Archives
5 Criteria for Selecting Great Teaching Phenomena
Phenomenon-based learning is a central component of the Next Generation Science Standards, and it’s a great practice: when we use real-world experiences and questions to introduce a science topic, students engage much more deeply.
Empowering Every Student: Supporting All Learners for CAST Success
As science educators, our mission is not just to teach but to inspire, engage, and empower every student to thrive in an ever-evolving world. With the forthcoming inclusion of science as a metric on the “Dashboard”, the California Science Test (CAST)…
Increasing Student Awareness of Coral Reef Conservation with Inquiry and Participatory Education
Imagine traveling with your students to a coral reef to investigate the effects of climate change, then returning equipped with expertise in coral conservation. How can we teach youth to care about this important asset that resides far away from…
Get Excited for the Poolside Engineering Challenge
Where do you want to be on October 20? Working on your engineering education skills of course! Trying to apply Archimedes Principle and your best thinking about structure and function.
Equitable Grading Practices: Empowering K-12 Teachers for Inclusive Assessment
What is a good learner? What evidence would show this? How do you know when students are learning? How do students know when they are learning? Five years ago, at our then principal 's encouragement, my “Physics of the Universe'' professional…
Psychological Safety: A Necessary Condition of Equitable & Inclusive Science Classrooms
Even before I became the co-chair of the CASE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, I’ve been digging into aspects of equity, identity, and belonging in the science classroom. At some point in my journey, I stumbled upon the idea of…
Phenomenal Science Notebooks
[Originally published on March 15, 2023]
It was a packed house at the CASE conference for my two sessions! Over 250 teachers came to learn about phenomenal science notebooks. The first session focused on sketchnoting in science. Taking lecture notes…
Coherent and Student Centered Science Assessment Systems
When someone tells you to think about assessment, what pops into your head? After spending the last year talking about NGSS assessment with thoughtful science educators from across California, I think of this depiction of a Coherent Assessment System…
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect communities, California is confronting historic drought and wildfires. In these deeply challenging times, a public health crisis and the risks of unchecked climate change underscore the critical importance…
Does your LCAP support science for All students?
Does your district support science for all students? Meaning, do you have a curriculum aligned with NGSS? Have you and your fellow teachers had enough professional learning to use the curriculum the way it is intended?