NSTA Learning Center Professional Development Tools

Archive: Global Climate Change Impacts in the Eastern United States, November 17, 2009

11/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on November 17, 2009, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Tim Owen, from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, Frank Niepold, UCAR Climate Education Coordinator at NOAA Climate Program Office; and Peg Steffen, Education Branch Chief at NOAA. In this Seminar, Mr. Owen focused the presentation on specific climate changes, current and expected in the Eastern United States. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall09/NOAA/webseminar2.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Anti-matter Eyes on the Gamma-ray Skies November 12, 2009

11/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on November 12, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Lynn Cominsky, Chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department at Sonoma State University (SSU). Dr. Cominsky talked about the Fermi telescope and the vision of space that is pictured by gamma ray ‘eyes'. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall09/NASA/webseminar1.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Global Climate Change Impacts in the Western United States, November 5, 2009

11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on November 5, 2009, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Katharine Hayhoe, Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Texas Tech University, Frank Niepold, UCAR Climate Education Coordinator at NOAA Climate Program Office; and Peg Steffen, Education Branch Chief at NOAA. In this Seminar professor Hayhoe focused the presentation on specific climate changes, current and expected in the Western United States. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall09/NOAA/webseminar1.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Design Squad: Today's Students, Tomorrow's Engineers November 4, 2009

11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this program, Natalie Hebshie, and Margot Sigur talked about Design Squad - a reality competition series on PBS where teenagers tackle engineering challenges from real word clients, and how to give kids a working understanding of physical science concepts while increasing their enthusiasm for engineering. The presenters highlighted a number of free educational resources, particularly, Design Squad's latest resource, the Design Squad Teacher's Guide that unleashes middle school kids' ingenuity and get them thinking like engineers. Ms. Hebshie and Ms. Sigur explained that the activities are linked to national science and technology standards and use low cost, readily available materials. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/WGBH/Webseminar1.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Scope on Safety: Signs of safer science

11/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Can you imagine trying to put out a fire and finding the fire extinguisher? Experiencing a short circuit and having to search for the master electrical shutoff? Having a hazardous chemical splash and not being able to locate the eyewash station? These are examples of why regulatory agencies require specific signage in school laboratories. Signage alerts employees and students to the location of engineering controls, as well as dangers in the workplace.

Cell Towers and Songbirds

11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article describes how our common addiction to cell phones was used to launch a discussion about their use, impacts on the environment, and connections to issues of civic concern. By encouraging middle school science students to adopt the perspectives of special-interest groups debating communication tower restrictions designed to protect migratory songbird populations in a role play, they were connected to language arts and social studies in a meaningful way while their attention was focused on the larger impacts of cell phone use.

Web Seminar: Introduction to FDA Food Recalls, December 9, 2009

10/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Join us for this unique program, the first of four free Web Seminars featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These seminars are related to the FDA Symposium that will take place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The seminar will focus on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, nutrition, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenters will share their science expertise, answer questions from the participants, and provide information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. This Web Seminar is designed for educators of grades 5-12. Topics could include disease, outbreaks, nutrition, personal hygiene, as well as food safety. An archive of this program and related PowerPoint presentation will be available at the end of the program.

Web Seminar: Applications of Nanotechnology in Cosmetics and Foods, November 24, 2009

10/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Join us for this unique program, the second of four free Web Seminars featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These seminars are related to the FDA Symposium that will take place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The seminar will focus on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, nutrition, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenters will share their science expertise, answer questions from the participants, and provide information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. This Web Seminar is designed for educators of grades 5-12. Topics could include disease, outbreaks, nutrition, personal hygiene, as well as cosmetic and food safety. An archive of this program and related PowerPoint presentation will be available at the end of the program.

Safer Science: Sun Safety-The Stats

10/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science teachers can help protect themselves and their students by providing information on skin cancer, its causes, and prevention strategies. This is not just a summer issue, but one that affects us year-round! This month's column provides prevention strategies that should be periodically reviewed with students and supported by teachers.

Health Wise: November 2009

10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Many students have recently asked about the "swine flu." How is it different than the seasonal flu, what are the symptoms, and what can we do to avoid it?

Grand Canyon: A Trail Through Time

10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

The perfect complement for any lesson on weathering and erosion, Grand Canyon offers a day-in-the-life glimpse at one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Even as coyotes hunt for food along the chasm's rim, pack mules carry tourists along the harrowing ten-mile trail to the Colorado riverbed, and wildflowers grow, the slow forces of nature continue to reshape the layers of rock as they have for hundreds of millions of years. The book also includes a timeline and a graphic breakdown of the layers of rock by age.

Rice

10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

This slim nonfiction volume explains where rice comes from, how it is planted and grown, the differences between white and brown rice, rice's nutritional value, and more-all in straightforward language that kids can understand. Glossy color photos bring the narrative to life, and a glossary provides additional educational value.

Rice Is Life

10/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

Rita Golden Gelman uses a poem-within-a-story technique to simultaneously highlight the natural beauty of rice growing ("In the hot and humid sawah/In the middle of the day/Dragonflies are fluttering,/Dancing as they play") and underscore the importance of rice in everyday Bali life. Artful frames separate the soft figures and rich earth tones of the poem's canvas-like paintings from the more detailed illustrations of eels, dragonflies, rice plants, kernels, and other aspects of Balinese nature that populate the margins of each spread and enhance the informational prose.

John Muir: America's Naturalist

10/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

Inspire budding conservationists with the real-life story of the Sierra Club founder. Kid-friendly prose describes how John Muir marveled at and respected the natural world, how he made careful notes about plant and animal life in his journal, and how he worked to preserve the wilderness through the creation of national parks. Original quotes pepper the biography, and handsomely painted landscapes evoke the wonder and beauty that Muir experienced.

Archive: ExploraVision Online Resources, October 14, 2009

10/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on October 14, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Brian Short from NSTA and Tony Rose a teacher at Northside Elementary in Palmyra, Pennsylvania and a National Award Runner-up. The presenters provided an overview of the ExploraVision program and instructions on how to use the website to register teams. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/ExploraVision/webseminar7.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Podcast: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, December 18, 2008

10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food is the complete Web Seminar archive subtitled: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Biological Hazards in Food: Survival and Growth</a> from 12/18/2008. The podcast is 1 hour 13 minutes in duration. This Web Seminar focused on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, the food label, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenter shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. The seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Topics include careers, disease, personal hygiene, nutrition, outbreaks, and food safety. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC08_Dec18">Biological Hazards in Food: Survival and Growth</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now. Since this is a large file, to view this program in a streaming form, click, <a href="https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/recording/playback/link/meeting.jnlp?suid=M.EFDC208E230FF1A7284E9EC27D386A" target="_blank">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a>.

Scope on Safety: Science storage requirements

9/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

Middle school science teachers need to address two issues concerning storage. First, if it is insufficient, they need to work with administrators to secure additional storage area(s). Second, whether sufficient or not, good housekeeping practices are in order for safety and liability reasons. This month's column outlines some safe storage and housekeeping hints for the science classroom.

Archive: Getting Your Class Started in ExploraVision, September 16, 2009

9/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on September 16, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Brian Short from NSTA and Michael Lampert from West Salem High School in Oregon. The presenters gave an overview of the ExploraVision program and shared personal experiences with working with their students throughout the process. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/ExploraVision/webseminar6.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Podcast: Warming and Cooling of the Atlantic Ocean

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Warming and Cooling of the Atlantic Ocean is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall06/oceans/webseminarI.aspx">The Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate: The Effects of the Atlantic Ocean!</a>, December 12, 2006. The podcast is 6 minutes 26 seconds in duration. In the source Web Seminar presentation, educators had the opportunity to learn about the influence of the Atlantic Ocean on regional weather and climate. As water circulates through the Atlantic Ocean, from the tropics to higher latitudes, energy is transported in the form of heat. This transported energy is equal to the amount of energy required to support the electricity consumption of the United States population for 2000 years. Not only is the Atlantic Ocean the cradle for the formation of hurricanes, storms that move from east to west over the ocean, but data also shows that the sea surface temperature changes in the Atlantic Ocean are responsible for droughts taking place in the African continent. Dr. Delworth described how scientists are using computer models to forecast future weather patterns, like the possible number of hurricanes and drought conditions. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSORWC06_Dec12">The Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate: The Effects of the Atlantic Ocean!</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Sources of Reliable Climate Change

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Sources of Reliable Climate Change is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/IPY-Boston/webseminarI.aspx">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a>, May 1, 2008. The podcast is 10 minutes 38 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two related to the IPY Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston, Massachusetts. The presenter focused her presentation on the following four questions: (1) Why are the polar regions important for global climate? (2) What is one (of many) important climate discoveries from past ice coring science? (3) How can teachers and students become engaged in IPY ice coring programs? (4) Where can teachers get reliable information about climate change science? The Web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-12. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSPSG08_May01">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

EcoTipping Points

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Contrary to what we often hear and teach, there is good news to be found on the environmental front. Environmental success stories show us not only that sustainability is possible, but also how people have made it happen. We can make these stories and their lessons accessible to students with help from the EcoTipping Points Project, which has collected environmental success stories from around the world.

"New Science" and Societal Issues

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

As a "new science," nanotechnology has brought many nanoscale-based applications to the forefront of society. This article describes one such application-a nanosensor that can precisely detect a variety of chemical stimuli in the environment-and presents the science behind it as an interdisciplinary science topic. This article also provides scenarios that can be used in the classroom to discuss the unique ethical concerns associated with nanosensors.

Health Wise: October 2009

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Labels such as "low-fat" and "trans-fat free" are seen on food products everywhere, and yet most of my students do not know what these terms really mean. Can you help me?

Safer Science: Chemical Storage

9/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Using chemicals safely requires a number of things, including current inventory control, appropriate labeling and storage segregation, ongoing inspections, and more. How can a science teacher find the appropriate storage information? Read on. This month's Safer Science column has the answers you seek.

Using Issues-Based Science in the Classroom

9/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

Every day we are confronted with issues of varying degrees of complexity and importance. Which bags are better for the environment-paper, plastic, or neither? What precautions should be taken to reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus? Are there risks involved in eating genetically modified fruits and vegetables? What impact will the use of alternative sources of energy have on global climate change? Questions such as these present unique opportunities to incorporate personal, societal, and global issues into the science curriculum. This article provides some helpful resources for planning and using this type of instruction in the classroom.

Hurricane Katrina: A Teachable Moment

9/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

This article presents suggestions for integrating the phenomenon of hurricanes into the teaching of high school fluid mechanics. Students come to understand core science concepts in the context of their impact upon both the environment and human populations. Suggestions for using information about hurricanes, particularly Hurricane Katrina, in a physics class are provided, as are examples of ways to modify standard physics problems.

Podcast: Polar Science and World Peace

9/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Polar Science and World Peace is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/IPY-Boston/webseminarII.aspx">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a>, May 22, 2008. The podcast is 21 minutes 45 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two related to the IPY Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston, Massachusetts. The presenter focused her presentation on the following four questions: (1) Is polar science relevant to world peace? (2) How is the atmosphere involved in current climate change? (3) How do we know about ancient atmospheres? (4) What are some discoveries from the International Polar Year so far? (5) How can teachers become involved in IPY? The seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-12. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSPSG08_May22">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center library.

Podcast: Investigating Outbreaks

9/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Investigating Outbreaks is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/nutrition/webseminarI.aspx">Outbreak Investigations!</a>, April 26, 2007. The podcast is 8 minutes 48 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two on the topic of Food Safety and Nutrition. The presenter was Dr. Patrick McCarthy, Epidemiologist from the Office of Food Defense, Communication, and Emergency Response, at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. In the seminar, Dr. McCarthy talked about outbreak investigations. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSFSN07_Apr26">Outbreak Investigations!</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center library.

Podcast: Effects of Ocean Acidifcation on Coral Reefs

9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Effects of Ocean Acidifcation on Coral Reefs is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NOAA/webseminarI.aspx">The Heat is On!: Climate Change and Coral Reef Ecosystems</a>, April 2, 2009. The podcast is 6 minutes 6 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two scheduled as a follow-up to the The Heat is On! Climate Change an Coral Reef Ecosystems Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program Dr. Gledhill talked about ocean acidification, the basic carbon dioxide chemistry cycle of the oceans, and the changes coral reef ecosystems are experiencing due to anthropogenic increases in carbon dioxide. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSCCC09_Apr02">The Heat is On!: Climate Change and Coral Reef Ecosystems</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Atlantic Ocean Circulation

9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Atlantic Ocean Circulation is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall06/oceans/webseminarI.aspx">Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate</a>, December 12, 2006. The podcast is 14 minutes 8 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two about the Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate. The presenter was Dr. Tom Delworth, leader of NOAA's Climate Dynamics and Prediction Group at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, NJ. The seminar focused on the influence of the Atlantic Ocean on climate, from Atlantic hurricanes to African drought. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSORWC06_Dec12">Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Benchmark Hunting

9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Benchmark Hunting is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/GPS/webseminarII.aspx">GPS and Geodesy for Dummies: Do You Know Where You Are?</a>, May 29, 2007. The podcast is 20 minutes 18 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two on the topic of GPS and Geodesy. The presenter was Casey Brennan, Program Analyst with NOAA's National Geodetic Survey in the Communications and Outreach branch. Mr. Brennan talked about geocaching and benchmark hunting, and shared ideas for using these in the classroom. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSGPS07_May29">GPS and Geodesy for Dummies: Do You Know Where You Are?</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Scope on Safety: Rethinking the Use of Hand Sanitizers

8/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

Recent concerns about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and swine flu have prompted many parents to demand that hand sanitizers be made available in schools to protect their kids. In response, schools began installing alcohol-based hand-sanitizing stations in school cafeterias, classrooms, and even biology labs. But is this approach the best way to prevent the transfer of microbes from one person to another? Should we believe the commercials promising that hand sanitizers kill up to 99.9% on contact? Let's see what the experts have to say.

Green Science: Building for the Future

8/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

This first Green Science column will focus on the environmental features of NSTA's new headquarters, the John Glenn Center for Science Education. The new building, which is currently being designed, will be constructed next door to NSTA's current location in Arlington, Virginia, and will be approximately 66,000 square feet, with six stories. The design of the new building will incorporate environmental features throughout, and construction will minimize waste and use recycled or renewable materials whenever possible. This article will outline some of the planned features of the new building.

Going Bananas Over Fruit: Using Habits of Mind to Foster Nutritional Literacy

8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science literacy for all students is an education goal in the United States, as well as in many other parts of the world. Habits of mind are the skills and attitudes that students need to develop in order to understand science as a way of thinking. In this standards-based era, habits of mind can be readily incorporated to teach multiple content areas, in the natural sciences as well as in integrated settings. The authors' purpose in designing this unit was to develop habits of mind in middle school learners. Throughout this unit, habits of mind standards are stressed as a way to increase science literacy, specifically, nutritional literacy, in middle school learners.

Thirsty Plants in Arid Places

8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

In order to demonstrate how plants remove water from the soil and release it to the atmosphere, students compared open- and closed-growing systems using drought-tolerant and higher water requirement plants. Then, students designed a drought-tolerant garden demonstrating what they had learned. Through this experience, students not only learned about evaporation and transpiration in a concrete way, but they also learned about their own local ecosystem and factors affecting it.

Forest or Field?

8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

An open field-with its wildflowers, grasses, and vole tunnels-became an instant classroom. Students' senses were awakened there, and upon entering a nearby forest, they immediately detected a difference: less light and cooler air. "Why are there no grasses in the forest? Why aren't there ferns in the field?" These and other questions emerged as fifth-grade students collected and compared data from both a field and forest at a local Audubon Society wildlife refuge.

The Gift of the Tree

8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

A piece of children's literature can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning science; however, it takes more than reading about a topic to qualify as "doing science." Inspired by the book, The Gift of the Tree, the author developed an in-depth interdisciplinary lesson for her sixth-grade students without diluting the science. Through this lesson, students read and experience the concepts in the story in two ways-through a macro lens to see how these plants and animals are interconnected, and through a micro lens to learn specific hands-on science skills, such as making inexpensive nonglass slides, looking through the microscope, and observing and recording parts of the tree and other plants.

Health Wise: September 2009

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

What causes diabetes, and how does it affect a person's health?

Safer Science: EMS(s)-Pulling the Plug!

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Over the past decade, many headlines have noted the potential dangers of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field (EMFs) exposures-especially for children and young adults. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on EMF(s) and their long-term effects. However, while research continues, follow the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations outlined in this month's Safer Science column to ensure the safety of your students.

Web Seminar: Thinking Like a Scientist: Teaching and Learning with Current Science Issues, January 12, 2010

8/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

Can issue-based activities make science come alive? Can the process of science work in concert with the context of science through issues? In the first part of the webinar, you will explore how to use ActionBioscience.org to incorporate issues into your teaching and extend its resources to activities that illustrate 'thinking like a scientist.' In part two, our discussion will examine how to use historical cases to illustrate their application to lessons on current issues. In the final hands-on component, participants will learn how to teach students to evaluate web resources using the 5Ws strategy and discuss ways to use this and other strategies for thinking critically about online resources. Join Oksana Hlodan, Editor-in-chief of ActionBioscience.org, a free access, bilingual (English/Spanish) education resource of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, who along with a guest classroom teacher, will guide this reflection on teaching and learning with issues and facilitate the interactive components. Worksheets and resource lists will be provided. This webinar is designed for high school and undergraduate educators of introductory science courses.

Shrinking Our Footprints

8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this unit, each student calculates his or her own ecological footprint as the basis for becoming more environmentally friendly. Over two weeks, students analyze their own lifestyles and use their understanding of environmental chemistry to synthesize, implement, and disseminate plans to reduce their footprints. Ultimately, by writing newspaper articles that are shared with the community, students apply what they have learned to raise public awareness about sustainability. This article describes the environmental chemistry unit and provides suggestions for implementation based on the authors' experience in the high school chemistry classroom.

Podcast: Why are Polar Regions Important for Global Climate?

