Why We Remember
K12Science
I was recently reading the December 9, 2024 issue of “Smithsonian” magazine. In this issue, I read an article entitles, “The Ten Best Science Books of 2024,” written by Joe Spring, Riley Black, Shi En Kim, Dan Falk, Christian Elliott, and Benjamin Cassidy. The book review that I enjoyed the most was “Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory’s Power to Hold On to What Matters,” written by Charan Ranganath. Ranganath draws on 25 years of experience studying the mechanisms of human memory to explain how remarkable it is that we remember anything at all.
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Ecosystems
K12Science
I was recently reading the November/December 2024 issue of “Science and 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, “Q: What’s a Good Way of Explaining Ecosystems?” An ecosystem is like a big neighborhood where plants, animals, and even tiny things like bugs and mushrooms all love together.
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Buoyancy Misconceptions
K12Science
I was recently reading the November/December 2024 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Early Years” column, written by Alissa A. Lange. She wrote an article entitled, “Deconstructing Common Misconceptions in Early Science.” Misconceptions are common in science—even into adulthood. Instead of feeling guilty when we discover our misconceptions, what if we, as adults, turn this feeling into curiosity? What if we help our students to do the same?
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Expanding Science Knowledge
K12Science
I was recently reading the November/December 2024 issue of “Science and Children” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Guest Editorial” column, written by Emily Adah Miller and Ayca Fackler. They wrote an article entitled, “Expanding Science Knowledge Through Expansive Science Teaching.” To prepare students for future scientific endeavor and to be scientifically literate world citizens, teachers must challenge the status quo, pushing the limits of science education by using local place to contextualize and increase...
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Expansive Science Teaching
K12Science
I was recently reading the November/December 2024 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, “Expansive Science Teaching Practices.” Expansive learning theory, rooted in activity theory, provides a framework for how learners create new knowledge and practices for novel situations.
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Gemologist
K12Science
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Gemologist
K12Science
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Asking Why
K12Science
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading the November-December 2024 issue of “The Science Teacher,” a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. Within this issue, I encountered the “Right to the Source” section, authored by Michael Apfeldorft. His article, titled “Joyfully Asking Why,” provided insightful information on a list of questions compiled by Carl Sagan and his wife, author/producer Ann Druyan. In the mid-1990’s, Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan conceived of an interesting way to help young learners confidently ask questions and think about the world around...
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Monarch Butterflies
K12Science
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading the November-December 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. Within this issue, I encountered the “Citizen Science” section, authored by Jill Nugent. Her article, titled “Journey of the Monarchs: Studying North America’s Nomadic Butterfly,” provided insightful information on the migration of Monarch populations. Journey North, a participatory science project based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, offers a special way for educators to bring the study of the monarch...
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Reading in Science
K12Science
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading the November-December 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. Within this issue, I encountered the “From the Editor’s Desk” section, authored by Patty McGinnis. Her article, titled “Reading in the Science Classroom,” provided insightful information on the science of reading. Reading plays a pivotal role in all disciplines, and science is no exception. If you are seeking reading-based strategies to incorporate into your classroom, The California Academy of Sciences offers several...
info_outlineI was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of “The Science Teacher” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.
In this issue, I read the article “The Use of Storytelling to Model NGSS Science and Engineering Practices” written by Adrienne Larocque and Anna Babarinde.
An important strand of three-dimensional learning in the Next Generation Science Standards is science and engineering practices. These practices replace the oversimplified “scientific method” often presented in science textbooks that bears little resemblance to actual scientific research. It requires time and effort to research and prepare accounts about people who model the Scientific and Engineering Practices. Joanna Haigh is one of those people.