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.
My Experiences as an Eclipse Ambassador
The Solar Eclipse on April 8th was visible in parts of Mexico, United States & Eastern Canada. I wanted to share the eclipse with the students and families of my community.
A Multicultural and Multi-Sensory Eclipse Experience
I wanted to organize an eclipse event for students and families to experience the April 8 eclipse. Unlike other places where astronomers and astronomy sets were accessible to the public, I had to organize the eclipse event and presentation by…
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…
Keeping You Informed: Assembly Bill 2640 (Dissection)
In the March Edition of California Classroom Science, CASE published seven articles giving different perspectives on the topic of dissection. There was also a survey in which we asked readers to share their perspectives. Most respondents to the…
Exploring Perspectives on Classroom Dissection: Insights from CASE, PETA, and Beyond
A few years back the California Science Teachers Association (CSTA then CASE now) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found themselves on opposite sides of a dissection debate in Sacramento. PETA was supporting a bill to ban…
Why Animal-Free Anatomy Lessons are the Future of Education
Science is always evolving, so why are some of the methods we use to teach it—like dissecting dead animals—stuck in the past? We can better prepare students for the future by leaving behind old ways in favor of innovative and exciting new approaches…
Evaluating Alternatives to Dissection with the SynFrog
At the 2023 California Science Education Conference in Palm Springs, the Keynote Speaker was the inspiring Dr. Tyrone Hayes, who introduced himself as “a boy who loved frogs.” I asked him after the keynote, how he felt about frog dissection, and he…
Invaluable Learning Experiences: Thoughtful Design and Implementation of Dissections
When people recall their science experiences in school, those with strong memories often describe times when they were actively engaging with content, having hands-on exploration, and participating in the process of science. Many describe conducting…