Science Scope

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Read Science Scope, NSTA's award-winning, peer-reviewed practitioner journal for middle level and junior high school science teachers. All articles are published by our trusted partner, Taylor & Francis—bringing your work to a global audience through one of the world’s leading academic publishers. NSTA members enjoy access to all five NSTA journals, making it easier than ever to discover trusted research, innovative ideas, and valuable resources in science education.

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Online Supplementary Files (2010-2021)

Featured Issue

High-Quality Instructional Materials

July/August 2026

Volume 49, Issue 4

HQIM is not a panacea; no curriculum can replace teachers. When implemented thoughtfully and intentionally, HQIM can support our students via their coherence, rigor, and accessibility for all while allowing teachers to focus on teaching, rather than on creating.

Table of Contents

Open Access Articles:

Modeling Large-Scale Weather with Rotating Tank Experiments
Climate Bingo: An Immersive, Interactive Introduction to Climate Science
An Onramp to Data Science in the Science Classroom
Moving Learners from Data Skills to Data Inquiry with Messy Data
More Than a Sprinkle: Elevating Multiple Perspectives in a Unit Exploring Coasts and Coastal Change in Hawai'i

Science Scope July-August cover March-April 2026 cover

Latest Issues

May/June 2026

Earth Science Experiences

March/April 2026

Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom

January/February 2026

Data Science for Science Education: Exemplars for K-12 Teaching and Learning

November/December 2025

Life Science Experiences

September/October 2025

Maker Movement and Engineering

July/August 2025

Outside the Classroom

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Science Scope—November/December 2024

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Middle School Assessment Three-Dimensional Learning

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Science Scope—January/February 2024

Middle School Sensemaking Teaching Strategies

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Science Scope—Fall 2023

Special Double Issue—Fall 2023Cultivating Collaboration...

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Science Scope—July/August 2023

Volume 46, Number 6 Eclipses Across America Two wonderful teachable celestial events will occur during this school year in North America, allowing plenty of time to plan. A solar eclipse “double-header” occurs on Saturday, October 14, 202...

Astronomy Earth & Space Science

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Science Scope—May/June 2023

Volume 46, Number 5 May/June 2023 Exploring Real-World Problems Engaging middle school students in the exploration of real-world problems, particularly those that require engineering, can not only garner student engagement, but also put st...

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Science Scope—March/April 2023

Volume 46, Number 4March/April 2023Earth and Human ActivityThis issue of Science Scope includes articles that address the impact of humans on the Earth, overconsumption of natural resources, and how natural events—such as volcanoes—shape the deci...

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Science Scope—January/February 2023

Volume 46, Number 3 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics A healthy ecosystem can be defined as one that “has the ability to maintain its structure and function over time in the face of external stress.” Managing ecosystems in...

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Science Scope—November/December 2022

November/December 2022 Volume 46, Number 2 Three-Dimensional Learning The  Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for three-dimensional learning, or the intentional integration of disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), crosscutting co...

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Science Scope—September/October 2022

Volume 46, Number 1 Dynamic Earth ...

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Science Scope—July/August 2022

Volume 45, Number 6 Energy is a cross-disciplinary subject that extends far beyond the natural sciences into the social sciences....

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Science Scope—May/June 2022

May/June 2022 Volume 45, Number 5 Consciously implementing practices that foster an equitable classroom takes time and energy, but the payoff is great. To learn more about equitable practices, pursue the articles cited in this editorial ...

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Science Scope—March/April 2022

March/April 2022 Volume 45, Number 4 This issue of Science Scope focuses on implicit bias in the science classroom. No matter how good we are at teaching to the standards, central to the success of our lessons is classroom community....

Middle School Equity Inquiry Multicultural Social Justice Teaching Strategies

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Science Scope—January/February 2022

Volume 45, Number 3 Science Teaching Challenges How does one keep emotionally healthy, given the tremendous stress that teachers are under? Engaging in stress-reducing strategies such as yoga, exercise, and meditation can be beneficial, as ca...

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Science Scope—November/December 2021

Volume 45, Number 2 November/December 2021 The Importance of Professional Development Nearly all teachers participate in professional development (PD), much of which is mandated by individual states and school districts....

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Science Scope—September/October 2021

Volume 45, Number 1 September/October 2021 What can you do to promote creative thinking in your classroom? Consider a project-based learning approach and involve your students in competitions, science fairs, and engineering tasks. Connect the...

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Science Scope—July/August 2021

Volume 44, Number 6 Visual Literacy A staple of 21st-century skills, visual literacy is addressed in several Common Core State Standards, but the skills associated with visual literacy are also essential to the sciences. Today’s students ha...

Middle School

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Science Scope—May/June 2021

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Computer Science Mathematics Technology

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Science Scope—March/April 2021

Volume 44, Number 4 Science Beyond the Classroom Much of what our students know about science is a result of interactions outside the classroom. Whether it is visiting a museum, a zoo, or a nature center, there are numerous venues that blend ...

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Science Scope—January/February 2021

Volume 44, Number 3 There are a multitude of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies that can be employed to make learning accessible for all. This issue of Science Scope features a sample of strategies, including immersion into real-worl...

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Science Scope—November/December 2020

Volume 44, Number 2 Using Literature in the Science Classroom ...

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Science Scope—September/October 2020

Volume 44, Number 1 Straight From the Headlines ...

Middle School

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Science Scope—July/August 2020

Volume 43, No. 9 Waves and Their Applications Digital Edition ...

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Science Scope—April/May 2020

Volume 43, Number 8 Fieldwork and Outdoor Lessons ...

Middle School

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Science Scope—March 2020

Turning STEM into STEAM ...

Middle School STEM

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Science Scope—February 2020

Volume 43, Number 6...

Middle School

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Science Scope—January 2020

Volume 43, Number 5 Over the past decade, the proliferation of superhero movies has exploded. Although the heroes fight crime and uphold the law, few abide by the laws of physics. To tap into students’ interests, students were presented with...

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Science Scope—November/December 2019

Using technology to transform lessons into meaningful learning experiences means focusing on learning goals rather than the technology tool. Step outside of your comfort zone as you integrate technology into your classroom with the articles found in ...

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Science Scope—October 2019

By nature, adolescents often desire to make a difference in the world, but aren’t always afforded the opportunity. Provide students with actionable steps to improve the health of our planet with the articles found in this issue of Science Scope....

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Science Scope—September 2019

Tried and True Teaching Ideas addresses classic demonstrations and experiments that have been proven to work time and time again in your classroom. We share new twists on familiar activities and provide the science community with fresh ideas for the...

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Science Scope—August 2019

The road to classroom implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards can be fraught with challenges. The articles found in this issue of Science Scope will help you engage students in all three dimensions of the NGSS: science and engineering...

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Science Scope—July 2019

If you ask students where their food comes from, they will most likely answer, “the grocery store.” Raise student awareness of the agricultural industry and our food supply chain with the articles found in this issue of Science Scope....

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Science Scope—April/May 2019

Biological evolution is a concept students must understand to achieve science literacy. Learn how you can strengthen students’ understanding of this concept with the articles found in in this issue of Science Scope....

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Science Scope—March 2019

A performance task is an excellent assessment vehicle because it allows students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, and proficiency through a product or performance. Learn how to create your own performance tasks, and other assessment veh...

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Science Scope—February 2019

The crosscutting concept of Stability and Change helps students understand dynamic systems such as the Earth’s climate. Explore how large systems are affected by change with the articles found in in this issue of Science Scope....

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Science Scope—January 2019

Not everyone lives in close proximity to an ocean, but everyone on the planet is affected by these massive bodies of water. Learn how changes in our oceans are affecting biodiversity, sea levels, and the climate with the articles found in this issue...