One of the most thoughtful current writers of science for kids is Melissa Stewart. She has done a lot of analysis of changes taking place in nonfiction and how those changes affect readers and teachers. She has an excellent piece in the School Library Journal on types of nonfiction, and on connecting kids with the … Continue reading Nonfiction for Everyone
Category: Resources
My People
I saw this headline in the most recent issue NSTA Reports and thought, "Now THAT is aimed a very select audience." #TheseAreMyPeople
Teaching Physics for the First Time?
Schools are often short on physics teachers, so lots of teachers find themselves suddenly inheriting a physics class when they were trained in biology or Earth science. Did this happen to you? The American Association of Physics Teachers has your back. They are organizing an “E-Mentoring” program to help new teachers access resources and curriculum … Continue reading Teaching Physics for the First Time?
A Classroom Full of Data
I wrote earlier about Data Nuggets, a great website for helping students connect math (and understanding how it is used in research) with science. Here are two other teacher-focused websites that offer real data sets from real research along with help introducing data analysis to your students. Science in the Classroom is put out by … Continue reading A Classroom Full of Data
Cool Physics Builds
As I've visited schools around the country, I've decided that physics teachers are the original "makers." There are so many physics teachers, often unknown except to their students, building amazing apparatuses to illustrate physics concepts. I happen to have a soft-spot in my heart for marble runs (is that even possible?), and I was delighted … Continue reading Cool Physics Builds
Cool hooks and phenomena to drive explorations!
Are you familiar with GSTA's Georgia Standards of Excellence Phenomena Bank? A phenomenon is an interesting "hook" for a topic that students can use to drive exploration. For example, The Blue People of Troublesome Creek introduces a (real life!) family in rural Kentucky who were blue. Students can work from this unusual example to studying … Continue reading Cool hooks and phenomena to drive explorations!
NSTA National Convention in Atlanta!
From March 15-18, 2018, Atlanta will have the honor to host the national NSTA convention. It will be huge and fun and chock-full of great content. For those of us who live near Atlanta, this is a rare opportunity to have the biggest science teaching convention right in our backyard. Lots of Georgia educators are … Continue reading NSTA National Convention in Atlanta!
Got Mindstorms?
I have come across several science teachers, STEM teachers, media specialists and MakerSpace organizers who have found themselves with a set of Lego Mindstorms that they aren't sure how to use. I was intrigued by this set of free online courses to help you get started. (You can even take a test and get "certified" … Continue reading Got Mindstorms?
Primary Sources for School Librarians
I got this information in an email recently: Thursday, October 12th School Librarians Get to the Source FREE Webinar, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET TPS-experienced elementary, middle, and high school librarians discuss key considerations for connecting Library of Congress resources with K-12 classrooms. Tom Bober, Heather Balsley, and Jenn Hanson provide insight and strategies to promote inquiry … Continue reading Primary Sources for School Librarians
Eclipse Resource Roundup
With the eclipse less than two weeks away, I'm compiling all of the resources I have posted about into one place. Do you have a favorite eclipse resource I haven't discussed? The Exploratorium has a ton of resources, including a "live streaming" of the event and this video explaining why the eclipse is occurring and … Continue reading Eclipse Resource Roundup