminded that all preservice and inservice teachers need exemplary and rigorous instruction in climate change. To teach climate change well, all teachers need a deeper understanding of the associated science and resulting social issues. No one course should bear the burden of teaching climate change and its consequences.

We understand that the mindset and strategies of teaching climate change should be no different than that of teaching any other established science. This requires accurate and appropriate vetted instructional resources. By integrating content from exemplary resource collections, teachers can create evidence-based, three-dimensional learning opportunities on climate change.

Strong networks encourage good teaching. We call on researchers, curriculum developers, administrators and peers to encourage teachers to strengthen content knowledge to plan and provide engaging and accurate instruction. These networks provide teachers a place to turn when challenged and give teachers the opportunity to question, reflect, and grow.

Cheryl Manning
Past-President, National Earth Science Teachers Association
Science Teacher, Evergreen High School
Evergreen, Colorado

Can you clarify the difference between scientific argumentation and “debates” based on beliefs and opinions, not science?

The study of climate change allows students to delve into the very nature of science: How are scientific explanations, models, and theories constructed by the science community? How does the scientific community use peer review to come to consensus?  How is a peer-reviewed explanation different from an individual belief or opinion?

While students may harbor beliefs or opinions regarding climate change— based on anything from political affiliation to personal experience with weather events—their individual beliefs and opinions do not inform scientific debate and do not constitute the empirical evidence used to support scientific explanations, models, or theories. So while there is no place in the science classroom to “teach the controversy” or to engage in “debate” about the existence or anthropogenic cause of climate change, there are plenty of opportunities to engage students in learning about the nature of scientific investigation and the process of constructing scientific explanations.

Chris Geerer
6th-Grade Science Teacher
Parcells Middle School
Grosse Point Woods, Michigan

Do teachers have high-quality classroom resources to teach climate science effectively and where can they find them?

The interdisciplinary nature of climate science challenges science educators—who often don’t have formal training in climate science—to identify resources that are scientifically accurate before weaving them together into units that teach about the climate system. This is especially challenging as teachers are working to adjust how they teach science and engineering based on the recommendations of A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that promote three-dimensional teaching and systems thinking.

To help, the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) is a comprehensive source of high-quality, NGSS-aligned resources that can be quickly and easily searched. The CLEAN project reviews over 30,000 digital and free related resources and provides over 700 peer-reviewed, classroom-ready resources on climate and energy topics. The CLEAN project also helps educators design NGSS-style, three-dimensional lessons about the climate system. The CLEAN portal also has a NGSS “Get Started Guide” that helps teachers integrate Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science and Engineering Practices based on the teaching strategy chosen for the lesson or unit topic. This model uses CLEAN-reviewed lessons as the core activity but provides the necessary framework for classroom implementation.

There are many other great resources and I encourage you to visit the NSTA Climate Science Resource page to access them.

Frank Niepold
Senior Climate Education Program Manager
NOAA Climate Program Office
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) Co-Chair
Silver Spring, Maryland

What special challenges and opportunities are provided by the interdisciplinary nature of climate change as a topic?

If you only understand climate change from the perspective of the physical science that causes warming, you do not understand climate change deeply. The most important issues facing global society in the coming decades—climate, energy, water, and soil—are all deeply grounded in both climate science and social science. To understand these issues, we need to understand the Earth as a system of systems, and something about the interplay of those systems. The climate and how it changes are the products of the interactions of rock, soil, air, water, and life. Atmospheric dynamics are obedient to the laws of chemistry and physics. We humans are and have long been changing atmospheric chemistry and that is changing atmospheric dynamics. We care about how we are changing what the atmosphere does because our lives—and most life—depend upon it.

Understanding climate and how it changes requires understandings grounded in all the natural sciences. It is about biology, chemistry, physics, Earth and space science, and engineering. But the interdisciplinary nature of climate and climate change stretches beyond the sciences and across all the disciplines. Perhaps the mechanics of climate change can be understood in isolation, but what then is the point? Language, arts, and mathematics are all required for interpreting climate change’s causes and effects, and for communicating those ideas with others. Further, without the context of human history, economics, or culture such understandings are devoid of purpose.

