Jean May-Brett of the Louisiana Department of Education has passed on several websites that teachers may find useful in discussing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) NASA: Earth Observatory NOAA: Office of Response and Restoration Feel free to add more in a comment.
During April, many classes are involved with “projects” related to Earth Day themes. If you want your students to go beyond the make-a-poster-about-the-rainforest type of activity, several articles in this issue illustrate how students can become involved members of their own communities. In Students for Sustainable Energy, physics students investigated how to reduce the need [...]
Spring is rapidly approaching, as indicated by the recent “springing forward” of our clocks. The arrival of Spring not only means longer days but also warmer weather, beautiful blooms, and…restless students. Luckily for teachers, you can exhaust your students’ boundless energy by taking their science lessons outside. NSTA Press’s new book, Inside-Out: Environmental Science in [...]
If you’re looking for ideas for authentic projects for Earth Day in April or for an end-of-the-year summary project, this issue has some great examples of getting students involved in community-based science. And SciLinks can provide ideas for additional activities or background information. Environmental issues lend themselves to research on perceptions and attitudes. But creating [...]
If you’re asking yourself “to Tweet or not to Tweet?” or wondering how to face Facebook, treat yourself to these sessions on Friday, March 19.
The melting snow piles outside NSTA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, provide daily reminders of the D.C. area’s record 2010 snowfall (locally dubbed Snowmageddon). Like many teachers in other parts of the country, we’re watching for green shoots and planning for spring. What better way to spend the remaining days of winter than planning how to [...]
Teachers use several strategies at the end of the school year. One strategy is to try to cram in as many topics as possible in an effort to “cover” everything. Other teachers use culminating or capstone projects to integrate concepts and give students a chance to use what they’ve learned in science (and other subjects). [...]
I’m hoping that secondary teachers will take a look at the articles that describe authentic investigations conducted by young scientists in their communities: Creative Soil Conservation and Boulder Creek Study. The latter has examples of student work as they studied the water quality in their communities, using various indicators, including the presence of aquatic invertebrates. [...]
A new series for a major cable network is searching for college students who are always inventing things and building things. If you know any smart, creative, and talented students who have a flair for science and engineering, please share this announcement with them. Ideal candidates should be freshmen or sophomores and have a couple of [...]
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 [...]
