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curriculum and resources

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At the heart of our work is the idea that all youth-regardless of gender, sexual orientation, geography, race, native language, ability, or socio-economic status-should be given the opportunities to learn about the socio-scientific issues that challenge us.

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Stellar simulations, teacher guides, and other activities and high-quality video content.

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The official website for NOVA. NOVA is the most-watched prime time science series on American television, reaching an average of five million viewers weekly.

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amazing collection of multimedia resources teaches kids about animals, habitats, countries, and cultures.

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powerful science units capitalize on elementary school students' natural curiosity.

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Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

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Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you. Less prep, more learning.

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Powerful images and videos capture kids' attention and make them want to learn more

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JASON Learning secures a grant from The Ball Foundation to expand innovative STEM programs focused...

JASON Learning secures a grant from The Ball Foundation to expand innovative STEM programs focused...

JASON Learning secures a grant from The Ball Foundation to expand innovative STEM programs focused...

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JASON Learning: Real-world STEM Curriculum available for all classrooms

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The JASON Learning online library provides real-world STEM curriculum to educate the classrooms of tomorrow - from anywhere!

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Science resource Powerful images and videos capture kids' attention and make them want to learn more.

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The Mission of ARKive

ARKive was a unique global initiative with the mission of

"promoting the conservation of the world's threatened species, through the power of wildlife imagery".

It served as a centralized digital archive for films, photographs, and audio recordings of the world's species. The primary goal of ARKive was to complete audio-visual profiles for the approximately 17,000 species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. By gathering and organizing these valuable resources, ARKive aimed to raise awareness and promote conservation efforts for these endangered species.

Creation and Launch

ARKive was an initiative of Wildscreen, a UK-registered educational charity, and was technically created by Hewlett-Packard as part of the HP Labs' Digital Media Systems research program. The project was officially launched on May 20, 2003. ARKive received backing from leading conservation organizations, including BirdLife International, Conservation International, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations' World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It also had the support of leading academic and research institutions, such as the Natural History Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the Smithsonian Institution. ARKive had a significant global reach, with over half a million people every month from over 200 countries using the platform to learn about and discover the wonders of the natural world. It became the world's biggest encyclopedia of life on Earth, featuring multi-media fact-files for more than 16,000 endangered species.

Closure of ARKive

Despite its success and impact, ARKive was closed on February 15, 2019, due to funding issues. The website was replaced with a short statement, and the complete collection of over 100,000 images and videos is now being stored securely offline for future generations. The legacy of ARKive continues to live on, even after its closure. The vast collection of wildlife imagery serves as a valuable resource for future generations, and the project's mission continues to inspire and inform conservation efforts worldwide. ARKive's content was rich and diverse, featuring multimedia fact-files for more than 16,000 endangered species. These fact-files were freely accessible to everyone, providing a comprehensive look at the world's threatened biodiversity. The content included high-quality photographs, videos, and audio recordings, offering an immersive experience for users.

Contributors to ARKive

Over 7,000 of the world's best wildlife filmmakers, photographers, conservationists, and scientists contributed to ARKive. Their collective efforts resulted in a vast and unparalleled archive of wildlife imagery. These contributors played a crucial role in bringing the wonders of the natural world to the fingertips of people around the globe.

Challenges

Despite its success, ARKive faced significant challenges. The primary issue was funding. Wildscreen was unable to raise sufficient funds to support the year-round costs of keeping ARKive online. As a result, the charity had to use its reserves to keep the project online, and it was unable to fund any dedicated staff to maintain ARKive, let alone future-proof it, for over half a decade.

End of ARKive

Despite appeals for support, just 85 of ARKive's 5.6 million users in 2018 made a donation. As a small conservation charity, Wildscreen eventually reached the point where it could no longer financially sustain the ongoing costs of keeping ARKive free and online or invest in its much-needed development. Therefore, a very hard decision was made to take the ARKive website offline in February 2019. The complete ARKive collection of over 100,000 images and videos is now being stored securely offline in perpetuity for future generations. While the website is no longer accessible, the valuable resources it gathered continue to exist and can potentially be used in future conservation efforts. The story of ARKive serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving our natural world and the challenges that conservation initiatives face.

