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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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:
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 [...]
Get some insight on students’ “Private Universe” in Philadelphia. You’ll find sessions addressing misconceptions at all grade levels, in a range of science fields.
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 [...]
Seeing might be believing, but sometimes it’s what can’t be seen that’s most interesting. Since the 1930s, researchers have theorized that dark matter—which can’t be perceived by our eyes—is responsible for anomalies in the rotation of galaxies and other phenomena. Maybe it can account for socks vanishing from the dryer, or would that be a [...]
Last week, I went to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia for the exhibit on Galileo: The Medici and the Age of Astronomy. It was awesome to see an actual Galileo telescope and learn more about the social, political, and cultural contexts in which he did his work. I was impressed by the variety of instruments [...]
This is a timely theme, considering that 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. And this month’s Science Scope is full of relevant teaching ideas and lots of background information, such as simulating the vast spaces in the solar system, working with models of the Earth, incorporating movement into lessons, and finding video resources on [...]
