Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:36 PM
A Simpler Inquiry Model for our Youngest Science Investigators!Who doesn't like a freebee? To introduce their book, "A Head Start on Life Science: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder," the author William Straits shares chapters 1 and 2 in the NSTA Learning Center Library for free to members and non-members alike. You will love the simplified inquiry lesson plan model on page 6. Then in chapter 2, it is written up as a lesson with 'Roly-polies." The 3 part lesson plan model consists of a) Getting Started, b) Investigating, and c) Making Sense. Check it out if you want some great information on creating and using lessons with 3 - 7 year olds. I noticed that the 'Family Activities' were provided in English and Spanish. Check it out under: 'Science for Young Children' by doing a explore all resources search at: https://learningcenter.nsta.org/search/
I have added this to my list of books to buy now!
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Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:17 PM
Connecting Common Core with STEM lessons
I came across this free offering to members and non-members alike in the NSTA Learning Center - Ch 6 of the book, Designing Meaningful STEM Lessons. I found pages 30 and 32 of particular interest - page 30 shows the connections between the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) of the NGSS with the common core Math standards. Page 32 is a Venn Diagram of the commonalities among the science, math and ELA practices. As a result of perusing this book chapter, I am ready to purchase the whole book! It should be a great resource for those of us wanting to create STEM lessons!
Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:32 PM
ELA & Science: A Match Made in Heaven
If you are "biting at the bit" because your principal doesn't see any value in teaching science, this article will help him/her see how you can "kill two birds with one stone". Students conceptualize everyday phenomena and make their thinking visible while practicing English and language arts strategies. The author relies heavily on interactive notebooks where students practice their reading and writing as they engage in critical thinking skills, apply their learning to new situations, and connect prior knowledge to new phenomenal occurrences. The article is an outstanding example of how to document student thinking and understanding, too. When interactive notebooks are used throughout the school year, you have student-generated data at your fingertips to show students' continuing growth in reading, writing, and reasoning skills. What more could a principal ask for?
7 Resources
Looking for ideas to give your students opportunities to collect real data that will help researchers and perhaps awaken a desire to help our planet survive and thrive? Here is a collection of resources from the Learning Center.
Citizen Scientists
Type: Journal Article
Grade:
Citizen Science: Testing the Water: World Watering Challenge
Type: Journal Article
Grade:
17 Resources
Several Learning Center articles provide strategies for helping students learn and understand vocabulary terms important to science concepts/content. Here is a collection highlighting several ideas.
Picture-Perfect-and-Common-Core.pdf
Type: User uploaded resource
Teaching Science to English-as-Second-Language Learners
Type: Journal Article
Grade:
5 Resources
Discover ways to integrate SEPs into elementary science lessons with the articles and other resources in this collection.
Engineering Encounters: Building a Spaghetti Structure
Type: Journal Article
Grade:
Engineering Encounters: An Engineering Design Process for Early Childhood
Type: Journal Article
Grade: