Category: Science

Creating New Scientists: Teaching with the NGSS

In Creating Scientists Christopher Moore helps readers better understand the reasoning behind the NGSS and how to implement the standards in classrooms. If teachers focus lessons with his goals in mind, says science educator Joyce Depenbusch, students will benefit.

Teaching Kids How Science Really Works

Science educator Alan Colburn skillfully applies the idea of learning by doing to make a very useful resource for teachers. Joyce Depenbusch praises the way he weaves in NGSS practices and provides directions for grades 3-8 activities that are easy to follow and do.

Learning Life Science with Picture Books

Bring exploration, fact-gathering and deduction to grades 3-5 life science classes with Stewart and Chesley’s “Perfect Pairs.” Full of standards-based lessons aligned to fiction/nonfiction picture books. Literacy coach Pam Hamilton eager to share it with teachers.

Teaching Science with Engaging Picture Books

“Perfect Pairs” uses fiction and nonfiction life science books to promote inquiry learning in grades 3-5. The 20 richly detailed, standards-aligned lessons can help any teacher engage students in exploration, fact-gathering and deduction, says 4th grade veteran Linda Biondi.

Ideas to Improve Students’ Science Literacy

Help students build scientific literacy with the research-based strategies developed by Jennifer Altieri in her book Reading Science. Science teacher Joyce Depenbusch finds the ideas for vocabulary instruction and cross-curricular projects especially helpful.

Strategies to Integrate Science and Literacy

Grounded in research, teacher experience, and purposeful techniques, Reading Science will help educators guide students to scientific literacy. Linda Biondi says the book would make an excellent group study for disciplinary teams focused on academic literacy.

Take 5! for Science: 150 Helpful Prompts

Take 5! is a handy science resource targeted for K-5 teachers that can also help differentiate instruction in higher grades, says Laura Von Staden. The year’s worth of prompts will help young students to tie science, writing and critical thinking together.

Renewable Energy for Teachers & Students

“Renewable Energy: Discover the Fuel of the Future,” packs in activities & learning for teachers and students. STEM coordinator Emily Anders says it’s “a must-have resource” for teachers who want to add project learning to their lessons on energy sources.

Climate Ed Projects to Engage Tweens

Climate Change: Discover How it Impacts Spaceship Earth with 25 Projects is on a level that most tweens can grasp, yet it is not oversimplified and builds vocabulary. With its cool facts and high order questions, this book gets MS teacher Laura Von Staden’s recommendation.

Making Science Relevant in the Middle Grades

William H. Robertson channels his unique perspective and experiences as a skateboarder and educator into a well-written, informative, and enjoyable read in Action Science: Relevant Teaching and Active Learning, says reviewer Hallie Askuvich.