JoinAll Instructional Materials resources
Journal Article
Using Photo-journals to Support Real-World Connections to Classroom Content
Many teachers are asked by their students how the science content they are learning in class matters in the "real world." Although these connections may be clear to expert teachers, students often require additional support and scaffolding to see how...
Journal Article
Science L.I.A.R.S.: A Game to Combat Misinformation
Science in the wild — misinformation beyond the boundaries of the science classroom and curated media sources — threatens our culture Here, I present one fun classroom activity, in an engaging game format, that fits in the NGSS framework and can ...
Journal Article
A Solar Panel Modeling Project for Chemistry
The Solar Panel Modeling Project challenged 10th-grade chemistry students to apply knowledge of Atomic Models to explain electricity generation in a solar panel, deepening their scientific literacy about climate solutions. Here, I describe the proje...
Journal Article
Engaging Students in Waste-to-Energy Research Using Model Biodigesters
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a natural process whereby microorganisms break down organic material in the absence of oxygen. Biodigesters (sealed tanks where AD occurs) are complex ecological systems where different microorganisms work together to prod...
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Journal Article
Journal Article
Reading Like a Scientist: Teaching Students to Strategically Read Multimodal Science Texts
Calls for disciplinary literacy instruction in elementary schools encourage teachers to provide authentic opportunities for students to read and write like scientists. Enacting disciplinary literacy with problem-based learning practices to inquire ab...
By ,
Journal Article
"Signs, Signs, Everywhere the Signs": Interpretive Trail Signage for Biodiversity Education
Postsecondary science faculty face challenges in balancing the engagement of undergraduates while concomitantly ensuring knowledge is gained and retained, either in standard lectures or labs as well as in outdoor activities. Designing on-campus trail...
By , ,
Journal Article
Does Drinking Milk Cause Strong Bones?
In 1935, individuals living in the United States began to encounter eye-catching posters communicating a variety of public program messages from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. ...
By Jacqueline Katz
Journal Article
Science Journaling with Technology
Students in today’s classrooms spend a lot of time using technology by listening to music, texting, watching videos, and using social media applications. Some theorize that student attention spans have lessened to a dismal amount due to the impact ...
By Brigitte Whaley and Ashley Campbell
Journal Article
Classroom communities are more than just teachers and students. Administrators, other teachers and students, teacher aides, all school staff, families, friends, community leaders, and more influence a classroom community in different ways. Places and...
By Jonathan McCausland and Kathryn M. Bateman
Journal Article
Making the Most of the Upcoming Solar Eclipse Double-Header
Eclipses of the Sun, where the Moon gets in front of the Sun and blocks its light, are among the most spectacular of natural events. The total eclipse visible in the United States in 2017 fascinated and involved millions of people all across the coun...
By Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz
Journal Article
The 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipse Double-Header
North America will experience a solar eclipse “double-header” this fall. While 500 million people will see two partial eclipses (when the Moon covers part of the Sun), those fortunate enough to be in a 125-mile-wide path on October 14, 2023, will...
By Dennis Schatz and Andrew Fraknoi
Journal Article
Teach Sublimation With Markers!
Sublimation, the change of state from solid to gas, is a challenging concept for many students to grasp and a curious phenomenon to investigate. Our everyday experiences teach us about melting, freezing, and evaporation, but it is rare to witness sub...
By Christine G. Schnittka and Mark Brenneman
Journal Article
Student Uncertainty as a Pedagogical Resource (SUPeR)
As suggested in A Framework for K–12 Science Education (National Research Council 2012), “Scientific knowledge is a particular kind of knowledge with its own sources, justifications, ways of dealing with uncertainties . . . and agreed-on levels o...
By Jamie Rapkiewcz, Jongchan Park, Ying-Chih Chen, and Michelle E. Jordan