All Resources

Journal Article

There’s a Zoo in Our Room!

Creating opportunities for children to learn about animal characteristics enhances a life science unit....

Journal Article

Growing Plants and Minds

Using digital tools to support preschool science learning...

Journal Article

Scaly, Slimy Fun in Prekindergarten

Preparing for the Next Generation Science Standards with local “herps”...

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Planting Deeper

Outdoor experiences challenge children’s misconceptions about the needs of plants....

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How Do Plants and Animals Prepare for Winter?

Local resources support an outdoor inquiry-based project....

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Guest Editorial: How to Integrate STEM Into Early Childhood Education

An opinion piece highlighting excerpts from the new report STEM Starts Early: Grounding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in Early Childhood, co-published by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and New America....

Early Childhood General Science STEM Lesson Plans Teaching Strategies

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Editor's Note: Revisiting the Framework: A Clear Pathway

Science and Children’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....

Elementary NGSS Performance Expectations Teaching Strategies

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Early Years: What Other Colors Can Bean Seeds Be?

This column discusses resources and science topics related to students in grades preK to 2. In this month’s issue students design a planting system to explore what seeds need to germinate (sprout) and grow into plants....

Early Childhood Elementary Life Science Science and Engineering Practices

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Formative Assessment Probes: Uncovering Young Children’s Concept of a Plant

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month’s issue uses the “Is It a Plant?” formative assessment probe, which was developed to elicit primary students’ initial ideas about plants and the characteristics they us...

Early Childhood Elementary Biology Assessment

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Teaching Through Trade Books: Animal Parents and Their Offspring

This column includes activities inspired by children’s literature. The activities in this month’s column use text-based materials, media, and role-playing activities to help students understand how animal behavior helps offspring survive....

Early Childhood Elementary

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The Poetry of Science: Science in the Garden

Building literacy in playful, meaningful ways. This month's issue explores pollination....

Elementary General Science Lesson Plans Teaching Strategies Literacy

Journal Article

Science 101: How Do Amphibians Breathe?

This column provides background science information for elementary teachers. This month’s issue discusses how all animals breathe, including amphibians....

Elementary Middle School Biology Life Science Professional Learning old

Journal Article

Science 102: This Month’s Task: Bouncy Ball

This column shares exercises to challenge content knowledge. This month's issue presents a new challenge and answers the Area of a Circle Conundrum challenge from last month....

Elementary High School Middle School Physical Science Inquiry Phenomena

Journal Article

Teaching Teachers: Inquiry in Inclusive Preschools

This column enhances the repertoire of preservice and inservice teachers. Preparing preservice teachers to plan and implement physical science learning centers ...

Early Childhood Inclusion Inquiry Physical Science Teacher Preparation

Journal Article

Engineering Encounters: The Paper Airplane Challenge

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. In this month's issue students learn about variables and trials while designing an investigation....

Elementary Physical Science STEM 5E Multilingual Learners

Journal Article

Methods and Strategies: Formative Assessment Practices to Support Students who Struggle in Science

This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month’s issue highlights how formative assessment activities support instructional shifts, of three Indiana Science Initiative (ISI) teachers....

Elementary General Science Assessment

Journal Article

Empowering Sixth-Grade Students Through a Climate Change Lesson

Can a single human impact the planet’s climate?...

Journal Article

Climate Change, Photosynthesis, and Misleading Information: Navigating Critical Thinking and Scientific Reasoning in the Classrooom

Do plants benefit from increased levels of CO2?...

Journal Article

Looking Backward, Looking Forward

Expand students’ understanding of climate and climate change through an exploration of the geologic record. ...

Journal Article

Using Packrat Midden Models to Investigate Climate Variability

Explore past climates with these unique natural archives....

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The Seabird Mystery Lesson: Integrating Science Inquiry and Science Literacy

Can your students explain why auklets are dying?...

Journal Article

A Gassy World: A Climate Change Investigation

Will warming oceans be better or worse at absorbing CO2?...

Journal Article

Integrating Technology: Lens on Climate Change: Using Place-Based Learning to Explore Climate Change Effects

This column shares how teachers use technology for assessment, student learning, or classroom management. This article describes a student-driven approach to learning and communicating about climate change, in which students create a short, document...

Journal Article

From the Editor's Desk: Tackling the Complex Issue of Climate Change

Science Scope’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....

Journal Article

Citizen Science: Be a Bat Detective!

This column highlights formal and informal science research projects that students can join and contribute to by gathering and sharing data. Students classify bat calls by listening to short clips of sound recordings online....

Journal Article

Disequilibrium: Measuring Our Rising Sea Levels

This column shows how to use discrepant events to confront misconceptions. Does the melting Antarctica ice cause sea levels to rise more than melting Arctic ice? This month’s discrepant event answers this question....

Journal Article

Listserv Roundup: Growth Mindset in the Classroom

This column shares recent conversations taken from the NSTA listserv community about current science education topics. This month's column provides tips that can help teachers promote a community of growth mindset learners in the classroom....

Journal Article

Science For All: Self-Improvement Through Goal Setting

This column shares strategies for increasing student engagement. In September's column, the authors discussed the importance of grit and how you can help your students become grittier throughout the school year. In addition to the suggestions we gave...

Journal Article

Teacher to Teacher: Vote, Discuss, Revote: A Formative Assessment Classroom Technique

This column provides practical advice from your peers. Formative Assessment Classroom Techniques, or FACTS, allow teachers to assess student thinking. This article discusses the Vote-Discuss-Revote (VDR) FACT. VDR provides students with a question o...

Journal Article

Scope on the Skies: A Candle in Space

This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue discusses the challenges of measuring distances to celestial objects....

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Is the Climate Changing Where We Live?

Using data to investigate local climate change....

Journal Article

Using Models to Understand Sea Level Rise

A novel way to learn about science content and the practice of modeling....

Journal Article

From Global to Local

Connecting global climate change to a local ecosystem using a socioscientific issue approach....

Journal Article

What’s Inside a Termite’s Gut?

Exploring endosymbiosis, osmosis, and homeostasis....

Journal Article

How Quickly Do They React?

Students conduct ruler-drop tests to determine their peers’ reaction times....

Journal Article

Editor's Corner: Hot Topic

The Science Teacher’s editor shares thoughts on the current issue....

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Commentary: Why the Scientific Consensus on Climate Change Matters for Science Education

An opinion piece about what scientific consensus on climate change actually means....

Journal Article

Science 2.0: Teaching the Facts About Climate Change

This column shares web tools that support learning. This month’s issue discusses the need for teachers to ensure that students learn the scientific facts about climate change, absent of bias and assumption....

Journal Article

Focus on Physics: The Ever-Present Atmospheric Pressure

This column helps teachers build an understanding of physical principles. In this issue atmospheric pressure is explained....

Journal Article

Career of the Month: Climate Scientist

This column shares interviews with professionals using science in the workplace. This month’s issue describes Melissa Allen's career path to becoming a climate scientist....