8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Why are Polar Regions Important for Global Climate? is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/IPY-Boston/webseminarI.aspx">Polar Science Global Discoveries IPY Research Update for Teachers I</a>, May 1, 2008. The podcast is 11 minutes 24 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two related to the IPY Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston, Massachusetts. The presenter focused her presentation on the following four questions: (1) Why are the polar regions important for global climate? (2) What is one (of many) important climate discoveries from past ice coring science? (3) How can teachers and students become engaged in IPY ice coring programs? (4) Where can teachers get reliable information about climate change science? The Web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-12. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSPSG08_May01">Polar Science Global Discoveries IPY Research Update for Teachers I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Cosmetic Safety History in U.S.

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Cosmetic Safety History in U.S. is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Food and Cosmetics</a>, May 6, 2008. The podcast is 11 minutes 24 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two related to the FDA Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston, Massachusetts. The presenter focused on three questions: (1) How has the safety of cosmetics been viewed historically in the United States? (2) How is cosmetic safety regulated now? (3) What are some of the cosmetic safety issues FDA has tackled? The Web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC08_May06">Food and Cosmetics</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Cosmetic Safety Issues for FDA

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Cosmetic Safety Issues for FDA is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Food and Cosmetics</a>, May 6, 2008. The podcast is 11 minutes 43 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two related to the FDA Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston, Massachusetts. The presenter focused on three questions: (1) How has the safety of cosmetics been viewed historically in the United States? (2) How is cosmetic safety regulated now? (3) What are some of the cosmetic safety issues FDA has tackled? The Web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC08_May06">Food and Cosmetics</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Current Cosmetic Regulation

8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Current Cosmetic Regulation is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Food and Cosmetics</a>, May 6, 2008. The podcast is 11 minutes 19 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two related to the FDA Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston, Massachusetts. The presenter focused on three questions: (1) How has the safety of cosmetics been viewed historically in the United States? (2) How is cosmetic safety regulated now? (3) What are some of the cosmetic safety issues FDA has tackled? The Web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC08_May06">Food and Cosmetics</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Interdependence: Environmental Systems and Human Impact

8/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

This chapter covers the entire Instructional Planning Framework process, including both the predictive and responsive phases. Each aspect of the framework you learned about in a stepwise manner in Chapters 3-6 is reviewed again and seen as an entire process. The content focus is on a local ecosystem. It explores the interactions of system components, fluctuations in populations, inputs and outputs, and so forth. Connections are drawn to broader systems, pointing to global impact.

Factors That Affect Eutrophication

8/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this investigation, the effects of excess nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) on algae will be examined. An excess of these nutrients can lead to eutrophication in ponds and lakes. Eutrophic lakes typically are shallow, have mucky bottoms, and have warmer temperatures. These types of conditions lower the amount of oxygen available to aquatic organisms and sometimes can lead to fish kills. Usually eutrophic lakes are most noted for their algal blooms, which decrease the commercial and aesthetic value of the lake.

Groundwater Contamination

8/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

This investigation consists of two parts, in which students first model the effects of groundwater contamination and then track the flow of the contamination. However, Part I does not have to be done in order to do Part II. This Teacher Information section presents general information relevant to both parts of the investigation, followed by information specific to each part. There is a separate Student Handout for each part plus a question sheet (at the end of the chapter) covering both parts.

Stream Channel Morphology

8/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

When humans change the natural topography, certain effects are likely to be seen in a watershed. The transportation of water and sediment increases when streams are straightened and, with the increased flow rate of water, erosion also increases. All of these factors increase turbidity and can have a negative effect on the waterways and most lakes. A degraded visual appearance will be the most noticeable effect, but animal and plant life will also begin to change as streams are changed. In this investigation, the objective is to compare how channel morphology affects the flow of water and the transportation of sediment.

Podcast: Basic Greenhouse Physics

7/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Basic Greenhouse Physics is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarI.aspx">SRS, NOAA, USFS: Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate I</a>, March 31, 2009. The podcast is 7 minutes 36 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Dr. Winton talked about greenhouse gases, the Earth's carbon cycle, and global climate models. He showed a variety of graphs generated from current research to illustrate the human influence on Earth's current climate pattern. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSETE09_Mar31">SRS, NOAA, USFS: Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Climate Models and What They Tell Us

7/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Climate Models and What They Tell Us is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarI.aspx">SRS, NOAA, USFS: Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate I</a>, March 31, 2009. The podcast is 10 minutes 50 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Dr. Winton talked about greenhouse gases, the Earth's carbon cycle, and global climate models. He showed a variety of graphs generated from current research to illustrate the human influence on Earth's current climate pattern. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSETE09_Mar31">SRS, NOAA, USFS: Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Cruel, Cruel Summer

7/28/2009 12:00:00 AM

Scientists expect that a warmer climate will cause more severe, more frequent, and longer heat waves. Heat waves pose a significant health risk to everyone, but especially to poor, elderly, and chronically ill individuals. In this open-ended inquiry, students use raw data from public health websites to investigate the relationship between extreme heat and human mortality. The activity stresses data acquisition and analysis skills.

Ah-Choo!

7/28/2009 12:00:00 AM

Pollen allergies are becoming more prevalent globally, in part because of the effect of climate on pollen-producing plants. In this problem-based learning activity, students assume the role of public relations specialists contracted to communicate the link between climate change and allergies. This activity focuses on the importance of scientific skills to careers outside science.

Population Peril

7/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

Rising air temperatures have changed the extent and timing of sea ice formation in the Arctic, forcing some polar bear populations to go longer each year without food. In this activity, students assume the role of graduate students advising an intern participating in a polar bear study. The students investigate declines in the body condition and population size of polar bears, and reflect on the role of science in wildlife management.

Carrion: It's What's for Dinner

7/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

The restoration of wolves to Yellowstone National Park after a 70-year absence created a natural experiment on the ecological effects of top predators. In this activity, students use mathematical models to explore how carrion from wolf kills can reduce negative effects of climate change on scavengers in the park.

Podcast: Ethical Considerations: Respect for Persons

7/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Ethical Considerations: Respect for Persons is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NIH/webseminarI.aspx">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a>, March, 26, 2009. The podcast is 11 minutes 27 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scheduled as a follow-up to the NIH: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Jeanne Chowning presented specific examples of the NIH and EDC developed curriculum for the teaching bioethics in the high school classroom. Participants reviewed and discussed sample questions on vaccination policies, talked about challenges in teaching bioethics, and were given philosophical background on where some of the ethical principles were initially derived. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSEBA09_Mar26">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Climate Change Summary

7/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Climate Change Summary Questions is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Birmingham/webseminarI.aspx">Artic and Antarctic Living Systems</a>, December 20, 2007. The podcast is 6 minutes 41 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of three, related to the IPY Symposium that took place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Kelly gave a fascinating presentation about the International Polar Year (IPY) and land and marine adaptations to extreme conditions, species migration, and the role of humans in polar ecosystems. The web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSALS07_dec20">Artic and Antarctic Living Systems</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Educational Materials Developed and Focus Group Results

7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Educational Materials Developed and Focus Group Results is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, April 1</a>, 2009 . The podcast is 10 minutes 4 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program, Alan Tart talked about changes in the instructional delivery necessary to reach individuals who are oral-culture learners. He talked about the importance in such instruction with regard to how materials, such as training signs in restaurants, are developed. Mr. Tart also talked about the different causes of food borne illness and the steps necessary to reduce infection. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC09_Apr01">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Oral Culture vs. Print Culture Communication Styles

7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Oral Culture vs. Print Culture Communication Styles is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, April 1</a>, 2009 . The podcast is 10 minutes 59 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program, Alan Tart talked about changes in the instructional delivery necessary to reach individuals who are oral-culture learners. He talked about the importance in such instruction with regard to how materials, such as training signs in restaurants, are developed. Mr. Tart also talked about the different causes of food borne illness and the steps necessary to reduce infection. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC09_Apr01">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Recommendations and Current Activities

7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Recommendations and Current Activities is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, April 1</a>, 2009 . The podcast is 3 minutes 52 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program, Alan Tart talked about changes in the instructional delivery necessary to reach individuals who are oral-culture learners. He talked about the importance in such instruction with regard to how materials, such as training signs in restaurants, are developed. Mr. Tart also talked about the different causes of food borne illness and the steps necessary to reduce infection. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC09_Apr01">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Retention vs. Behavior Modification

7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Retention vs. Behavior Modification is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, April 1</a>, 2009 . The podcast is 11 minutes 39 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program, Alan Tart talked about changes in the instructional delivery necessary to reach individuals who are oral-culture learners. He talked about the importance in such instruction with regard to how materials, such as training signs in restaurants, are developed. Mr. Tart also talked about the different causes of food borne illness and the steps necessary to reduce infection. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC09_Apr01">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Broad FDA Responsibilities

7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Broad FDA Responsibilities is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food II</a>, April 28, 2009 . The podcast is 8 minutes 50 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program, Dr. Taylor talked about the broad responsibilities the FDA has in different consumer product regulation. The emphasis of his presentation was on Dietary Supplements and the laws and regulations, such as the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, that govern these consumer products. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC09_Apr28">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food II</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Dietary Supplement Claims

7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Dietary Supplement Claims is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food II</a>, April 28, 2009 . The podcast is 9 minutes 18 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program, Dr. Taylor talked about the broad responsibilities the FDA has in different consumer product regulation. The emphasis of his presentation was on Dietary Supplements and the laws and regulations, such as the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, that govern these consumer products. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC09_Apr28">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food II</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act

7/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food II</a>, April 28, 2009 . The podcast is 6 minutes 12 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In this program, Dr. Taylor talked about the broad responsibilities the FDA has in different consumer product regulation. The emphasis of his presentation was on Dietary Supplements and the laws and regulations, such as the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, that govern these consumer products. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC09_Apr28">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food II</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Nutrition Label Footnotes

7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Nutrition Label Footnotes is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/nutrition/webseminarII.aspx">FDA: Food Safety and Nutrition</a>, May 31, 2007. The podcast is 3 minutes 30 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two on the topic of Food Safety and Nutrition. The presenter was Crystal Rasnake, Nutritionist in the Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration. Ms. Rasnake talked about the percent daily value on the food label and the "Make Your Calories Count" interactive website that can be used in the classroom to teach about the food label. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSFSN07_May31">FDA: Food Safety and Nutrition</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: More Resources from Design Squad and NASA

7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: More Resources from Design Squad and NASA is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/WGBH/Webseminar.aspx">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a>, June 4, 2009. The podcast is 8 minutes 17 seconds in duration. In the source Web Seminar, Susan Buckey, Natalie Hebshie, Kristy Hill, and Thea Sahr talked about how Design Squad encourages aspiring engineers and shares engineering activities that can be used in the science classroom. They focused the presentation of activities around those provided in the free On the Moon guide. They also gave a web tour of additional resources that can be found on the Design Squad website as well as the NASA web site for educators. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSOTM09_Jun04">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: NASA and Design Squad

7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: NASA and Design Squad is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/WGBH/Webseminar.aspx">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a>, June 4, 2009. The podcast is 7 minutes 39 seconds in duration. In the source Web Seminar, Susan Buckey, Natalie Hebshie, Kristy Hill, and Thea Sahr talked about how Design Squad encourages aspiring engineers and shares engineering activities that can be used in the science classroom. They focused the presentation of activities around those provided in the free On the Moon guide. They also gave a web tour of additional resources that can be found on the Design Squad website as well as the NASA web site for educators. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSOTM09_Jun04">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: On the Moon Activity Guide

7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: On the Moon Activity Guide is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/WGBH/Webseminar.aspx">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a>, June 4, 2009. The podcast is 5 minutes 24 seconds in duration. In the source Web Seminar, Susan Buckey, Natalie Hebshie, Kristy Hill, and Thea Sahr talked about how Design Squad encourages aspiring engineers and shares engineering activities that can be used in the science classroom. They focused the presentation of activities around those provided in the free On the Moon guide. They also gave a web tour of additional resources that can be found on the Design Squad website as well as the NASA web site for educators. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSOTM09_Jun04">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Overview of On the Moon Activities

7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Overview of On the Moon Activities is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/WGBH/Webseminar.aspx">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a>, June 4, 2009. The podcast is 12 minutes 48 seconds in duration. In the source Web Seminar, Susan Buckey, Natalie Hebshie, Kristy Hill, and Thea Sahr talked about how Design Squad encourages aspiring engineers and shares engineering activities that can be used in the science classroom. They focused the presentation of activities around those provided in the free On the Moon guide. They also gave a web tour of additional resources that can be found on the Design Squad website as well as the NASA web site for educators. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSOTM09_Jun04">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Talking to Kids about Engineering

7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Talking to Kids about Engineering is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/WGBH/Webseminar.aspx">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a>, June 4, 2009. The podcast is 3 minutes 13 seconds in duration. In the source Web Seminar, Susan Buckey, Natalie Hebshie, Kristy Hill, and Thea Sahr talked about how Design Squad encourages aspiring engineers and shares engineering activities that can be used in the science classroom. They focused the presentation of activities around those provided in the free On the Moon guide. They also gave a web tour of additional resources that can be found on the Design Squad website as well as the NASA web site for educators. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSOTM09_Jun04">WGBH: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Criteria for Deciding Organ Transplantation

7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Criteria for Deciding Organ Transplantation is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NIH/webseminarI.aspx">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a>, Thursday, March 26, 2009. The podcast is 11 minutes 16 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two Web Seminars scheduled as a follow-up to the NIH: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Liz Crane presented specific examples of the NIH and EDC developed curriculum for teaching bioethics in the high school classroom. Participants responded to a variety of prompts used with students and discussed the pedagogy for using the curriculum with their students. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSEBA09_Mar26">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Incorporating Bioethics into the Curriculum

7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Incorporating Bioethics into the Curriculum is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NIH/webseminarI.aspx">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a>, Thursday, March 26, 2009. The podcast is 10 minutes 47 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two Web Seminars scheduled as a follow-up to the NIH: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Liz Crane presented specific examples of the NIH and EDC developed curriculum for teaching bioethics in the high school classroom. Participants responded to a variety of prompts used with students and discussed the pedagogy for using the curriculum with their students. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSEBA09_Mar26">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: The Case of Organ Transplantation

7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: The Case of Organ Transplantation is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NIH/webseminarI.aspx">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a>, Thursday, March 26, 2009. The podcast is 9 minutes 16 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two Web Seminars scheduled as a follow-up to the NIH: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Liz Crane presented specific examples of the NIH and EDC developed curriculum for teaching bioethics in the high school classroom. Participants responded to a variety of prompts used with students and discussed the pedagogy for using the curriculum with their students. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSEBA09_Mar26">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: United Network for Organ Sharing

7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: United Network for Organ Sharing is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NIH/webseminarI.aspx">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a>, Thursday, March 26, 2009. The podcast is 4 minutes 14 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two Web Seminars scheduled as a follow-up to the NIH: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Liz Crane presented specific examples of the NIH and EDC developed curriculum for teaching bioethics in the high school classroom. Participants responded to a variety of prompts used with students and discussed the pedagogy for using the curriculum with their students. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSEBA09_Mar26">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Weighing Organ Allocation Criteria

7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Weighing Organ Allocation Criteria is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NIH/webseminarI.aspx">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a>, Thursday, March 26, 2009. The podcast is 6 minutes 55 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two Web Seminars scheduled as a follow-up to the NIH: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program, Liz Crane presented specific examples of the NIH and EDC developed curriculum for teaching bioethics in the high school classroom. Participants responded to a variety of prompts used with students and discussed the pedagogy for using the curriculum with their students. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSEBA09_Mar26">NIH: Exploring Bioethics I</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: United States Forest Service Educational Resources and Associated National Standards

7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: United States Forest Service Educational Resources and Associated National Standards is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarII.aspx">SRS, NOAA, USFS, Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate II</a>, Thursday, April 23, 2009. The program is 7 minutes 4 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scheduled as a follow-up to the Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate Symposium that took place at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans, LA. In the program Dr. Bloniarz and Vicki Arthur showcased a curriculum that highlights the importance of trees as a natural resource. They gave participants a chance to hear about and use a tree benefits calculator that provides monetary values for the many benefits provided by trees. The presenters talked about Urban Forestry and explained that the projected growth of urban areas over the next 30 years will make the thoughtful planning of urban forests essential to environmental and economic prosperity. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSETE09_Apr23">SRS, NOAA, USFS, Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate II</a> to place the archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Tree Benefits Calculator

7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Tree Benefits Calculator is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarII.aspx">Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate</a>, April 23, 2009. The podcast is 6 minutes 09 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scientists and education specialists from Sally Ride Science, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Forest Service. The seminars focused on the basic science behind our understanding of climate change and global impacts on the atmosphere, ecosystems, and oceans around the world. The presenters shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. The Web Seminars were designed for educators of grades 5-12. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSETE09_Apr23">Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: How to use I-Tree Curriculum

7/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: How to use I-Tree Curriculum is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarII.aspx">Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate</a>, April 23, 2009. The podcast is 3 minutes 49 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scientists and education specialists from Sally Ride Science, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Forest Service. The seminars focused on the basic science behind our understanding of climate change and global impacts on the atmosphere, ecosystems, and oceans around the world. The presenters shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. The Web Seminars were designed for educators of grades 5-12. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSETE09_Apr23">Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Observations of Change

7/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Observations of Change is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarII.aspx">Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate</a>, April 23, 2009. The podcast is 12 minutes 36 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two scientists and education specialists from Sally Ride Science, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Forest Service. The seminars focused on the basic science behind our understanding of climate change and global impacts on the atmosphere, ecosystems, and oceans around the world. The presenters shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. The Web Seminars were designed for educators of grades 5-12. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSETE09_Apr23">Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Factors Affecting Bacteria Growth in Food

7/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Factors Affecting Bacteria Growth in Food is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a>, December 18, 2008. The podcast is 11 minutes 28 seconds in duration. The source web seminar was the second of two featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration, FDA. The seminars will focused on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, the food label, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenter shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. The Web Seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Topics include careers, disease, personal hygiene, nutrition, outbreaks, and food safety. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC08_Dec18">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: General Pathogens of Foodborne Illness

7/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: General Pathogens of Foodborne Illness is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a>, December 18, 2008. The podcast is 9 minutes 59 seconds in duration. The source web seminar was the second of two featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration, FDA. The seminars will focused on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, the food label, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenter shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. The Web Seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Topics include careers, disease, personal hygiene, nutrition, outbreaks, and food safety. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC08_Dec18">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Disorders Associated with food allergies

