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HIGHLY SUGGEST!
Note #1: Limited to middle school (6th - 8th grade) level.
OpenSciEd has done a wonderful job with creating unit lessons aligned to NGSS with student and teacher resources. Even though they are focused on 6-8th grade, the approach is laid out in detail including when to incorporate models, when to revise them based on new information, and how to connect phenomenon to content.
P.S. I attended an NSTA workshop that demonstrated how to implement NGSS lessons in a class by using an OpenSciEd unit. I still use this resource as a guide for planning my own lessons.

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Best Science Website for Teachers - OpenSciEd Classroom Materials

Best Science Website for Teachers - OpenSciEd Classroom Materials
Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

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Best Science Website for Teachers - OpenSciEd Classroom Materials

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Best Science Website for Teachers - OpenSciEd Classroom Materials Best Science Website for Teachers - OpenSciEd Classroom Materials Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

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Note: Some resources may be member only access.
Classroom resources for chemistry topics that are searchable by topic, subtopic, and type of resource. Under the Multimedia header, there are simulations, animations, videos, and series. Many of the animations and videos did not have sound which allows for students to add their own commentary.

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Classroom Resources | High School | AACT

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AACT is a professional community by and for K-12 teachers of chemistry

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California Academy of Sciences Teacher Resources

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California Academy of Sciences Teacher Resources

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Science resources - environmental (and biology) focused. There are unit and lesson plans available for teachers to access. In addition, there are implementation strategies for teaching techniques like brainstormings, making comparisons, and constructing explanations.

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It seems JavaScript is either disabled or not supported by your browser. To view this site, enable JavaScript by changing your browser options and try again.

Jump to main content

Welcome back!

The Academy is now open to the public. All guests, including members, must reserve timed-entry tickets in advance.

We've implemented some new health and safety measures for your protection:

Masks must be worn by all guests ages 3+.

Physical distancing is required at all times.

Some exhibits, including the planetarium, remain temporarily closed.

Click the link below to view complete safety information and reserve tickets. We hope to see you soon!

Ready, Set, Science!

Give science some staying power.

While the Academy is thrilled to reopen, the impact of our 7-month closure will be felt for years to come. You can help us inspire new audiences, protect threatened ecosystems, and bring science to students around the world by making a tax-deductible gift today.

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We welcome all educators, near and far. Looking for teaching resources? Hope to bring your class on a field trip? You've come to the right place.

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NGSS-aligned phenomenon database that can be searched by DCI, grade level, and resource type. Some only include the phenomenon; however, others include suggestions for classroom use. This is not a simply lesson planning site, but there are some great ideas for phenomenon.

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Welcome to the SDCOE Science Resource Center

The San Diego County Office of Education Science Resource Center has been developed to guide educators as they implement the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). This website contains information about the three dimensions of the standards, searchable versions of the CA NGSS Performance Expectations, descriptions of the various K-12 course models for CA NGSS, a framework for planning and monitoring quality science programs, and other tools to support professional learning in science.

Provide Feedback on CA NGSS in Spanish

The documents below are draft versions of the CA NGSS in Spanish and may contain errors in spelling, grammer, and/or phrasing. They are provided to gather public feedback. Please complete the CA NGSS in Spanish Feedback Form to help make this resource as accurate as possible.

To aid in the review and feedback process, the performance expectations documents are organized by Disciplinary Core Idea. They are not in final form or organization.

Classroom Posters for the SEPs and CCCs Available
Use the Science Icon Posters order form to purchase a set of these posters for your classroom or school.

Updates and revisions to the SDCOE Resource Center have been funded partially through the Standards Implementation Project and made possible by a collaboration between CCSESA, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

contact us

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Home - San Diego County Office of Education

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Home - SDCOE serves our county's most vulnerable students and supports school leaders, teachers, and students across the county.

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Resource for creating cohesive storylines to better design NGSS-aligned lessons. Teacher tips for planning storylines and authentically implementing NGSS lessons in your classroom.

