Tag Archives: plants

Mini Doc Cams Capture the World Up Close

By Martin Horejsi | Published: October 10, 2012

Small document cameras, or mini doc cams, are making inroads into many classrooms due to their low cost, USB power, small size, and adaptability. It is the latter feature that makes them especially attractive to science teachers. One camera in particular is the IPEVO Point 2 View USB document camera. Since the camera connects to [...]

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Tablets as Microscopes

By Martin Horejsi | Published: August 29, 2012

  The cameras on tablets work great for general picture taking, but they also can work as magnifiers and microscopes.   A good place to start is by placing additional lenses directly on the camera to see how it preforms. Low power loupes from 4x to 8x work for capturing detail in small objects, and [...]

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Choosing plants for fall school garden lessons

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: August 9, 2012

What should, or can, a teacher plant during the early days of school to support children’s adjustment to school and deepen their understanding of living organisms? The answer to this question depends on many variables, including whether your school is located close to or far away from the equator, how high above sea level it [...]

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NSTA Professional Development Trip: Part IV

By NSTA Social Media Director | Published: July 28, 2012

Exploring the Canals around Tortuguera NSTA Costa Rica Trip Day 3 July 26, 2012 (posted on behalf of Greg Neff) We departed Evergreen lodge at 8:30 am in a boat to explore the canals connecting three rivers in the Tortuguero area. Took a 2 1/2 hour trip through the canals. We observed and identified 31 different [...]

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NSTA Professional Development Trip: Part II

By NSTA Social Media Director | Published: July 26, 2012

Turtle Data Collection (posted on behalf of Greg Neff) July 24 PM On a very rainy afternoon, we visited the town of Tortuguero, being sure to equip ourselves with rain gear and take in some of the culture of this isolated community, yet dependent on tourism. We attended a presentation on the history of the [...]

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Spring activities and books to go with them

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: May 12, 2012

In our mid-Atlantic spring we can have temperatures in the 50s or in the 80s, rain or shine. The activities the children have been involved in center around the weather. We planted peas and radishes, measured their growth, examined the pea flowers, and are waiting for the harvest. The radishes may be too spicy for many [...]

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A new reason to visit the library

By Debra Shapiro | Published: October 20, 2011

A California middle school teacher tells how seed-lending libraries can help integrate science into the curriculum.

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Science outdoors is a natural

By Claire Reinburg | Published: April 13, 2011

Giving students opportunities to explore and observe plants, birds, or bugs on the school grounds or in nearby gardens and parks can bring multiple benefits. The Children & Nature Network highlights research findings that support the positive benefits of environment-based studies on school achievement, citing standardized measures in basic subject areas and other indications that [...]

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Seasonal scavenger hunt

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: March 5, 2010

Give your students practice making observations by doing a seasonal scavenger hunt that will require closer looks at the familiar landscape to see what has changed. (Thanks to the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research for the idea.) Does the tree (with branches low enough to see) have tightly furled [...]

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Science in the community

By Mary Bigelow | Published: February 8, 2010

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. [...]

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