As Director of Distance Learning for University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum of Natural history, each year Chris Tower created and provided professional development for more than 300 teachers throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin via two distance–learning, cross-curricular science programs: the JASON Project and BellLive.

In his current position, he has established a service-learning water quality study for fourth grade; designed and collaborated with students, teachers, parents, the administration, the city, and businesses to create a rain garden and a community produce garden; presented garden programs to other districts’ teachers, parents, and community members; worked on district-level science review teams and wrote science curriculum for upper-elementary levels; and wrote STEM curriculum for Minnesota’s Department of Education. A school technology leader, he produces a live school wide newscast with students.

“His creativity and willingness to experiment and explore new opportunities energizes our community,” says his principal. His district’s elementary curriculum coordinator describes him as “a real champion of both science and service learning” who “enhances the traditional science curriculum by making meaningful connections for students, while asking them for ways to give back to the community.”

Tower’s winning lesson, The Community Garden Environment Lesson Plan, is aimed at 4th and 5th grade students. The interdisciplinary lesson includes connections to science, literacy, and math, and includes essential elements of Service-Learning. This lesson addresses the Minnesota Science Standards related to environments, living systems, and inquiry.

At the end of a unit, there are always students who haven’t completed some assignments. Coming in before or after school is not an option for most of my students. Rather than moving on to the next unit, knowing they’ll fall even further behind, I’d like to provide some class time for this make-up work. But I need some ideas for the other students who are caught up with their work.
—Tori, Pompano Beach, Florida
In an ideal world, all students would complete every assignment on time and no one would ever miss a class. Classes would never be delayed or cancelled because of weather or special events. The strategy of planning “transition time” between units of instruction, usually one or two class periods, worked for my classes. These periods allow time for students to

• Take the unit assessment if they missed it or re-take the test (if that is your policy).
• Revise or complete lab reports or other projects and assignments.
• Organize their notebooks or digital portfolios.

As you noted, you’ll need something for the rest of the students to do. Free time or a study hall is not a good use of a class period and can lead to misbehaviors and distractions. But there are options for activities summarizing or extending what students have learned or providing an opportunity for exploration and creativity:

• Do additional lab investigations or elaborate on ones they did. (This would require you to prepare the materials and monitor the students, however.)
• Engage in online simulations or explore websites related to the unit topic.
• Explore a new technology tool, simulation, or app. Even if you aren’t familiar with it yourself, students working in pairs or teams could figure it out and create a simple how-to resource or presentation to share with others.
• Play games reinforcing the unit vocabulary or reviewing terms from previous units. Or have students create their own vocabulary games.
• Create a multimedia guide or poster summarizing the key content and science practices in the unit. This can be used at the start of the unit the next time you teach it.
• Preview the content of the next unit and create a list of questions.

During the unit, you could ask students what topics they would like more time to explore and provide this time to do so. Even if all of the students are caught up with their assignments, they could enjoy having these activity choices .
While students are working, you could also use this time to conference with individual students, discussing their progress or reviewing their work.
Transition time also gives you an opportunity to organize materials and evaluate students’ work before going on to the next topic.
 
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomsaint/2987926396/

If you still have snow in your region, you may be looking for new ideas on how to use it to develop children’s understanding of concepts such as the properties of water including freezing and melting, and measuring. Observing weather patterns over time, classifying different kinds of materials by their observable properties (including water as solid ice and in liquid form), and making observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface are all part of the Performance Expectations and Disciplinary Core Ideas in the Next Generation Science Standards.
I hope some of these ideas will inspire you or become part of your class’s on-going investigation into weather or the properties of water:

• Build a person out of snow, and on every subsequent day, add another item to the sculpture. A hat, arms, eyes, and more. On the tenth day you add something (if the snow person hasn’t melted yet), read Denise Fleming’s The First Day of Winter.  As a group or individually, have children recall and draw the snowman in the story or the one they built, and all the accessories.
• As children watch snow falling, they can measure the size of the snowflakes. This measuring has to happen in very cold weather, or quickly before the flakes melt. Make a tool for estimating the size of a flake by drawing a 1 centimeter by 1 centimeter square grid on a dark sheet of paper with a white colored pencil. Put the paper outside for a few minutes before using it so it can become cold. When the snowflakes land, children can say if the snowflake covers a small part of a square, half of it, or all of it. Children can notice the variety of snowflake crystal shapes on the dark paper. As the flakes melt, children can observe the change to a liquid.
• Have children can fill a cup with loose scoops of snow and bring it inside to watch it melt. Have them measure the level of the snow in the cup using interlocking cubes or a standard measuring ruler. When the snow melts, children will be interested to see that the melted snow does not fill the cup. Measure the height of the water in the cup.
• Paint snow drifts and snowballs using liquid watercolor (dilute to save money) water and have children use a spray bottle or small dropper to create patterns and mix colors. Bring snow inside in a clear tub and have children use droppers for painting the snow, observing it as it melts.
• Children can look for marks made in snow and try to guess how they were made—footprints, bird wings, blowing leaves or dripping water? If they are footprints, what size animal made them?
• Children can make their own imprints in snow with feet, hands, elbows and heads, noticing how the snow compresses and the shapes they make.
• Read about how animals keep warm in winter in A Warm Winter Tail  by Carrie A. Pearson,illustrated by Christina Wald (Sylvan Dell 2012). Then use the activity, “What is Your Cold Count?,” from Thinking BIG Learning BIG (Gryphon House 2009) by Marie Faust Evitt, to model how a layer of fat can keep us warm.
• Take a walking fieldtrip and look for signs of frozen water, such as frost on a leaf or a frozen puddle.