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Tools - Next Generation science storylines

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The Concord Consortium: Find your Path through NGSS

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The Concord Consortium: Find your Path through NGSS

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HIGHLY SUGGEST!
Note: Great option for asynchronous learning!
Choose your DCI, then S&EP and CCC to find interactive resources or lesson plans that align with 3D learning. Many of the resources lead to complete lessons that resemble WebQuests with questions and various interactive pieces along the way.

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Find your path through the new Next Generation Science Standards using the Concord Consortium’s interactive pathfinder.

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Unit and activity planning ideas that incorporate interactive lessons and modeling to introduce a phenomenon, provide independent learning opportunities, and simulation real-world phenomenon. Organized into 5 topics: Science thinking, Units of measure, Energy, Life science, and Matter. Each topic has units and activities associated with it.

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This project was supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.

Strategic Education Research Partnership

1100 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 1310 * Washington, DC 20036 * (202) 223-8555

info@serpinstitute.org

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This project was supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science. Strategic Education Research Partnership 1100 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 1310 * Washington, DC 20036 * (202) 223-8555 info@serpinstitute.org

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Explain how you might make use of this resource in your own classroom.

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Explain how you might make use of this resource in your own classroom.

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#1 - This would be a great resource for when I come across a website or other resource that will be useful in the future and I don't want to forget to come back to it. There have been countless times when I find an amazing resource and then forget about it by the time I get to that unit because it gets lost in the shuffle!

#2 - This type of collaborative space is perfect (and seems user friendly) for sharing ideas with my co-teacher. Hybrid and virtual learning has really put a strain on our time to prep and plan together. This would be a great place to quickly and efficiently share resources with short description of why/how we could use each one in our classroom.

#3 - Giving students the ability to share resources they come across is empowering and includes them in their own learning experience. I think it would be a great exercise in searching for information, but also reviewing the material to make sure it is valid to share with the class. Whether this is part of a class activity or as a project where individuals/small groups are teaching the rest of the class, this platform would be great for student input.

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Elements, Compounds, & Mixtures - Oh My!

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Elements, Compounds, & Mixtures - Oh My!

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Note: This is a specific lesson that incorporates artistic components.
This AACT lesson explores the visualization of elements, compounds, and mixtures. Students then apply their understanding by generating their own examples. This is a great lesson to build vocabulary using art strategies.

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Summary

In this activity, students will define terms related to various kinds of pure substances and mixtures, as well as analyze and draw particle diagrams.

Grade Level

Middle and High School

This activity will help prepare your students to meet the performance expectations in the following standards:

MS-PS1-1: Develop models to describe atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.

Scientific and Engineering Practices:
Developing and Using Models

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to

Define terms related to pure substances and mixtures

Classify particle diagrams as representing elements, compounds, or mixtures thereof

Chemistry Topics

This lesson supports students' understanding of

Time

Teacher Preparation: 10 minutes

Lesson: 30-45 minutes

Materials

Safety

No specific safety precautions need to be observed for this activity.

Teacher Notes

This activity would be a good follow-up to the Classifying Matter animation

There are several ways you could scaffold this activity for different ability levels:

Provide the definitions in Part 1 and ask the students to match them, or to remove some of the terms. You could also ask students to supply a real-world example of each term.

Remove some of the particle diagrams from Part 2 so that there is only one example per term/all terms are used exactly once.

In Part 4, when students check their answers with the teacher, you may want to circle/mark any that were originally incorrect so that when they are asked to explain their mistakes you know whether or not they had made any mistakes to begin with and which questions those were.

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Classroom Resources | Elements, Compounds, & Mixtures - Oh My! | AACT

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In this activity, students will define terms related to various kinds of pure substances and mixtures, as well as analyze and draw particle diagrams. Middle and High School This activity will help prepare your students to meet the performance expectations in the following standards: MS-PS1-1: Develop models to describe atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.

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Karen Randazzo has created lessons that incorporate phenomenon and modeling. This is a great way to introduce real-world science events that engage students and assess students' prior knowledge.

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I have over 13 years experience as a secondary education science teacher. I have taught in a number of classroom environments including inner city, rural, and suburban areas. I have taught all secondary grade levels from 7th through 12th grade. My undergraduate background is in chemistry, however I have taught both biology and physical science. I now am a high school chemistry teacher in Hillsborough, NJ. Currently I teach college prep and honors chemistry but have experience teaching many levels including honors and advanced placement. I hold a BS in chemistry and a MS in curriculum and instruction.

Highly organized, motivated, and goal-oriented classroom setting. Student-centered with specific emphasis on cooperative learning in guided inquiry. Utilized the flipped learning model and differentiation.

HONORS/AWARDS/SHINING TEACHER MOMENT

I don't want to brag... ;-)

MY OWN EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

BS - Cabrini College, Chemistry (2008) w/ certification in secondary (7-12) education
MS - University of Scranton, Curriculum and Instruction (2013)

ADDITIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Stay connected for even more tips, tricks, and engaging lessons! MsRazz on Facebook MsRazz on Twitter MsRazz on Pinterest MsRazz's Blog MsRazz's on YouTube

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I have over 13 years experience as a secondary education science teacher. I have taught in a number of classroom environments including inner city, rural, and suburban areas. I have taught all secondary grade levels from 7th through 12th grade. My undergraduate background is in chemistry, however I have taught both biology and physical science.

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This article points out that art and chemistry are not separate domains - "one cannot live without the other." There are great examples of work that incorporates pop culture and chemistry concepts. The Art & Science Project focuses on using art to learn science. The article specifically highlights Peter Atkins' nine Big Ideas of Chemistry.

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Home | Chem13 News Magazine | University of Waterloo

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PacificStandard: How Arts Can Help Struggling Science Students Do Better

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PacificStandard: How Arts Can Help Struggling Science Students Do Better

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This article highlights research that says incorporating art - music or drawing - into the learning process helps students retain what they've learned.

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(Photo: Ashkan Forouzani/Unsplash)

Do you remember what you learned in fifth-grade science class? Me neither. Many kids at that age learn the basics of chemistry, biology, and the like, but often the information just doesn't stick. And that ignorance can mean failure in more advanced classes down the line.

New research points to a technique that can help such students retain the information they've been taught, and perhaps even teach creative problem-solving skills to some of the brighter kids. It finds that science lessons stick better in kids' memories when arts are integrated into the curriculum.

"Our study provides more evidence that the arts are absolutely needed in schools," lead author Mariale Hardiman of John Hopkins University said in announcing the results. "I hope the findings can assuage concerns that arts-based lessons won't be as effective in teaching essential skills."

While scholars have suggested for many years that studying music and the arts benefits overall school performance, such research has become more rigorous of late. A large study released last month found that Florida middle-school students who study music, theater, or visual art subsequently get higher overall grades than their peers.

This new study, in the journal Trends in Neuroscience and Education, focuses on 350 students in 16 fifth-grade classrooms in the Baltimore, Maryland, school system. The researchers worked with educators to create two versions of four 15-day-long study units: one that integrated some form of the arts, and another that did not. The topics were astronomy, life science, chemistry, and environmental science.

In the standard version of the class, "students displayed knowledge by completing a chart or presenting the information orally," the researchers explain. "In the arts-integrated condition, they displayed knowledge through a variety of arts-based activities such as dance, tableaux, singing, or drawing."

(Photo: Aaron Burden/Unsplash)

For instance, to mentally reinforce a piece of information they had learned, students in the first class would recite it out loud. Those in the arts group "sang a song or chanted a rap" using that same material. Similarly, one group of students would create a simple chart listing living and non-living things, while the other would create a collage conveying the identical information.

Half of the students studied their first topic (say, astronomy) using the arts-infused curriculum, and then learned the second using standard techniques. The opposite was true of the other half of the students. All were tested on their knowledge of each subject just before and just after taking the class, and again 10 weeks later.

Overall, the researchers found no significant differences in the amount of content the kids retained, regardless of which version of the lessons they received. But the arts-infused approach had a positive effect on "struggling readers." Ten weeks later, those kids "remembered significantly more science content learned through the arts" than those who were taught using conventional methods.

In addition, "students who took arts-integrated science in the first session remembered more science in the second [more conventional] session," the researchers add. "This leads us to wonder whether there may be transfer effects, in which students may be applying creative problem-solving skills to better understand and remember big ideas."

