Fall Colors
K12Science
I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science and Children, a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Poetry of Science” section, written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. She wrote an article entitled: “Changes in the Leaves.” Included in the article was a poem entitled, “Saving the Best for Last,” written by David L. Harrison. Leaves change color in the fall because the amounts of chemical pigments inside the leaves change. The intensity and timing of fall colors can be affected by weather, both in...
info_outline
Fieldwork Fridays
K12Science
I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Interdisciplinary Ideas” section, written by Katie Coppens. She wrote an article entitled: “Fieldwork Fridays: Connecting Scientific Learning to Nature.” Each Friday, in what are referred to as “Fieldwork Fridays,” the author brings her students outside to apply what they learned that week in class to the environment around them.
info_outline
Comets
K12Science
I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Scope on the Skies” section, written by Bob Riddle. He wrote an article entitled: “Chasing Giant Ice Balls.” Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock, and ices. They range in size from a few miles to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer to the Sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet. This...
info_outline
Elephant ID
K12Science
I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section, written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled: “Snapshot Safari: Elephant Edition.” Elephant ID is an online project that leverages Zooniverse’s people-powered research platform to address behavior and conservation questions related to the African savanna elephant, a species facing pressing challenges, including habitat loss. To learn more, visit the project website at:
info_outline
Social-Emotional Learning
K12Science
I was recently reading the September-October 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Editorial” section, written by Patty McGinnis. She wrote an article entitled: “Social-Emotional Learning in the Science Classroom.” Perhaps nowhere else in education is social-emotional (SEL) more crucial than in the middle school science classroom, a place where students are expected to collaborate, communicate, and participate respectfully in the practice of argumentation. For more information about SEL...
info_outline
Learning Styles
K12Science
I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science and Children, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the “Science 101” section, written by Matt Bobrowsky. He wrote a Q and A article entitled: “Q: If Students Have Different Learning Styles, What Kinds of Science Activities Are Best for Reaching All Students?” For a more well-rounded educational experience, teachers can use “multimodal” teaching. Examples include visual, kinesthetic, and auditory. But that does not mean that students have specific...
info_outline
Astrophotography
K12Science
I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school teachers. In this issue, I read the “Scope on the Skies” section. In the section was an article entitled, “Capturing Photons,” written by Bob Riddle. One way to make astronomy more accessible and engaging to students is to introduce them to astrophotography. The most direct way is probably with the student’s own smartphone.
info_outline
Trustworthy Scientific Information
K12Science
I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school teachers. In this issue, I read the “Commentary” section. In the section was an article entitled, “Finding Instructional Resources for Teaching About Scientific Misinformation,” written by Andy Zucker. The nonprofit Media Literacy Now has developed a first-of-its-kind online database where teachers can find and access instructional materials to help student resists false and misleading information. To access the...
info_outline
Secchi Disk
K12Science
I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association, for middle school teachers. In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section, written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled “Summer Science With the Secchi Dip-In Project.” The Robert Carlson Secchi Dip-In Project is a demonstration of the potential of volunteer monitors to gather environmentally important information on our lakes, rivers, and estuaries. For more information, visit:
info_outline
Phenomena in the Classroom
K12Science
I was recently reading the July-August 2024 issue of Science Scope, a journal published by the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read an article entitled “Phenomena in the Classroom,” written by Patty McGinnis. An engaging phenomena is determined more by how the students generate compelling lines of inquiry that create real opportunities for learning. Paul Anderson’s “Wonder of Science” website has an extensive list of phenomena organized by grade level and standard. It is available at:
info_outlineI was recently reading the May/June 2024 issue of “Science Scope,” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.
In this issue, I read the “Citizen Science” section written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled, “Caterpillars Count.”
Caterpillars Count is a citizen science project to monitor the seasonality and abundance of arthropods (including caterpillars) on foliage. To learn more about this citizen science project visit their website at:
https://caterpillarscount.unc.edu