While the psychological and social issues that push most of us to believe things demonstrably false has historically been outside the realm of the science classroom, I suggest that this be re-evaluated. History and literature can also help us to recognize that we have been telling apocalyptic stories for thousands of years—for as long as we have been telling stories—and the end of the world or of civilization has not yet come to pass. This is not to imply that climate change is not a grave threat. It is. Fortunately, history shows us that when existential threats have arisen in the past, we have risen to meet the great challenges. There is reason for hope.

Don Haas
Director of Teacher Programming
The Paleontological Research Institution
Museum of the Earth & Cayuga Nature Center
President, National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Ithaca, New York 

What is the role of climate science in new science standards and what does the statement say about it?

The NSTA position paper on the teaching of climate science is fully in line with the strong emphasis on climate change that appears in both the NRC’s A Framework for K–12 Science Education and in the ensuing Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In writing the Framework, the National Academy of Sciences identified a small number of “Big Ideas” to focus science standards. For Earth and Space Science (ESS), one of these Big Ideas is global climate change. In fact, the importance of this topic played a role in the recommendation that students receive roughly a year of geoscience instruction in both middle and high school. In addition, climate change is identified in 8 of the 17 NGSS ESS high school performance expectations and plays a role in many others. Twenty-six states participated in writing the NGSS and a majority have adopted or adapted them, so this NSTA position paper reflects the imperative of states to teach about climate change in public schools. Visit www.nsta.org/climate for links to specific weather and climate performance expectations for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Michael Wysession
Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri

NSTA would like to thank all the members of the position statement panel for their time, expertise, and leadership in developing the statement, and also the NSTA members who reviewed and provided feedback during its development.

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

Future NSTA Conferences

2018 Area Conferences

• Reno, October 11–13
• National Harbor (MD), November 15–17
• Charlotte, Nov. 29-Dec. 1

2019 National Conference

• St. Louis, April 11-14, 2019

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This blog post describes steps teachers should take to ensure that laboratory freezers and refrigerators are free from safety hazards. Science teachers should adhere to the following standard operating procedures, via the University of Texas at Austin.

• Designate one employee to oversee the laboratory refrigerator and freezer.
• Do not store food in refrigerators or freezers that store chemicals.
• To avoid biological and chemical cross-contamination, do not store food and beverages with bacteria plates, chemical solutions, and specimens in the same refrigerator.
• Clean out refrigerators and freezers on a regular basis.
• Seal/cap, securely place, and label containers stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Do not use aluminum foil, corks, and glass stoppers as caps for containers.
• Store all liquid chemicals in plastic trays.
• Appropriately label all stored items.
• Regularly review the inventory of refrigerators and freezers to ensure the contents are compatible.
• Know the shelf life and amount of stored chemicals. Each chemical contains decomposition products that could be hazardous over time.
• Power outages and technology failures can affect stored contents. Watch out for unusual odors and vapors from chemicals after such an event.
• Inspect the appliance at least once per month.
• Post an up-to-date inventory on the refrigerator door.
• Properly install the refrigerator, making sure that it is grounded. No extension cord should be used.
• Place the refrigerator and freezer away from lab exits.

Decontaminating fridges and freezers

The following list describes safety protocols for decontamination of the refrigerator and freezer in the event of a spill or break.

• Non-hazardous items: Empty and defrost non-hazardous items. Clean up any spills or leaks of non-hazardous material with soap and water and paper towels.

• Chemicals: Remove all items and defrost. Clean chemicals spills or leaks with the appropriate solvent (e.g., isopropyl alcohol or soap and water and paper towels). Check the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for each chemical and dispose of used cleaning materials properly.

• Biological agents: Remove all items and defrost. Clean biological agents that have spilled or leaked with a 10% bleach solution and paper towels (one part bleach to nine parts water). Dispose of used cleaning materials properly.

