Natural Inquirer Resources

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has updated its Natural Inquirer website and now has a variety of new free resources available. These resources include the following.
•    Free hard copies of journals/monographs (for middle and high school) at https://naturalinquirer.org/products/journals-monographs/
•    Free hard copies of Readers (grades K–2) at https://naturalinquirer.org/resource-type/reader/
•    Free packs of scientist and engineer cards, as well as career cards, for upper-elementary through high school, at https://naturalinquirer.org/resource-type/collector-card-pack/
•    Virtual Learning Adventures for upper-elementary through high school at https://naturalinquirer.org/virtual-learning-adventures/
•    An Educator Blog for grades K–12 at https://naturalinquirer.org/educators/educator-blog/
•    Lesson plans for grades preK–12 at https://naturalinquirer.org/resource-type/lesson-plan/
•    Designing Your Own Study, for middle level and high school, at https://naturalinquirer.org/designing-your-own-study/

Solar System Scroll Lesson

Try this 5E model lesson from NASA’s Next Gen STEM Project to help students in grades 5–8 gain a more accurate understanding of the true scale of our solar system and the distance between planets. In the lesson, students predict the scale of our solar system and the distance between planets on a paper model, then check their answers using fractions. The lesson features videos from NASA’s eClips educational series and includes questions for teachers to guide students’ understandings and facilitate class discussion about the limits of scientific models.

How Meditation Helps Me Teach a Tricky Physics Concept

Physics can feel inscrutable to students, says high school physics and engineering teacher Liz MacLauchlan. Her cross-disciplinary lesson, which was featured in Edutopia, helps students understand a graphing problem by analyzing their own breathing. “This project gives me a way to teach social and emotional learning to students while still teaching cross-disciplinary content. We aren’t taking a random break to do meditation. We are meditating to learn physics and calculus,” she explains. 

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program

Through this program, preK–12 formal and informal educators and college/university instructors can join National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists aboard an ocean research vessel as a member of the science team. Teachers have sailed on NOAA surveys monitoring our nation’s fisheries, measuring physical and chemical ocean trends, and charting unknown regions of the seafloor. Participants return to their classrooms with firsthand accounts of what it’s like to live and work at sea, illustrated by photos, blogs, and lesson plans. Past Teachers at Sea have taught math, literature, history, social studies, art, and music in addition to science. Applications will be due on December 12.

ASM Materials Camp Summer Workshops

These week-long, hands-on lab experiences show educators how to use applied engineering techniques in their classroom. Educators work hands-on with metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, and develop a greater appreciation for the importance of these materials in modern life. Camps are offered across North America and virtually. 

The camp is free for attendees, and participants are eligible to receive four Continuing Education Units and can opt for two graduate-level credits if attending a camp in person. 

The camps are open to high school teachers of science (especially chemistry and physical science), engineering, and industrial/Career and Technical Education; middle school teachers of physical science; preservice science teachers; and math, community college, and art teachers as space allows. Camps for grades K–5 teachers are also listed at https://www.asmfoundation.org/teachers/camp-schedule/.

2026 Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award 

Nominations are open for the 2026 Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award (OUSTA), presented by the Society for College Science Teachers (SCST). The OUSTA recognizes the achievements of teachers who have enhanced the profession as outstanding teachers of science. This annual award is based upon a selection process that evaluates nominees according to the following ranked categories: 1) teaching excellence; 2) scholarship; and 3) service. The award includes a cash award, membership in SCST, and the opportunity to present at SCST’s Virtual Poster Symposium.

A nominee need not be an SCST member. Nominations may be made by colleagues or students, and self-nominations are also encouraged. You can send names of potential nominees/applicants to Haney@geosci.msstate.edu. SCST will follow up with everyone to provide further materials and details about the application process. SCST also wants to hear from you if you are considering self-nomination so they can guide you through the process. Apply by December 31.