Resources
All about bees
If a school or class is interested in a project on rearing bees, The Bee Lab website of the University of Minnesota Extension Service provides much information. Topics covered include beekeeping manuals, videos, bumble bee rearing guides, and information of research and activities at the University of Minnesota. There is also a listing of courses for the public during March and April, 2010, as well as academic and online courses.
Frozen: Science on a Sphere
NASA presents the new movie Frozen that depicts the changing Earth. This film shows our home planet in ways that have never been seen before. Frozen brings Earth to life, projecting images of our planet onto completely spherical movie screens hanging in the center of darkened theaters. Turning in space, images on the screen become a portal onto a virtual planet, complete with churning, swirling depictions of huge natural forces moving below. Frozen showcases the global cryosphere, those places on Earth where temperatures don't generally rise above water's freezing point. As one of the most directly observable climate gauges, the changing cryosphere serves as a proxy for larger themes. Frozen is now showing on the Science Museum of Minnesota's Science on a Sphere. View a trailer of the movie on the NASA Frozen website.
Learn Earth from space
ISS EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) is a NASA education program which enables students, teachers and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. At the core of the program is a spectacular collection of digital images of Earth. The image collection and accompanying learning guides and activities are extraordinary resources to support classes in Earth science, space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications, and even art. ISS EarthKAM images are unique because they are taken by middle school students. All the resources are available on NASA's ISS EarthKAM website.
John Hawks weblog on paleoanthropology
John Hawks started his weblog to discuss genetics, evolution, and interesting issues in paleoanthropology that are not well covered in the mainstream science press. He is an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) who studies bones and genes of ancient humans. Hawks summarizes current scientific papers and posts them as weblogs in an interesting style. This is a good resource for keeping up-to-date in this field.
Summer Discovery Day Camps
The Bell Museum of Natural History offers week-long day camps starting June 15 through September 4, 2009. The camps include hands-on projects that encourage exploration of science, art, and nature. The schedule includes field trips, swimming at the University's Aquatic Center, and use of other University of Minnesota facilities. The fee is $255, pr $230 for Bell Museum members.
Professional Learning Communities
Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching is the title of a new book published in 2009 by NSTA Press, and edited by Susan Mundry and Katherine Stiles. The aim of professional learning is to keep up on changes in information and approaches to teaching in a process of collective learning by each teacher. In extracting lessons from research and practice, the editors have compiled eight chapters concerning professional learning communities. Each chapter is written by a different author or authors. Experiences of school districts from Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington are compared. Each chapter has a list of references and reflection questions. The book is suitable for K-12 and college. This 161-paged, soft-cover book sells for $22.95, or $18.36 to NSTA members. To order, go to the NSTA Science Store.
Inquiry advice and techniques
Inquiry: The Key to Exemplary Science is the title of a new book edited by Robert Yager and published by NSTA Press, in 2009. This 299-paged, paperback book includes eighteen chapters plus a postcript (evaluation), two appendices, and an index. "Inquiry" is well-explained in the introductory chapter, and subsequent chapters illustrate various forms of inquiry, offer detailed examples of planning and execution, and provide case studies highlighting successful implementation of inquiry. Student learning, development of positive attitudes, the ability to use concepts and skills in completely new situations are all demonstrated for use in the classroom. The book is designed for grades K-12. The book sells for $24.95 or $19.96 for NSTA members. Find more information and order on the NSTA Science Store website.
Student ideas in science
Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 New Formative Assessment Probes is the title of a new book (Volume 4) written by Page Keeley and Joyce Tugel, published in 2009 by NSTA press. It is designed for grades K-12. The first half of the book covers physical science and unifying themes and the second half deals with life, earth, and space science.Ten elements make up the teacher notes for each probe and are explained in the preface. The authors emphasize that formative assessment isn't just about testing but is a way to improve learning. Some sample topics explored are: sugar water, burning paper, salt crystals, magnets in water, biological evolution, and global warming. This 184-paged, paperback book sells for $27.95. or $22.36 for NSTA members. Find more information and order online at the NSTA Science Store.
Science mysteries
"More Everyday Science Mysteries" is the title of a 207-paged paperback book written by Richard Konicek-Moran, and published by NSTA Press, in 2009. It is the second volume on this theme. The book consists of 15 stories in which the last chapter of each story has been omitted, leaving it to the student to solve the mystery. Solving the mystery requires application of scientific facts and principles and in this way utilizes science. Background material for the teacher is part of each story. Misconceptions in science introduced by some characters in the story are refuted by others who know the facts or find out the truth by experiment. Each story features some aspect of science such as thermodynamics, mirrors and reflection, light and color, temperature and energy, flowers, and decomposition. The work is an application of inquiry-based teaching. Each story is a subtle approach to teach science. The book is designed for elementary and middle school students. It sells for $24.95, but $19.96 to NSTA members. To order the book go to the NSTA Press Store.
