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Book Chapter
This activity is for comparing and grinding fresh and dried corn. Let children handle the dried and fresh corncobs and talk about what they see and feel. Give children time to explore and then put all the dried kernels in one bowl to soak in water ov...
Book Chapter
This activity is for using a variety of seeds to make a collage or wreath. Have the children help you begin saving seeds from fruits and vegetables and also from the plants around the schoolyard. Observe which seeds children seem to be most intereste...
Book Chapter
Pondering Pumpkins: The Outsides
This activity is for investigating the exterior of pumpkins. Select a few pumpkins of different sizes for small groups of children to observe and compare. Give the children time to look at and touch the pumpkins and then challenge them to figure out ...
Book Chapter
Pondering Pumpkins: The Insides
This activity is for investigating the insides of pumpkins. After finding out what children think the insides of pumpkins are like carefully cut the pumpkins in half horizontally around the middle. After their observation, ask the children to share w...
Book Chapter
This activity is about finding interesting objects in nature to make into a bracelet. Give children a bracelet by placing a piece of masking tape around the wrist, sticky side out. Then take a nature walk so they can make “nature bracelets” by pi...
Book Chapter
This activity is about looking for weeds when taking children on a walk. When back in the classroom, have them observe the weeds they pulled and put in their bags. Then have them tape all the weeds together on a big piece of paper to display with a h...
Book Chapter
This activity is about going for a walk to look for animals in the neighborhood. Encourage children to talk about how animals look, how they move, and what they eat and make a list on chart paper of all the animals they remember seeing. As a fun foll...
Book Chapter
This activity is about making observations of a tree over time. Choose a tree that is near the school and one that changes through the year. A deciduous tree—one that loses its leaves—makes the best subject. Visit the tree and repeat this activit...
Book Chapter
This activity is about visiting a nursery to observe plants, flowers, and trees. Encourage them to look for many different colors, shapes, and smells. If possible, bring back plants from the nursery for children to plant at school or to take home. ...
Book Chapter
This activity is about putting pieces of a branch together to make a whole branch. Take the children for a walk and encourage them to observe trees, with focus on the trunk and branches. Then show them the branch puzzles and challenge them to put a p...
Book Chapter
This activity is about exploring the shapes, sizes, and colors of fall leaves. Take the children on a walk to collect leaves and challenge them to find something interesting about the leaves. Back in the classroom, have them sort the leaves in differ...
eBook
Supporting Emergent Multilingual Learners in Science, Grades 7–12 (e-book)
Many middle and high school teachers are educated to teach science content—they don’t anticipate that one day they may be teaching it to students who need to learn both content and English. If the day has come when you’re facing that two-pronge...
NSTA Kids
This book will get young readers buzzing about bees! Next Time You See a Bee reveals the big impact these little insects have on the world. It shows how the physical features of bees make them pros at collecting and spreading pollen. It explains how ...
NSTA Kids
Next Time You See a Bee (Hardcover)
This book will get young readers buzzing about bees! Next Time You See a Bee reveals the big impact these little insects have on the world. It shows how the physical features of bees make them pros at collecting and spreading pollen. It explains how ...
eBook
A Head Start on Science, Second Edition: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder (e-book)
Imagine what fun it could be for 3- to 7-year-olds to engage in a game of Prism Play or Magnetic Scavenger Hunt or Where Did the Shadows Go? Then imagine how convenient it would be for you if such activities came with the connections, standards, and ...
eBook
Have you been wanting to probe your students’ thinking about major concepts in matter and energy? Have you been wishing for formative assessment tools in both English and Spanish? Then this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Like the other ...
eBook
Discovery Engineering in Physical Science: Case Studies for Grades 6–12 ( e-book)
Who knew that gecko feet inspired scientists to develop a stickier adhesive or that cockleburs in dog fur led to the invention of Velcro? Discovery Engineering in Physical Science uses these and other surprising cases of innovations sparked by accide...
Virtual Conference
Archive: English Learners in STEM Subjects, May 4, 2019
English learners (ELs) bring a wealth of ideas, perspectives, and solutions to STEM education. However, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2018), the nearly 5 million students classified as ELs i...
eBook
Understanding Climate Change, Grades 7–12 (e-book)
Get help teaching one of the hottest topics in science with Understanding Climate Change, Grades 7–12. This nine-session module is written to be practical and accessible. It provides both extensive background and step-by-step instructions for using...
Journal
Connected Science Learning April-June 2019
Volume 1, Issue 10 Serving Youth With Special Needs ...
Journal Article
In this discussion, Field Editor Beth Murphy, NSTA Executive Director David Evans, and ASTC President and CEO Cristin Dorgelo discuss the origins of Connected Science Learning, and what’s next for the journal. The conversation has been edited for...
By Beth Murphy, David L. Evans, and Cristin Dorgelo
Journal Article
“It was a perfect day. I was impressed with the students’ curiosity, questions, and seriousness about volcanic rocks and how engaged and focused they were for the entire day,” said American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) scientist and curator...
By Cristina Trowbridge
Journal Article
Students with special needs traditionally have fewer opportunities to engage in hands-on learning during science class (Melber and Brown 2008). The reasons for this vary, but typically stem from teacher misconceptions about the types of activities ...
By Brent Gilles, Tim Hawig, Ashley Sutton, and Stacey Britton
Journal Article
Bold innovations in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Brilliant hacks for the digital divide. Breakthroughs in maternal health care to reduce infant mortality....
By Linda Kekelis
NSTA Press Book
Discovery Engineering in Physical Science: Case Studies for Grades 6–12
Who knew that gecko feet inspired scientists to develop a stickier adhesive or that cockleburs in dog fur led to the invention of Velcro? Discovery Engineering in Physical Science uses these and other surprising cases of innovations sparked by accide...
By M. Gail Jones, Elysa Corin, Megan Ennes, Emily Cayton, Gina Childers
Book Chapter
This case study deals with how advancements in science and engineering are often unexpected yet lead to valuable applications. In this lesson, students explore a metal that can be bent and, when lightly heated, “remembers” and springs back into i...
Book Chapter
Harnessing the Color of Nature
In this lesson, students explore how certain organisms, including some plant and animal species, display beautiful iridescent colors when light interacts with nanoscale structures on their surfaces. The activity on structural color and iridescence w...
Book Chapter
This case study features a summary of the history of artificial dye. In this lesson, students learn how artificial dye was accidentally discovered and subsequently used in new applications. They examine indicators as a way to test pH levels and a...
Book Chapter
This case study features a summary of how new products were made to mimic shark skin. In this lesson, students will learn about shark skin and bacteria and a product developed to mimic shark skin. They will focus on how this material was developed ...
Book Chapter
This case study features a summary of an adhesive developed using the same principles as those used by gecko feet. In this lesson, students explore Gecko Feet Adhesives. Geckos are able to hang by one toe from a smooth surface and researchers have ...
Book Chapter
This case study contains a summary of a study on seahorse tails. In this lesson, students consider how researchers studied seahorse tails and then they work together to think of new ways in which the structure can be used to solve real-life problem...
Book Chapter
This case study provides a summary of the history of Corn Flakes. In the lesson, students explore the history of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and the applications of corn-based products that can provide food and energy sources for human consumption. The d...
Book Chapter
Get Fired Up With Friction Lights
This case study provides a summary of the history and science of matches. In the lesson, students consider how matches were discovered and work together to think about new applications for matches to solve real-life problems. Matches, also called f...
Book Chapter
This case study provides a summary of the discovery and history of plastics. Students consider how plastic was discovered and work together to think about new applications for plastic to solve real-life problems. They explore plastics that are not ...