The experiences of other educators can help us plan ahead for “anything” whether it is a dead animal or a beautiful ice crystal structure. How will you and the children approach your discoveries physically and intellectually? Get ideas from educators who blog about their experiences:

• Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth author Patty Born Selly blogged at Small Wonders about the time her children came upon a dead squirrel in winter.
• Read Nature for Kids blog about Shawna’s experience chaperoning her child’s  ice fishing fieldtrip or how shoveling snow turned into a building session for young architects on the Nature for Kids Network blog.
• Have your children set up and play “Ice Cube Hockey,” after viewing photos on Marie Faust Evitt’s post on the Gryphon House blog.
• Read Tamra Willis’ ideas on “10 Reasons to Take Your Students Outside” on the Children & Nature Network’s blog.

Whether snow is an everyday experience for your region in March, or an unusual one, you can share your teaching about snow or in snowy environments with others by commenting below.

As part of a science methods class, we’ve been assigned to create an observation tool to assess students. I’ve seen many articles and suggestions online for helping students become good observers and tools for administrators to use when observing teachers. But I haven’t seen much on teachers observing students. What can I assess by watching students?
—Kendra, Columbia, South Carolina
I would check with your instructor about the assignment. Did he or she provide any examples, guidelines, or a rubric? Could you model a type of data collection used in your methods class?
Teachers continuously observe students informally, scanning the classroom or watching students as they work. They often look for students who seem confused or engaged in off-task, unsafe, or disruptive behaviors, which is certainly important in a science class. It sounds like your task is to add to this observational “research” in a systematic and purposeful way.
Your question did bring back memories of my methods course when we were given a similar assignment. We were asked to design an assessment that did not require students to use pencil and paper. (This was long before the Internet and digital technology!)  I was puzzled at first, but then I created a protocol for observing students during a lab and assessing their ability to use a microscope. I made a table with a list of students’ names for each section, and across the top I listed several behaviors to look for that would let me know that students could use this tool appropriately (e.g., focus a prepared slide, create a wet mount slide, carry it back to the shelf safely, clean the lenses). I shared the expectations with the students, and as I circulated through room during a lab, I would check off the behaviors as I noted them. It did take a few lessons before all the students had check marks, and I had to specifically ask some students to show me what they could do. My instructor loved it!
As with any assessment, the value is not in just collecting the data but using the data to guide instruction or improve class activities. This data provided more information than a written test on parts of a microscope, and unsafe behaviors could be addressed immediately.

In the following years, I used this protocol for many other student observations. For example, during group work, I noted which students were the leaders/facilitators, the take-over types, the quiet observers who did contribute to the activity, or the ones left out of the process. I used this data to intervene where necessary or create lab teams for the next unit.
You could also study what kind of questions students ask during an activity: procedural (What are we supposed to do now?), confirmational (Are we doing this right?), off-task (May I use the restroom?), clarifying (I’m not sure about…), or extending (We’re wondering about… What would happen if…?) From this I learned to wait a few seconds before responding to students who asked a lot of procedural questions. Often they or their partners answered their own questions.
You can use an observation checklist to identify content skills or lab techniques (such as measuring or graphing) in which students are successful and those in which they may need additional guidance or instruction. Record your observations as you walk around while students are working independently or in groups. Spend a little time with each group to observe their work, ask a few questions, or provide any clarification. Rather than waiting for a written test, you can identify misconceptions or incomplete understandings right away.
I could see this protocol being adapted for a tablet or smart phone in place of my sheet of paper–you could also add photos of the students at work.
 