7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Disorders Associated with food allergies is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a>, November 15, 2007. The podcast is 8 minutes 57 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration, FDA. The seminar focused on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, the food label, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenter shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. This Web Seminar is designed for educators of grades 5-8. Topics include careers, disease, personal hygiene, nutrition, outbreaks, and food safety. Click, Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food to place this <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC07_nov15">archive</a> in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Food Allergies Management - Laws and Labeling

7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Food Allergies Management - Laws and Labeling is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a>, November 15, 2007. The podcast is 5 minutes 42 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration, FDA. The seminar focused on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, the food label, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenter shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. This Web Seminar is designed for educators of grades 5-8. Topics include careers, disease, personal hygiene, nutrition, outbreaks, and food safety. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC07_nov15">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a> to place this archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: What is a Food Allergy

7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: What is a Food Allergy is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a>, November 15, 2007. The podcast is 13 minutes 51 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration, FDA. The seminar focused on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, the food label, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenter shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. This Web Seminar is designed for educators of grades 5-8. Topics include careers, disease, personal hygiene, nutrition, outbreaks, and food safety. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC07_nov15">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a> to place this archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Definition of Salt

7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Definition of Salt is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a>, April 9, 2008. The podcast is 10 minutes 7 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two featuring scientists and education specialists from the Food and Drug Administration, FDA. The seminar focused on food microbiology, food processing, food epidemiology, the food label, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, and the public health impact of food safety. The presenter shared their science expertise, answered questions from the participants, and provided information regarding web sites that students can use in the classroom. This Web Seminar is designed for educators of grades 5-8. Topics include careers, disease, personal hygiene, nutrition, outbreaks, and food safety. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSTSC08_Apr09">Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food</a> to place this archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Discoveries from the 2007-2009 International Polar Year

7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Discoveries from the 2007-2009 International Polar Year is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/IPY-Boston/webseminar.aspx">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a>, May 1, 2008. The podcast is 11 minutes 38 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two in celebration of the International Polar Year, IPY. It Featured scientists and education specialists from the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA, this Web Seminar helped participants to link science expertise and resources to engaging, hands-on, and inquiry-based classroom activities. The seminars focused on global climate change and the research findings from the first year of IPY. Topics covered included global climate change, living systems, plants, humans, animals, adaptation, carbon cycle, air, water, migration, and weather. This Web Seminar was designed for grade 5-8 educators. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSPSG08_May01">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a> to place this archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Websites for Teacher Professional Development

7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Websites for Teacher Professional Development is a segment of the Web Seminar <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/IPY-Boston/webseminarII.aspx">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a>, May 22, 2008. The podcast is 7 minutes 2 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two in celebration of the International Polar Year, IPY. Featuring scientists and education specialists from the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA, this Web Seminar helped participants to link science expertise and resources to engaging, hands-on, and inquiry-based classroom activities. The seminars focused on global climate change and the research findings from the first year of IPY. Topics covered included global climate change, living systems, plants, humans, animals, adaptation, carbon cycle, air, water, migration, and weather. This Web Seminar is designed for grade 5-8 educators. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSPSG08_May22">Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers</a> to place this archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Causes of Foodbourne Outbreaks

7/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Causes of Foodbourne Outbreaks is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall06/nutrition/webseminarII.aspx">Outbreak Investigation: Be The Detective</a>, January, 18 2007. The podcast is 4 minutes 35 seconds in duration. In the source Web SeminarIn educators had the opportunity to learn about outbreak investigations. The Center for Disease Control estimates that in 1999 there were 76 million foodborne illnesses in the United States. This number shows that foodborne illnesses area a serious problem in our country. The most common causes of foodborne outbreaks are ill workers who do not follow proper personal hygiene requirements. Click Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSFSN07_Jan18">Outbreak Investigation: Be The Detective, January, 18 2007</a> to place this archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Anatomy of an Outbreak

7/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Anatomy of an Outbreak is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall06/nutrition/webseminarII.aspx">Outbreak Investigation: Be The Detective</a>, January, 18 2007. The podcast is 6 minutes 6 seconds in duration. In the source Web SeminarIn educators had the opportunity to learn about outbreak investigations. The Center for Disease Control estimates that in 1999 there were 76 million foodborne illnesses in the United States. This number shows that foodborne illnesses area a serious problem in our country. The most common causes of foodborne outbreaks are ill workers who do not follow proper personal hygiene requirements. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSFSN07_Jan18">Outbreak Investigation: Be The Detective</a> to place this archive in your Learning Center Library now.

The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science (e-book)

7/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

As a science educator, you know the importance of using best safety practices to protect your students physically during hands-on science instruction. But do you also know how to protect yourself legally even in aging facilities and crowded labs? Learn the regulations and how to apply them with this clear, easy-to-use guide to both safety practices and legal standards. The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science is a compendium of 39 "Scope on Safety" columns from Science Scope, NSTA's member journal for middle schools. Major sections cover safety practices and legal standards-on subjects as diverse as asbestos, ergonomics, and bloodborne pathogens-and instructional safety-including the challenges of occupancy loads, field trips, and safer science for special-needs students. Each section is divided into four parts: general science, chemistry, physical science, and biology. An appendix includes the NSTA position statements related to safer practices and resources and references from all the columns. But especially intriguing is the section devoted to questions teachers ask. Is it safe to allow backpacks, open-toe shoes, and long synthetic nails in the lab? Are microwave ovens safe to use for heating liquids for experiments? Can ether be safely used to anesthetize fruit flies in a lab? With this book on your shelf, you can quickly find out.

Dig In! Hands-On Soil Investigtions (e-book)

7/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

Give students the dirt on soil with a practical book that brings new meaning to the term "hands-on." Using these 12 activities and two original stories as guides, kids will soon be up to their elbows in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use, animals that depend on soil, plants that grow in soil, soil science, and soil conservation. Each teacher-tested lesson plan offers helpful background, assessment methods, and suggestions for further exploration. This book also contains SciLinks--Internet links, housed on an NSTA web site, that we promise to keep up-to-date and relevant to your teaching for as long as the book stays in print!

Podcast: Properties of the Nanoscale NanoScience

7/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

ThePodcast: Properties of the Nanoscale NanoScience is a segment of the <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/NSTA_Press/webseminarI.aspx">Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12: Tiny Science: Big Ideas</a> that took place on December 18, 2007. The podcast is 11 minutes 31 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two related to the NanoScale Science Symposium that took place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Birmingham, Alabama. The program focused on the NSTA Press book and its activities which are organized around five themes: scale, tools and techniques, unique properties and behaviors, nanotechnology applications, and societal implications

Podcast: Nanotechnology Benefits and Threats to the Environment

7/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Nanotechnology Benefits and Threats to the Environment is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/NSTA_Press/webseminarII.aspx">Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12: NanoScience and the Future</a>, January 15, 2008. The podcast is 12 minutes 59 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two related to the NanoScale Science Symposium that took place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Birmingham, Alabama. In the seminar the presenters talked about some of the applications of nanotechnology like sensors, labels, medical applications, and tracking and their potential benefits and risks to society. The program was designed for educators of grades 6-12. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSNSA07_jan15">Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12: NanoScience and the Future</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Nutrient Requirements

7/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Nutrient Requirements is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/nutrition/webseminarII.aspx">Food Safety and Nutrition</a>, May 31, 2007. The podcast is 11 minutes 18 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the second of two on the topic of Food Safety and Nutrition. The presenter was Crystal Rasnake, Nutritionist in the Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration. Ms. Rasnake talked about the percent daily value on the food label and the "Make Your Calories Count" interactive website that can be used in the classroom to teach about the food label. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSFSN07_May31">Food Safety and Nutrition</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Resources for Environmental Literacy: Five Teaching Modules for Middle and High School Teachers (e-book)

6/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

Resources for Environmental Literacy offers a fresh way to enhance your classroom productivity. The environmental context it provides can improve your students' science learning even as learning the science improves their ability to deal with five real-world topics: - Biodiversity - Genetically modified crops - Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis - Global climate change - Radioactive waste But this resource doesn't encourage students to take a particular stand on these subjects. Instead, it builds skills in critical thinking and analytical reasoning about complex issues. For ease of teaching, each of the book's modules includes such useful features as: - Student learning goals based on Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the Standards - Background content for teachers, organized into sets of "essential questions"-such as "What is a species?" and "What is the science involved in the genetic engineering of crops?"-with answers you can draw on when guiding students. - A suggested teaching approach, including misconceptions to watch out for and assessments to use. - Student activities and materials you can adapt to your classroom needs. Resources for Environmental Literacy is designed especially for teachers of middle school life science and physical science as well as high school Earth science, biology, and physics. The modules offer appropriate teaching strategies plus high-quality resources to deepen your students' understanding of key environmental topics.

Climate Change From Pole to Pole: Biology Investigations (e-Book)

6/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Climate Change From Pole to Pole: Biology Investigations offers timely, relevant, biology-based case studies and background information on how to teach the science of climate change. The six painstakingly researched and field-tested activities, which build on four content chapters, give students the opportunity to solve real-life scientific problems using guiding questions, graphs and data tables, short reading assignments, and independent research. This volume provides an authentic and rigorous way to engage students in science and environmental issues-scientific methods, evidence, climate, and biological effects of climate change-and is a unique and essential resource for your high school or college-level classroom.

Watershed Investigations: 12 Labs for High School Science (e-book)

6/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

As urbanization and populations increase, it becomes increasingly more important that we understand the given relationships between the trends in our behavior and the ecological impacts they impart. Of particular importance is the fragile state of a great number of our watersheds, which provide not only drainage areas from our rivers and streams, but also drinking water for human and animal populations alike. Watershed Investigations: 12 Labs for High School Science provides high school educators with a series of broad-based, hands-on experiments designed to help students understand the relationships between human impact and local hydrology. Covering a range of disciplines-including geology, chemistry, Earth science, botany, and biology-this volume gives educators lesson plans that will interest the student and meet a wide array of state and national curricular standards. The book includes twelve customizable labs, each with extensive background and reference information designed to allow students to share the excitement of discovery along with the methods of scientific research and relevant examples of textbook subject material. Labs include: - Modeling Glacier Features with Sand - Glacial Features of a Watershed - Plant Identifications - Wetland Delineation - Measuring Plant Allelopathy - Stream Channel Morphology - Calculating Stream Discharge - Flood Frequency Analysis for a River - Comparison of Phosphorous Levels in Stream Sediments - Macroinvertebrate Identification - Factors that Affect Eutrophication - Groundwater Contamination The flexible formats of these labs can be customized to fit any teaching style and can be adapted to fit either inquiry-based or traditional methods based on the given class and situation. Additionally, the book contains helpful reference materials and appendices that include a history of the watershed, resources for additional information, and rubrics for writing classroom laboratory reports. An exceptional example of proactive ecological education, Watershed Investigations will give students real-world experiential learning opportunities to understand abstract environmental concepts with concrete scientific detail.

Archive: ExploraVision's Educational Value - Teacher Spotlight, June 16, 2009

6/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on June 16, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Brian Short from NSTA, Phyllis Serfaty North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, Great Neck, NY and Dave Stone University Laboratory High School Urbana, Illinois. The presenters gave an overview of the ExploraVision program and shared personal experiences of working with their students throughout the process. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/ExploraVision/webseminar5.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Science Sampler: How to enjoy your students while your students enjoy science

6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM

Every teacher's goal should be to create a classroom atmosphere where students know one another, feel safe both physically and emotionally, and enjoy interacting. By creating a good rapport with your students as well as a positive environment in which students can learn, you will enhance their potential for success and decrease the risk of their acting out to gain attention. This article describes some classroom management strategies to help foster a supportive classroom environment that benefits not only your students, but yourself in the process.

Managing Inquiry-Based Classrooms

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Though it may seem that classroom management comes naturally to some teachers, upon closer examination you'll probably discover that preparation and adaptation are more important than any innate ability when it comes to successful classroom management. Any experienced middle school science teacher can tell you that successful classroom management is an ongoing, evolving process-teachers need to modify their daily practices based on the observed behaviors and feedback of their students. This article describes some strategies to manage inquiry-based science classrooms effectively.

Hands-On Herpetology: Exploring Ecology and Conservation (e-book)

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Plentiful, diverse, and readily available, these animals-known in science as "herps"-are also perfect for teaching students about biology, ecology, and conservation, including problems affecting both amphibians and reptiles. This highly readable resource melds rigorous science content with science research. Its five sections cover the animals' biology and handling procedures (including safety tips), provide background information for teachers, offer twenty-one indoor/outdoor activities, and broach critical conservation issues. Hands-On Herpetology: Exploring Ecology and Conservation is ideal for middle and high school teachers, volunteer leaders in 4-H and other clubs, and nature center staff who want to mix serious issues with amazing science.

Exploring Safely: A Guide for Elementary Teachers (e-book)

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Take the fear factor out of science lessons. This easy-to-digest book relieves many of the safety worries that come with teaching science in elementary school. The emphasis is on positive options for heading off potential hazards, from handling special equipment to conducting field studies. Chapters cover: - making safe work habits second nature to students - equipping your classroom for safety and conveniene, including organizational systems for preparation, setup, and cleanup - choosing and culturing live plants and animals for classroom study - working safely with electricity, chemicals, and volunteers A special added ingredient: model forms that can be adapted for your needs, including permission slips and student contracts. Best of all, a wealth of anecdotes about what works-and what doesn't-in real-life classrooms makes Exploring Safely enjoyable to read as well as to reference.

Science Safety in the Community College (e-book)

6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM

Science Safety in the Community College is specifically designed to help two-year college faculty-including adjunct faculty-lay a good safety foundation for students in introductory science courses-even when they have widely differing science backgrounds. To encourage safety within a climate of inquiry, this handbook covers essential topics such as: - equipping a lab for safety, - safe materials storage and disposal, - safe field studies, and - special considerations for working with living organisms and teaching chemistry, Earth and space science, and physics. The book also offers a wealth of related websites and a detailed index for quick reference. Science Safety in the Community College is the fourth in NSTA's popular series of safety guidebooks. Not all community college facilities and students are the same, but this book will teach you and your students to "see" your particular physical environment and procedures through a safety-conscious lens.

Podcast: Albedo

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Albedo is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Denver/webseminarI.aspx">The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System</a>, November 27, 2007. The podcast is 9 minutes 33 seconds in duration. The source web seminar was developed in celebration of the International Polar Year, IPY. Featuring scientists and education specialists from the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA, this web seminar helped participants to link science expertise and resources to engaging, hands-on, and inquiry-based classroom activities. The seminar focused on the International Polar Year (IPY) and how polar regions interact with Earth's climate system, atmospheric gas changes over Earth's history, what ice cores tell us about past climate, and the implications of climate change in the polar regions. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSRPR07_nov27">The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: IPY History

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: IPY History podcast is a portion of the web seminar titled: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSRPR07_nov27">The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System</a>. The podcast is 4:02 minutes in duration. The Podcast focuses on the the History of the International Polar Year (IPY). The source web seminar was developed in celebration of the International Polar Year, IPY. Featuring scientists and education specialists from the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA, this web seminar helped participants to link science expertise and resources to engaging, hands-on, and inquiry-based classroom activities. The seminar focused on the International Polar Year (IPY) and how polar regions interact with Earth's climate system, atmospheric gas changes over Earth's history, what ice cores tell us about past climate, and the implications of climate change in the polar regions. The source web seminar was designed for grade 5-8 educators and took place on November 27, 2007. The web seminar archive and related PowerPoint presentation may be accessed in its entirety at: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSRPR07_nov27">http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSRPR07_nov27</a>.

Podcast: Sea Ice

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Sea Ice is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Denver/webseminarI.aspx">The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System</a>, November 27, 2007. The podcast is 10 minutes 35 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two related to the IPY Symposium that took place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Denver, Colorado. The presenter talked about the changing climate system and how the Arctic and Antarctic regions are responding to these changes. He also talked about the International Polar Year and its related teacher opportunities. The Web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSRPR07_nov27">The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Podcast: Sea Ice vs. Land Ice

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Podcast: Sea Ice vs. Land Ice is a segment of the Web Seminar: <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Denver/webseminarI.aspx">The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System</a>, November 27, 2007. The podcast is 10 minutes 6 seconds in duration. The source Web Seminar was the first of two related to the IPY Symposium that took place at the NSTA Area Conference on Science Education in Denver, Colorado. The presenter talked about the changing climate system and how the Arctic and Antarctic regions are responding to these changes. He also talked about the International Polar Year and its related teacher opportunities. The Web seminar was designed for educators of grades 5-8. Click, <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9/WSRPR07_nov27">The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System</a> to place the web seminar archive in your Learning Center Library now.

Teaching Green - The Middle School Years: Hands-on Learning in Grade 6-8

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

For anyone working with young people in grades 6-8-either inside or outside schools-Teaching Green contains over 50 of the best activities and teaching strategies contributed to Green Teacher magazine over the last 10 years by educators from across North America. Organized into 'green teaching' categories, the book offers a host of ideas for hands-on learning about biodiversity, ecology, resource consumption, green technology and the world around us. This collection will inspire educators who are seeking innovative strategies for incorporating 'green' themes into their programs.

Teaching Green - The High School Years: Hands-on Learning in Grades 9-12

6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

This resource is ideal for anyone working with young people in grades 9-12, whether in schools or in non-formal educational settings. Richly illustrated, it offers 50 teaching strategies that promote learning about natural systems and foster critical thinking about environmental issues, both local and global. It contains new approaches to learning, strategies for living sustainably, and numerous activities that promote interdisciplinary learning. In addition, the book provides suggestions for how best to green individual subject areas, develop integrated learning programs or replicate exemplary programs created by innovative schools and communities. Containing contributions from over 60 educators from across North America, the book's strength lies in its diverse content. Readers learn how best to apply systems thinking, teach about controversial issues and use a step-by-step approach to creative problem-solving in environmental projects. Also provided are instructions for measuring the ecological footprint of a high school, creating an indoor "living system" that cleans water, monitoring air quality with lichens and using green technologies to help green school campuses. Many articles and activities engage teenagers in outdoor learning and community restoration projects. Suggestions are included for connecting students with special needs to the environment around them. Readers will find accessible background information and suggestions for many practical projects and activities. It is sure to appeal to a wide range of teachers, educators and parents seeking innovative ideas for incorporating green themes into their programs.

