All Life Science resources

Journal Article

As long as there have been roofs overhead, there have been gardens above them. Since the Ziggurats and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, man has cultivated plants for his enjoyment and nourishment. Fast forward 4,000 years to our increasingly urban wor...

By Andrew Jones, Joel Hockin,and Max Longhurst

High School Biology Environmental Science Life Science Teaching Strategies Technology

Journal Article

Stealing the Sun

For as long as people have had stories to tell, folklore and tall tales have been a part of social gatherings. Storytelling helps us convey our history and learn our languages (Bowman and Carpenter 2004; Mzimela 2016). In addition, many of these tale...

By Kimberly Ideus and Miles Engell

High School Biology Interdisciplinary Life Science Literacy Multicultural

Journal Article

Outdoor Teaching and Learning in Natural Spaces and Outdoor Classrooms

On a humid, sunny day in late July, a group of middle school science teachers closed out three days of teacher professional development (PD) on a nature hike at a forest preserve. Here they engaged as learners, looking for evidence of life cycles to ...

By Samantha Lindgren, Meghan McCleary, Susan Gasper, Amanda Nieves, Kara Stengren, and Amira Shabana

Biology Life Science Research STEM Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Inheritance: It’s More Complicated Than That

For the past 60 years, teaching and learning the science of inheritance and biological variation has largely been centered in Mendelian genetics. In classrooms, genetics instruction generally focuses on traits controlled by a single gene, with genoty...

By Whitney Thwaite, Sara C. Porter, and Hilleary Osheroff

Biology Interdisciplinary Life Science Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Using iNaturalist to Support Place-Based Learning and Data Analysis

Often, we think that to learn about nature, students must be in a “natural” place to experience the environment, but this assumption can be problematic on multiple levels. Not all schools have the resources to take hundreds of students on a field...

By Amanda V. Garner and Joshua Rosenberg

Middle School Biology Citizen Science Life Science STEM Technology

Journal Article

Questioning the Relationships

Questions are powerful tools teachers can use to understand and scaffold students’ thinking (Clough 2007). However, not all questions are equally effective at eliciting students’ ideas or scaffolding their thinking. For example, open-ended questi...

By Jesse Wilcox, Kean Roberts, Jacob Kaemmer, Jessica McKenzie, and Carson McClain

Middle School Evolution Life Science NGSS

Journal Article

Inspiring the Next Generation

How many times have you found yourself sitting in a cafeteria or classroom staring at a professional development PowerPoint being presented by someone who hasn’t been in a classroom or practiced science in years? There is another way! Teachers all ...

By Adriana E. Martinez and Alejandra O. Martinez

Middle School Pre-service Teachers Biology Careers Chemistry Curriculum Earth & Space Science Environmental Science General Science Labs Life Science Physical Science Research STEM Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies