Don’t you just hate it when multiple conference sessions you want to attend are occurring simultaneously, or several blocks away from one another? If you are an elementary teacher, the “Elementary Extravaganza” will give you a break! In this event, coming up this Friday, March 30, 2012, 8:00–9:30 AM in the 500 Ballroom, Indiana Convention [...]
Judging by the large audience, teachers love teaching astronomy, and of course they love free resources, too. John McFarland of the Johannes Kepler Project delivered both (in period costume!), sharing an annotated list of software, props, songs (with an emphasis on They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science CD), websites, applets, activities, and more. Get [...]
Looking for a little outdoors time in between sessions? If the beach doesn’t do it for you, a short trip up the coast to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park will. Smack dab in the city, this “oasis of tropical hammocks” features native and exotic plants, plus an opportunity to see mangroves. It is well worth [...]
Looking for ideas to ring in Spring? Check out the S&C article Breaking the Sound Barrier by Tom Brown and Kim Boehringer for ideas on exploring sound and making simple instruments with everyday materials (e.g., rubber band guitars and string phones). You’ll be primed to add to the band—and fun—when you read the next Early Years column, “Hear That?” coming soon [...]
More than 60 educators crowded into room C124 at the Convention Center this afternoon to ponder the imponderable: the size and scale of the universe? With humor and knowledge Herb Koller, a retired high school teacher representing Imaginova Corp, demonstrated how teachers can use the Starry Night astronomy program in the classroom to help students gain perspective on [...]
Have you ever thought about writing for an NSTA journal? Get the tools you need at Write (Right) from the Start. After an overview of the manuscript submission process, editors of all four journals (Science and Children, Science Scope, The Science Teacher, and the Journal of College Science Teaching) give personal feedback to propsective writers. You [...]
Overly political, endlessly complicated…and standing-room only, featured speaker Dr. Philip Mote had a receptive audience for his climate change talk. Coauthor (with 100+ participating scientists) of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, Mote’s humor-filled talk began with the popular representations of climate change and how they affect public perception. The scientific portion focused on [...]
Need a pick me up after a full day of NSTA conference sessions? Head to Cacao, a chocolate shop with the feel of an asian tea house. A shot of “drinking chocolate”–think a liquid chocolate bar, not a powdered mix—only costs $2.
Portland has a lot to offer, but if you only have time for one thing, make it Powell’s. The largest independent bookstore in the world fills a city block and features used gems tucked among the enormous selection–including a science and an education section. Plan on spending hours here! (they are open until 11)
The S&C astronomy issue article Sky Observations by the Book (NSTA membership required) presents lessons specifically for teaching young children astronomy concepts with picture books. Authors Kathy Cabe Trundle and Mesut Sackes describe ways to prompt children to notice differences in day and night in pictures to foster understanding about objects in the sky. An [...]