PhUn Week: Understanding Physiology

6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Topics such as sports, exercise, health, and nutrition can make the science of physiology relevant and engaging for students. In addition, many lessons on these topics, such as those on the cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems, align with national and state life science education standards. Physiology Understanding Week (PhUn Week)-sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS)-is an annual outreach event in November that highlights the science of exercise and health. As part of this event, physiologists volunteer to collaborate with teachers in their local communities and visit classrooms to engage students in physiology-based activities.

The Early Years: Adding Up the Rain

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Having your class measure and record the amount of precipitation that falls daily is a job young children can do as part of learning about measurement and weather. Summer is a good time to prepare to teach about recording precipitation so you can begin soon after school starts. The objective of this month's lesson is to measure and collect data about precipitation (rain, hail, and snow).

Archive: Designed to Inspire: On the Moon June 4, 2009

6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on June 4, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Susan Buckey, Natalie Hebshie, Kristy Hill, and Thea Sahr from WGBH and NASA. The presentation group focused their information on the Design Squad PBS Series and highlighted their On the Moon activity guide. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/WGBH/Webseminar.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Breezy Power: From Wind to Energy

6/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

This lesson combines the science concepts of renewable energy and producing electricity with the technology concepts of design, constraints, and technology's impact on the environment. Over five class periods, sixth-grade students "work" for a fictitious power company as they research wind as an alternative energy source and design and test a working model of a wind turbine, learning about energy and technology in the process.

Archive: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, April 28, 2009

4/28/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on April 28, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Kenneth Taylor of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. In this Seminar, Dr. Taylor focused the discussion on Dietary Supplements and the regulations that govern those products. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarII.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate, April 23, 2009

4/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on April 23, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. David Bloniarz Project Director of the USDA Forest Service's Urban Natural Resources Institute (UNRI) and Conservation Education Specialist Vicki Arthur. The presenters gave an overview of the i-Tree resources including a curriculum that is developed for use with secondary students and adaptable to the elementary classroom. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarII.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Billions of Us: Scale and Population

4/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Population is increasingly important as both a scientific and a political subject. The world is getting more crowded. Providing students with the tools to understand population numbers is not only important for their basic understanding of their world, but it is also essential for their future navigation of social and political subjects ranging from energy use and the environment to globalization and the economy. How many people live in your city? Your state? Your country? Your world? How many people live in the United States versus China? This exercise helps students explore the magnitudes of populations and build familiarity with the scales of city, country, and world populations. A related exercise explores the connection between population and energy consumption by comparing the populations of various countries and their corresponding use of oil. This free selection includes the Table of Contents, Introduction, and Index. As a special bonus, the chapter entitled, That's Hot! The Effect of Size on Rate of Heat Loss is also included.

Polymer Chemistry: Introduction to an Indispensable Science (e-book)

4/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Here's an interesting statistic: More than half of all chemists work on some aspect of polymers. For high school teachers who want to introduce polymer science basics, properties, and uses, this book is uniquely helpful-much deeper than simple monographs or collections of experiments, but much more accessible than college texts. Divided into four sections, Polymer Chemistry starts with a broad overview of synthetic and natural polymers and then covers polymers' synthesis and preparation; common methods for processing them into useful objects; and demonstrations and experiments dealing with polymer synthesis, solutions and gels, and solid-state properties. In addition to the science, this book includes an engaging history of polymers and issues on their disposal. For environmental science teachers, the comprehensive chapter on recycling, degradation, and disposal of polymers is invaluable. And all teachers will benefit from the introduction. Written by a fellow science teacher, it provides creative chapter-by-chapter techniques for using the book in AP chemistry, and even basic high school chemistry. As the title says, polymer chemistry is an indispensable science-and Polymer Chemistry is an indispensable resource on the topic.

Decay and Renewal (Teacher Edition-Includes the full Student Edition) (e-book)

4/18/2009 12:00:00 AM

Are you looking for a new way to teach about respiration, nutrient cycling, energy flow, producers, consumers, and decomposers? Decay and Renewal provides techniques for students to learn the basics while investigating the science behind biodegradation-in nature and in human-engineered systems for wastewater treatment, waste disposal, and bioremediation of oil spills and other contaminated sites. The Teacher Edition explains how to guide student research and engineering design projects. Classroom-ready materials include detailed background information, sample assessment tasks, and rubrics, and guidelines for integrating peer review into classroom science. The Teacher Edition contains the complete text of the Student Edition. The Student Edition includes: - An overview of basic principles of biodegradation and how they apply in composting, landfills, wastewater treatment, and bioremediation systems. - Protocols that provide instructions for conducting experiments on biological, chemical, and physical aspects of biodegradation. - Forms to guide students through each step of research, providing structure but flexibility in designing and conducting meaningful experiments. - Step-by-Step guidelines for an engineering design challenge related to treatment of simulated wastewater. Decay and Renewal is the third volume in the four-part Cornell Scientific Inquiry Series, designed to guide students in creating and conducting experiments, presenting their results, and exchanging feedback with their peers.

Assessing Toxic Risk (Teacher's Guide) (e-book)

4/18/2009 12:00:00 AM

Assessing Toxic Risk is a comprehensive guide to student research in toxicology. It includes an overview of basic principles of toxicology and how they are used to assess chemical risks. It provides simple but authentic research protocols to engage students in the process of testing chemical toxicity by conducting bioassays using lettuce seeds, duckweed, and Daphnia. It also contains guidelines for integrating peer review and other collaborative knowledge-building into classroom science. Toxicology makes an ideal topic for student research because it provides a natural link between biology, chemistry, environmental science, and human health; it highlights the connections between science and public policy; and builds critical-thinking skills.

Watershed Dynamics (Teacher Edition) (Includes the full Student Edition) (e-book)

4/18/2009 12:00:00 AM

Whether you're a stream studies novice or a veteran aquatic monitor, Watershed Dynamics gives you abundant practical resources to extend your students' investigations into local water quality and land-use issues. This two-part set is ideal for teaching biological and ecological concepts and research techniques. It also shows how the interplay between scientific data and human judgment can shape public policy decisions on zoning, flood control, and agricultural practices. The Teacher Edition explains how to guide student research and engineering design projects. Classroom-ready materials include detailed background, sample assessment tasks and rubrics, and guidelines for integrating peer review into classroom science. The Teacher Edition also includes the complete Student Edition. Watershed Dynamics is the final volume in the four-part Cornell Scientific Inquiry Series, designed to guide students in designing and conducting experiments, presenting their results, and exchanging feedback with their peers. See the other titles in the series: Decay and Renewal, Assessing Toxic Risk, and Invasion Ecology.

A Glimpse of Things to Come

4/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

No one can accurately predict the future, not even meteorologists. Reading older literature that confidently predicted polymer sales volumes or revenues in x numbers of years is usually pretty amusing. In this chapter we will not attempt to look very far into the future. However, as we conclude this introduction to a field of physical science that essentially evolved over the duration of the twentieth century, it might be instructive to reflect a little on the current state of polymer chemistry. Based upon what is now on the drawing board, we can probably make some pretty good guesses as to what to expect for the next few years.

Disposal, Degradation, and Recycling; Bioplastics

4/15/2009 12:00:00 AM

Everyone is familiar with plastic waste. We throw away large volumes of it, at home, at school, at work, at fast food restaurants, on vacation. Much of it ends up in the trash. We see some of it as litter along the sides of roads, streams and lakes, and floating up on beaches. We probably recycle some used plastics, although how much depends upon where we live. In many localities, only items produced from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high-density polyethylene) are collected for recycling. Why don't we recycle more of it? Why not LDPE (low-density polyethylene) and polystyrene? And what happens to it when we do? We'll develop some basic principles in this chapter on some of the avenues that help us follow the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's advice to "reduce, reuse, recycle."

Archive: How to Incorporate ExploraVision into the Curriculum April 14, 2009

4/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on April 14, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Brian Short from NSTA and Jericho High School Teacher, Serena McCalla, 2009 Grade Category 10-12 Regional ExploraVision Winner. The presenters gave an overview of the ExploraVision program and gave examples of National Standards that could be addressed in the classroom through the ExploraVision program. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/ExploraVision/webseminar4.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Shake, Rattle, and Hopefully Not Fall

4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Earthquakes occur across the globe, and their efforts can be felt by people regardless of location. However, a moderate earthquake in Pakistan or Turkey may cause much greater damage than a stronger earthquake in Tokyo. It is imperative to help students understand why this disparity exists-often due to both natural and human influences. Students often ask, "Why don't all the tall buildings fall down when there are earthquakes?" Through this activity, sixth-grade students began to understand the engineering challenges of building earthquake-resistant buildings and how scientists meet that challenge.

Archive: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, April 1, 2009

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on April 1, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Alan Tart, Regional Retail Food Specialist and Co-Team Leader for the FDA National Retail Food Field Team. In this Seminar Mr. Tart focused the discussion on Teaching Food Safety to Oral-Culture Communication Learners. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/FDA/webseminarI.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate, March 31, 2009

3/31/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on March 31, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Mike Winton, an oceanographer at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA). In this Seminar, Dr. Winton focused the discussion on the data indicating the Earth's climate is changing and possible consequences. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/SRS/webseminarI.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction, March 26, 2009

3/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on March 26, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Liz Crane, High School Teacher from Brookline HS in Massachusetts! Ms. Crane has extensive experience with the curriculum created by NIH and EDC and gave participants an overview of some of the curriculum modules. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NewOrleans09/NIH/webseminarI.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Water You Engineering? An Activity to Develop Water-Quality Awareness

3/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

Water is one of our most precious resources. However, for many in the United States, having fresh, safe drinking water is taken for granted, and due to this perceived lack of relevance, students may not fully appreciate the luxury of having safe running water-in the home. One approach to resolving water-quality issues in the United States may reside in providing education that presents accurate information in a meaningful way. Accordingly, this article describes a unit designed to emphasize the importance of water-quality testing and purification and to introduce students to local water-quality issues. The engineering-based module of this eighth-grade science activity is particularly important due to the design-build-test component.

Archive: FDA/NSTA Symposium: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, New Orleans, Louisiana: March 20, 2009

3/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day Symposium, experts and educators from FDA explained how foodborne pathogens are tracked in an outbreak investigation and the scientific basis for the percent daily values (%DVs) on the Nutrition Facts Label. FDA experts and master educators also lead participants in activities exploring the meaning of the food label and examining the effects of different treatments of milk on milk storage. These presentations and activities were aimed at giving educators tools to use in their classrooms to help students experience several of the National Science Education Standards. Each participant received a notebook of teaching resources from FDA.

Archive: NIH/NSTA Symposium: Exploring Bioethics - A New Model for Classroom Instruction, New Orleans, Louisiana: March 19, 2009

3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day Symposium, science and education experts from NIH focused their presentations and activities on the teaching of bioethics in the high school biology classroom. They modeled field-tested lessons that can engage students in understanding current practices in biomedicine, such as genetic testing. The presenters also lead discussions regarding the ethical concepts of fairness, respect, and weighing harms and benefits, and shared strategies for facilitating rich ethics discussions in the classroom. All participants received educational materials from NIH.

Archive: Climate Change/NSTA Symposium: Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate, New Orleans, Louisana: March 19, 2009

3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day Symposium, scientists and education specialists from SRS, NOAA, and USFS talked about the basic science behind our understanding of climate change, and global impacts on the atmosphere, ecosystems (particularly forests), and oceans around the world. The presenters, some of whom were prominent scientists, drew upon the latest science to provide a story of our changing climate and they included hands-on activities for classroom use and current ideas for facing our climate challenge and creating a healthier planet.

The Big Sky Inside

3/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

The University of Montana (UM)-Missoula has implemented a problem-based program in which students perform scientific research focused on indoor air pollution. The Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program (Jones et al. 2007; Adams et al. 2008; Ward et al. 2008) provides a community-based framework for understanding the complex relationship between poor air quality and respiratory health outcomes by teaching students chemical, physical, and health concepts in the classroom setting. In addition to designing controlled experiments, students are guided through the process for conducting independent research projects to explore a real-world issue in their communities.

The State High Biodiesel Project

3/13/2009 12:00:00 AM

Through a collaborative project in Pennsylvania, high school students developed a method for converting batches of their cafeteria's waste fryer oil into biodiesel using a 190 L (50 gal) reactor. While the biodiesel is used to supplement the school district's heating and transportation energy needs, the byproduct-glycerol-is used to make hand soap to sell in the school store. Proceeds from both of these products are used to support the continuation of the project, in which students learn the science behind biodiesel and its relation to our environment. This article provides an overview of the State High Biodiesel Project with the hope of inspiring other school districts to develop their own programs.

Hard-to-Teach Biology Concepts: A Framework to Deepen Student Understanding

2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

This well-researched book provides a valuable instructional framework for high school biology teachers as they tackle five particularly challenging concepts in their classrooms-meiosis, photosynthesis, natural selection, proteins and genes, and environmental systems and human impact. The author counsels educators first to identify students' prior conceptions, especially misconceptions, related to the concept being taught, then to select teaching strategies that best dispel the misunderstandings and promote the greatest student learning. The book is not a prescribed set of lessons plans. Rather it presents a framework for lesson planning, shares appropriate approaches for developing student understanding, and provides opportunities to reflect and apply those approaches to the five hard-to-teach topics. More than 300 teacher resources are listed.

A Land-Use-Planning Simulation Using Google Earth

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

Google Earth (GE) is proving to be a valuable tool in the science classroom for understanding the environment and making responsible environmental decisions (Bodzin 2008). GE provides learners with a dynamic mapping experience using a simple interface with a limited range of functions. This interface makes geospatial analysis accessible and feasible for classroom use. Therefore, the authors developed a four week land-use-change curricular unit in which students use geospatial information technology tools including GE and other remotely sensed images to investigate modern-day land-use issues and land-use change over time.

Science Sampler: Plastics in our environment-A jigsaw learning activity

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

In this lesson, a ready-to-teach cooperative reading activity, students learn about the effects of plastics n our environment, specifically that certain petrochemicals act as artificial estrogens and impact hormonal activities. Much of the content in this lesson was synthesized from recent medical research about the impact of xenoestrogens and spun off from a curriculum project sponsored by the U.S. Army Research office.

Chow Down! Using Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to Explore Basic Nutrition Concepts

2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Madagascar hissing cockroach gromphadorhina portentosa) is one of the most exciting and enjoyable animals to incorporate into your science curriculum. Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHCs) do not bite, are easy to handle, produce little odor compared to many terrarium animals, have a fascinating social structure, are easy to breed, teach students how to properly care for animals, and are very cool looking! This article describes an inquiry-based MHC activity and further questions for your students to explore. The activity and questions address basic concepts of nutrition.

Big Macs and Healthy Teens? Exploring Fast Food as Part of a Healthy Adolescent Lifestyle

2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

In the set of activities, explorations, and discussions described here, students apply healthy eating information when they make nutrition choices both at home and when eating out. These lessons introduce considerations such as portion size and caloric nutrients, while also exploring tools and resources for understanding both nutritional guidelines and for evaluating the nutritional value of a food. This progression of data collection and analysis culminates with students applying their knowledge as they author position statements that answer the question, "Is it possible to include fast food as part of a healthy lifestyle?"

Watershed Investigations: 12 Labs for High School Science

2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

A Smoother Acceleration

2/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

Some may argue that gifted children have many education options, but these options do not always help gifted students learn science. Unfortunately, gifted students often do not reach their full academic potential-they are frequently less motivated to succeed because they are not being academically challenged in regular classrooms (McCoach and Siegle 2003). To counter these problems, a strong option for educating gifted students is acceleration. This article describes the challenges that more and more gifted students face when accelerating, particularly when skipping an entire academic year. Strategies to lessen their intensity and duration and, ultimately, help gifted students to succeed are also included.

Issues In-Depth: Advancing understanding of drug addiction and treatment

1/30/2009 12:00:00 AM

While most school districts utilize a drug abuse resistance curriculum, as science teachers, it is our responsibility to understand the science behind drug addiction in order to most effectively educate our students against drug abuse. In the last two decades, increases in scientific technology have permitted significant discoveries surrounding the neurobiology, genetic components, and treatment of drug addition. This article address the latest scientific knowledge about drug addition and treatment with information that can be used in the middle school setting, focusing on cocaine addiction to illustrate the points discussed.

Scope on Safety: Avoiding the burn

1/29/2009 12:00:00 AM

A major cause of injuries in middle and high school science laboratories can be summarized by one word-heat. Heated liquids, glassware, and hot plates are the most common source of student burns in the lab. Training-the key to preventing most burns-should be provided at the beginning of the year and reviewed whenever you are conducting an activity that requires a heat source. Students need to be reminded of the inherent dangers of heat sources and have proper procedure demonstrated by the teacher. In addition to training, the prevention strategies outlined in this month's column should be adopted to help prevent burn injuries when working in the science laboratory.

Archive: How to Avoid Disqualification in ExploraVision, January 14, 2009

1/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on January 14, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Diana Celle, teacher at Holmes Elementary School in San Diego, California, and 2004 National Award Winner. The presenter provided tips on how to avoid disqualification when submitting ExploraVision entries. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/ExploraVision/webseminar3.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Igniting Students' Interests in Science Careers, January 8, 2009

1/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by Sally Ride Science, took place on January 8, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting were Dr. Karen Flammer, Research Physicist at UCSD and Senior Vice-President at Sally Ride Science and Julie Miller from Olathe District Schools in Kansas. This web seminar focused on strategies that teachers can use to integrate the topic of science careers into classroom lessons. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall08/SRS/webseminarII.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12 (e-Book)

1/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

Futurists predict that nanotechnology will be the next major scientific revolution-one with an even greater impact than the Industrial Revolution. Nanoscale Science will help your middle and high school students understand the big implications of tiny technology. Using guided inquiry with open-ended exploration where possible, the book's 20 investigations teach students about the unique properties and behavior of materials at the nanoscale-one-billionth of the size of a meter. The activities are organized around five themes: scale, tools and techniques, unique properties and behaviors, nanotechnology applications, and societal implications. All activities use readily available materials and provide clear background, instructions, and formative assessments. They also explore questions sure to engage both students and you, such as: - Just how small is one in a billion? - How might manipulating matter at the nanoscale lead to everything from stain-resistant fabrics to improved means to clean water to tumor-targeting nanoshells? - And how will society change when we use nanolabels to track where people, animals, and materials move around the world? For the first time in human history, we have the ability to manipulate and build materials from the atom up. Nanoscale Science-written by experts at developing effective ways to teach about nanotechnology-is a pioneering instructional guide to this important subject. Use it as a fascinating supplement to studies of biology, physics, chemistry, math, and the environment.