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/xevivarela/4610711363/sizes/o/in/photostream/
 

From lessons on writing in science class to exploring and debating socioscientific issues to translating NGSS for classroom instruction, take a look at what science teachers are reading in February on NSTA’s website.
Most Popular NSTA Press Books
1. Teaching Science Through Trade Books
2. It’s Debatable! Using Socioscientific Issues to Develop Scientific Literacy K-12
3. Science the “Write” Way
4. The Basics of Data Literacy: Helping Your Students (and You!) Make Sense of Data
5. Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 4: 25 New Formative Assessment Probes
 
Most Popular NSTA Press e-Books
1. Scientific Argumentation in Biology: 30 Classroom Activities
2. Designing Effective Science Instruction: What Works in Science Classroom
3. Predict, Observe, Explain: Activities Enhancing Scientific Understanding
4. Schoolyard Science: 101 Easy and Inexpensive Activities
5. Translating the NGSS for Classroom Instruction
 
Most Popular NSTA Journal Articles
1. Learning by Sorting (The Science Teacher)
2. Can You Picture That? (The Science Teacher)
3. Teaching Through Trade Books: The Science and Technology of Sound (Science and Children)
4. Career Simulations: Technology Tools That Support STEM Content and Motivation (Science Scope)
5. Do You Hear What I Hear? (Science and Children)
 
Most Popular Science Trade Books for Kids
1. What Makes Different Sounds?: I Wonder Why
2. Bubble Bubble
3. Next Time You See a Sunset
4. Spenser and the Rocks: I Wonder Why
5. Next Time You See a Pill Bug

In this month’s Reaching the Stakeholders section of the Leaders Letter, there is mention of a feature on NPR which raised the point about engagement of students in science in the classroom.  A follow up point about engaging students in science opportunities afterschool and at home was also posited – after all science does not only happen in school.  Science is all around us and part of our everyday life.  One of the featured resources mentioned was the training kit for families and community participants that was developed by the National Center for Quality Afterschool.
Their home page states “[t]he key goal of Engaging Families and Communities is to increase student achievement, aptitude, and interest in science by involving families in the learning process and making the most of community resources.”  Opportunities for students to engage in science through afterschool programs and community opportunities hopefully contribute to developing the love of science as well as the understanding of science in students. Local astronomy clubs, 4H programs, robotics clubs, and others provide these outreach opportunities for students to pursue an interest in a science topic.  There is even a Coalition for Science Afterschool that provides a searchable database which is designed to increase access to high-quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education beyond the classroom for youth and families across the nation.
While not every student will be able to participate in or attend the White House Science Fair, they can participate in local science fairs or junior academy of science presentations.  Organized as part of the American Junior Academy of Sciences, states offer opportunities for students to engage in science research.  Many local county or regional groups also have science fairs that go beyond the school day and walls.  As a Pennsylvanian, there are many different science fairs that are held throughout our state, one such being the Delaware Valley Science Fair which is also associated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
As a former middle school teacher, I remember spending many many (did I say many) hours afterschool working with our Science Olympiad Team preparing for events such as Road Rally, Get Your Bearing, Bridge Building, and other content focused and design focused events.  In full disclosure the names mentioned above may give away the years of participation as some of the names of these events have changed overtime. Science Olympiad is still going strong, celebrates its thirtieth year this year and offers opportunities for middle and high school competitions. States often have regional competitions and/or a statewide competition that leads to the nationals in the spring of each academic year.
While these are just two organized events that are offered for students to participate in science experiences, there are many other programs, events, and groups throughout the country that offer competitive opportunities or simply exploratory opportunities.  Teachers are often one of the best resources for potential suggestions to parents, community groups, and even individual students about where and how they can become engaged in science opportunities.  So, what recommendation would you add to the list for afterschool engagement opportunities?

A recent blog post “Whole Foods: America’s Temple of Pseudoscience” got me thinking about a topic of deep personal concern. As head of the National Science Teachers Association, one of my overarching goals is to improve science literacy in the United States—providing students with a solid science foundation so that they are better consumers of science and able to make informed decisions in both their personal and social lives. I’ll be speaking on this topic at SXSWedu next week (“Answering the Nation’s Call for Science Literacy”), so this blog post came at a particularly pertinent time.
The author posed the question: “It’s all pseudoscience—so why are some kinds of pseudoscience more equal than others?” We can’t express dismay when we hear that 26% of us think the Sun revolves around the Earth, while being comfortable with the fact that a growing number of us think that astrology is science. I myself see incredibly intelligent people, who would be quick to speak up against climate deniers and anti-evolutionists, accepting the outlandish promises offered by food labels. So, how do we combat a common, perhaps insidious, level of acceptance of pseudoscience in some aspects of daily living?
Science is a discipline, not a convenience store—you can’t pick and choose what you want when you want it and then go back for the staples later. As a science literacy advocate, I believe the best chance we have to promote good science is to build a fundamental understanding from the beginning. Last year scientists and educators came together to define a new path for education—the Next Generation Science Standards. These standards are built around the practices of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and interlinked to literacy and the arts. As we begin to implement these standards nationwide, teachers will have the tools they need to help students understand that just as we need to understand science to serve as good stewards of planetary health, so too must we understand science to keep our bodies healthy.