Educational Role

Beyond its conservation mission, ARKive also played a significant educational role. It provided a wealth of free and engaging, curriculum-linked educational resources. These resources were used by teachers and students alike to learn about the world's biodiversity, fostering a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world in the younger generation. ARKive's legacy is a testament to the power of collective effort in the face of global environmental challenges. It stands as a beacon of what can be achieved when scientists, conservationists, photographers, filmmakers, and the public come together with a shared vision. Despite its closure, the spirit of ARKive lives on in every individual it inspired and every conversation it sparked about the importance of biodiversity and conservation.

The Lasting Impact of ARKive

In conclusion, ARKive was more than just a digital archive; it was a global initiative that brought the plight of endangered species to the forefront of public consciousness. Its closure marked the end of an era, but its impact continues to resonate. The story of ARKive is a poignant reminder of our responsibility to the natural world and the urgency of conservation efforts. As we move forward, let us carry the lessons learned from ARKive and continue to strive for a world where biodiversity is valued and protected.

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The world's largest encyclopaedia of life on Earth "Arkive". Over 16,000 endangered species with multi-media fact-files, now stored offline for future generations. Stay tuned for the news in 2023.

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Helpful science resources

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great videos and useful science resources

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Daily discoveries, groundbreaking research and fascinating science breakthroughs that impact you and the wider world, reported by our expert journalists.

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Helping Students make sense of the world pdf

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Helping Students make sense of the world pdf

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guide for science and engineering practices for teachers

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Reframing Inclusive Science Instruction to Support Teachers in Promoting Equitable Three Dimensional Science Classrooms

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Reframing Inclusive Science Instruction to Support Teachers in Promoting Equitable Three Dimensional Science Classrooms

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inclusive science instruction by examining the literature in science and multicultural education and describe five elements to support teachers in realizing inclusive science instruction as a pedagogical shift

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research on how to help first year science teachers

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Supporting Beginning Teacher Planning of Investigation-Based Science Discussions: Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol 29, No 8

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New reforms in science education emphasize facilitating all students' sense making of the big ideas and crosscutting concepts in science along with engagement in science practices. Supporting this learning requires complex, ambitious teaching that is uncommon in U.S. classrooms. Thus, novice teachers will need considerable support in learning how to plan and enact ambitious science instruction.

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Tips for teaching science

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Teaching Science to Elementary Students | Tips & Strategy

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Get tips on making science fun for kids (ages 8-12). These 9 quick ideas will help your student succeed in elementary science, and prepare for the future.

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Instructional resources for classroom

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PBS Teacher Blogs that Inspire, Educate, and Transform | PBS Education

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Your source for teaching inspiration, blogs, events, resources, and fresh ideas.

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helpful guide on how to use phenomena to teach students about science

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A database for identifying and selecting science phenomena

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Access Google Sites with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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useful website to find phenomena to help teach students

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This site is a curated collection of science phenomena for the NGSS, along with phenomenon based learning resources and help for how to use phenomenon to drive student questions in the classroom centered around 3 dimensional teaching and learning.

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A useful textbook for fifth grade science

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A place to find ideas for lessons and phenomenon

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Engage with National Geographic Explorers and transform learning experiences through live events, free maps, videos, interactives, and other resources.

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Natural Science Digital Library- help resources for science learning

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Search through collections curated by our digital librarians

Collections

Browse an alphabetical list of all participating providers

Providers

Search our extensive library and find exactly what you need

Advanced Search

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Search through collections curated by our digital librarians Collections Browse an alphabetical list of all participating providers Providers Search our extensive library and find exactly what you need Advanced Search

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This is a good student investigation on how a ecosystem works.

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You can create an ecosystem in a bottle by using a handful of materials you have in your own home and garden! With a closeable jar or bottle, some rocks or stones, soil, moss and a bit of water, you can create your own miniature biome and watch how the water circulates through the system.

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provide professional workspace, classes, curriculum resources, field trip opportunity.

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Educator Resource Center | Museum of Science, Boston

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The Museum's Educator Resource Center features over 18,000 volumes available to teachers, covering a wide range of science and technology related subjects.

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Teacher Resource center: lesson ideas and field trip opportunity

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Teacher Resource Center

Helping Teachers Is Our Top Priority

Since 1987, we have offered a meeting place, free consultation appointments, research assistance, and access to one of the largest curriculum collections in the region and a 6,000-item collection of loan materials.

Our audience includes teachers for grades pre-K to 12 and out-of-school instructors such as camp counselors. Most of our visitors are from New England, but they also come from around the world. You can also sign up for the latest news and updates from the TRC, including information about opportunities for professional development and project funding.

For more information, please contact us at trc@neaq.org or 617-973-6590.

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Teacher Resource Center - New England Aquarium

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Teacher Resource Center Since 1987, we have offered a meeting place, free consultation appointments, research assistance, and access to one of the largest curriculum collections in the region and a 6,000-item collection of loan materials. Our audience includes teachers for grades pre-K to 12 and out-of-school instructors such as camp counselors.

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important standard to follow in your science classroom

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.3
Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.5
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.6
Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7
Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.9
Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.10
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

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English Language Arts Standards " Science & Technical Subjects " Grade 6-8

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

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Curriculum resources like articles, activates and lesson ideas.

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Collections of activities, articles, videos and more, for educators, families, students and anyone interested in teaching or learning about science.

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Having the science classroom be outdoors is important part of a students learning because they can investigate on their own and learn from the environment around them.

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Notebook prompts help second-grade students notice and reflect on change across the curriculum

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tips for teachers, videos, and activities to with students

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This website has useful sources and lesson plan actives

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A Framework for K-12 Science Education , the Next Generation Science Standards promote a three-dimensional approach to classroom instruction that is student-centered and progresses coherently from grades K-12.

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Founded on the groundbreaking report A Framework for K-12 Science Education, the Next Generation Science Standards promote a three-dimensional approach to classroom instruction that is student-centered and progresses coherently from grades K-12.

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helping students develop a scientific argument

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Strategies for working with ELL students

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(exerpt from chapter 24)

In 2003, 42 percent of American public school students were of racial or ethnic minorities, up 22 percent from 30 years before. Most of this increase in diversity was due to immigration from Latin America and Asia, and with this increase in ethnic diversity came a corresponding increase in linguistic diversity. For example, in 2002, nearly 42% of students in Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest district in the country, were classified as English language learners.
The Institute of Education Sciences of the United States Department of Education defines English language learners (ELL) as: "Individuals who (1) were not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English; or (2) come from environments where a language other than English is dominant; or (3) are American Indians and Alaskan Natives and who come from environments where a language other than English has had a significant impact on their level of English proficiency; and who, by reason thereof, have sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language, to deny such individuals the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English or to participate fully in our society." Today's science teachers must be prepared to teach students whose first language is not English. In this section we reference ELL strategies and activities that are found throughout this book.

The science classroom is often a frustrating place for English language learners. Science has a complex vocabulary that is difficult even for native English speakers to learn. Difficulty learning English should not be confused with an inability to think scientifically. Many of the strategies that are useful for English language learners are effective for differentiating instruction for other students as well. Use a variety of methods to see which work best with your teaching style and students.

24.7.1 - ELL: Listening

Speak slowly, distinctly, and write down key terms - Anyone who has learned a foreign language in class, then traveled to a country where the language is spoken, has noticed that it is difficult to understand natives because they seem to "talk too fast". What seems normal speed to a native speaker is extremely fast to a language learner or to a student with a hearing impairment. The addition of the complex terms and concepts of science can make learning even more difficult. Write down key terms so students can see them and connect them to the spoken word.

Closed Captioning - Most science videos are equipped with closed captioning. Turn on the closed captioning so students can see what narrators and actors are saying (16.5.4). This helps English language learners correlate written and spoken English, and helps them see spelling and sentence construction. Closed captioning is also invaluable for the hearing impaired.

24.7.2 - ELL: Visualization

Emphasize visual literacy - It is often said that math and music are universal languages -ones that can be read regardless of one's primary language. Although these claims are debatable, it is clear that an English-speaking student can read and understand an equation in a Swahili textbook, and a Greek musician can play a score drafted by a Japanese composer. Regardless of linguistic background, people around the world can interpret mathematical equations and musical scores. In addition, they can also interpret pictures, and with minimal linguistic skills, can interpret charts and graphs. Visual literacy, or the ability to evaluate, apply, or create conceptual visual representation, is relatively independent of language, and is therefore invaluable to learning science and English simultaneously. Vector diagrams (16.1), scientific diagrams (16.2), pictorial riddles (16.3), photographic analysis (16.4), movie analysis (16.5), and map development and analysis (21.1-21.7), are a few of the many activities that can be used to build visual literacy.

Graphic Organizers - Graphic organizers are a means of introducing and assessing concepts in a manner that encourages meaningful learning. Graphic organizers are diagrams or maps that show the relationship between new and existing concepts, thereby facilitating integration of new and familiar ideas. They require minimal language and are therefore helpful tools when teaching science to English language learners. Conceptual grids (9.1), Venn diagrams (9.2), flow charts (9.3), mind maps (9.4), and concept maps (9.5) are some of the more common graphic organizers.

Use charts, graphs and figures - Scatter and line graphs (20.4), column and bar charts (20.5), pie and area graphs (20.5), and high-low, combination and log plots (20.7) can communicate concepts with minimal use of spoken or written language. The layout of such visual aids should be clear and uncluttered.

Manual video control - Science videos often introduce a variety of new terms and concepts, most of which even native speakers never remember. Pause the video to discuss key concepts. Use the bookmark and video clip features to return to precise sequences for review (16.5.4). Use the step-frame, slow motion, and replay features to focus student attention on key concepts.

24.7.3 - ELL: Interpersonal strategies

Group projects & cooperative learning - Many of the activities in this book employ group work and cooperative learning. Such activities provide opportunities for students to exchange, write, and present ideas. Projects use a variety of skills that work together to increase understanding and retention.

Partner English learners with strong English speakers - The best way to learn something is to teach it. Partnering English learners with strong English speakers benefits both. It may be particularly beneficial to pair English learners with bilingual students who can translate laboratory and activity procedures. Develop your seating chart so English language learners are sitting near the front of class and adjacent to bilingual students who can assist them.

Think/Pair/Share - Students learn to speak English by speaking English, but it is often counterproductive to ask English language learners to read passages or give descriptions to the entire class. Students are often embarrassed by their minimal science knowledge and English skills, and public exposure may make them more uncomfortable and reserved. By contrast, English language learners are often eager to share their ideas in their new language with their peers. The think/pair/share strategy gives all students the opportunity to practice English by explaining science concepts. Provide students with time to write a response to a thought provoking question, then additional time to discuss it with their neighbor before sharing their conclusion with the class. The think/pair/share technique increases student participation and involvement, and is a particularly effective way of encouraging English language learners to express science concepts in English.

Encourage participation- Many English learners come from countries in which student participation is not encouraged. They may be reluctant to speak, not only because of their lack of proficiency in English, but also because of they are uncomfortable in an environment where they are asked to share their ideas. A positive and supportive environment has a significant influence on student comfort level, participation, and success. Requiring English language learners to speak in front of class may be counter-productive and cause great anxiety. Encourage them to express themselves, but don't force them onto the stage prematurely.

24.7.4 - ELL: Structure

Consistent routines - English learners are freer to concentrate on new concepts if they are familiar with classroom routines.

Road map to science - English language learners benefit greatly from a "road map" that shows where they are in the science curriculum. Use organizational structures when teaching earth and space science (8.2), biology (8.3), chemistry (8.4), or physics (8.5) to English language learners.

Outlines - Provide students with a copy of your lecture/discussion outline. This will help ELL students know where you are, and where you are going with your lesson.

Relate to prior knowledge - Make use of student background knowledge of science concepts. Discover what your students already know about a given topic and build upon this knowledge.

24.7.5 - ELL: Laboratory

Hand-on activities - Kinesthetic learning events provide an excellent learning environment for English language learners. Hands-On Chemistry Activities with Real-Life Applications, and Hands-On Physics Activities with Real-Life Applications by Norman Herr and James Cunningham provide numerous hands-on activities of benefit for English language learners.

24.7.6 - ELL: Demonstrations

Clear, procedural steps - The science laboratory can be a confusing and potentially dangerous setting for English language learners. Present procedures clearly using flow charts, pictures, and outlines.

Model laboratory activities - Demonstrate activities in front of class to ensure that English language learners can see the procedures before engaging in an activity.

Pictorial guide - Provide a visual reference to glassware and other materials used in experiments and activities. Review safety symbols and post them in the room and in the lab handout.

24.7.7 - ELL: Reading and Writing

Journaling - Students become better writers by writing. Require English language learners to keep science journals (3.2.1) in which they write lecture notes, new terms, and responses to prompts.