• Combination of chemicals and biological agents: Remove all items and defrost. If any chemicals and/or biological agents have spilled or leaked, follow the aforementioned protocols. Be careful not to combine incompatible substances such as bleach and ammonia. Dispose of the agents properly and used cleaning materials.

• Radioactive material: If a spill involving radioactive material and any combination of radioactive material with chemicals or biological agents should occur, contact your local or state radiation officer immediately.

Cool alternatives

There are several alternative refrigerators and freezers for safer storage of laboratory materials. If you’re planning on storing aqueous solutions and nonflammable and nonexplosive materials, a regular household refrigerator and freezer could suffice in the school science lab or preparation room. If you’re planning on storing flammable or potentially explosive materials, use a lab-safe, explosion proof refrigerator or freezer.

In areas where the air outside the refrigerator could be explosive such as in a chemical storeroom or prep room, explosion-proof refrigerators and freezers provide the best protection. Explosion-proof refrigerators and freezers do not have internal switching devices that can arc or spark as an ignition source. In addition, the compressor and other circuitry are generally located on top of the unit to reduce the potential for igniting floor-level flammable vapors. Special inner shell materials inside explosion-proof refrigerators and freezers control or limit damage should an exothermic reaction occur within the storage compartment involving liquids, gases, or solids with flashpoints of less than 100°F (38°C).

Explosion-proof refrigerators feature enclosed motors to eliminate sparking and bear an FM (Factory Mutual) or UL (Underwriters Laboratory) explosion-proof label. Such refrigerators must meet the requirements for the Class 1, Division 1 Electrical Safety Code (NPFA 45 and NFPA 70) and require direct wiring to the power source via a metal conduit. Storage requirements also apply to any solution or specimen that may release flammable fumes. Explosion-proof refrigerators and freezers cost between $4,000 and $11,000.

Moreover, freezers in science labs should be frost-free, preventing water drainage or damage. The refrigerator or freezer should also meet all applicable codes. For more information, visit: http://productspec.ul.com/document.php?id=SOVQ.GuideInfo.

Follow the signs

Refrigerators and freezers are required to have the following signage.

• “Edible Food and Drink Only” or “Non-flammable/Non-explosive Solutions Only” signs should be placed on the outside of personal refrigerators and freezers. A sign stating “Unsafe for Flammable Storage” should also be present on the exterior surface of the unit.
• Explosion-proof refrigerators and freezers should have signage stating: “Safe for Flammable Storage.”
• Refrigerators and freezers storing radioactive materials must be clearly labeled: “Caution, Radioactive Material. No Food or Beverages May Be Stored in This Unit.”

Free safety signage print-outs can be found here.

More information

Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) provide information relative to the need for cooling or freezing chemicals for storage or extended life. Equally important is information provided on hazardous decomposition products produced over time. Additional information can be secured from manufacturers.

Submit questions regarding safety to Ken Roy at safersci@gmail.com or leave him a comment below. Follow Ken Roy on Twitter: @drroysafersci.

NSTA resources and safety issue papers
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How can you use 3D printers in your science classroom?
— S., Alabama

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects are the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about using 3D printers. You could have students design and fabricate parts for robots and other projects. There are many websites that share object files for printing difficult parts like battery holders, gears, chassis, and so on.

Other physics-related/STEM design ideas:

• Small cars for kinematics and dynamics experiments
• Catapults and trebuchets
• Wind generators: start with windmills then attach them to small electric motors.
• Pan flutes, recorders or whistles. Have students calculate lengths to get frequencies they want.
• Center of gravity: create objects that balance on a point.

For chemistry, students could create 3D representations of the abstract and unseen aspects of the atomic world. Before you print them, make sure you compare the cost to purchasing molecular kits. In time, you could build up your stock of models so all your students can have manipulatives. Some design ideas:

• Molecular models
• Bohr model representations with perhaps 3D orbitals
• s, p, d, f electron orbitals
• Small containers or coolers to minimize heat transfer.
• Prototype tools to handle simulated dangerous chemicals

A 3D printer can enhance students’ learning of a host of biochemicals, structures and functions in biology, such as DNA, enzymes, replication, transcription, translation, cell membranes, cells, nephrons, and hearts!