Scope on Safety: Allergies-Nothing to sneeze at

1/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

The list from the nurse's office of students with known allergies seems to get longer each year. Allergy symptoms can range from a simple red rash or itch to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Interestingly enough, peanuts and tree nuts account for approximately 92% of severe and fatal reactions. Because allergies can be a real challenge both academically and legally for the administration and science teacher, they need to develop a plan that involves students and their families to minimize risks. This month's column outlines the responsibilities of parents, guardians, students, administrators, and science teachers.

From Aristotle to Today: Making the History and Nature of Science Relevant

12/31/2008 12:00:00 AM

Students connect to science in multiple ways. For some students, learning how real people have developed and defended their scientific ideas makes science relevant and interesting. Tracking the changes in scientific thought over time can be fascinating for students as they see how scientists based their growing understanding on empirical data that became more extensive with each new wave of technology. Students also discover that the process of accepting new explanations is often fraught with controversy. In this interdisciplinary activity, students develop a timeline that uses posters to show how scientists' explanations of our solar system and the universe have changed over time.

Safer Science: Personal Protective Equipment-It's the Law!

12/24/2008 12:00:00 AM

In addition to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) personal protective equipment (PPE) standard-OSHA Laboratory Standard 29CFR 1910.132-and other professional prudent practices, many states have protective eye devise statutes. PPE is third in the hierarchy approach to dealing with safety. In this priority list, the employer must first evaluate the feasibility of engineering controls and administrative procedures before considering the use of PPE. This month's Safer Science column includes components that reflect the body of the PPE assessment that should be addressed by teachers, students, and supervisors in science laboratories or field experiences.

Health Wise: January 2009

12/23/2008 12:00:00 AM

I have a lot of competitive athletes in my classes. If they decide to use steroids, what effect will this have on their health?

Exhausting Science

12/22/2008 12:00:00 AM

The fume hood: You know what it is, but have you ever used it? And if a safety issue arose, would you know what to do? Unfortunately, fume hoods are frequently included in a science room just for show. Little thought is often given to how they should be used or maintained. It is important for science teachers to understand and regularly inspect fume hoods in their classrooms and laboratories. In this article, the author discusses a few considerations for design, inspection, use, and maintenance of fume hoods in a science lab and classroom. Read on for an "exhaustive" look at this safety device!

Safer Science: Geology-Rock Solid Safety

12/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

Although perceived as having a lower level of safety issues compared to chemistry or biology laboratories, Earth-space science and geology classes have their share of challenges. In fact, a number of safety concerns exist, which need to be addressed for a safe and educational experience in the geology laboratory. The following "starter" list addresses safety issues to consider with regard to common geology laboratory activities and fieldwork, as well as how to deal with other issues.

Archive: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, December 18, 2008

12/18/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on December 18, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Alan Tart, a Regional Retail Food Specialist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The presentation focused on biological food safety hazards. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive: Igniting Students' Interests in Science Careers , December 10, 2008

12/10/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by Sally Ride Science, took place on December 10, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting were Dr. Karen Flammer, Research Physicist at UCSD and Senior Vice-President at Sally Ride Science and Julie Miller from Olathe District Schools in Kansas. This web seminar focused on four science fields and a number of strategies that teachers can use to ignite students' interests in science careers. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall08/SRS/webseminarI.aspx" target="_Blank">go here</a>.

Archive:The Chemistry of Color Additives, December 2, 2008

12/2/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on December 2, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Bhakti Petigara-Harp, chemist in the Office of Cosmetics and Colors at the FDA. Dr. Petigara-Harp's current responsibilities include research and methods development for color additives using various analytical techniques including HPLC and mass spectrometry, among others, for FDA's color certification program. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall08/FDA/webseminarI.aspx" target="_blank">go here</a>.

Science Sampler: Environmental Service Learning-The Clean Air Zone Service Learning Project

12/2/2008 12:00:00 AM

In September 2006, the Maine Green Schools' facilitators, consisting of environmental specialists from Maine's Department of Environmental Protection and Energy Education Program, kicked off the Clean Air Zone Service Learning Project, a campaign to reduce vehicle idling at schools and communities. This project provides an opportunity for teachers interested in looking at environmental and personal health issues to integrate science with social studies by considering the societal and health implications of air quality. In this project, students become actively engaged in the process of understanding, integrating, synthesizing, and applying knowledge as they work to improve their communities.

Scope on Safety: Clearing the air on ventilation

12/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Poor ventilation is often a topic of conversation relative to safety concerns in school science laboratories. Too often, school science laboratories have ventilation systems that are inappropriate and ineffective for removing hazardous chemical vapors/fumes. The bottom line is that teachers, students, and supervisors can be exposed to poor indoor air quality that can have negative implications for learning and health. Equally important is the fact that it is illegal. In this month's Scope on Safety, you'll receive a crash course in Lab Law 101.

The Great Outdoors: Field Trips Near and Far

11/24/2008 12:00:00 AM

Your own classroom is rich with resources and activities, but some things simply can't be done there. A strong investigative science program depends on providing students with the opportunity to collect and analyze data. Some data can be collected in the classroom, but you may have to go elsewhere to collect real-life data-traveling to an exhibit, some equipment, or some experience that cannot be duplicated in your school. Well-planned field trips are a vital part of the total educational program. They play an important role in helping students relate basic concepts learned in the classroom to practical work and applications in the real world. Here you'll discover how to prepare your middle school for "the great outdoors."

Archive: FDA/NSTA Symposium: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, Portland, Oregon: November 21, 2008

11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day symposium, scientists and education specialists from the FDA shared information with teachers about food science, bioscience, and the food label. The presenters also performed activities that enhanced the participants' knowledge about the topic of food science and served as models for activities the teachers can do with students in the classroom. Participants learned how FDA scientists use DNA micro-array technology to detect foodborne pathogens, about the scientific basis for the percent daily values (%DVs) on the Nutrition Facts Label, and how to culture bacteria found in food. All participants received a binder prepared by the FDA team including paper copies of all the PowerPoint slides, informational handouts about food science, and a $60 stipend for attending the symposium.

Safer Science: Safer Administrative Procedures

11/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

How often are your eyewash stations flushed? Do all of your school's science labs have a direct line of communication with the front office and outside support officials? These and other questions are the focus of what the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) calls administrative procedures, or work practices (WPs). WPs cover a variety of areas and are intended to protect occupants from accidents. Because of their academic preparation, on-the-job expertise, and professional certification, science teachers should have a major role in developing appropriate WPs. This month's column contains a list of some basics to consider when addressing this issue.

Health Wise: December 2008

11/18/2008 12:00:00 AM

Teachers and students alike deal with certain levels of anxiety. But how much is too much, and what can students do to cope?

Archive: Intro to the Atlas of Science Literacy, November 18, 2008

11/18/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on November 18, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Ted Willard, project director for Project 2061 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Assisting Mr. Willard on the chat window was Mary Koppal, Communications Director for Project 2061 at the AAAS. Mr. Willard gave an introduction to the Atlas of Science Literacy. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/AAAS/Webseminar.aspx" Target="_blank">go here</a>.

Archive: How to Submit Quality ExploraVision Entries, November 5, 2008

11/5/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on November 5, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting were Nancy Carter, teacher at Mediapolis Community Schools in Mediapolis, Iowa, Mary Harris, teacher at John Burroughs High School in St. Louis, Missouri, and Arthur Eisenkraft, co-creator of the Toshiba ExploraVision Awards program. The presenters provided tips on how to submit quality ExploraVision entries. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/ExploraVision/webseminar2.aspx">go here</a>.

Scope on Safety: Flame Tests-A Burning Safety Issue

10/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

Flame-test demonstrations are conducted annually in middle and high school science labs across the country. The purpose of the flame test is to help identify an unknown metal or metalloid ion based on a characteristic color the salt produces in a flame. The emission spectra help the observer distinguish certain elements. Although they can be an effective and exciting learning tool for science teachers to use, they can also present safety hazards. This month's column describes some safer alternatives science teachers can use to conduct flame tests.

Archive: Getting Your Class Started in ExploraVision, October 23, 2008

10/23/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar took place on October 23, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting were Deborah Kennedy, Math and Pre-Engineering Teacher at Wando High School, in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and Diane Pollitt, Teacher at Heatherstone Elementary School in Olathe, Kansas. The presenters are Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards National Winners. They talked about how to get your class started in ExploraVision. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/ExploraVision/webseminar1.aspx" target="_Blank" >go here</a>.

Safer Science: Building Safety with Engineering Controls

10/17/2008 12:00:00 AM

Before conducting any laboratory activities, science teachers need to be in the know about the OSHA-required hierarchy of defense in the laboratory. At the top of OSHA's list are engineering controls, which are designed to reduce exposure to a chemical or physical hazard by using engineered machinery or equipment. This month's column outlines specific engineering controls required in academic laboratories. Although requirements will depend on individual states and which codes or standards they have adopted, the following are prudent safety practices that represent the professional safety standard recognized by the court in a legal situation.

Health Wise-November 2008

10/17/2008 12:00:00 AM

A student recently asked me about the bird flu. Is it still a threat?

Climate Change From Pole to Pole: Biology Investigations

10/7/2008 12:00:00 AM

Resources and Human Impact: Grades 5-8

9/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

In today's global society, it has become increasingly important to educate our students about the human impact upon the Earth's resources. It is also our duty as teachers to teach our students responsible decision-making so that they may make better choices about how their actions affect Earth's complex system. Land, atmosphere, oceans, and all forms of life interact continually in our ever-changing planet that may not be noticeable on a day-to-day basis; for example, some of these interactions over time drive the course of climate change. The websites in this guide will help you bring real-world data into the classroom, engage students in collaborative studies using real-time data, and help your students to understand that humans have the power to create new technologies and methods that will reverse this negative impact. As students work through the simulations, interactive data charts, educational games, and more, they will learn core content, apply scientific and mathematical skills, and become knowledgeable "keepers of the Earth."

Resources and Human Impact

9/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

SciPacks are 10 hour online learning experiences teachers can use to enhance their understanding of a particular scientific concept. Teachers access topics "on demand" from the Internet. Topics are based on science literacy goals in the national standards and tied to state standards. Pedagogical Implications also address student misconceptions. Expert content help is available via email as well as a final assessment to demonstrate understanding of the SciPack content. The Resources and Human Impact SciPack explores the role society plays in environmental degradation, and the technological solutions, including resource management, that arises from environmental issues. Human beings modify all components of Earth's ecosystems as they use and consume available resources. The amount and rate of consumption is affected by the population growth and access to technology. This SciPack is focused on Standards and Benchmarks related to interactions in and between ecosystem; population growth and carrying capacity; resource use; and environmental degradation and changes to Earth's systems.

Resources and Human Impact: Earth as a System

9/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of four Science Objects in the Resources and Human Impact SciPack. It explores how human beings, who live within and depend on Earth's ecosystems, modify the land, ocean, and atmosphere. In all environments, organisms, including humans, cooperate or compete with one another for resources. These resources include food, air, water, and space. The size and rate of growth of all species, including humans, are affected by these environmental factors. In turn, these environmental factors are affected by the size and rate of growth of a population. Populations are limited in growth by the carrying capacity of the environment, which is the amount of life any ecosystem can support with its available space, energy, water, and food.

Resources and Human Impact: Population Growth, Technology, and the Environment

9/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of four Science Objects in the Resources and Human Impact SciPack. It explores how technology can solve problems, but at the same time, can also create new strains on the environment. Improved technology used for harvesting food, coupled with the technology of improved sanitation, has accelerated the growth of the human population. A larger human population increases the impact on the environment and its resources, many of which are limited and non renewable. Due to the rapid growth of the human population and their use of technology in many parts of the world, humans have exceeded the carrying capacity of their environment, compromising human health.

Resources and Human Impact: Environmental Degradation

9/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the third of four Science Objects in the Resources and Human Impact SciPack. It explores how human activities, such as reducing the amount of forest cover, increasing the amount and variety of chemicals that enter the atmosphere, intensive farming and fishing, and consuming fossil fuels have changed Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. Although the land, atmosphere, and the oceans have a limited capacity to absorb wastes and recycle materials naturally, humans have disrupted these natural cycles. Fresh water, limited in supply, is essential for life and most industrial processes. Overuse and pollution of rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater reduces the availability and suitability of these resources for all organisms. Technology used in the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels needed to meet the growing human demand has increased the depletion of nonrenewable energy resources such as fossil fuels, and degraded or altered the environment, both locally and globally.

Resources and Human Impact: Using Technology to Address Resource Use Issues

9/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the last of four Science Objects in the Resources and Human Impact SciPack. It explores how human beings impact other species and the ecosystems in which they live. Due to our role in changing the environment, humans have a responsibility for preserving their habitat. There are a variety of approaches to reducing or reversing the human impact on the environment such as limiting population growth, reducing resource use, modifying population distribution, recycling resources, and the wise use of technology to solve problems. Managing resources by cleaning up polluted air, water, or soil or restoring depleted soil, forests, or fishing grounds can be difficult and costly but are critical for human health. Alternative energy resources such as wind, tides, and solar radiation can be utilized to reduce the consumption of fossil fuel-based energy sources. Social, political, and economic factors involve tradeoffs that will strongly influence the types and extent to which technologies will be developed and used.

Scope on Safety: Safety and liability

9/25/2008 12:00:00 AM

In order to provide a level of awareness relative to liability, the NSTA Board charged a committee with the task of rewriting the NSTA Position Statement on Liability of Science Educators for Laboratory Safety. This article outlines four basic questions for teachers to consider prior to engaging in potentially dangerous science activities. They are based on the language found in the position statement.

Health Wise: October 2008

9/11/2008 12:00:00 AM

One of my students recently became a vegetarian. How is this different from being a vegan, and what can she do to continue getting the nutrients she needs?

Case Study: To Boldly Go… Or Not

9/3/2008 12:00:00 AM

This public-hearing case study is centered upon the recent decision by President George W. Bush to set NASA's primary goal as a return to the Moon, followed by a mission to Mars. The members on the expert panel are fictitious and the transcript contrived; however, the views expressed in the case study correspond to actual views held by leading space advocacy groups such as the Mars Society and the Planetary Society, as well as NASA. These fictionalized quotes should not be interpreted as belonging to any representative of these organizations.

Scope on Safety: Safety is always in fashion

8/27/2008 12:00:00 AM

Unfortunately, what looks good on the runway often clashes with the science laboratory when it comes to safety. Therefore, given the potential risks associated with science activities in lab and on field experiences at the middle school level, the message needs to be clear as to what is the fashion or dress expectation. In some cases, science teachers may be challenged relative to dress codes and "freedom of speech." To help prevent these issues from being launched into bigger problems, teachers should consider the strategies outlined in this month's column.

Safer Science: Tools for Schools Rules!

8/11/2008 12:00:00 AM

In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the highly successful Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools (TfS) program. The TfS program is an in-the-trenches approach that empowers teachers and other school employees to help improve IAQ in the learning environment and reduce building occupants' exposure to indoor environmental contaminants. As a supplement to the program, a nonprofit health affiliate of the National Education Association, the Health Information Network (HIN), has developed resources along with a series of hands-on, interactive lessons.

Idea Bank: Emphasizing Safety in the Classroom

8/7/2008 12:00:00 AM

With the popularization of inquiry-based learning in science classes at all levels, laboratory instructors must be proficient in the proper handling of hazardous substances. This care in dealing with potentially harmful materials should also be communicated to students. This article provides a brief review of common safety procedures and how to implement them in a laboratory area.

Health Wise: Introducing "Health Wise"

8/7/2008 12:00:00 AM

As a science teacher, do you find yourself fielding questions about everything from steroids to skin cancer to the bird flu? Tired of seeing students eat junk food in the school cafeteria? Want to help your students make healthy, informed choices? This is where Health Wise comes in. With this column, we will strive to provide you with up-to-date information on personal health topics to share with your students. We hope you and your students find this resource helpful.

Tips for the Traveling Teacher

8/6/2008 12:00:00 AM

While the ideal situation is for all science to be taught in a properly-equipped classroom, where materials do not have to be transported from room to room, the unfortunate reality is that some teachers do have to travel. As a traveling teacher, the author has learned some valuable tips to travel well and effectively teach science. In this article, he discusses his experience as a traveling teacher and provides suggestions for overcoming this seemingly insurmountable challenge.

Ice Core Investigations

8/6/2008 12:00:00 AM

What can glaciers tell us about volcanoes and atmospheric conditions? How does this information relate to our understanding of climate change? Ice Core Investigations is an original and innovative activity that explores these types of questions. It brings together popular science issues such as research, climate change, ice core drilling, and air pollution to create a meaningful science learning experience for students.

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming

7/22/2008 12:00:00 AM

When the weather changes daily, how do we really know that Earth's climate is changing? Here is the science behind the headlines-evidence from flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers and much more, gathered by scientists from all over the world, sometimes with assistance from young "citizen-scientists." And here is what young people, and their families and teachers, can do to learn about climate change and take action. Climate change is a critical and timely topic of deep concern, here told in an age-appropriate manner, with clarity and hope. Kids can make a difference! This book combines the talents of two uniquely qualified authors: Lynne Cherry, the leading children's environmental writer/illustrator and author of The Great Kapok Tree, and Gary Braasch, award-winning photojournalist and author of Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming is Changing the World.

Scope on Safety: Space-The final frontier!

7/8/2008 12:00:00 AM

These are the voyages of laboratory science safety! The issue of science laboratory space and class size has been on a long safety trek. For example, the National Science Education Standards and subsequent science frameworks at the state level have emphasized the need to do science, not just read about it (NRC 1996). As a result, teachers have been engaging in more laboratory activities with their students. This action, coupled with increasing enrollments and outdated facilities, is once again putting science laboratory space on the radar screen. The bottom line is middle school science teachers must address class size or "occupancy load" in efforts to establish and maintain a safe working and learning environment in the laboratory.

Issues In-Depth: Enough already? Linking science, geography, mathematics, and sociology through population study

6/26/2008 12:00:00 AM

In several previous Issues In-Depth columns, science topics deeply affected by population size-such as climate change, fuel and agricultural resources, and ecology-have been discussed. In this column, the authors discuss the issue of population growth in developed and developing countries, why this is an important topic to discuss with young adolescents, and how interdisciplinary connections can be made between science and several other subject areas through an examination of populations across the globe.

After the Bell: Developing Sun Sense-Learning about protection from the Sun's rays

6/25/2008 12:00:00 AM

The American Academy of Dermatology (2008) reports that our students will experience 80% of their lifetime exposure to the Sun by the time they are 18. Further, research has demonstrated that continued exposure to the Sun's ultraviolet rays can lead to skin aging, sunburn, immune suppression, ocular melanoma, cataracts, corneal burns, and even skin cancer. However, the first round of defense is knowledge. The activities presented here were developed to raise students' awareness about the harmful effects of the sun's rays while increasing their critical-thinking skills.

Farm to Table and Beyond: Helping Students Make Sense of the Global Food System

6/24/2008 12:00:00 AM

It is not enough for students to acquire knowledge about how food is produced and processed; they must also come to understand the biological and environmental contexts in which food production, processing, and transportation take place. Through diagramming, students begin to understand that our food system has a series of interacting parts and that each part depends on the other parts. It also helps them think about the environmental impacts of a system. The food-system diagramming activity described here was part of students' experiences in the Farm to Table and Beyond module of the Linking Food and the Environment (LIFE) Curriculum Series.

Science Shorts: Project BudBurst-Analyzing Data

6/12/2008 12:00:00 AM

Project BudBurst is a national program intended to get students and other "citizen scientists" to participate in a real study about plants, the environment, and climate change. It also provides an excellent opportunity for students to build data-analysis skills. A collaboration of several agencies and universities, the program began last year and attracted thousands of participants from 26 states. The project operates through its user-friendly website and participation is free. This article describes this project and includes a lesson related to how geography can affect plant life cycles.

Sun Savvy Students

6/11/2008 12:00:00 AM

With summer in full swing and the Sun naturally on our minds, what better time to take advantage of a host of free materials provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Sun Wise program. Sun Wise aims to teach students and teachers about the stratospheric ozone layer, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and how to be safe while in the Sun. Through its website and activity kit, Sun Wise offers numerous resources to help you add some sizzle to your solar science curriculum-while teaching sun-safe practices students can use their whole lives. Best of all the resources are easy to get, easy to use, and FREE!

Earth's Changing Surface

6/10/2008 12:00:00 AM

SciPacks are 10 hour online learning experiences teachers can use to enhance their understanding of a particular scientific concept. Teachers access topics "on demand" from the Internet. Topics are based on science literacy goals in the national standards and tied to state standards. Pedagogical Implications also address student misconceptions. Expert content help is available via email as well as a final assessment to demonstrate understanding of the SciPack content. The Earth's Changing Surface SciPack explores how Earth's ever-changing surface is due to continuous natural processes such as tectonic activity, earthquakes, volcanic activities, weathering and erosion, and sedimentation and the reformation of rock. The focus is on topics supporting Standards and Benchmarks related to how and why these processes occur, and how elements cycle through the land, oceans, and atmosphere as a result of these processes. This SciPack looks at Earth as a system that exists in dynamic equilibrium.

The Triad Story-A Science Education Community Navigating Gender Equity

5/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

In chapter 1, Triad and the Framework are described from a community perspective. In chapter 2, the authors describe how the Framework evolved from a more theoretical standpoint. They introduce its anatomy and initiate a more detailed discussion of its goals and the research that informed them. Right up front, they make it clear that the Framework is intended to be dynamic and not definitive-a point that will be returned to at the end of the chapter. This free selection includes the Table of Contents, Introduction, About the Authors, and the Index. As a special bonus, an excerpt from chapter 3 is also included.

Archive: Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears Series: Integrating Science and Literacy for the K-5 Classroom, Seminar 1: Polar Geography, May 27, 2008

5/27/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, developed in collaboration with the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) took place on Tuesday, May 27, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. In this program Jessica Fries-Gaither, Project Director and Elementary Resource Specialist for the Ohio Resource Center, and Dr. Carol Landis, Education Coordinator at the Byrd Polar Research Center, featured the online magazine titled: Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears. This magazine provides resources and strategies for teachers interested in integrating science and literacy. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NSDL2/webseminar11.aspx"> go here</a>.

Archive: Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers, May 22, 2008

5/22/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and NASA, took place on May 22, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Mary Albert, Senior Research Engineer at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, New Hampshire. The topic of her presentation was global climate change. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/IPY-Boston/webseminarII.aspx"> go here</a>.

Archive: From Astrobiology to Zoology: Igniting Students' Interests in Science Careers , May 20, 2008

5/20/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by Sally Ride Science, took place on May 20, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting were Brenda Wilson, Vice-President for Content and Out-of-School Programs at Sally Ride Science and Julie Miller from Olathe District Schools in Kansas. This web seminar focused on four science fields and a number of strategies that teachers can use to ignite students' interests in them. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/SRS/webseminarII.aspx"> go here</a>.

Archive: 21st Century Explorer - Today's Knowledge for Tomorrow's Explorer, May 15, 2008

5/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the NASA, took place on May 15, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas were Jaqueline Cortez, Business Specialist and Education and Outreach Coordinator for the 21st Century Explorer Project, Dr. Karen Pickering, Lead for the Water Recovery Systems Element of the Exploration Life Support Project, and Lisa Neasbitt, Educator Lead for the NASA 21st Century Explorer Project. The presenters talked about recycling water in space. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/NASA-Explorers/webseminarII.aspx"> go here</a>.

Scope on Safety: Taking the "demon" out of demonstrations

5/12/2008 12:00:00 AM

When accidents occur, the administration usually responds by imposing a moratorium on demonstrations and lab activities. Imagine if authorities reacted in a similar manner in the real world. Airplanes would no longer fly and cars would no longer be driven. Just as we depend on planes and cars for transportation, science teachers depend on labs and demonstrations to teach effectively. So, the proper response to an accident isn't to ban labs and demonstrations, but to identify the cause of the accident and introduce or enforce safety guidelines for prevention.

Case Study: Sex and Vaccination

5/7/2008 12:00:00 AM

This case study is centered upon the recent debate concerning the decision by Texas Governor Rick Perry to mandate the compulsory vaccination of girls in the Texas public school system against the human papillomavirus (HPV) prior to entering the sixth grade. The interrupted case method is particularly appropriate for this subject with the case sections providing a general overview of the disease, the reasons for such a mandatory vaccination program, the reasons against such a program, and finally a disclosure of what ultimately transpired in Texas.

Archive: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food and Cosmetics, May 6, 2008

5/6/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the FDA, took place on May 6, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Beth Meyers, Writer-editor at FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors. Ms. Meyers talked about cosmetic safety. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">go here.</a>

Archive: Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers, May 1, 2008

5/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and NASA, took place on May 1, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Mary Albert, Senior Research Engineer at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, New Hampshire. The topic of her presentation was global climate change. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/IPY-Boston/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Archive: From Astrobiology to Zoology: Igniting Students' Interests in Science Careers , April 30, 2008

4/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by Sally Ride Science, took place on April 30, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting were Dr. Karen Flammer, Research Physicist at University of California in San Diego and Senior Vice-President at Sally Ride Science and Julie Miller from Olathe District Schools in Kansas. This web seminar focused on strategies that teachers can use to ignite students' interests in science careers. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/SRS/webseminarI.aspx">go here.</a>

Archive: Imagine Mars, April 29, 2008

4/29/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar was developed in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Arizona State University's (ASU) Mars Education Program. The event took place on April 29, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The presenters were Stephenie Lievense, Imagine Mars Project Lead and David Delgado, Outreach Coordinator for NASA's Mars Public Engagement Team. The presenters talked about the Imagine Mars project and gave examples on how teachers can use it with students in the classroom and after school programs. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/JPL2/webseminar11.aspx" target=_Blank">go here</a>.

The Kitchen Sink

4/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

Sometimes you wonder how you're going to get everything done. Each time you check off an item, two more appear. Those are the times to take stock of everything you've accomplished. Science safety can be like that. Just when you think you have everything under control, a new concern emerges. Take heart. While our domain of concern grows broader each year, so do the supports for good teaching. Most of the topics in this chapter apply not just to safety in science activities but also to safe teaching practices in general.

Live Long and Prosper

4/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

Consider the changes. Yesterday's one-room schoolhouse had one teacher responsible for every subject, every grade, and maintenance of the classroom and schoolhouse. Today's self-contained classroom has one teacher responsible for a diverse group of students with wide-ranging abilities and needs; integrated learning of subjects from the basics to social and behavioral issues; and a roomful of widgets-high-tech, low-tech, and all that's in between. Everything has changed, yet everything remains the same. You, the teacher, remain responsible for everyone and for everything that goes on in your classroom. This chapter offers some closing insights and suggestions to help you "live long and prosper" in the science classroom.

Falling for Science

4/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

Many safety books focus on chemistry, the "wet" physical science. Yet most elementary curricula appropriately concentrate on physical science that is easier to see-and more developmentally appropriate. The physical sciences provide great opportunities for teachers to examine students' preconceptions and teach them to be logical. Exploring the physical world requires only a few basic precautions to ensure safety. This chapter discusses strategies that keep students safe during activities related to physical science concepts such as forces and motion, light, sound, and electricity.

The Great Outdoors

4/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

Your own classroom is rich with resources and activities, but there are some things that simply can't be done there. Therefore, well-planned field trips are a vital part of the total educational program. They play an important role in helping students relate basic concepts learned in the classroom to practical work and applications in the real-world. This chapter describes how to ensure a safe and productive learning experience that extends beyond the classroom walls and into the great outdoors or other convenient location.

Lively Science

4/14/2008 12:00:00 AM

Maintaining living things in a classroom requires knowledge and preparation. It also requires the proper equipment and space. There are two primary goals in the study of living things: first, we want our students to respect life, and second, we want them to appreciate its complexity in nature. Observing healthy living things in school accomplishes both goals. This chapter describes the appropriate precautions that should be taken into consideration when bringing living organisms into classrooms.

Modern Alchemy

4/14/2008 12:00:00 AM

Today's students have contact with many more complex chemicals in their homes than ever before but they may have little awareness of physical and chemical properties of those materials. This is a situation that can be extremely hazardous. Children-even very young children-are sometimes left unsupervised at home with these tempting hazards. Not only is chemical safety important in your school curriculum, it may also be of vital importance in ensuring safety at home.

Striking Gold

4/14/2008 12:00:00 AM

The Earth and space sciences provide golden opportunities for engaging, real-world experiences. Geology and astronomy are disciplines that lend themselves to many quick and timely field trips. Possibilities for study are present in every highway road cut, any construction excavation, and after any downpour. Viewing the day and night skies is free for everyone. With careful thought and planning, you can ensure that these exciting activities are done safely. Your students will also be able to share their newfound skills when exploring with family and friends. Providing students with safe methods will bring them a lifetime of reflective observations.

Communities of Learners

4/11/2008 12:00:00 AM

When students with limited reading, mathematical, or communication skills engage in laboratory activities, new challenges pose additional safety risks to everyone in the classroom. It's certainly possible-and good practice-to include students of almost any ability in a program that helps all learners achieve their personal best. However, it will take some special precautions, extra organization, and the development of new sensitivities to make sure that learners of all abilities achieve their personal best in your classroom. The suggestions in this chapter won't cover every possible barrier but they can provide your school team with a place to start.

Where Science Happens

4/11/2008 12:00:00 AM

Government studies have indicated that more than 40 percent of school buildings are in such poor condition that they are unsafe for children. Even new facilities can be too crowded or architecturally unsuited for exploration. It's important to recognize the recommended facilities standards for school science, whether or not those ideal conditions can be achieved right away. You can still set goals and modify your program as you work toward them. After all, the condition of school facilities is an important component of a safe and successful program.

Finders Keepers

4/11/2008 12:00:00 AM

It takes a lot of "stuff" to conduct an activity-based science program. Teachers often use personal funds to purchase materials to use in their classes. They also save a lot from year to year and collect items for possible future use. But saving things also requires a lot of storage space that may not be available. So a balance must be struck because clutter presents a safety problem in classrooms, particularly classrooms with active science programs. Being able to distinguish between those truly useful items to keep, finding spaces and ways to store items neatly and safely, and knowing how to properly dispose of unneeded items are important skills to learn and practice regularly.

Archive: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, April 9, 2008

4/9/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the FDA, took place on April 9, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Richard Bonnette, a Consumer Safety Officer with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the Division of Biotechnology and GRAS Notice Review at the FDA. Mr. Bonnette talked about salt. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Scope on Safety: Avoid surprise packages

4/4/2008 12:00:00 AM

The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), parts 171-180 explain what is required of a shipper to transport hazardous materials safely. The regulations cover classification, packaging, incident reporting, and handling of hazardous materials. Hazardous material packaging is the first line of defense in helping to prevent the material from being released during transportation. School personnel who deal with hazardous shipments should review the suggestions outlined in this month's column.

Archive: Sally Ride Science/NSTA Symposium: From Astrobiology to Zoology: Igniting Students' Interests in Science Careers, Boston, MA: March 29, 2008

3/29/2008 12:00:00 AM

Archive: IPY/NSTA Symposium: Polar Science, Global Discoveries: IPY Research Update for Teachers, Boston, MA: March 29, 2008

3/29/2008 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day symposium, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in celebration of the International Polar Year (IPY), scientists and education specialists shared information with teachers about the global climate change. The presenters led activities that enhanced the participants' knowledge about the topic and that can be easily replicated in their classrooms. All participants received a DVD and 2-CD set from NOAA as well as a list of related URLs that can be used for further exploration of activities and programs related to the IPY.

Archive: FDA/NSTA Symposium: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, Boston, MA: March 28, 2008

3/28/2008 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day symposium, scientists and education specialists from the FDA shared information with teachers about food science, bioscience, and the food label. The presenters also performed activities that enhanced the participants' knowledge about the topic of food science and served as models for activities the teachers can do with students in their classrooms. Participants learned how FDA uses DNA micro-array technology to detect foodborne pathogens, the scientific basis for the percent daily values (%DVs) on the Nutrition Facts Label, and how to culture bacteria found in food. All participants received a binder including all the PowerPoint presentations and handouts and a $60 stipend for attending the symposium.

Teaching Through Trade Books: Taking Note of Natural Resources

3/28/2008 12:00:00 AM

The idea of "going green" or being aware of and reducing our impact on natural resources is receiving a lot of attention these days. Schools are starting to employ "green" practices and are soliciting help from the students to be aware of and help reduce their environmental impact. The trade books chosen for this month's issue examine the use of natural resources from two different perspectives-what we do with them and how they are depleted over time.

Safer Science: Consumer "Science" in Chem Labs?

3/18/2008 12:00:00 AM

English, mathematics, social science, and other nonscience classes are being held in science laboratories during unassigned laboratory time. However, science laboratories are unsafe places. They contain hazardous chemicals, energy utility sources (gas, electricity, and water), potentially harmful equipment, and more. Students and employees who participate in nonscience instruction in a laboratory may be unfamiliar with these potential dangers and therefore may be exposed to an unsafe working environment. This month's column addresses this issue and outlines some suggestions to help science teachers when confronted with this situation at the high school level.

How Accurate Are Student-Collected Data?

3/14/2008 12:00:00 AM

The purpose of this study was to teach upper elementary and high school students to monitor two estuarine creeks using an adaptation of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Adopt-A-Stream protocol. Data collected by students were then compared to data collected by a trained instructor to determine the accuracy of student-collected data for dissolved-oxygen (DO) concentration, salinity, and water temperature. Results of the study revealed that students can collect accurate data for several water-quality parameters, and these data can be presented to the community to assist in making informed decisions regarding environmental issues.

Cougars and the Community

3/14/2008 12:00:00 AM

In a research collaboration with government biologists and university educators, K-12 students in the Cle Elum-Roslyn (CER) School District in eastern Washington are investigating where cougars go when their habitat gives way to new housing developments. Now in its seventh year, Project Cougars and Teaching (CAT) is taking the education and science partnership a step further by incorporating civics into the environmental education curriculum. Through this model, students become civically engaged by conducting field investigations of the indigenous cougar's ecology and making public presentations to the community.

Making Science Relevant

3/13/2008 12:00:00 AM

By connecting science learning to important societal issues, teachers can motivate students to both enjoy and engage in relevant science (Bennet, Lubben, and Hogarth 2007). To develop that connection, teachers can help students take an active role in authentic community-based science that goes beyond merely learning about the science behind the issues. This article describes an approach to relevancy through an inquiry-based project that connects high school biology, chemistry, and environmental science curriculum to the local environment and the issue of water conservation and protection.

Scope on Safety: Should we pull the plug on wireless computer networks?

3/5/2008 12:00:00 AM

Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, is a type of wireless local area network (WLAN). Two or more computers form the network using radio frequency (RF) signals. The safety of these networks, however, has come under scrutiny in recent years. Some parents have become so concerned about the health risks associated with Wi-Fi networks that they have pressured school districts to remove them. In many instances, the concern is that children's bodies are developing quickly and may be much more sensitive to these energy sources. With all this in mind, should middle school science teachers be concerned about using Wi-Fi in the science lab? This month's column addresses this issue.

After the Bell: Water harvesting II: Working toward being green

3/4/2008 12:00:00 AM

As you have read in the previous After the Bell column, water harvesting is a process of diverting and collecting rainwater. One of the main reasons to harvest rainwater is to reduce the demand on local sources of water. The objective of the harvesting procedure is to gather water from a weather event that is usually lost as runoff and either use it immediately or store it for future consumption. In this second half of the article, students will collect their ideas for harvesting water through a brainstorming activity, practice designing a solution to a problem, and calculate the amount of potentially available water to harvest.

