Was there ever a time when a one-size-fits-all approach to science instruction was appropriate? In the past, it seems that some students were systematically excluded from an expectation of success in the sciences – those with cognitive or physical disabilities, those who did not speak English, or those who did not appear to have the intellectual or reading levels that were thought to be important. Fortunately for our students, we now have many alternative strategies to help all students learn concepts and skills in science.
Having hands-on, collaborative experiences is essential for all students. The article Increasing the Drive of Your Physics Class describes a project in which novice engineers (i.e., students!) design, build, and test paper cars, not just by trial and error but by developing an understanding of the principles. The article has a SciLinks connection with the topic “Roller Coaster Physics” (use TST030802 as the keyword). Most of these have students design a coaster through online simulations. While this is very enjoyable, most of these sites would require the teacher to help students understand and apply the physical principals of force and motion. Wouldn’t these be great to use with a Smart Board and have teams of students contribute their ideas? In Roller Coaster from the Amusement Park Physics site (does anyone use the term “Amusement” Parks anymore?), students design a coaster via a simulation with explanations of physical principles. The Funderstanding Roller Coaster has a description of some of the physics principles and students must include variables such as gravity in their design. Roller Coaster Physics is an animation showing the physics principles in the various part of a coaster. Roller Coasters and Amusement Park Physics doesn’t have a simulation, but it does have an in-depth discussion of physical principles. This would be a good supplement to the other sites, especially to Build Your Own Coaster, which is fun to explore but does not have any explanations or suggestions.
Two other articles this month, “Helping Students with Learning Disabilities Succeed” and “Sounds Like Success: A Framework for Equitable Assessment,” address the needs of students with learning disabilities and those who are English language learners. As I looked at the suggestions for assisting these students, I have to wonder why we don’t use some of these instruction and assessment strategies with all students? Wouldn’t all students benefit from having advance organizers, focused vocabulary, clearly stated assessment items, and themes or explicitly stated goals for a unit of instruction? I’m currently working on another project that is based on the work of Robert Marzano and the book Classsroom Instruction That Works by Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock. (This is available from Amazon or from the bookstore of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The book describes research-based strategies that have been shown to help all students. On the web, you can find a summary of the strategies or the study guide. I can really recommend this book and the companion handbook if you would like more information on strategies that work.
The assessment article has a SciLinks connection with the topic “Assessment Strategies” (use TST030801 as the keyword). You’ll see that many of the websites there also deal with reading and writing in science, which many students need help with.

You’ve heard the old saying that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. In the case of the NSTA Boston National Conference, when the city is ready, thousands of teachers will appear!
This student is ready to absorb as much science education as my brain can hold–and to get “up close and personal” with the teachers for whom I write articles and assist with queries. It always energizes me to meet you in person and to witness your professional development in the sessions I attend. I return home wishing I could be in school again with you as my science teacher and with all of the wonderful teaching tools now available.
If you happen to see me—or any NSTA staff member, for that matter—please feel free to let us know how we can help you be the best educator you can be.

Our science department meetings were interesting. My colleague and I taught life and environmental science, and our counterparts in the high school sciences would poke (good-natured) fun at our “woodsy-birdsy” themes. Well, I hope they’re reading this month’s issue. The article “Back to the Future” really spoke to me. It’s scary to know that our students spend less time in the outdoors in favor of other diversions. And we don’t help matters by building schools without windows and yards and by trying to “cover” as many facts as we can instead of going beyond the facts in authentic investigations.
The articles Ecological Field Studies and Place-Based Investigations and Authentic Inquiry describe authentic investigations that don’t necessary involve a lot of travel. One question my students investigated dealt with the effects of lawn chemicals on the diversity of lawn plants and the critters that live in the soil. For those students who didn’t have a lawn of their own, we used the grass in front of the school for their samples (the principal was not thrilled, but he got over it). Our class motto soon became “It’s not just a yard – it’s an ecosystem.” I don’t have all of the documentation anymore for this activity, but if you contact me via a comment, I can share an outline of the investigation. For more on ecosystems, go to Scilinks and enter the term ecosytem or the Keyword TST020801 for sites related to Ecology.
Yellowstone is a place I think we’d all like to study. The 1988 Fires in Yellowstone article describes a new web resource The Greater Yellowstone Science Learning Center and includes a poster about the park and the wildfires. This is a wonderful website that’s worth taking a look at. Not being a creative bulletin board person, I really like this kind of poster as a source of information to stimulate student interest and discussion. For more resources on wildfires in general, go to SciLinks and enter wildfire as a keyword.
It’s spring and time for field trips (at least for those schools that still have field trips – another topic for another time!). Most of us want these to be learning experiences, rather than just letting kids loose on unsuspecting guides and docents at zoos, museums, and gardens. And so we see the “scavenger hunt” lists which students use in a race to gather trivial information (name three frogs that live in the rain forest). While I must confess that I’ve used these, I’m excited about how the students in the article It’s a Zoo Out There used their time at the zoo to conduct a real behavioral study of a particular animal and present their findings. What impressed me was the fact that the teacher took time before the study started to model and provide guided practice in observing animal behavior. I wonder if this is the missing link – the scaffolding that many students need, not because they are slow or unmotivated but because they just don’t have the experience we think they should have. It seems like a few sessions of modeling, “think aloud,” and practice will pay off in positive experiences.
With all this reading about nature and field studies, I’m going out for a walk!

I’ve been attending NSTA conferences off and on since the early 1980s. But this year, since I’ve retooled (rather than retired!), I don’t have to report back to a district on specific topics, and I’m taking a break from doing presentations. I’m a free agent!
Conferences are rejuvenating. It’s exciting to be surrounded by thousands of folks who share similar interests, and there is so much to learn, both formally at sessions and informally through meeting other people. But it’s hard to get to conferences, especially if it’s on the opposite coast and travel expenses are high. This time of March could also be the testing window for state assessments, and I know it’s hard to get good substitutes (or any substitutes at all in some cases).
But here’s an offer you can’t refuse. Since I am a free agent, I can plan my own conference schedule. If you can’t make the conference, but there are hot topics you’d like to suggest, let me know and I’ll focus my energies on a few of them and report back through this conference blog site, with session summaries and resources. Just add your suggestions through a comment below!

I’ll give Tyson credit – he spelled my last name correctly (no mean feat) and South Jersey includes the shore, so close enough.
I joined the NSTA staff only a few months ago, so I am looking forward to my first National Conference in Boston. As a first-timer, I hope to share this perspective with all of you.