Hope this helps!

Introduction

The Go Direct Light and Color Sensor is a powerful and versatile light sensor that measures visible light, the ultraviolet electromagnetic spectrum, and does color analysis. As seen in the video, by using an RGB color sensor, the relative primary colors of light can be detected with this device.

As seen in Image 1., the Go Direct Light and Color connects wirelessly via Bluetooth® or wired via USB to your device, e.g., laptop, etc. Once connected, Vernier’s Go Direct Light and Color Sensor combines the power of multiple sensors to measure light intensity in the visible range and UV portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Another excellent benefit of the Go Direct Light and Color Sensor has multiple options to measure light intensity in the visible range and UV portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and can be used for the study of visible light intensity, UV light intensity, and color investigations. Moreover, the sensor connects to the Graphical Analysis 4 app, which facilitates student understanding with real-time graphs of experimental data and intuitive analysis tools.

What’s Included
• Go Direct Light and Color Sensor
• Micro USB Cable

Image 1. Go Direct Light and Color Sensor

Below are samples of how the sensor collects data using the sensor. As you can see in Image 2 and Image 3, the sensor collects data over time and measures Illumance (lux) at differing levels of intensity. Hence, Image 4 shows how descriptive statistics can be displayed from the measurements.

Image 2. Data for Low Illuminance (lux)

Image 3. Data for High Illuminance (lux)

Image 4. Descriptive Statistics

Description

Visible light sensor:
The fast sampling rate for the visible light sensor (1000 Hz) allows you to observe the flicker of fluorescent lamps.

Red, green, blue (RGB) color sensor:
Use the RGB sensor to determine the relative contribution of red, green, and blue light. A built-in white LED provides uniform illumination when the sensor is placed directly on a surface, reducing the effect of variable ambient light.

UV sensor:
Ideal for experiments using sunlight and UV lamps, the UV sensor responds well to ultraviolet radiation in the UVA and UVB spectrum.

The Go Direct Light and Color Sensor can be used in a variety of experiments:
• Explore light intensity as a function of distance.
• Conduct polarized filter studies.
• Observe the flicker of fluorescent lamps.
• Perform reflectivity studies, including color analysis.

Specifications

Visible Light Sensor:
• Wavelengths: 400–800 nm
• Range: 0 to 150,000 lux
• Maximum sampling rate: 1,000 samples/s
UV Sensor:
• Responsive to UVA and UVB wavelengths
• Maximum sampling rate: 1 Hz
RGB Sensor:
• Peak response: 615 nm peak (red); 525 nm peak (green); 465 nm peak (blue)
Maximum sampling rate: 0.5 Hz

Summary

The Vernier Go Direct Light and Color Sensor is perfect for educators who are using technology in the classroom. From our experience, this excellent sensor is user-friendly and enables students to use data collection and laboratory techniques with ease. Moreover, the device is reasonably priced ($79) and supports the NSES Standards for chemistry and physical science.

Price $79

Edwin P. Christmann is a professor and chairman of the secondary education department and graduate coordinator of the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Caitlin Baxter is a graduate student in the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

I’ve been teaching science for three years. My students seem to see science as an abstract subject and have trouble imagining it. How can I help my students appreciate the lessons more with limited time and resources?
—R., Philippines

I think the way to teach science with less abstraction is to ground your lessons in observable phenomena. Students build up knowledge and understanding by examining and investigating commonplace events. These don’t have to be expensive demonstrations—just simple, everyday observations, pictures or videos. There are many websites that provide these phenomenon and storylines to make just such learning happen. The NSTA Learning Center and NGSS Hub are excellent places to search for these. One example: A time-lapse video of tree shadows moving during the day can be a springboard to investigating the motion of planets. Case studies are similar to using phenomenon-based teaching and there are many websites that provide examples to use in science classrooms.