Science reading comprehension activities - Cloze (2.1) and jigsaw (2.2) are two techniques for developing and assessing reading comprehension, and can be used when making formative assessments of language and science learning.

24.7. 8 - ELL: Instruction

Wait time - Teachers are often uncomfortable with silence and either call on the first student to raise their hand, or answer questions themselves, thereby short-circuiting the thought processes of most students, particularly English language learners who are trying to translate terms while formulating an explanation. Let students know that you expect all to be mentally engaged, and for this reason you provide wait-time sufficient for the majority to develop an answer before calling on any individual.

Analogies - Use analogies to relate new concepts to previously learned concepts (10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5).

24.7.9 - ELL: Vocabulary

Language-based science games - Reinforce vocabulary with Science Bingo (13.3), and concepts with Science Pictionary (13.4). These games require minimal spoken language and provide an excellent review of science vocabulary.

Picture glossary - One of the best ways to learn the vocabulary of a new language is with pictorial flash cards. A picture of the concept is on one side while the term (in the language to be learned) is on the reverse. The student learns to correlate concepts directly with words, eliminating the need for translation.

Common lexicon - People construct understanding by integrating new ideas with pre-existing knowledge. Ask students what they already know, then develop a common classroom vocabulary that can be used to develop new understandings.

Root words - A knowledge of Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, and roots can greatly enhance student understanding of scientific terms and facilitate a better understanding of English and other European languages. Approximately 50% of all words in English have Latin roots, many of which are shared with Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian. Learning scientific root words thereby helps one understand the vocabulary of a variety of languages, particularly English (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4).

Cognates - Many science terms are used internationally. Identify such terms (2.3, 2.4) and ask your students to notify you whenever they recognize a new term that is pronounced or written similarly in their first language. This helps build your knowledge of cognates (words that are similar in two or more languages) so you can help future learners master science vocabulary.

Mathematics translation - English language learners find word problems much more challenging than symbolic math problems. The English language is exceedingly complex, with numerous nuances that must be learned. Students need to be able to translate common words to math symbols (14.1), natural language to algebraic expressions (14.2), and algebraic expressions to natural language (14.3). The activities in this book help students develop such skills.

Word wall - Post new vocabulary terms on the wall in an organized, grouped manner. For example, you may wish to post new biology terms in columns according to the level of organization (cell, tissue, organ, etc.) (8.3).

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Strategies for English Language Learners

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(exerpt from chapter 24) In 2003, 42 percent of American public school students were of racial or ethnic minorities, up 22 percent from 30 years before. Most of this increase in diversity was due to immigration from Latin America and Asia, and with this increase in ethnic diversity came a corresponding increase in linguistic diversity.

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This is an important check list for describing what make up a scientific diagram

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useful website for resources for lessons

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This page is for displaying the resources of a particular module (derived from the module folio), filtering it and organizing it based on user role and entitlement. This is an all-purpose page in that it works across all roles and entitlement levels.

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techniques and skills to build a successful learning community

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Practice Brief 54 -- Topics: Equity Culture Instruction Implementation

How to build an equitable learning community in your science classroom

Teachers can use these activities to improve equitable opportunities for students.

District Staff & PD Providers can use these activities and resources, with their embedded reflection questions, in professional learning contexts and with their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to model equitable classroom practices.

School Leaders can encourage the use of these strategies by educators as well as look for this type of activity during classroom walkthroughs.

What Is The Issue?

Equitable classroom communities foster trusting and caring relationships. They make cultural norms explicit in order to reduce the risk of social injuries associated with learning together. Teachers are responsible for disrupting problematic practices and developing science classroom communities that welcome all students into safe, extended science learning opportunities. However, this is tricky work. This tool describes a range of classroom activities designed to cultivate communities that open up opportunities for all students to learn.

Authors:

DEB MORRISON & PHILIP BELL | MAY 2018

Reflection Questions

What strategies can you use to determine if your classroom community is equitable?

What equity project are you planning to engage in? Develop a plan to increase your professional learning in this area.

Things to Consider

Science learning is a cultural practice-based on community norms, beliefs, and values. All students and teachers come into science learning settings with cultural differences from their prior experiences. Individuals who have existing cultural practices closest to those reflected in the learning space are more likely to feel confident and ready to learn than individuals whose practices are more different from classroom norms.

