Archives
The Leaf Detective: A CASE Book Report
As an educator, I am forever looking for the perfect attention-grabbing hook for my lesson. How do I enthrall my students, encourage them to ask questions, and evoke curiosity? The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the…
Hurricanes!
Hurricanes just keep coming! This is hurricane season, so hurricanes will be in the news for the next couple months. Kids in California have likely never experienced a hurricane, but they all have stories to tell about big storms they’ve experienced…
Science Fair Family Academy
Getting middle school students to participate in the annual science fair has always been challenging. And the fact that it’s a virtual science fair meant that we knew we had to do something new to support our students. Our plan: a Science Fair Family…
Calling all K-8 teachers of science!
WestEd is conducting cutting edge new research on the impact of the COVID-19 school closures. They need teachers to share their experiences with teaching science through distance learning.
Making Choices and Making Messes: What student agency looks like in science classrooms
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) encourage students to not just “know about science,” but to actively engage in “doing science.” Rather than carrying out pre-designed investigations, students should have “epistemic agency,” or ownership…
Introducing Middle School Students to the Crosscutting Concepts
The crosscutting concepts are one of the three pillars upon which the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are built. The other two are the Science and Engineering Practices and the Disciplinary Core Ideas.