Finding Inspiration as the School Year Winds Down
K12Science
I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Note” column, written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn. She wrote an article entitled, “Finding Inspiration as the Year Winds Down.” This is the time of the year when teachers need a boost of energy or inspiration to help finish the school year. One way of finding that boost of energy is to create space for large-scale investigations and in-depth activities where the students are in the...
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Mark My Bird!
K12Science
I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” column, written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled, “Mark My Bird!” Mark My Bird is a global online citizen science project associated with the University of Sheffield that invites participants to study the how and why of bird biodiversity and change over time by studying bird bills. For more information, please visit:
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Equity in the Science Classroom
K12Science
I was recently reading the May/June 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “From the Editor’s Desk” column, written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote an article entitled, “Equity in the Science Classroom.” Despite advances in science education, there remains an opportunity gap; historically underperforming populations often opt out of advanced courses and are not equitably represented in the STEM fields. As teachers, we are tasked with closing this gap through practices...
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Cool Water
K12Science
I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the Science 101 column, written by Matt Bobrowsky. He wrote an article entitled, “What’s Cool About Water?” Water is a good example to use when discussing how matter can be in different states — solid, liquid, or gas. Students are quite familiar with solid water and liquid water but gaseous water is a bit more abstract. Bubbles in boiling water are made of water vapor (gaseous...
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The Ocean
K12Science
I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the Formative Assessment column, written by Page Keeley. She wrote an article entitled, “Uncovering Student Ideas About Earth’s Defining Feature: The Ocean.” Earth’s ocean is the defining feature of our planet. Principle #1 of the “Ocean Literacy Framework” states the Earth has one big ocean with many features. But research shows that both children and adults believe a...
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Water In Our World
K12Science
I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science & Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the Editor’s Note column, written by Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn. She wrote an article entitled, “Water In Our World.” Water is critical whether we are floating in canoes, learning about waterfowl habitats, saving a local swamp, or building weather models. With over 2 billion people struggling to find safe drinking water access, the topic remains one of the most critical issues of this century.
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Best Middle School STEM Books
K12Science
I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, the National Science Teaching Association in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council, selected the best STEM books for 2022. In this podcast, we look at the nine middle school STEM books that were featured: A Shot in the Arm: Big Ideas that Changed the World #3 — by Don Brown Bones Unearthed (Creepy and True #3) — by Kerrie Logan Hollihan Eat Bugs! #1: Project Startup — by Laura D’Asaro, Rose Wang,...
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Land Loss Lookout
K12Science
I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the section, “Citizen Science,” written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled, “The Land Loss Lookout Project.” Land Loss Lookout is a citizen science project from Healthy Gulf and Northeastern University designed to monitor land loss in the Mississippi River Delta region. Students can help categorize wetland impact patterns by looking at color infrared aerial images...
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Nature Journals
K12Science
I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the section, “Interdisciplinary Ideas,” written by Katie Coppens. She wrote an article entitled, “Creating Confidence and Community Through Nature Journals.” Nature journals are a great tool for teaching students how to think about and express science in a way that’s individualized to their needs, while also connecting them to their classmates, teacher, and nature. Nature journaling also...
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Implicit Bias
K12Science
I was recently reading the March/April 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the section, “From the Editor’s Desk,” written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote an article entitled, “Implicit Bias Has No Room in the Classroom.” The tendency for stereotype-confirming thoughts to pass spontaneously through our minds is what psychologists call implicit bias. One way to cultivate an awareness of our own implicit biases is to participate in Harvard University’s Project Implicit: ...
info_outlineI was recently reading the January/February 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Editor’s Desk” written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote an article entitled “Science Teaching Challenges.”
The pandemic has been extremely challenging in ways that could never have been anticipated. How do teachers keep emotionally healthy, given the tremendous stress that they are under?