Sensemaking Resources

Reports Article

Reports Article

NSTA Press Book

This guidebook uses an Explore-before-Explain instructional sequence to help you facilitate the design of active meaning-making lessons in science....

Member Web Seminar

What does it take to create a science classroom where students feel empowered to share their ideas, ask questions, and figure things out together? ...

Member Web Seminar

What makes instructional materials high quality—and how can you tell the difference between a resource that simply covers content and one that truly supports deep, three-dimensional learning?...

Journal Article

This article shares the experiences of three elementary teachers who took steps to transform their roles from speakers to listeners. After participating in a professional learning (PL) project that uses science to support English language practices, ...

NSTA Press Book

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 ...

NSTA Kids

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 ...

Journal Article

This phenomenon-driven unit focuses on students making sense of the mutually beneficial species interactions between legumes and rhizobia. Many science classes spend less time studying the nitrogen cycle due to time constraints and more focus on othe...

NSTA Kids

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...

Journal Article

This article was written for the purpose of introducing the hexagonal thinking strategy to upper elementary teachers. The strategy, in which students make connections across the vocabulary and concepts to develop a map, has become more popular in the...

Journal Article

This article presents a tool that teachers can use to support children in planning science investigations. Using an extended example from a second-grade investigation into seed dispersal, we describe strategies for structuring conversations that anch...