All Inquiry resources

NSTA Kids

Next Time You See a Star (Hardcover)

Invite readers to step outside, look up, and rediscover the wonder of the night sky. With poetic language and vivid imagery, Next Time You See a Star transforms the science of stars into an inspiring journey of discovery. Readers learn how light trav...

Elementary Astronomy Earth & Space Science Inquiry Literacy

Journal Article

Warming up to Inquiry: Using inquiry to teach heating and cooling of substances to 2nd graders

Starting to teach science through inquiry can be intimidating for teachers who don’t have much experience with it. Some concerns about teaching science through inquiry often come from misunderstandings of what science entails (Authors et al., 2015...

By Jesse Wilcox, Maizee Lindsey, Karissa Steinke

Inquiry Physical Science

NSTA Press Book

Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions

Click here to view video of Wild Wonderings Let your curiosity run wild! This lively book will inspire you to ask questions like scientists do. Why? Because questions can lead you to amazing discoveries. Like what? Like when theoretical physicist ...

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Postsecondary Early Childhood Elementary High School Informal Education Middle School Pre-service Teachers Preschool Technical and Vocational Education General Science STEM 5E Multilingual Learners Instructional Materials Inquiry NGSS Pedagogy Phenomena Science and Engineering Practices Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning Equity Inclusion Interdisciplinary Literacy Multicultural New Science Teachers Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation Sensemaking

NSTA Kids

Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions

Click here to view video of Wild Wonderings Let your curiosity run wild! This lively book will inspire you to ask questions like scientists do. Why? Because questions can lead you to amazing discoveries. Like what? Like when theoretical physicist ...

Postsecondary Early Childhood Elementary Informal Education Pre-service Teachers Preschool Technical and Vocational Education General Science STEM 5E Crosscutting Concepts Multilingual Learners Instructional Materials Inquiry NGSS Pedagogy Phenomena Science and Engineering Practices Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning Equity Inclusion Interdisciplinary Literacy Multicultural New Science Teachers Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation Sensemaking

NSTA Press Book

Learning with AI: The K-12 Teacher’s Guide to a New Era of Human Learning

Unlock the Future of Education with "Learning with AI" Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming education with "Learning with AI," a pivotal co-publication from Johns Hopkins University Press and the National Science Teaching Assoc...

By Joan Monahan Watson

Postsecondary High School Informal Education Technical and Vocational Education Computer Science General Science Mathematics STEM Technology Inquiry Science and Engineering Practices Teaching Strategies Careers Disabilities Equity Interdisciplinary New Science Teachers Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation Administrators

Journal Article

Joyfully Asking Why

Right to the Source November/December 2024...

By Michael Apfeldorf

Inclusion Inquiry Instructional Materials

Journal Article

Adapting a Field Research Course to High School Biology: Twenty Years of Leading Teenagers to do Science in the Woods

Direct experiences in the living world are a major ally in helping students understand biology and the practice of science, and in fostering a lifelong love for nature. The positive impact of field study on students’ experiences and outcomes, and t...

By Barry McPhail

Biology Environmental Science Inquiry Interdisciplinary Pedagogy Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Developing Critical Thinking in Biology Through Progressive Writing Assignments

Critical thinking is essential in academia and the workforce. Although writing can be used as a pedagogical tool for fostering deeper subject matter understanding, increased retention, and critical thinking, relatively few science courses are writing...

By Irene Guttilla Reed, Michelle Kraczkowski, Steven Pearlman

Biology Inquiry Interdisciplinary Literacy Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Journey of the Monarchs: Studying North America’s Nomadic Butterfly

Citizen Science November/December 2024...

By Jill Nugent

Middle School Biology Citizen Science Inquiry Instructional Materials Teaching Strategies

NSTA Kids

Next Time You See a Snowflake

Click here to view video of Next Time You See a Snowflake This book will have you seeing snowflakes in a whole new way. You’ll learn about the science of snowflakes – how they form, why they are six-sided, what conditions are necessary for the...

Postsecondary Early Childhood Elementary Informal Education Middle School Pre-service Teachers Preschool General Science Mathematics STEM 5E Crosscutting Concepts Disciplinary Core Ideas Multilingual Learners Instructional Materials Inquiry NGSS Phenomena Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning Interdisciplinary Literacy New Science Teachers Sensemaking

Journal Article

Finding Instructional Resources for Teaching about Scientific Misinformation

A classroom guide to resources about misinformation...

By Andy Zucker

High School Inquiry Literacy

Journal Article

Making chemistry relevant to Indigenous Peoples: An Inuit case study

The ability of our northern Indigenous peoples (Inuit, Iñupiaq, and Yupik) to survive and thrive in the Arctic depends significantly upon underlying chemistry and chemical principles. Here, we explore four of these connections, then show how the Ind...

By Chaim Andersen, Rosalina Naqitarvik, Jennifer Winters, Erica Taylor, Geoffrey Rayner-Canham

High School Chemistry Inquiry Multicultural Social Justice

Journal Article

Solar Energy and the Midwestern Farms: Utilizing Place-based Socio-Scientific Issues to Foster Students’ Literacy

Researchers have long called for integrating socio-scientific issues (SSIs) in science instruction, recognizing the importance of connecting science learning with societal challenges. Our proposed three-day unit design addresses SSIs in secondary sch...

By Mutiara Syifa, Fuyi Feng, Chia-Hsin Yin, Lin Ding

Earth & Space Science Inquiry Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Cultivating Teachers’ Indigenous Knowledge through Explorations of Milkweed and Phenology

Providing more equitable pedagogies to all students, including those who are traditionally underrepresented, is a high priority of science education. In this paper, we outline how we coupled Indigenous Ways of Knowing with investigations about plant ...

By Hillary Barron, Emily Mohl, Michele Koomen

High School Biology Inquiry Multicultural Pedagogy

Journal Article

Remarkable Adaptations

The emperor penguin is one of the most identifiable animals on earth. Its survival depends on a variety of factors, such as temperature and other environmental elements. In order to engage fifth-grade students in exploring the captivating phenomenon ...

By Robyn Yewell, Ron Gray

Inquiry Life Science Phenomena