Extreme Science: From Nano to Galactic By: M. Gail Jones, Amy R. Taylor, and Michael R. Falvo NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Whether we are imagining microbes or mammoths, dinosaurs or diatoms, molecules or stars, people of all ages are fascinated with the very large and the very small. New technologies have enabled scientists to investigate extremes of science previously unknown....  [view full summary] Whether we are imagining microbes or mammoths, dinosaurs or diatoms, molecules or stars, people of all ages are fascinated with the very large and the very small. New technologies have enabled scientists to investigate extremes of science previously unknown. An understanding of scale and scaling effects is of central importance to a scientific understanding of the world. Help your middle and high school biology, Earth science, chemistry, physics, and mathematics students develop quantitative evaluation with Extreme Science. Authors Gail Jones, Amy Taylor, and Michael Falvo offer a detailed look at types of scale, measurement, powers of ten, estimation and models of scale, surface area to volume relationships, limits to size, and behaviors at different scales. Scaling conceptions are one of the four recommended unifying themes in the AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy. A knowledge of scaling will serve as a solid framework for students to anchor further learning and allow them to make cross-curricular connections between seemingly disparate topics. The investigations in this book are designed to help students develop a comprehensive and flexible sense of scale through experiences with the quantitative units and tools of science. Investigations build on our research that has documented how people learn scale. To aid in comprehension, Extreme Science uses the 5Es (engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate) to illustrate each topic. By using this learning method, the activities help students learn to invent scales, develop benchmarks, estimate, and apply body rulers (estimating using fingers, arms, or pacing off distances). In so doing, students will come to understand scale on an intrinsic level and will appreciate that no problem is too big or too little to be scaleable. Comprehending scale at the largest and smallest levels is where a quantitative understanding of the world begins. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.96 Nonmember Price: $29.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Activities Linking Science With Math, K-4 By: John Eichinger NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Science does not exist in a vacuum and, therefore, shouldn’t be taught that way. In that spirit, Activities Linking Science With Math, K-4, is a hands-on guide for preservice and inservice elementary school teachers who want to connect science...  [view full summary] Science does not exist in a vacuum and, therefore, shouldn’t be taught that way. In that spirit, Activities Linking Science With Math, K-4, is a hands-on guide for preservice and inservice elementary school teachers who want to connect science instruction with other areas of study—including visual arts, social sciences, language arts, and especially math. The 20 discovery-based and academically rigorous activities provided in this volume enrich students’ awareness of the world around them, encourage their natural curiosity, and promote the development of their problem-solving skills. The lessons—such as Digging Into Soil, Exploring the Mysteries of Fingerprints, and What Makes a Boat Float?—are teacher friendly, too, requiring no advanced expertise in any subject area and using only inexpensive and easily accessible materials. Each includes a list of needed materials, a step-by-step procedure, discussion questions, and assessment techniques. Activities align with the latest national standards for both science and math and cover topics from all scientific disciplines. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $22.36 Nonmember Price: $27.95 Grade Level: Elementary 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

Animal Coloration: Activities on the Evolution of Concealment By: Robert Stebbins, David Ipsen, Gretchen L. Gillfillan, Judy Diamond (Revised New Edition), and Judy Scotchmoor (Revised New Edition) NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: A classic resource for teachers is now back in an updated edition! Using an inductive and experimental approach, Animal Coloration aims to increase students’ awareness of the ways wild organisms are adapted to their environments. Even though...  [view full summary] A classic resource for teachers is now back in an updated edition! Using an inductive and experimental approach, Animal Coloration aims to increase students’ awareness of the ways wild organisms are adapted to their environments. Even though the activities suggest a specific teaching procedure, each activity is also intended to be an investigation by the students and an opportunity for them to make and test hypotheses based on their observations. Through these activities, students will begin to appreciate how scientific knowledge and understanding are attained. Each of the activities provides an opportunity to incorporate National Science Education Content Standards, including science and inquiry, life science, and history and nature of science. Also new to this revision is a table summarizing each activity with learning outcomes and relevant content standards. Originally published in 1966 by the Regents of the University of California (UC), Animal Coloration is the result of over five years of field-testing and experimentation by the Elementary School Science Project at UC Berkeley, funded by the National Science Foundation. This book was difficult to find for far too long (worn copies are a cherished part of many teachers’ libraries), so NSTA Press is especially proud to bring the book to a new generation of teachers and to update the work for its long-time admirers. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $17.56 Nonmember Price: $21.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School

Explore the World Using Protozoa Edited by: O. Roger Anderson and Marvin Druger NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Use protozoa to model macroscopic ecological and biological processes—such as symbiosis, succession, and feeding strategies—with these 28 hands-on investigations. This innovative resource will facilitate understanding and learning through inquiry, assessment,...  [view full summary] Use protozoa to model macroscopic ecological and biological processes—such as symbiosis, succession, and feeding strategies—with these 28 hands-on investigations. This innovative resource will facilitate understanding and learning through inquiry, assessment, and real-life applications of lab science. Includes reproducible materials and the text is linked to the Standards. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $21.56 Nonmember Price: $26.95 Grade Level: High School, Informal Education