Given that potential advantage-and the clear benefit for lower-achieving students-"we would encourage educators to adopt integrating the arts into content instruction," Hardiman and her colleagues conclude. "Arts integration can provide another vehicle to support learning for all students, especially for the most vulnerable learners in our nation's schools."

Learning the periodic table is easier if you periodically create a tableaux.

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How Arts Can Help Struggling Science Students Do Better

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Do you remember what you learned in fifth-grade science class? Me neither. Many kids at that age learn the basics of chemistry, biology, and the like, but often the information just doesn't stick. And that ignorance can mean failure in more advanced classes down the line.

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American Chemical Society: Art & Chemistry

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American Chemical Society: Art & Chemistry

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This site has many artistic activities to draw connections between art and chemistry. There are hands on experiments and activities that explore the chemistry behind artistic creations.

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Art & Chemistry - American Chemical Society

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American Chemical Society: Chemistry for Life.

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"Artists and scientists are inventing, exploring, and discovering." There are 8 projects ranging from simple to complex. There are examples that are themselves are forms of science, depict science phenomenon, or help explain science concepts.

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Science and art are often viewed as opposites. One seems to be driven by data while the other by expression and creation. But, in reality, they're more alike than we think. They share a common thread through inquiry and questioning. At their core, artists and scientists are inventing, exploring, and discovering. It just looks a little different in each discipline!

Below you will find 8 different ways you can explore the world of science and art together in your classroom.

1. Epoxy Cast Molds

Many artists use resin or epoxy in their artwork. It can be used to provide a glass-like finish for a piece or to cast objects. Using epoxy creates beautiful products, but it can also be used to teach students about science.

Epoxy is a polymer. It starts in a liquid state but turns solid when a chemical hardener is added. This means using epoxy is a great way to teach your students about chemical reactions in the art room! You won't see an explosion, but you can explain the curing process is a result of this chemical interaction at work. Check out artist Josie Lewis for more inspiration!

2. Animal Habitats

If you're looking for a way to combine science, art, and research, try making animal habitats your theme. As students thoroughly dig into their chosen habitat, they will uncover so many interesting findings. This new knowledge will lead to a variety of new ideas in their artwork. The best thing about a project like this is it can be done using almost any medium while still covering many essential art concepts!

3. Paint Pouring

Acrylic paint pouring has taken over the Internet! It's such a fun process to watch because you never know how the finished product will turn out. Even though this might just seem like a cool fad everyone is trying, there is a science to this process! Different colors of paint have different densities and viscosities depending on their chemical makeups. These variations allow the colors to flow and react in interesting ways.

4. Soundwave Portraits

Students hear and create sound all the time, but do they realize sounds are caused by vibrations? Through art, students can explore things like amplitude, frequency, and wavelength. Simply have students record their voice using a program, like GarageBand, where the soundwaves are visible. This could be on a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Then, students can use their recording to create an artwork. This activity is a fun way to explore the idea of portraiture through voice. To make it more interesting, have your students repeat the same word or sentence and compare them to their classmates. Students will be able to visually see that a voice is just like a fingerprint-one of a kind!

5. Plaster Frescoes

Have you ever wondered why sometimes paint chips easily off plaster and sometimes it doesn't? It's because of science! Frescoes were able to withstand time because of chemistry. Plaster contains calcium hydroxide. As carbon dioxide from the air reacts with the wet plaster and paint, it binds the two together, essentially creating a limestone surface. (If you want to dig into this idea, check out this great video!) After this, the plaster won't peel, wash, or chip off. No wonder fresco paintings have such a significant place in art history!

6. Circuitry Art

Did you know students can explore simple circuits through artmaking? Devices like the Makey Makey and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) provide a great way to blend the two! Your students can explore concepts like open and closed circuits and voltage all while adding a little light or some tech magic to their artwork!

7. The Clay Firing Process

Chemistry is often present in the art room, even if students are unaware. One of the easiest places to point out chemistry is during the clay firing process.

One way to show how clay undergoes a chemical change is to fill two clear tubs with water, and place a bisque-fired piece in one tub and a greenware piece in the other. The greenware piece will start to dissolve, but the bisqureware piece will not. From here, you can explain to students that clay goes through a process called dehydration in the kiln. Dehydration is when the water that is part of the molecular structure of the clay goes away. At this point, you can no longer reconstitute the clay. Big Ceramic Store has a helpful description of the different reactions that happen in the kiln if you want to dig even deeper!

8. Scientific Method Color Theory

The presence of randomness in both art and science are rare. In fact, the art practices, concepts, and procedures we use and teach in our classrooms are often methodical-just like in science. Introducing The Color Experiment activity is a great way to show how the artistic method and the scientific method can overlap. You can find more details about this lesson here.

These are just eight ways you can start exploring art and science together in your classroom. If you're looking for ways to incorporate more Arts Integration or STEAM learning, these lessons are a great place to start. You can teach your students to think like artists and scientists!
How do you incorporate science into the art room? Do you have a favorite project that focuses on science?

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8 Art Projects that Incorporate Science - The Art of Education University

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Science and art are often viewed as opposites. One seems to be driven by data while the other by expression and creation. But, in reality, they're more alike than we think. They share a common thread through inquiry and questioning. At their core, artists and scientists are inventing, exploring, and discovering.

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Facilitating conceptual change through modeling in the middle school science classroom

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Facilitating conceptual change through modeling in the middle school science classroom

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Article by David J. Carrejo & Judy Reinhartz in the Middle School Journal November 2014. Includes information about a professional development program to use modeling that supported student understanding of motion.

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Short articles that give advice about issues related to teaching STEM courses. Brief #8 (http://stemteachingtools.org/brief/8) talks about ways to engage students in scientific modeling. The article discusses the benefits of modeling and includes additional resources about modeling.

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Practice Briefs

These very short pieces highlight ways of working on specific issues that come up during STEM teaching. You can browse them below or easily flip through and browse the entire collection online. If you would like to browse or download the entire collection of tools as eye-catching PDFs, check out: http://STEMteachingtools.org/link/PDFcollection/

We're translating our collection of tools for science education into Spanish. Click here to read the STEM Teaching Tools that have been translated.
Estamos trabajando para traducir las STEM Teaching Tools en español. Hagan click aquí para leer las STEM Teaching Tools (STT) que han sido traducidas.

Topics:

Enter your email below to receive periodic updates about new tools. This is a low-volume email list, and we promise not to share your address with others.

Tweets by @STEMTeachTools

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These very short pieces highlight ways of working on specific issues that come up during STEM teaching. You can browse them below or easily flip through and browse the entire collection online. If you would like to browse or download the entire collection of tools as eye-catching PDFs, check out: http://STEMteachingtools.org/link/PDFcollection/ We're translating our collection of tools for science education into Spanish.

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Instructional Strategies – Developing and Using Models

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Instructional Strategies – Developing and Using Models

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This document from the Instructional Leadership for Science Practices (ILSP) includes strategies for developing and using models with students.

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5 Strategies To Help Your Students Create Models of Phenomena | MsRazz ChemClass

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5 Strategies To Help Your Students Create Models of Phenomena | MsRazz ChemClass

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Karen Randazzo aka Ms. Razz presents a 7-minute YouTube video with strategies to help students create models.
1. Talk to students about what a model is -- explanatory models.
2. Include observable and unobservable.
3. Start with what you know.
4. Include zoom-in bubbles to focus in on specific parts of a model. Super helpful in chemistry!
5. Work in a sequence of events.

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5 Strategies To Help Your Students Create Models of Phenomena | MsRazz ChemClass

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Resources from the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education includes "NSF-funded resources, curricula, professional development, and tools designed to support teacher and student engagement in modeling in science classrooms." There are resources for all grade levels that include simulations, teaching strategies, and modeling programs.

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The National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012) identifies modeling as an important practice too often "underemphasized in the context of science education." According to the Framework, "engaging in the practices of science helps students understand how scientific knowledge develops; such direct involvement gives them an appreciation of the wide range of approaches that are used to investigate, model, and explain the world."

This Spotlight highlights NSF-funded resources, curricula, professional development, and tools designed to support teacher and student engagement in modeling in science classrooms.

WHAT IS SCIENTIFIC MODELING?
Featuring: Dan Damelin (Concord Consortium), Brian Reiser (Northwestern University), and Cory Forbes (University of Nebraska-Lincoln). PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT MODELING IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
The following resources provide a sample of products being developed by NSF DR K-12-funded projects.
EcoMobile and EcoXPT
Grade Level: Middle School
Developed by the EcoLearn research team based out of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, these projects use immersive virtual environments to support science learning. EcoMOBILE blends virtual immersive experiences with exploration in real ecosystems supported by augmented technology. EcoXPT allows students to explore a virtual ecosystem representing a complex systems model, to make observations, understand causal relationships, and create experiments to test hypotheses. (NSF Award # 1118530, 1416781)

Focus on Energy
Grade Level: Elementary School
The Focus on Energy project is developing resources and supports for teaching and learning about energy in grades 3-5, including a summer teacher professional development workshop, follow-up professional learning communities, and a curriculum with a carefully designed sequence of activities to support students as they develop and use a model of energy. (NSF Award # 1418052, 1418211)

High-Adventure Science
Grade Levels: Middle & High School
Developed by the Concord Consortium, High-Adventure Science offers free, interactive, computer-based Earth system models integrated into five-day curriculum lessons. Lesson topics include energy, climate, freshwater availability, land management, air quality, and the hunt for extraterrestrial life. Standalone models include interactives on air pollution, groundwater movement, land management, fracking, planet hunting, and climate change. (NSF Award # 0929774)

Interactions
Grade Level: High School
Interactions is a collaborative project between Michigan State University and Concord Consortium that engages students in modeling and scientific explanation through exploring how the unseen world of atomic level interactions and energy transformations are responsible for much of what we observe around us. (NSF Award # 1232388)

Model My Watershed
Grade Levels: Middle & High School
A watershed-modeling web app for citizens, educators, students, and municipal decision-makers to analyze real, local land use and soil data, model stormwater runoff and water-quality impacts using professional-grade models, and compare land cover changes, conservation, and/or development scenarios. (NSF Award # 1417527, 1417722, and 1418133)

MoDeLS
Grade Levels: Elementary & Middle School
A curriculum unit developed through a collaboration between Michigan State University, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, Wright State University and 5 th grade teachers from Kinawa 5 th-6 th public school that enables students to develop and revise models for how water moves (evaporation and condensation) in a solar still. A teacher guide and student pages are publicly available. (NSF Award # 0628199, 1020316)

Modeling Hydrologic Systems in Elementary Science (MoHSES)
Grade Level: Elementary School
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Michigan State University are collaborating on a project to engage elementary students in model-based learning about water systems through development and testing of a modeling-enhanced version of the Full Option Science System (FOSS) Water curriculum module. Instructional resources include supplemental teacher and student materials. (NSF Award # 1443223)

SageModeler
Grade Levels: Middle & High School
Michigan State University and the Concord Consortium are collaborating on building a modeling tool for students that allows the students to easily create and test their own models without the need for programming or writing equations. Publicly available curriculum will be available in the fall of 2017. (NSF Award # 1417809, 1417900)

Seismic Explorer
Grade Levels: Middle & High School
The Seismic Explorer model was developed by the Concord Consortium and is being expanded as part of the GEODE project. Seismic Explorer ​shows volcanic eruption data and USGS earthquake events on a map overlay. The model allows users to explore tectonic plate boundaries, plate motion vectors, and the locations and depths of earthquakes. (NSF Award # 1621176)

SimScientists
Grade Levels: Middle & High School
Science simulations created by WestEd to explore life science, Earth science, and physical science topics. The simulations allow teachers to formatively assess students' work. (NSF Award # 1020264, 1221614, and 1503481)

Strategies For Using Interactive Simulations In Science Class
Grade Levels: Middle & High School
This manual of teaching strategies is the product of a long-term project by researchers at the University of Massachusetts designed to investigate the different teaching strategies that science teachers use with simulations in the classroom. (NSF Award # 0723709, 1222709)

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The National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012) identifies modeling as an important practice too often "underemphasized in the context of science education."