JoinAll Resources
Journal Article
Editor's Corner: Evolving Standards
The Science Teacher’s editor shares thoughts on the current issue....
Journal Article
Research and Teaching: Silent Students' Participation in a Large Active Learning Science Classroom
This study aims to understand the impact of active learning on silent students in a large general chemistry course taught via Socratic questioning and discussion "clicker" questions....
Journal Article
The Green Room: Saving Our Soils
This column focuses on making your teaching more environmentally friendly. This month’s issue disscusses the importance of fertile and arable soil....
Book Chapter
This sample from, What Does an Animal Eat? offers insights into two special aspects of hungry animals: how their teeth and beaks offer clues about what they eat and how the food chain helps make sure there’s enough for all. ...
NSTA Kids
This book tells the amazing story behind seashells: how they are made by mollusks, used for protection and camouflage, and full of clues about all they’ve been through. Inspired by Next Time You See a Seashell, young readers will find these intrica...
NSTA Press Book
Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers: Using Nonfiction to Promote Science Literacy, Grades 3–5
Winner of the Distinguished Achievement Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers!...
By Jessica Fries-Gaither, Terry Shiverdecker
Book Chapter
The Science-Literacy Connection
There has been much talk about integrating science and literacy instruction in recent years. Why this focus, particularly in the elementary classroom? One very practical reason is to make time in a crowded curriculum. Teachers are confronted with the...
Book Chapter
In this chapter, the class works to answer the question, What are the characteristics of trees? Each group of students in the class selects a type of tree to investigate, such as oak, ash, or maple, and then answers the subquestion, “What are the c...
Book Chapter
In this chapter, students work to answer the question, How does the shape of a bird’s wing affect its flight? Students first investigate how factors such as wing length and shape affect the takeoff and flight of a paper airplane. They use this info...
Book Chapter
Drip Drop Detectives: Exposing The Water Cycle
Throughout the inquiry, in this chapter, students play the role of scientists who are investigating the question, How can a drop of water travel around the world? Students examine the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, infiltration, and transpir...
Book Chapter
This chapter invites students to assume the role of paleontologists in a simulated dig in order to answer the question, What can we learn from studying fossils? Correspondence with a mysterious (fictional) paleontologist and the reading of informatio...
Book Chapter
Inquiry And The Learning Cycle
Inquiry instruction combines the teaching of scientific content with the development of scientific practices. Inquiry-based instruction has five essential features that occur along an inquiry continuum. In this chapter, the authors review the five fe...
Book Chapter
Authentic And Relevant Literacy Experiences In Inquiry
In this chapter, the authors explain the layout of the units in the book. The authors integrated inquiry and literacy in learning cycle units in authentic and relevant ways. Through these units students have opportunities to develop scientific conten...
Book Chapter
The rewards of creating nonfiction text sets are great for both teachers and students. Teachers the authors have worked with say that this approach has increased their understanding of nonfiction text and enhanced their awareness of the great diversi...
Book Chapter
Getting Started With The Inquiry Units
It is always exciting to try something new in your classroom, but we know it can also be challenging. Step one is, of course, to read the unit beginning to end. In the chapter, the authors provide some things to think about as you prepare to teach th...
Book Chapter
In this chapter, students work to answer two testable questions: Who can become a scientist? and What do scientists do? Students learn about the lives and work of eight scientists: John James Audubon, Charles William Beebe (known as William Beebe), R...
Book Chapter
Through the inquiry in this chapter, students work to answer the question, How does measurement help us know about the world? The focus of the inquiry is what measurement can tell us. A scavenger hunt helps students learn to use measurement to descri...
Book Chapter
Minds-On Matter: Phase Changes And Physical Properties
In this inquiry, students work to answer the question, How do the physical properties of a material change during phase changes? Students observe and measure physical properties of solids, liquids, and gases. They also measure the changes in temperat...
Book Chapter
Classroom Curling: Exploring Forces and Motion
Through the inquiry, in this chapter, students work to answer the question, What happens to the motion of a slider when different forces are applied? Teams of students play a game of “classroom curling”—a loose adaptation of the sport of curlin...
eBook
Winner of the Distinguished Achievement Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers!...
eBook
What Makes Different Sounds?: I Wonder Why (e-book)
On their walk home from school, twins Jane and Jim explore why sounds can be startling (like sirens), soothing (like music), or mysterious (like eerie creaking in an empty house). By coming along, young readers of What Makes Different Sounds? can lea...
eBook
Next Time You See a Sunset (e-book)
An Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12!Winner of the REVERE Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers!...
NSTA Kids
Celebrate imagination! This NSTA Kids book has been selected for the Children’s Book Council #ImaginationCelebration Showcase! Full book list: Imagination Celebration Showcase Named an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12! Winne...
NSTA Kids
What Can an Animal Do?: I Wonder Why
This lively book proves that an animal can do all kinds of things! It encourages children to notice the characteristics and behavior of a world of different creatures: from gnawing, swimming beavers to spinning, climbing spiders to hopping, baby-toti...
NSTA Kids
How Tall Was Milton?: I Wonder Why
In this funny fairy tale, it takes a village to figure out the height of Milton the friendly giant. The townspeople’s attempts to gauge just how big he is will entertain young readers as they learn the importance of standard units of measurement. H...
NSTA Kids
How Does a Plant Grow?: I Wonder Why
Children don’t have to be botanists-in-training to discover the message of this book: “All plants are interesting. Even the weeds.” Young readers are sure to be intrigued by the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and functions in flowers, fruit tre...
eBook
How Does a Plant Grow?: I Wonder Why (e-book)
Children don’t have to be botanists-in-training to discover the message of this book: “All plants are interesting. Even the weeds.” Young readers are sure to be intrigued by the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and functions in flowers, fruit tre...
eBook
How Tall Was Milton?: I Wonder Why (e-book)
In this funny fairy tale, it takes a village to figure out the height of Milton the friendly giant. The townspeople’s attempts to gauge just how big he is will entertain young readers as they learn the importance of standard units of measurement. H...
NSTA Kids
Next Time You See a Sunset (Hardcover)
Named an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12!Winner of the REVERE Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers! “Next time you see a sunset, stop and sit down for a while.” This book’s tempting openi...
Book Chapter
Introduction to Safety in Science
This sample chapter provides an overview of general safety practices for the classroom. Topics discussed are Making Adjustments for Mobility- Impaired Students, Laboratory Safety: Welcome Aboard!, Good-Bye MSDS, Hello SDS! Yes, NSTA’s Portal Into t...
Book Chapter
Beaks And Biomes: Understanding Adaptation In Migrating Organisms
In this chapter students conduct direct and indirect investigations to answer the question, How is the sanderling adapted to survive in two different environments? The unit focuses on the sanderling, a shorebird that migrates from warm, sunny beaches...
Book Chapter
Inquiry Into the Heart of a Comet
Wouldn’t it be thrilling to emulate a real life model of science in action in classrooms? How? By starting with a great, hands-on activity modeling an object in space that introduces both key vocabulary and science concepts with visuals to support ...
Book Chapter
Sunsets are some of the most beautiful sights in nature. You might hear people say, “The Sun is ‘going down,’” but that’s not what is actually happening. Have you ever wondered what’s really going on? This sample chapter gives you just a...