Science Objects
Ready When You Are — for Free!
You're teaching a subject for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. You need a content refresher now. Where can you find help that's engaging, high-quality, easy to access—and affordable, too?
From NSTA's latest ready resource: Science Objects! Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help you better understand the science content you teach.
Science Objects are free to NSTA members!
The FAQs on Science Objects
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What are Science Objects? Free learning experiences available online anytime, anywhere. They’re specifically designed to help teachers understand a prescribed set of ideas based on the science literacy goals in the Standards.
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What do Science Objects cover? Each one focuses on a key content idea—such as Newton’s First Law or Mendel’s Principles of Heredity. Right now there are 33 content ideas with more on the way.
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How will Science Objects help me learn? Interactive simulations get you engaged; embedded questions make sure you understand and remember. The style and tone are lively—even entertaining.
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How will Science Objects help me teach? They challenge you to explore and explain real-world phenomena, and offer student misconceptions to watch out for and practical ideas for addressing them.
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How much time will it take me to work through a Science Object? Just one to two hours, at your convenience. You can start and stop at any point.
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What do Science Objects cost? Best of all, they’re free, thanks so support from sponsors including NASA, NOAA, the FDA, the National Highway Safety and Transportation Administration, the Hewlett Foundation, and the GE Foundation. All teachers of science have open access to these valuable new
resources.
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SciPacks
You Deserve the Credit!
SciPacks are 10 hour online learning experiences that you can use to help you better understand the content you teach. SciPacks are aligned with the national science education standards. Each SciPack contains:
- Up to five self-paced interactive online learning experiences called Science Objects that use an inquiry-based approach with engaging simulations and embedded questions.
- An email content Mentor to address your individual questions; these knowledgeable content experts respond via email within 48 hours.
- A pedagogical component to assist you in translating the content for your classroom.
- The opportunity to pass a final assessment and print a certificate from NSTA demonstrating your understanding of the content addressed within the SciPack. The certificate can be found in the "My Certificates" page.
Teachers are encouraged to seek approval in advance from their district for continuing education credits that may be ascribed for passing the final assessment. NSTA is establishing relationships with the department of education in states across the U.S. to formalize the recertification value for completing a SciPack, or series of SciPacks.
The FAQs on SciPacks
- What do SciPacks cover? Each SciPack focuses on a set of key content ideas—such as Force and Motion or Plate Tectonics. There are 25 SciPacks available today.
- How will SciPacks help me learn? In the Science Objects you will find Interactive simulations to get you engaged and embedded questions to make sure you understand and remember the content. The style and tone are lively—even entertaining.
- How will SciPacks help me teach? SciPacks challenge you to explore and explain real-world phenomena, and offer student misconceptions to watch out for and practical ideas for addressing them.
- How much time will it take me to work through a SciPack? You will spend up to ten hours, at your convenience. You can start and stop at any point.
- Once I successfully complete a SciPack, where do I find the certficate? The certificate can be found in the "My Certificates" page.
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SciGuides
Sites, Solutions, Success
SciGuides are valuable classroom resources for science teachers interested in integrating the web into their teaching. Each guide consists of:
- customized lesson plans using selected web resources and science simulations
- teacher media vignettes and sample of students’ work describing the lessons
- approximately 100 standards-aligned web-accessible resources
Recently a third party evaluator administered an online survey gathering feedback from existing SciGuide users. The majority of those surveyed said that:
- SciGuides are easy to navigate, well organized, and present up-to-date information.
- SciGuides resources are more valuable than those available through basic Internet searches.
- SciGuides aided them in the instructional planning process and were accessed for the express purpose of helping them improve their science instruction.
Because the resources are vetted by master educators and content experts, teachers can use these resources with confidence and save valuable time usually wasted on reviewing inappropriate sites.
Specialists use eight rubrics to evaluate each web resource. These rubrics were created to evaluate a specific educational component with respect to the web content selected for a SciGuide. Those rubrics are:
- Authority
- Design
- Interactivity
- Communication/Collaboration
- Scientific Inquiry
- How Scientist Work/Nature of Scientific Inquiry
- Quality of Writing
- Resource Integration
Within each SciGuide, the web resources are assembled in a thematic structure with custom-developed lesson plans, reflective teacher-generated vignettes, and authentic samples of student work that demonstrate how the resources may be effectively utilized in the classroom. SciGuides save teachers valuable time by presenting a targeted list of grade-appropriate, standards-aligned web-based content for use in their classroom.
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Web Seminar Archives
NSTA Web Seminars are 90-minute, live professional development experiences that use online learning technologies to allow participants to interact with nationally acclaimed experts, NSTA Press authors, and scientists, engineers, and education specialists from NSTA partner organizations.
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NSTA Virtual Conferences
NSTA virtual conferences consist of a series of live web sessions delivered via Blackboard Collaborate, interactive distance-learning tool. Each conference features content and/or pedagogy from experts in a particular topic. General and breakout sessions are followed by chat discussions among participants and presenters. An asynchronous forum is available for those who desire to participate in “deeper” discussions throughout the day and after the conference.
View recent and upcoming NSTA Virtual Conferences
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NSTA Journal Articles
NSTA's award-winning, peer-reviewed journals are geared to the specific needs of science teachers at every level. You can read about the latest teaching strategies or find a new activity to use in your classroom tomorrow. Choose from:
- Science & Children, for the elementary level
- Science Scope, for the middle and junior high level
- The Science Teacher, for the secondary level
- The Journal of College Science Teaching, for the college level
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NSTA Collections
Collections of resources created by NSTA. They include both NSTA resources and user created content organized around a central topic.
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