Science Sampler: Water-use awareness

3/3/2008 12:00:00 AM

National rainfall maps show large areas of the United States experiencing major droughts. Government agencies are intervening with water awareness programs, and in extreme cases, rationing. Because students are both water consumers and tomorrow's civic leaders, they must be made aware of this issue and motivated to become involved in creating solutions. Focusing on units of measurement and conversions, this lesson asks students to calculate whether more water is used in a bath or shower in their home.

After the Bell: Balancing the equity equation-The importance of experience and culture in science learning

2/27/2008 12:00:00 AM

The importance of environmental influences outside of school has been the focus of numerous studies that support the home's influence on science learning. Students who come from homes primed with experiences that parallel curriculum are able to immediately participate in a productive manner. The aggregated effect is that experiences provide the foundation for subsequent learning. It is the schools' responsibility to identify science deficits and provide appropriate instruction to students. By not recognizing student differences, schools foster existing inequities. This article prepares educators to provide "science for all."

Scope on Safety: Safety is for everyone

2/27/2008 12:00:00 AM

The National Science Education Standards reject any situation where some people are discouraged from pursuing science and excluded from opportunities to learn it. In concert with the Standards are federal laws and regulations mandating equal access and full inclusion to the maximum extent possible in the general education curriculum for all students. As a result, science teachers often struggle to meet the needs of each of their students while maintaining high standards and attempting to raise the educational bar. Therefore, the suggestions and resources described in this column can help science teachers to successfully provide equitable access to hands-on science education for all students in a safe learning environment.

Investigations in the Science of Sports

2/26/2008 12:00:00 AM

The Sisters in Sport Science (SISS) program addresses the need for girls to gain equitable access to science and mathematics education by using sport as a vehicle for learning. Through sport, not only are girls learning the underlying principles of science and mathematics embedded in the mechanics of performing a sport; but also, they are learning the scientific principles in an atmosphere that embraces their psycho-social-emotional connection to learning. This article provides an overview of this standards-based program and describes an activity relating track and field to physical science.

Case Study: Ah-choo! Increased Risk of Pollen Allergies in the Northern Hemisphere

2/26/2008 12:00:00 AM

In this problem-based learning activity designed for nonscience majors, students assume the roles of scientists working for a public relations firm. Teams of students design communication products illustrating links between climate change and pollen allergies. Students develop a variety of process skills critical to scientists, including working collaboratively, interpreting and prioritizing data, telling a story through graphics and text, and defending an argument. Instructors can use this realistic activity to illustrate or reinforce that science process skills are relevant to an array of professions.

Give Me Some Skin: A Hands-On Science Activity Integrating Racial Sensitivity

2/24/2008 12:00:00 AM

What's the largest, fastest growing, organ in the human body? It's the tough, elastic, flexible, and waterproof covering that helps protect other organs and body parts from such things as germs, heat, cold, and sunlight-skin, of course! This life science activity engages middle school students in an exploration of the structure, function, and variety of skin. They "construct" skin layer by layer using simple materials such as felt, foam padding, yarn, and vinyl in various skin tones. This activity provides an opportunity to discuss racial diversity and to show students that skin color is, quite literally, only skin deep.

Scope on Safety: Have a safe trip!

2/22/2008 12:00:00 AM

Science safety isn't just a set of rules. It requires common sense and that teacher intuition that helps us predict what might happen when we least expect it. To that end, this month's column offers some practical advice to help you prepare for school field trips. Remember, as you leave the support of your institution, you'll be principal, teacher, and guide. You'll enjoy that trip all the more knowing you've made every precaution for safety.

Science Anxiety: Research and Action

2/22/2008 12:00:00 AM

Science anxiety has been shown to seriously impede student learning. This chapter will describe research done on science anxiety and will explain specific actions that college science teachers can take to build the confidence of their students. This free selection includes the Table of Contents, Preface, Endorsement of the Society for College Science Teachers, and Introduction.

Scope on Safety: There's no such thing as a free gift

2/5/2008 12:00:00 AM

With shrinking budgets, increasing enrollments, aging equipment, and major advances in technology, donations are one way that science departments can help ends meet. However, many donations can be more trouble than they are worth. To help avoid any safety issues, your school should consider adopting guidelines on donations for staff to review before any items are accepted.

Science Sampler: Designed by Nature-Exploring linear and circular life cycles

2/4/2008 12:00:00 AM

Designed by Nature is a series of six sequential lessons that help middle school students explore the environmental impacts of producing and disposing of everyday items, and the role of citizens, consumers, and businesses in promoting sustainable product design. The activities, which were developed by faculty at Eastern Michigan University, incorporate the 5E learning model-engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. The lessons guide students through a typical product's life cycle-from producer to consumer to landfill-and then explain that a Designed by Nature product is one that breaks this cycle by being reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable.

Science Sampler: Alien Invaders! A board game about the threats posed by introduced species

2/4/2008 12:00:00 AM

Alien Invaders!-loosely modeled after the game of Life, helps students to understand how introduced species can affect native species. This board game allows students to role-play native birds in a world of introduced species, facing the hazards posed by those species. By playing this game, students come to understand some of the effects, such as competition and predation, of invasive species on native species.

How Do Our Actions Affect Water Quantity and Quality?

2/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Water is an essential resource for all living things. How we live on our watershed can impact water quantity and quality. It is important to recognize how humans alter watershed dynamics, but students often find it challenging to visualize watershed processes and understand how decisions that they make as individuals and together as a community can affect water resources. Hydrogeology models can provide students with the opportunity to see firsthand how ground cover affects surface runoff and groundwater recharge and how pollution travels through creeks, streams, and aquifers. In the lab experiment described here, students interact with hydrogeology models to help them gain a deeper understanding of scientific processes while engaging in the activities of a scientist.

Science Sampler: Using art to get kids into and doing science

2/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

In the following lessons, students learn about the biology of birds and conservation issues by bird watching at museums, zoos, and outside in the park or schoolyard. They communicate their understanding of concepts in biology such as structure and function, diversity, adaptations, and the impact of humans by designing an art exhibit in the classroom. By utilizing the resources of local art museums, students are introduced to the history of science through art. Additionally, by observing birds in their local communities, students will discover how they can use their scientific knowledge to be active citizens.

Archive: Arctic and Antarctic Living Systems, January 24, 2008

1/24/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, NASA and NOAA, took place on January 24, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Craig Tweedie, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas, El Paso, where he is jointly appointed in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering Program. Dr. Tweedie gave an impressive presentation on the implications and consequences of global warming and climate change on living systems in the Arctic and Antarctica. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Birmingham/webseminarIII.aspx">go here</a>.

Safer Science: SC3 = Formula for Chemical Management

1/23/2008 12:00:00 AM

The aim of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign" (SC3) is to ensure that all schools are free from hazards associated with mismanaged chemicals, including science laboratories. SC3 gives schools information and tools to responsibly manage chemicals. SC3 partners with schools, parents, and local organizations to create a chemical-management program unique to the needs of each school.

The 1988 Fires in Yellowstone

1/17/2008 12:00:00 AM

The 1988 fires at Yellowstone National Park burned 1.4 million acres in the tri-state areas of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho-encompassing the greater Yellowstone area-and burned some 800,000 acres within the park itself (Franke 2000). This article discusses this extraordinary fire event and contains helpful resources for bringing the science of fire, or fire ecology, into the classroom.

Archive: Arctic and Antarctic Living Systems, January 17, 2008

1/17/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, NASA and NOAA, took place on January 17, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Kathleen Gorski, an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation, in the Office of Polar Programs. Dr. Gorski gave an informative presentation, highlighting a wealth of vetted websites and online resources, related to Polar Studies and the International Polar Year. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Birmingham/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Archive: Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12, January 15, 2008

1/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by NSTA Press, took place on January 15, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting were the authors of the NSTA Press publication NanoScale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12, Dr. Gail Jones, professor of science education in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education at North Carolina State University, Dr. Michael Falvo, research associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Amy Taylor, research assistant and doctoral student at NC State. The presenters talked about science at the nanoscale and how this technology might present new challenges to society. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/NSTA_Press/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Scope on Safety: Chemical sensitivity

1/11/2008 12:00:00 AM

Teachers and students are subjected to myriad indoor and outdoor air pollutants such as arsenic, asbestos, benzene, formaldehyde, isocyanates, lead, and a host of others from materials used in classrooms, laboratories, lunchrooms, gymnasiums, and on athletic fields. Even the clay used in art class may contain asbestos fibers (Connecticut Department of Education 2007). But how can you tell if there is a problem in your science laboratory or building at large? Discover the answer in this month's column.

Earth's Changing Surface: Humans as Agents of Change

1/8/2008 12:00:00 AM

Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the last of three Science Objects in the Earth's Changing Surface SciPack. It explores the natural and human influences on landscape evolution. These influences sometimes accelerate or slow down the process of landscape evolution. Human activities such as deforestation, accelerated global warming, and mining have impacted Earth's changing surface. These activities are not new processes but often increase or accentuate the natural processes. When natural processes are accelerated, humans are often affected by the changes in their environment.

Safe Science: Raining Down on Safety!

12/21/2007 12:00:00 AM

Emergency eyewashes and showers are critical safety devices that are required in high school science laboratories. Unfortunately, some science teachers are putting themselves at risk in terms of liability and also compromising their students' safety. So, what does a high school science teacher need to know about eyewashes and showers in order to have a safe working environment for laboratory occupants? The list of suggestions outlined in this month's column is a good place to start in dealing with this issue.

Idea Bank: International Polar Year in the Classroom

12/21/2007 12:00:00 AM

The International Polar Year (IPY) is one of the most ambitious international science programs ever organized, currently involving over 60,000 scientists from 63 countries. The goal is to broaden humankind's understanding of the Arctic and Antarctic, examining a wide range of physical, biological, and social science topics in order to more fully comprehend the critical influence polar regions have on the rest of the planet. The following is a list describing opportunities-supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-for teachers to bring IPY into classrooms around the nation.

Editor's Corner: Earth in the Balance

12/21/2007 12:00:00 AM

The study of Earth science is sometimes overlooked in our high school science curriculums. In the rush to get through the sequence of biology-chemistry-physics and on to advanced level or AP courses, students and their parents sometimes regard Earth science as marginal and unnecessary. However, the changes now occurring in Earth systems make the study of the geosciences more important than ever before. It is impossible to believe that our students should leave high school without studying Earth science-they must gain a solid understanding of the concepts that can help them understand our changing Earth systems and make good choices in their personal and public lives.

Thinking Like an Ecologist

12/20/2007 12:00:00 AM

This article presents a lesson in which students examine current field research on global change. In particular, students investigate the effect of carbon dioxide and tropospheric ozone on ecosystems by applying their knowledge of scientific inquiry and photosynthesis. The goal of the activity is for students to think like ecologists and draw connections between the data and their everyday energy choices.

Archive: Arctic and Antarctic Living Systems, December 20, 2007

12/20/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and NASA, took place on December 20, 2007, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Brendan Kelly, Director for Arctic Biology in the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Kelly is also Associate Vice President for Research and Associate Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Alaska. The program focused on how climate change is affecting living systems in the Polar Regions. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Birmingham/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Archive: Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12, December 18, 2007

12/18/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by NSTA Press, took place on December 18, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting were the authors of the NSTA Press publication NanoScale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12, Dr. Gail Jones, professor of science education in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education at North Carolina State University, Dr. Michael Falvo, research associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Amy Taylor, research assistant and doctoral student at NC State. The presenters talked about science at the nanoscale, its applications, and ideas for classroom activities available in their book. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/NSTA_Press/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Archive: The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System, December 13, 2007

12/13/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the NSF, NOAA, and NASA, took place on December 13, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Kathy Gorski, an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation in the Office of Polar Programs. Dr. Gorski talked about IPY teacher opportunities and resources and shared information regarding the tools and techniques used by polar scientists during research experiences. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Denver/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Science of Food Safety

12/10/2007 12:00:00 AM

SciPacks are 10 hour online learning experiences teachers can use to enhance their understanding of a particular scientific concept. Teachers access topics "on demand" from the Internet. Topics are based on science literacy goals in the national standards and tied to state standards. Pedagogical Implications also address student misconceptions. Expert content help is available via email as well as a final assessment to demonstrate understanding of the SciPack content. The Science of Food Safety SciPack explores the science underlying food safety. This SciPack is focused on Standards and Benchmarks related the composition and functioning of cells and viruses; the growth, reproduction, and evolution of bacteria; the fundamentals of the human immune system; and societal precautions against foodborne illness.

Science of Food Safety: Microbes, Friend or Foe

12/10/2007 12:00:00 AM

Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the third of four Science Objects in the Science of Food Safety SciPack. It explores how bacteria live in close concert with humans. Bacteria are masters at exploiting a variety of niches in the human body and live in huge colonies in places such as the skin, intestines and mouth. Most of these bacteria are harmless to the human body, and many are important in assisting its normal, healthy functioning. Disease in humans results when organisms such as bacteria interfere with the normal operation of the human body, most commonly foreign organisms entering the body. The human body has many mechanisms to protect itself against outside organisms that may interfere with its normal operation. Bacteria that gain entrance to the body may form colonies in preferred organs or tissues, emitting harmful toxins as waste products. If the body's immune system cannot suppress a bacterial infection, an antibacterial drug may be effective-at least against the types of bacteria it was designed to combat. Viruses invade healthy cells and cause them to synthesize more viruses, usually killing those cells in the process.

Science of Food Safety: Food Safety and You

12/10/2007 12:00:00 AM

Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the last of four Science Objects inthe Science of Food Safety SciPack. It explores the scientist involved with the development of germ theory and pasteurization, which brought about great changes in the safe handling of food and water, and improved sanitation measures that represent some of the greatest public health contributions to date. More recently, humans have instituted laws requiring the monitoring of air, soil, and water for microorganisms that pose a threat to human health. Such agricultural and food safety regulations represent social trade-offs that ensure the population's general welfare at the price of increased cost or lowered efficiency. In addition to these large-scale societal precautions, humans rely heavily on personal measures to limit the transmission of invasive organisms into their bodies. These measures include keeping hands and skin clean, avoiding contaminated foods and liquids, cleaning and separating food items properly during preparation, cooking food at high enough temperatures for proper lengths of time, and keeping the temperature of food sufficiently low at all times when it is not being prepared or consumed.

Issues In-Depth: Making some bones about it

12/6/2007 12:00:00 AM

While most people regard bone as a static entity in our body, this is a serious misconception and one that should be corrected early because bone health is a concern for people of all ages-not just the elderly. While bone tissue is primarily for protection and structural support, it is among the most important of tissues in our body because bones have significant metabolic features. This article will address some of the features of bone, its cell types, the metabolic role that this important tissue has in our body, and ways we can help students to better understand bone and why it is important to their overall health-both now and in the future.

Scope on Safety: Debugging safely

12/6/2007 12:00:00 AM

The hazards of pests in the classroom are numerous. Mice can contaminate food and supplies and trigger asthma attacks, cockroaches can cause allergic reactions and aggravate asthma, flies can spread disease, bee and yellow jacket stings can be life threatening, and spiders and ant bites can cause pain and even death. As teachers, we want to provide a safe classroom for our students, but we are also concerned about the indiscriminant use of hazardous pesticides in schools and on school grounds. Numerous studies have shown the dangers of exposure to these chemicals, especially for children. This is a real issue and one that finally is being addressed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and many state legislators.

Archive: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, December 4, 2007

12/4/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the FDA, took place on December 4, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Sherri McGarry, Foodborne Outbreak Coordinator on the Emergency Coordination and Response Staff in the Office of Compliance, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, at the FDA. The presenter talked about outbreak investigations. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/FDA/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Archive: The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System, November 27, 2007

11/27/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the NSF, NOAA, and NASA, took place on November 27, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Doug Williams, Carolina Trustee Professor of Marine and Geological Sciences at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Doug talked about the climate changes taking place in the Arctic and Antarctic and how these changes are affecting the planet. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/IPY_Denver/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Safe Science: Using Ionizing Radiation-A Hot Opportunity

11/21/2007 12:00:00 AM

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website dealing with education resources reported the results of an inspection, by an environmental engineer, that revealed radioactive materials in a Massachusetts high school. All sources were found within open storage in science classrooms. Given this scenario and similar ones, this month's column addresses the following questions: How dangerous is ionizing radiation and what are the sources? Should high schools abandon the use of ionizing radiation sources in their students' science programs? If these sources are used, what prudent safety practices should be in place?

Recycled Insect Models

11/19/2007 12:00:00 AM

This article presents an engaging activity in which high school students use a dichotomous key to guide the creation and classification of model insects from recycled plastic lids and containers. Besides teaching the use of a dichotomous key and the effect of evolutionary descent upon groupings of organisms, this activity focuses on an often-neglected area of science teaching: creativity (Yager 2000). In contrast to many published activities that engage students in classifying manufactured items or food (e.g.; Burns 1998; Barrett and Matthews 1998; Crowther 2003), the activity described here involves students in studying real organisms.

Promise or Peril: Nanotechnology and the Environment

11/18/2007 12:00:00 AM

Nanoscience research has made great strides in recent years in areas such as nanomaterials and drug delivery. This success has kindled hope for exciting technological breakthroughs in the near future in areas ranging from new cures for cancer therapies to new materials that gobble up toxic waste in the environment. The nanosized particles utilized in these proposed technologies products have beneficial results, but at what cost? Do we really know the effect these particles have on our environment or even our health?

Too Little Privacy: Ethics of Nanotechnology

11/16/2007 12:00:00 AM

Advances in nanotechnology allow us to create unique and tiny labels for manufactured materials, create tiny sensors that can detect the presence of specific molecules, and make machines that are so small they can work invisibly. Through a series of scenarios, students confront the potential threats to our privacy as well as the ethics of nanotechnology.

Archive: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, November 15, 2007

11/15/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by the FDA, took place on November 15, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Stefano Luccioli, Senior Medical Advisor in the Office of Food Additive Safety in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. This web seminar focused on food allergies. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/FDA/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Brainstorms: From Idea to Invention

11/8/2007 12:00:00 AM

Learners explore the design process by improving an existing invention; designing and building a drink holder for an airplane seat and communicating their design process; and designing an investigation to evaluate Scotchgard.

