Archives
Learning the Ways of the JEDI: Centering Equity in Lesson Design
Small groups leaned in over clear cups filled with pennies soaking in different solutions. A faint smell of vinegar mixed with excited chatter as students noticed the pennies slowly changing color.
Extending Girls’ Leadership in Robotics: Strategies for Sites
Building sustainable, equity-driven STEM opportunities for girls is both an aspiration and an urgent need. The Girls in Robotics Leadership (GIRL/GIRL+) model, developed through the partnership between the Solano County Office of Education and the UC…
The Importance of Celebrating Small Wins
Explore the power of small classroom victories and “aha” moments. Learn how celebrating student discoveries can boost motivation, foster STEM identity, and create lasting impact on learning and growth.
DEEP DIVE: STEM Nonfiction Books to Spark Curiosity and Inquiry
Discover how our “idea factory” workshop at the 2024 CASE conference explored engaging STEM nonfiction children’s books, hands-on activities, and strategies to build NGSS-aligned, cross-curricular lessons.
How I Got my Second Wind
In 2013, my mother handed me an issue of USA Today. In it was an article titled ‘U.S. Students Still Only Average on Tests.’ I had been teaching sixth and seventh grade science for fourteen years at this point, and remember feeling frustrated as I…
Science Without Borders - Collaborating to Connect Students to Africa through a Culturally Responsive 3D5E Lesson Plan
[Originally published on December 12, 2022]
During the Omicron chapter of COVID-19, teachers faced the difficulty of increased absenteeism and decreased motivation. While this situation may hopefully be a thing of the past, student learning is still…
3 Ways to Gamify Your Classroom
Many are dependent on rote learning, which can make it difficult to keep students engaged. Gamification can help! One way gamification enhances learning is by increasing student motivation—after all, who doesn’t like a little competition? Students…
Do Girls Really Belong in STEM?
Our first article in the series explored student voice on DEI through reflections on their pre undergraduate STEM experiences. For this second series current high school STEM student voices are amplified, speaking to the notion of marginalized voices…
Cultural Relevance and Responsiveness within the Science Classroom
Infusing culture into today’s teaching makes a big impact on students. It’s a way to easily draw connections between the curriculum and a student’s everyday life. This connectivity makes interpreting new information easier, quicker, and more…
Strategies for Supporting Students to Engage in Scientific Argumentation
Engaging students in argumentation is one of the scientific practices essential to helping students develop their ability to participate productively in scientific sensemaking. Scientific argumentation involves students in generating and responding…