Tag Archives: astronomy

Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy

By Carole Hayward | Published: March 26, 2013

I’m already a fan of the Uncovering Student Ideas series, but authors Page Keeley and Cary Sneider piqued my interest with the 45 new formative assessment probes in this latest volume, Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy. Trying to get a sense of how and what students think about a particular science concept is tricky. As [...]

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A Taste of Augmented Reality

By Martin Horejsi | Published: February 5, 2013

Using the iPad app called StarWalk for augmented reality.

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ChronoZoom: A real OMG moment in time!

By Martin Horejsi | Published: March 19, 2012

What would happen if you could dive in and out of any particular moment of time within a brilliantly conceived visual interface that marries Prezi with the universe? Well, I’m not sure, but I bet it would look something like ChronoZoom. I know it sounds silly or cliché but ChronoZoom (www.ChronoZoomproject.org) is really jaw dropping! [...]

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Addressing misconceptions in science

By Claire Reinburg | Published: March 15, 2012

A significant challenge that science teachers face is how to help students successfully navigate the bridge from their existing ideas about science concepts to scientifically accepted views. A teacher who uncovers students’ preconceptions about key concepts can use that knowledge to provide learning experiences that support students as they develop richer conceptual understanding. The March [...]

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February’s most-popular resources in the NSTA Science Store

By Claire Reinburg | Published: February 22, 2012

Most Popular NSTA Press Books Science the “Write” Way Doing Good Science in Middle School: A Practical Guide to Inquiry-Based Instruction Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, Expanded 2nd Edition: Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry, 3-6 STEM Student Research Handbook Science Stories: Using Case Studies to Teach Critical Thinking Most Popular NSTA Press e-Books and e-Chapters The [...]

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Earth, Moon, Sun

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 21, 2012

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 [...]

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Earth science topics that grab students’ interest

By Claire Reinburg | Published: December 14, 2011

From news that scientists have discovered the biggest black holes yet to dramatic video footage of volcanic eruptions, the new information science gleans about Earth and space grabs students’ attention. To help teachers capitalize on student curiosity and interest in Earth science, NSTA Press recently launched updated editions of the popular Project Earth Science Series [...]

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Maps and models

By Mary Bigelow | Published: September 21, 2011

My principal questioned why I had U.S. and world wall maps on my request list. “You teach science, not geography” was his comment. But the maps were ordered, and during lessons we pulled them down and found the location of the Namib Desert, the Okefenokee Swamp, and coral atolls in the Pacific. We pinpointed where [...]

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Dance of the planets

By NSTA Web Director | Published: May 11, 2011

All you earlybirds out there are in for a treat this month if you look eastward just before dawn (and the weather is clear).  Four planets will be engaged in a slow-motion dance, aligning themselves differently day by day in a tight segment of the sky. NASA has created a nice video describing the phenomenon:

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Autumn bits and pieces

By Mary Bigelow | Published: September 22, 2010

Yesterday afternoon was one of those beautiful fall days here in the Northeast—clear blue skies, low humidity, a cool breeze, and leaves starting to change color. So what was I doing? I was logged in to a webinar that was a joint presentation by NSTA and ISTE: Planning for Technology Integration in the Science Classroom [...]

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