Turtle Hurdles

11/7/2007 12:00:00 AM

By taking part in a simulation, learners explore the many threats to sea turtles and the ways humans can help them survive. Learners identify which dangers result from human actions and which dangers are natural. Learners also explore the life cycles of sea turtles through literature.

Oil Spill!

11/7/2007 12:00:00 AM

Learners explore the effects of oil spills on plants, animals, and the environment and investigate cleanup methods through a simulated oil spill. Learners also use creative writing and letter writing to demonstrate their understandings about the effects of oil spills.

Be a Friend to Trees

11/2/2007 12:00:00 AM

Learners explore the variety of products made from trees, the importance of trees as sources of food, shelter, and oxygen for people and animals, and ways to conserve trees.

Hear Your Heart

11/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Learners explore how the heart works, how exercise affects heart rate, and how to keep the heart healthy through regular cardiovascular exercise.

Archive: From Astrobiology to Zoology: Igniting Students' Interests in Science Careers , November 1, 2007

11/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by Sally Ride Science, took place on November 1, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting were Dr. Karen Flammer, Research Physicist at University of California in San Diego and Senior Vice-President at Sally Ride Science and Brenda Wilson, Vice President of Content and Out-of-School Programs at Sally Ride Science. This web seminar focused on how teachers can ignite students' interests in four science careers: environmental sciences, space sciences, health sciences, and Earth sciences. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/SRS/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Scope on Safety: Sun Safety

10/31/2007 12:00:00 AM

So, what does "sun safety" have to do with middle school science teachers, especially during the winter months? With the movement toward hands-on science and environmentally oriented curricula, more students and teachers in science classes are doing fieldwork in the sun year round. Unfortunately, many people still believe winter equates to little or no UV exposure. This is just not so. It does not matter what time of year, nor where you are-UV radiation is there and can be a danger. This month's column provides strategies for middle school science teachers to protect themselves and their students from exposure to the UV rays of the sun. In addition, some UV and health facts are included.

Science Sampler: Modeling the effects of drugs on the brain

10/30/2007 12:00:00 AM

The following activity teaches students about the neurobiological consequences of drug use on their brains and behavior. Students make clay models that allow them to visualize how drugs affect neural communication. If you're concerned that this activity may be too advanced, studies have shown that even third-grade students with some knowledge of the circulatory and nervous systems are able to comprehend the effects of drugs on the body and behavior (Sigelman et al., 2003). This activity aligns with the AAAS science benchmarks on human organisms, cells, model making, and personal health.

Choice, Control, And Change: Using Scientific Evidence to Promote Healthful Food and Activity Choices

10/29/2007 12:00:00 AM

Childhood obesity and its long-term health implications should be of major concern to science educators. In an effort to support teachers and youth about this growing problem, a five-unit, 19-lesson module entitled Choice, Control, and Change (C3) was developed at Teachers College Columbia University. C3 is a standards-driven and inquiry-based curriculum that is framed around the driving question, "How can we use scientific evidence to help us make healthy food and activity choices?" The curriculum provides teachers and students with rigorous, yet relevant investigations into how an understanding of biology, the environment, and personal behaviors impacts weight and health.

Archive: From Astrobiology to Zoology: Igniting Students' Interests in Science Careers, October 25, 2007

10/25/2007 12:00:00 AM

This Web Seminar, sponsored by Sally Ride Science, took place on October 25, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Presenting was Dr. Karen Flammer, Research Physicist at University of California in San Diego and Senior Vice-President at Sally Ride Science. This web seminar focused on how teachers can ignite students' interests in science careers. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/SRS/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Safety Is For Everyone

10/22/2007 12:00:00 AM

In some ways, the laboratory safety standards may seem at odds with science laboratory curriculum expectations in an environment attempting to provide for full inclusion of all students. Clearly, not all students will be able to be fully mainstreamed and may require alternative placement. Careful planning and appropriate accommodations in terms of instructional strategies and assistive technology, however, can provide for equitable access to hands-on science education for all students in a safe learning environment. This free selection includes the section, Build in Safety: OSHA Laboratory Standard, the Table of Contents, Preface, and Index.

Safe Science: Circuit Safety

10/22/2007 12:00:00 AM

The study of electricity in general science or physics is fascinating for students. Unfortunately, a number of electrical dangers exist in the laboratory that are applicable to all types of science including biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth science. Varying degrees of exposure can lead to paralysis, unconsciousness, or even death. This column outlines the basic electrical dangers in an effort to show how the study and use of electricity can be fun and safe.

Using Japanese Lesson Design to ANTicipate an Invasion on Maui

10/19/2007 12:00:00 AM

Native ant species do not exist on the island of Maui, the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands. However, one ant, the little fire ant (LFA or Wasmannia auropunctata) has recently appeared in the region, being discovered on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1999. As a result, the LFA is a serious impending threat to Pacific biodiversity. The invasion of LFAs provides an ideal story problem for a series of lessons designed in the Japanese lesson study (JLS) style. Using this approach, students use problem-solving techniques and work collaboratively as they study LFAs and learn about environmental unity, evolution, and integrated pest management.

Building Migratory Bridges

10/19/2007 12:00:00 AM

The Building Migratory Bridges (BMB) program-a collaboration between the Marvelwood School and Audubon Sharon in Connecticut and Conservation Research Education Action (CREA), a U.S. not-for-profit in Panama-uses neotropical migratory bird research in the United States and Panama to demonstrate how negative environmental impacts in one country can have harmful consequences in others. This article discusses the BMB program in terms of student-learning and community-service opportunities it presents. It further suggests that more hands-on science programs that analyze root causes of critical global issues are needed if students are to comprehend and tackle world environmental challenges.

Idea Bank: Clay Pot Refrigerators

10/19/2007 12:00:00 AM

Access to refrigeration is something we take for granted in the United States. However, for many countries refrigeration is not an option for keeping food fresh. In 1995, a teacher in Nigeria named Mohammend Bah Abba developed and began to popularize a low-cost alternative to electric refrigerators called the zeer pot. Several of the authors' chemistry students, who are also taking ceramics, became intrigued with zeer pots and wanted to study them for their end-of-the-year inquiry projects. This article discusses the students' investigations of zeer pots, and the use of evaporation as a cooling technique.

Teaching Science to Students from Rural Mexico

10/17/2007 12:00:00 AM

George Roberts has been teaching ninth-grade Earth science in Gardston, Iowa, for 10 years. This year, as chair of the Gardston High School's science department, he agreed to have all the English Language Learner (ELL) students assigned to his classes. George's goal was to learn more about the needs of these students and arrive at a set of techniques he could share with the rest of his science team. Understanding the rural community of origin of his Mexican ELL students can help George learn more about his students and teach them better. This article reports on a visit some of the authors made to the shared hometown of George's students in hopes of uncovering aspects of the students' former lives that stand to impact their experience in his classroom.

Science for All

10/11/2007 12:00:00 AM

We say it often, and the phrase appears in the National Science Education Standards and many state and local documents as well. "All students should have opportunities in science." But that vision is harder to achieve in practice. It is especially challenging to design facilities that maximize opportunities for the diverse student populations that will enjoy them now and in the future. But since we know that facilities we build today will serve many more-and more diverse-students in the future, it is important to look at them through the eyes of students with individual needs.

Safety Guidelines

10/10/2007 12:00:00 AM

In order for students to inquire confidently, we must create safe classroom environments. Safety is not just a set of rules but a state of mind, and perhaps, most importantly, it is an attitude and a set of skills that carry over into a students' daily life. But research also shows that the space in which students inquire is vital to their safety and security. This chapter summarizes some of the important factors that contribute to safe laboratory environments.

NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities, Second Edition (e-Book)

10/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Science-learning spaces are different from general-purpose classrooms. So if your school is planning to build or renovate, you need the fully updated NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities. It's the definitive resource for every K-12 school that seeks safe, effective science space without costly, time-consuming mistakes. New to this edition is a chapter on "green" schools, including how to think outside the traditional walls and use the entire grounds to encourage environmental responsibility in students. The revised guide also provides essential up-to-date coverage such as: - Practical information on laboratory and general room design, budget priorities, space considerations, and furnishings. - Stages of the planning process for new and renovated science facilities. - Current trends and future directions in science education and safety, accessibility, and legal guidelines. - Detailed appendices about equipment-needs planning, classroom dimensions, and new safety research, plus an updated science facilities audit. NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities will help science teachers, district coordinators, school administrators, boards of education, and schoolhouse architects understand those differences and develop science facilities that will serve students for years to come.

Scope on Safety: Hammering home Earth-science safety

10/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Kids love to cut up, tear apart, and smash things in order to study them. This is one reason they get so excited about the opportunity to study rocks and minerals in the lab or out in the field. Although this can certainly be fun and fuel their curiosity, it can also be dangerous. There are a number of mechanical and chemical hazards that need to be addressed and thought out before any hands-on activity is taken on by middle school students and science teachers.

The NSTA Ready-Reference Guide to Safer Science

9/18/2007 12:00:00 AM

Archive: Food Safety and Nutrition, May 31, 2007

9/13/2007 12:00:00 AM

The second of two web seminars on the topic of Food Safety and Nutrition was held on Thursday, May 31, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. The presenter was Crystal Rasnake, Nutritionist in the Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration. Ms. Rasnake talked about the percent daily value on the food label and the "Make Your Calories Count" interactive website that can be used in the classroom to teach about the food label. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/nutrition/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Archive: Food Safety and Nutrition, April 26, 2007

9/10/2007 12:00:00 AM

The first of two web seminars on the topic of Food Safety and Nutrition was held on Thursday, April 26, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. The presenter was Dr. Patrick McCarthy, Epidemiologist from the Office of Food Defense, Communication, and Emergency Response, at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. In this seminar, Dr. McCarthy talked about outbreak investigations. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/nutrition/webseminarI.aspx">go here</a>.

Safe Science: Laboratory Safety: Welcome Aboard!

9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Why has The Science Teacher initiated a new safety column? Walk into a typical science classroom today and you are likely to see the teacher conducting a demonstration or students doing hands-on laboratory work. This key instructional strategy has been re-embraced since the advent of the National Science Education Standards, state science curriculum reforms, and No Child Left Behind legislation. In the mix of these initiatives is a major retirement surge. Safety in the science laboratory and field work is all the more important as a result of these events and changes. The mission of this column is to address the "in-the-trenches" safety issues and help teachers successfully maneuver through these revolutionary and evolutionary times in science education.

A Cooperative Classroom Investigation of Climate Change

9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Scientists have a particularly difficult time explaining warming trends in Antarctica-a region with a relatively short history of scientific observation and a highly variable climate (Clarke et al. 2007). Regardless of the mechanism of warming, however, climate change is having a dramatic impact on Antarctic ecosystems. In this article, the authors describe a standards-based, directed inquiry they have used in tenth grade biology classes to highlight the ecosystem level changes observed on the western Antarctic Peninsula. This activity stresses the importance of evidence in scientific explanations and demonstrates the cooperative nature of science.

Idea Bank: Clarifying Tropical Cyclone Activity in Centuries Past

9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

In order to truly answer questions of hurricane frequency one must move past short-term human-documented meteorological records and find environmental proxies for determining historical hurricanes. Just recently, Miller et al. (2006) established such a proxy when they documented an oxygen isotope record from longleaf pine trees spanning 220 years. This article describes an inquiry-based activity for high school students based on this research. The activity integrates chemistry, biology, and Earth/environmental sciences while engaging students in problem-solving exercises and group collaborations.

Editor's Corner: Everybody Talks About It

9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Articles in this issue of The Science Teacher (TST) show how the weather and climate theme offers a rich opportunity for interdisciplinary inquiry in our science classes. An integrated, interdisciplinary investigation of climate may perhaps inspire students to take action, on a personal or community level, to affect lifestyle and other changes that can help mitigate our negative impacts on the atmosphere. It is time to prove Mark Twain wrong, once and for all, when he said "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it" by replacing his witticism with a new one for the 21st century: "Everybody talks about the weather, but now we all are doing something positive about it."

Scope on Safety: Bloodborne pathogens-Be prepared, be protected

8/20/2007 12:00:00 AM

Malaria, Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr syndrome, meningitis, syphilis, hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS-what do all of these diseases have in common? These belong to a group of over 100 microorganisms categorized as bloodborne pathogens. With the HIV epidemic and public awareness of Hepatitis B, coupled with confidentiality legislation, bloodborne pathogens came front and center on the public's radar. Bloodborne pathogens also got the attention of middle and high school science teachers, due to hands-on activities such as check cell staining/observation and blood typing, along with general exposure to dried blood or fresh blood and more.

Guest Editorial: Happy anniversary, traveling companion!

8/20/2007 12:00:00 AM

Fifty years ago, on Friday, October 4, 1957, a 184-pound, silver-colored, metal ball caused an event that would change the world forever and reshape science education in the United States for decades to come. That beach ball-sized object was the man-made satellite launched by the Soviets known as Sputnik. Sputnik became the defining moment for science education in the second half of the twentieth century, and led directly to policy initiatives that bolstered our presence in science and technology and sparked an intellectual and technical rivalry between the two countries. In the decades since the Eagle landed at Tranquility Base, the United States has led the world in patents, the development of the internet, computer engineering, and other medical and technological advances. In order to remain globally competitive and to maintain a scientific superiority in the twenty-first century, we must produce better channels to achieve scientific literacy for all students, regardless of their economic status, the neighborhoods in which they live, or the shade of their skin.

Archive: FDA/NSTA Symposium: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food, Denver, CO: Nov 9, 2007

7/30/2007 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day symposium, scientists and education specialists from the FDA talked to teachers about food science, food science related careers, and the food label. The presenters also performed activities that enhanced the participants' knowledge about the topic of food and served as models for activities the teachers could do with students in their classrooms. Participants learned how FDA uses DNA micro-array technology to detect foodborne pathogens, the scientific basis for the percent daily values (%DVs) on the Nutrition Facts Label, and how to culture bacteria found in food. All participants received a binder including all the PowerPoint presentations and handouts and a $60 stipend for attending the symposium.

Archive: IPY/NSTA Symposium: The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System, Denver, CO: Nov 9, 2007

7/30/2007 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day symposium, scientists and education specialists representing NSF, NOAA, and NASA talked to teachers about the International Polar Year and the role of the Polar Regions in the Earth's changing climate system. The presenters performed activities that enhanced the participants' knowledge about ice cores and the role of Arctic clouds in the climate system. The activities served as models for activities the teachers could do with students in their classrooms. All participants received a DVD and CD set and educational posters that can be used as a resource for classroom discussion.

Archive: NSTA Symposium: Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12, Birmingham, AL: December 7, 2007

7/30/2007 12:00:00 AM

During this half-day symposium, sponsored by NSTA Press, the authors of the NSTA Press publication NanoScale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12 talked to teachers about how science is different at the nanoscale, the challenges that scientists have when working at the nanoscale, Atomic Force Microscopes, and about appplications of nanotechnology. The presenters led activities that enhanced the participants' knowledge about nanoscale science which served as models for activities the teachers could do with students in their classrooms. All participants received a copy of the NanoScale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12 book.

Scope on Safety: Shedding light on laser pointer safety

7/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

With the introduction of physics concepts at the elementary and middle school grades resulting from the National Science Education Standards and No Child Left Behind legislation, teachers are looking for exciting technology that will turn kids on to the study of light. Enter the laser diode pointer. Given their easy availability, low cost, portability, and inexpensive upkeep (they operate on AAA batteries), laser pointers would seem to be the ideal piece of classroom science equipment. However, before adopting laser pointers for demonstrations or hands-on labs, teachers and students should be aware of the risks associated with their use.

Teaching through Trade Books: Down the Drain

7/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

In developed countries such as the United States, it is easy to take water for granted. Americans use more water per capita than anywhere else in the world, up to 100 gallons a day. That's 10 times the amount of the water that an average person living in Africa uses each day! Although the most dire water shortages are occurring in other parts of the world, scientists project that as the U.S. population grows, we may begin using water faster than it can be replenished. This month's article focuses on the importance of conserving water and ways to conserve it.

A Science Club Takes Action

7/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

The after-school science club at Galtier Math, Science, and Technology Elementary Magnet School in St. Paul, Minnesota, learned some valuable lessons when they took newfound knowledge about pollution into their homes. After learning about the effects of various contaminants on health and what informed citizens can do about it, students tested their tap water and soil. As a result, both students and their parents changed behaviors. The experience proved valuable for the educators too, reminding them of the power of integrating science with real-world issues and how effective they can be in guiding children to make more informed decisions about their world.

Archive: Impact of Polar Climate Change on Living Systems, June 14, 2007

6/14/2007 12:00:00 AM

Climate change, Microbes, and Genomes! The second of two web seminars on the topic of "Impact of Polar Climate Change on Living Systems" was held on Thursday, June 14, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. The presenter was Dr. David Kirchman, Maxwell P. & Mildred H. Harrington Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Delaware's College of Marine and Earth Studies. Dr. Kirchman talked about how climate change is affecting the Arctic, the importance of microbes as producers and consumers of greenhouse gases, and genomes. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/IPYlife/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Archive: Polar Climates, How Are They Changing? June 12, 2007

6/12/2007 12:00:00 AM

Polar Opportunities! The second of two web seminars on the topic of "Polar Climates, How Are They Changing?" was held on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. The presenter was Allan Miller, Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation's Office of International Science and Engineering. Mr. Miller talked about the International Polar Year and polar opportunities for educators. For more information about this web seminar, its presenter(s), read what participants said about it, and to see and download its PowerPoint slides <a href="http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/stlouis07/IPYair/webseminarII.aspx">go here</a>.

Introduction: The Environmental Context

5/18/2007 12:00:00 AM

The argument for teaching science in the environmental context is based on the reality of the science-environment relationship and on the potential that contextual teaching has for contributing to valuable student learning. At the same time, it must be recognized that such teaching involves dealing with controversial issues. These matters are discussed briefly here as background for consideration of the five science/environment modules that are included in this series: Biodiversity; Global Climate Change; Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis; Genetically Modified Crops; and Radioactive Waste. This free selection also contains the Table of Contents, Preface, an About the Authors page, and the Index.