Are you attending the NSTA conference in Indianapolis this spring? At this point, you should be registering, making arrangements for lodging and transportation, and thinking about your lesson plans for the substitute (if you haven’t done so already). If this the first time you’ve attended the national conference, it can be overwhelming at first. Here [...]
Our school is facing a budget crunch. Each department was asked for suggestions for cost-saving measures. Do you have any suggestions the science department can add to the list? — Brenda, New York It’s heartbreaking (or outrageous, depending on one’s point of view) to see teachers and administrators expected to provide more services with fewer [...]
The other evening, as I was out walking, I noticed that the moon seemed exceptionally bright. I took out my binoculars and spent a few minutes gazing at the craters on the full moon. What a sight! Learning about and appreciating the relationship between the Earth, Sun, and Moon can be a lifelong interest. The [...]
Along with this month’s Science Teacher, the articles in this issue focus on reading and writing in science. Science teachers are the best ones to guide students in these literacy processes, given the content and structure of science text and science writing. The theme that seems to run through this issue is the importance of [...]
During class, students seem to understand the concepts. However, they don’t do well on the tests. I offer extra help before and after school and at lunch, but few students take advantage of it. I’m a first-year biology teacher, so I’d appreciate some suggestions on how to encourage students to ask questions or seek help [...]
There is much in the literature about the importance of reading in science, not just pronouncing or decoding words but comprehending informational text. Unlike what students might see in a reading or English class, science resources are not usually written in a story-telling style. Science text often uses headings, subheadings, abstracts, summaries, sidebars, footnotes, specialized [...]
My students are asking for “extra credit” work. I’m having second thoughts about doing this, especially since it seems that students wait until the end of the marking period to ask. Is there a good rationale for giving (or not giving) extra credit work? —Wayne, Kansas City, Missouri “Extra credit” seems to be part of [...]
I recently talked with a high school senior who wants to become an elementary teacher. “Working with younger students, one thing I won’t have to think about is technology,” she said. She certainly has some misconceptions about elementary students! I thought about her as I read this issue of Science and Children and the examples [...]
Why is it that the earth sciences bring out the lifelong learner in people? We spend time stargazing at night, watching the weather channels, learning about geologic features at national and state parks, reading about topics such as climate change and prehistoric events, and wondering when (and where) the next earthquake, tsunami, or volcanic eruption [...]
As a principal, I’d like to work with the teachers to develop some indicators to use during walkthroughs and classroom visits to assess how instructional practices in our science classes are changing as a result of the technology we’re using. Rather than reinventing the wheel, are you familiar with existing protocols we could use? –Delores [...]