Community building prepares all students for the deep sensemaking discourse experiences required by the vision of new science standards. In this approach, classrooms collectively explore and make sense of phenomena -which requires that all students feel comfortable contributing and that differences in how they contribute are respected.

Attending to Equity

Science teachers may hesitate to spend time on community building-as they see it to be outside their role or taking up valuable instruction time. But the learning gains that come from establishing an equitable community more than compensate for the time spent doing so.

Engage in critical reflection for teacher learning on issues of equity individually, with colleagues, and in your PLC.

Getting to know your students through community building helps you understand how to best support their learning. Some students may have resistance to schooling, to teachers as authority figures, or to other students. These social interactions are a real part of the classroom, have social and historical roots, and impact students' abilities to learn. Intentional community building can help identify these tensions in ways that provide teachers with information to inform equitable instruction for all.

Community building activities can teach how the enterprise of science works (e.g., by highlighting scientific uncertainty).

Recommended Actions You Can Take
Community Formation Activities:

Get to know your students' diverse experiences with schooling and science through intentional classroom activities. Start with The Story of a Name, The Shoe Game - Equity versus Equality, and Pictures of Our Lives. They help bridge school, community, and family cultural histories.

Bridge learning between school and students' everyday lives through Science Journal Take Home Quests, Self-Documentation, or by having students interview community members about science topics.

Explore perceptions students have about science, scientists, and their own capability to develop science identities. The activity Scientists & Science Identities extends a common science classroom activity with pattern analysis, critical reflection, and an examination of alternative perceptions of science involvement.

Sustaining Equitable Communities:

Disrupt adverse stereotypes, storylines, and practices. These may be about disciplining behavior based on suspicion, resistance, or criminalization. They may be about STEM- and/or intelligence-related views tied to race, ethnicity, gender, class, ability, immigration history, gender identity, sexual identity, or some other dimension of difference.

Engage in effective classroom talk to support student communication, build explicit norms for participation, and provide resources for science talk practices. Improving science talk creates opportunities for all students to engage in science learning (see talk formats, talk scaffolds).

Engage in ongoing instructional feedback to expand your understanding of your learners through exit tickets, surveys, or focus groups that elicit information about students' learning experiences.

ALSO SEE STEM TEACHING TOOLS

STEM Teaching Tools content copyright 2014-19 UW Institute for Science + Math Education. All rights reserved.
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Research + Practice Collaboratory (Award #1238253). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

Work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Others may adapt with attribution. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

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How to build an equitable learning community in your science classroom : StemTeachingTools (en-US)

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Practice Brief 54 -- Topics: Equity Culture Instruction Implementation Teachers can use these activities to improve equitable opportunities for students. District Staff & PD Providers can use these activities and resources, with their embedded reflection questions, in professional learning contexts and with their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to model equitable classroom practices.

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The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes authoritative reports issued by The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

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This video is helpful because it shows different ways of scientific method. It shows how science is formal, informal, and the different methods to develop theories.

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Science in Action: How Science Works | California Academy of Sciences

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Books and resources

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explains scientific method

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Read "Ready, Set, SCIENCE!: Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms" at NAP.edu

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Read chapter 1 A New Vision of Science in Education: What types of instructional experiences help K-8 students learn science with understanding? What do s...

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How Students learn: Science in the Classroom

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How Students learn: Science in the Classroom

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Best approaches to implement and explain science

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Contributors

Description

How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom builds on the discoveries detailed in the best-selling How People Learn. Now these findings are presented in a way that teachers can use immediately, to revitalize their work in the classroom for even greater effectiveness.

Organized for utility, the book explores how the principles of learning can be applied in science at three levels: elementary, middle, and high school. Leading educators explain in detail how they developed successful curricula and teaching approaches, presenting strategies that serve as models for curriculum development and classroom instruction. Their recounting of personal teaching experiences lends strength and warmth to this volume.

This book discusses how to build straightforward science experiments into true understanding of scientific principles. It also features illustrated suggestions for classroom activities.

Topics

Suggested Citation

National Research Council. 2005. How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11102.

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Publication Info

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Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

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How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom

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How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom builds on the discoveries detailed in the best-selling How People Learn. Now these findings are presented in a way that teachers can use immediately, to revitalize their work in the classroom for even greater effectiveness.

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Important guidelines when teaching science in the classroom