On the playground two sisters collected rocks and set them on a bench where they grouped them by size. When I asked, “What kind of rock is that?” one said, “A triangle” referring to its outer shape. They also had a group based on material— small chunks of concrete were put together because “they have [...]
Many current approaches to the design of curriculum and instruction are emphasizing the use of “big ideas” (aka essential questions, overarching themes) as an organizing framework for courses or units. I’ve done several presentations on this topic, and some teachers find it challenging to identify the big ideas in their content areas. But if you’re [...]
It’s not hard to get young students interested in the earth sciences that explain and describe the world around them. And yet for many students, the upper elementary and middle school grades are the last time they’ll be exposed to earth science topics in school. (Although I just visited a high school that is returning [...]
As I’ve talked to attendees, everyone has been so excited. Regardless of position or experience level, they all seem to be learning how they can make science teaching better in their classroom and school. Here are just a few of the comments I’ve heard. – Lynn Petrinjak Veteran Teacher: I enjoyed the share-a-thon events, the [...]
I have been to many NSTA National Conferences and they still hit me with the same way—many conflicts of opportunity. They are so rich with content resources, instructional tips and energy from seeing so many excited science educators. New Orleans is no different. It is unique in some ways from other host cites as just [...]
I was in a school once where the teachers did a “winter” unit on penguins with activities that included trade books, puzzles, writing activities, and the showing of several popular films. But there was not a lot of science involved, and one of their bulletin boards even showed a group of polar bears and penguins [...]
Visiting the city of Portland, Oregon and the waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge invigorated my thinking about taking classes outside. Hiking part-way up the Eagle Creek trail reminded me that being comfortable in a natural area can take practice. As I held onto a cable while rounding a bend in the path high above the [...]
A town in which science is on display in the mass transit system is the perfect place for an NSTA conference. In Portland’s only underground station (70 meters under ground), there is a 200-foot long core sample contained in a glass tube, representing 15.6 million years of geological activity. Click on the picture above to [...]
At 30,000 feet dirt roads carve giant geoglyphs into the brown scrub, looking like ancient Peruvian figures. Basalt lava flows are evident in the Nevada desert, and the Grand Canyon which appeared outside my right side window seat just a few hours ago, sparkled with the turquoise Colorado River nestled in canyons of purple, red, [...]
Which branch of science seems to attract lifelong learners? You can make a strong case for the life or physical sciences, but my vote would go to the earth sciences! We spend time stargazing at night, watching the weather channel, learning about geologic features at national and state parks, reading about topics such as climate [...]