Inquiry projects allowing students to select their topics are another way for students to dive into a concept and demystify it. They will take ownership for their learning and it will be more meaningful to them.

Integrate the nature of science and how scientists think and work into your teaching. I think people disbelieve scientific claims and call them abstract because they don’t understand how scientists draw conclusions or the continual change inherent in the nature of scientific knowledge. Students should discover that science isn’t magical or arcane, it is hard work and conclusions based on the best evidence.

You can accomplish all these things with the smallest of budgets.

Keep it grounded. Keep it real. And, of course, keep it fun!

Hope this helps!

As academic institutions strive to create stimulating learning environments where students embrace the “sciences” to become critical thinkers and ecologically productive citizens, more and more employers are recognizing they have an essential role in helping to define qualified employees for the future workforce, but several steps in between need to happen in the educational system to help bring this new cadre of scientific literates to fruition.

School district leaders and campus administrators must take the helm and realize that science instruction must be a priority for a sustainable society. Because science understanding is not assessed as frequently as math and reading—and often left out of funding calculations—its importance has been woefully negated, and our workforce is suffering from lack of qualified science-literate candidates. Even more dismal is the rarity of science-literate candidates from underrepresented populations in the global schema. This is not just about ethnicity or low socioeconomic status, but also about access, now more than ever.

Although I continue to witness our society’s wavering commitment to the belief that all students are capable of science learning and pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), I also see teachers who want to reach all students regardless of race and seek professional development from organizations such as NSTA to improve their pedagogy. What I do not see is an influx of campus administrators seeking opportunities to develop their capacity in science education to support their teachers.

As educators and humans in general, we tend to focus on and assist in areas in which we are strong, confident, and successful. When math or science is discussed, the common comments are “I was not good at that,” or “Those subjects scare me.” Many adults believe science and math are difficult subjects and transfer those beliefs to their children at an early age, inadvertently laying the foundation for barriers for their children. Combined with the negative reinforcement of little or poor experiences with science engagement, they are creating a formula for STEM evasion.

We need what I call “Administrators of Advocacy” to join the charge of science for all. This initiative can only happen by changing the mindset around STEM implementation, integration, and involvement. STEM is not just about exposing students to science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM equates to the enhancement of our students’ skills when these disciplines are practiced:

Science = Critical Thinking
Technology = Engagement
Engineering = Application
Math = Processing

I hope every teacher strives to help their students acquire these attributes. I believe this goal is attainable if campus administrators don’t hide from their own fears of science education.

Administrators of Advocacy can

• Support teachers with funding for supplies and by providing a safe environment to conduct activities.

• Take interest in the science classroom. The constant emphasis on math and reading devalues other subjects. Science can enhance all the learning skills students need to develop. With emphasis on nonfiction reading, writing, problem solving, and critical thinking, along with the use of technology to engage students, a focus on science can increase student achievement.

• Empower teachers to take risks in the classroom. This is vital because opportunities “for all” come with exposure. A science-competent mindset is necessary if we want all students to experience science education. There should be no boundaries to learning based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or gender. All children are curious, and it is up to administrators and teachers to keep their inquisitiveness alive.

• Monitor for good science instruction. If teachers realize that administrators expect hands-on activities and opportunities for inquiry, then they are more likely to present all students with a rigorous curriculum of fundamental science understanding that will help all of our students excel in academia and the workforce.

So let us as administrators exert ourselves fully to establish opportunities for our teachers to help students strive to excel in science education, once and “for all.”

Sharon Delesbore, PhD, is a campus administrator at the Ferndell Henry Center for Learning in the Fort Bend Independent School District in Sugar Land, Texas. As an avid science advocate, Delesbore serves as president of the Association for Multicultural Science Education and chair of NSTA’s Alliance of Affiliates.

This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association. Each month, NSTA members receive NSTA Reports, featuring news on science education, the association, and more. Not a member? Learn how NSTA can help you become the best science teacher you can be.

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

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