Oceans Effect on Climate and Weather: Global Circulation Patterns Science Object Average User Rating: 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 Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack....  [view full summary] 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 Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack. It explores ocean circulation patterns and the effect oceans have on climate. Water in the oceans hold a lot of thermal energy (more than an equal amount of land). Throughout the ocean there is a global, interconnected circulation system that transfers this thermal energy across Earth. The shape of ocean basins and adjacent land masses influence the path of circulation. As ocean currents transfer thermal energy to various locations, the temperature of the atmosphere above the ocean is affected. For example, the condensation of water that has been evaporated from warm seas provides the energy for hurricanes and cyclones. When the pattern of thermal energy released into the atmosphere changes, global weather patterns are affected. An example of a large-scale change like this is the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which changes the pattern of thermal energy released into the atmosphere in the Pacific. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

More Everyday Science Mysteries: Stories for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching By: Richard Konicek-Moran NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Where do rotten apples go after they fall off the tree? Does the temperature of the wood affect the heat of the fire? Can you make water boil faster? How large a mirror do you need to see your whole body? This second volume of 15 mystery stories examines...  [view full summary] Where do rotten apples go after they fall off the tree? Does the temperature of the wood affect the heat of the fire? Can you make water boil faster? How large a mirror do you need to see your whole body? This second volume of 15 mystery stories examines more science concepts and reinforces the value of learning science through inquiry. Each mystery presents opportunities for students to create questions, form hypotheses, test their ideas, and come up with explanations. Focused on concepts such as weather and climate, thermodynamics, interdependency of living things, adaptation, life cycles, properties of matter, reflection and refraction, and chemical bonds, these mysteries draw students into the stories by grounding them in experiences students are familiar with, providing them with the foundation for classroom discussion and inquiry. “These stories are bound to reveal the wonderful ideas all students have, give them the confidence to explore their own thinking, and provide opportunities for them to ‘do’ science rather than have science ‘done’ to them.” —Page Keeley, NSTA President 2008–09 [hide full abstract] Member Price: $19.96 Nonmember Price: $24.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School

Universe: The Sun as a Star Science Object Average User Rating: 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 five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It provides an understanding...  [view full summary] 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 five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It provides an understanding of how our Sun compares to other stars in the universe. Analyzing the light from other stars and comparing it with light from our Sun has allowed us to determine that our Sun is a medium-size star. The Sun appears brighter than the other stars because it is many, many times closer to us. It takes about 8 minutes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth, but more than four years for light to travel from the Sun out to the next nearest star. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Plate Tectonics: Layered Earth Science Object Average User Rating: 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 five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonics SciPack. It explores the...  [view full summary] 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 five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonics SciPack. It explores the characteristics of the various layers of the Earth, using the way waves travel through the different layers to illustrate the differences in each layer. The interior of the earth is hot, under high pressure from gravitational pull, and more dense than its rocky outer crust. The earth is layered with a relatively thin crust; hot, deformable mantle; liquid outer core; and solid, metallic, and dense inner core. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Plate Tectonics: Plate Interactions Science Object Average User Rating: 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 five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonic SciPack. It identifies the...  [view full summary] 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 five Science Objects in the Plate Tectonic SciPack. It identifies the events that may occur and landscapes that form as a result of different plate interactions. The areas along plate margins are active. Plates pushing against one another can cause earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation, and very deep ocean trenches. Plates pulling apart from one another can cause smaller earthquakes, magma rising to the surface, volcanoes, and oceanic valleys and mountains from sea-floor spreading. Plates sliding past one another can cause earthquakes and rock deformation. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Oceans Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack Average User Rating: 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...  [view full summary] 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 Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate SciPack explores concepts related to Earth’s weather and climate. The focus is on Standards and Benchmarks related to weather and climate, the water cycle, climate change, and the role of solar energy and its affect on the atmosphere and oceans. The unique role oceans play in defining Earth’s weather and climate patterns is also specifically addressed. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Earth, Sun, and Moon SciPack Average User Rating: 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...  [view full summary] 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, Sun, and Moon SciPack explores the phenomena that can be explained by the position and motion of Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. The focus is on topics supporting Standards and Benchmarks related to the heating of Earth’s surface by the Sun, phases of the Moon, and the apparent changes in the position of objects in the night sky. This SciPack also includes some of the basic details about Earth, including the characteristics that make it unique in our solar system, its composition, and its capacity to support life. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $31.99 Nonmember Price: $39.99 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Air, Water, and Weather: Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It By: William C. Robertson, Ph.D. NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Thunderstruck by storm fronts? Perplexed about air pressure? Hazy on how weather works? If you’ve always been shaky on the science behind such phenomena, Air, Water, and Weather is designed to help you develop a deep understanding of the basics so you...  [view full summary] Thunderstruck by storm fronts? Perplexed about air pressure? Hazy on how weather works? If you’ve always been shaky on the science behind such phenomena, Air, Water, and Weather is designed to help you develop a deep understanding of the basics so you can teach without fear. Best-selling author Bill Robertson acts as your friendly guide, bringing both wisdom and wit to the study of weather. He starts with basic properties of air and water. You’ll learn about pressure, the Coriolis force, the Bernoulli Effect, density, and explanations of why hot air doesn’t rise all by itself and why heating air doesn’t necessarily cause it to expand. These concepts form a foundation for explanations of weather patterns, including the jet stream, storm fronts, and the formation of tornadoes and hurricanes. Air, Water, and Weather is the sixth book in the award-winning Stop Faking It! series published by NSTA Press. It offers all the features readers have come to love: accurate explanations, irreverent drawings, and activities that use easy-to-find materials. As usual, Robertson avoids memorization for its own sake—no need to commit cloud types to memory!—and makes learning a mostly sunny experience. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $17.56 Nonmember Price: $21.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 2: 25 More Formative Assessment Probes By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Joyce Tugel NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: If Hollywood filmed this sequel, the studio would call it “Probes II: More Battles Against Misunderstandings.” Like the blockbuster before it, Volume 2 will reveal the surprising misconceptions students bring to the classroom—so you can adjust your teaching...  [view full summary] If Hollywood filmed this sequel, the studio would call it “Probes II: More Battles Against Misunderstandings.” Like the blockbuster before it, Volume 2 will reveal the surprising misconceptions students bring to the classroom—so you can adjust your teaching to foster a sound understanding of science. The popular features from Volume 1 are all here. The field-tested probes are short, easy to administer, and ready to reproduce. Teacher materials explain science content and suggest grade-appropriate ways to present information. But Volume 2 covers more life science and Earth and space science probes. New topics include forms of matter, changes in matter, living things and life processes, rocks and landforms, the day/night cycle, and objects in the night sky. Volume 2 also suggests ways to embed the probes throughout your instruction, not just when starting a unit or topic. This new classroom tool will help you not only uncover students’ existing ideas, but also use that knowledge to improve your teaching and advance student understanding of science concepts. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $22.36 Nonmember Price: $27.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Project Earth Science: Physical Oceanography By: Brent A. Ford and P. Sean Smith NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Immerse your students in Earth’s most abundant resource--water. Embark on a voyage of discovery as you steer your students through activities designed to teach them about currents, waves, and tides. From an understanding of the properties that make water...  [view full summary] Immerse your students in Earth’s most abundant resource--water. Embark on a voyage of discovery as you steer your students through activities designed to teach them about currents, waves, and tides. From an understanding of the properties that make water unique, your students will get a global view of the marine environment, including the impact of human activities on the oceans. This book is one of four in NSTA's popular Project Earth Science series. The other books are Project Earth Science:Geology, Project Earth Science:Astronomy, and Project Earth Science:Meteorology. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.16 Nonmember Price: $28.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School