Start Young: Early Childhood Science Activities Edited by: Shannan McNair NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: You asked for it—now you’ve got it! In a focus group at a recent NSTA convention, teachers of prekindergarten through second grade clamored for help. They do want easy-to-do science activities they can use for everyday teaching. But they don’t...  [view full summary] You asked for it—now you’ve got it! In a focus group at a recent NSTA convention, teachers of prekindergarten through second grade clamored for help. They do want easy-to-do science activities they can use for everyday teaching. But they don’t want to be forced to adapt material meant for older children. So here’s the solution. Start Young! offers a wealth of simple educational activities designed to use right away with even the littlest scientists. The book includes a chapter of helpful background on the latest thinking about effective ways to introduce science in early childhood. But the bulk of the book is two dozen articles compiled from Science & Children, NSTA’s award-winning journal for elementary school teachers. Among the topics: • Playful science activities for young children • The science and mathematics of building structures • Planning a Rock Day • What makes miniature sleds go, go, go • Figuring out how big is big and how big is small • Learning about birds, flight, ponds, and the environment • Creating science centers for all students Everyone who works with young children knows how eager they are to see, smell, hear, and touch the world around them. Encourage that natural curiosity while laying a foundation for a lifetime of learning about science. Start Young! is the age-appropriate resource to help you start them off right. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $17.56 Nonmember Price: $21.95 Grade Level: Elementary School

Using Forensics: Wildlife Crime Scene! By: Laura M. Sanders Arndt NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: With Forensics: Wildlife Crime Scene!, your students investigate an actual crime, learn the science behind animal-species identification, and find out about efforts to fight real-world threats against wild animals. The book is...  [view full summary] With Forensics: Wildlife Crime Scene!, your students investigate an actual crime, learn the science behind animal-species identification, and find out about efforts to fight real-world threats against wild animals. The book is designed to be engaging for both you and your student-detectives. It’s also easy to use. The material is divided into four clear sections: 1. Background about crimes that threaten wild animal species around the world. 2. Eight forensic training lessons about antlers and horns, blood typing, DNA fingerprinting, fingerprints, hair identification, pH and pH indicators, mammal skulls, and tracks and trace fossils. 3. An investigation simulation based on a real wildlife crime: the illegal shooting and dismemberment of a bear. Students work in teams to review crime scene reports, conduct interviews of suspects and witnesses, analyze evidence, and bring charges before a “prosecuting attorney.” 4. Teacher strategies for evaluating individual students and student teams. Using Forensics: Wildlife Crime Scene! is an ideal complement to middle and high school courses in biology, environmental science, general science, and criminology. It provides a high-interest, real-life format for learning a variety of scientific concepts and skills that correlate with the Standards. It also gives students reason to genuinely care about preserving the wildlife and ecosystems they’re studying. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.96 Nonmember Price: $29.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Project Earth Science: Geology By: Brent A. Ford NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Now you can literally explain what it's like “between a rock and a hard place!” Use Project Earth Science: Geology to introduce your students to plate tectonics and teach them what causes volcanoes and earthquakes. Lead explorations of these...  [view full summary] Now you can literally explain what it's like “between a rock and a hard place!” Use Project Earth Science: Geology to introduce your students to plate tectonics and teach them what causes volcanoes and earthquakes. Lead explorations of these and other larger-than-the-classroom geological phenomena with the teacher-tested, Standards-based activities. Earth's physical evolution and dynamic processes are carefully explained in language accessible to students and teachers. Supplemental readings provide educators with the background information to answer student questions and concerns. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.16 Nonmember Price: $28.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High 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

The Truth About Science: A Curriculum for Developing Young Scientists By: Kathryn Kelsey and Ashley Steel NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: The truth is: Valid research demands more than beakers and Bunsen burners-- much more. So give kids the lowdown on how real scientists work. This engaging book shows you how to develop students’ creative and critical thinking skills to make qualitative...  [view full summary] The truth is: Valid research demands more than beakers and Bunsen burners-- much more. So give kids the lowdown on how real scientists work. This engaging book shows you how to develop students’ creative and critical thinking skills to make qualitative and quantitative observations, compare testable research questions and hypotheses, design an experiment, collect and analyze data, and present results and conclusions orally and in writing. In addition to handy reproducible pages, the book is packed with special features: an unusually large section on quantitative analysis and data interpretation, plenty of background for teachers inexperienced with statistics and data analysis, and a mix of both formative and summative assessment strategies. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $13.46 Nonmember Price: $14.95 Grade Level: Middle School, Informal Education