Scientific cosmology
Take a Cosmic Journey, updated to 2009, and learn the history of scientific cosmology on the website created by the American Institute of Physics, Center for the History of Physics. The information on the website is grouped under ideas and tools. The ideas begin with the Greek world view and continue to the Big Bang and the future journeys. The tools section starts with the naked eye and proceeds to telescopes and new tools for cosmology. Lists include books on cosmology and history as well as selected web sites.
Student-centered science communities
NSTA Press has just published a book titled "Whole-Class Inquiry: Creating Student-Centered Science Communities" written by Dennis Smithenry and Joan Gallagher-Bolos. It is intended for a high school chemistry class. View the two DVDs that come with the book to appreciate the message. The book is about a high school chemistry class that works as a group to do chemical experiments. The decisions are made by the entire class with some coaching by the instructor about why the experiment has to be done in a certain way. The whole class decides on the steps to take and students build trust in each other as they progress through the experiment. A transcript of the video classroom can be accessed on NSTA Press website to illustrate how the process works. The 202-page paperback book is integrated with the DVD class experience and need to be used together. There are references and an index. The price is $28.95, but $23.16 for NSTA members. It can be ordered from NSTA online at the Science Store.
Mineralogy resources
The Vibrational Spectroscopy and Photo Atlas of Minerals website lists more than 3,650 minerals and includes more than 60,000 color photos of about 2,200 mineral. Information on mineralogy includes physical and chemical data, photos, electron microscopy images, and more. A glossary of terms and some special topics are included. The materials were prepared by the Queensland University of Technology, in Australia.
Craters and other impact structures
The Earth Impact Database represents a compilation of confirmed impact structures from around the world. Over the last twenty-five years, the impact process has been increasingly appreciated by the Earth Sciences community as an important planet-building and planet-modifying process. The principal criteria for determining if a geological feature is an impact structure formed by the impact of a meteorite or comet are listed on the website. Some sites can be recognized by the naked eye, others require study of microscopic features. Read an essay on crater shapes and observations on impacts. The Frequently Asked Questions section is especially interesting.
Digital archive of Earth science
Prepared by the American Geological Institute as a resource for geological education, the Earth Science World Image Bank website features images by category, continent, country, or key word. For example, observe patterns of ripples in sand dunes at different location in the world. The resource section for teachers includes a PowerPoint presentation of Earth's Dynamic Surface as Viewed From Space.
Why study seamounts?
Seamounts are undersea peaks in the ocean floor, "mountains" rising from the bottom of the sea that do not break the water's surface. They are important and interesting for several reasons: 1) They help to understand marine biodiversity patterns—seamounts vary greatly in biodiversity; 2) They are often areas of high biomass that support commercially important fisheries and coral mining, and may support manganese crust mining in the near future; and 3) They are fragile ecosystems that must be managed carefully and with good scientific information to prevent habitat damage and overfishing. The number of seamounts is not known: some have predicted 14,000 but others estimate there are more than 100,000 that are taller than 1000 meters (3281 feet). Learn more about seamounts.
Education stats
The Digest of Education Statistics, 2008 is 44th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The Digest's primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the field of American education from pre-kindergarten through graduate school. The Digest contains data on a variety of topics, including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, and federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons. The Digest is created by the National Center for Education Statistics.
National Center for Health Statistics
The website of the National Center for Health Statistics is a rich source of information about America's health. Statistical information is compiled to guide actions and policies to improve health. Articles appear on the latest report on the health of young adults, diseases and conditions, injuries, health care and insurance, and life styles. This activity is part of the federal government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Earth Portal
The Earth Portal website is a comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment. It is a means for the global scientific community to come together to produce the first free, expert-driven, massively scaleable information resource on the environment, and to engage civil society in a public dialog on the role of environmental issues in human affairs. It contains no commercial advertising. The Earth Portal has three components: The Encyclopedia of Earth, The Earth Forum, and The Earth News. A special topic, currently coral reefs, is featured regularly.
Welcome to comPADRE!
The comPADRE Pathway, a part of the National Science Digital Library, is a network of educational resource collections supporting teachers and students in physics and astronomy. Explore collections designed for specific needs by recommending resources, and starting or joining discussions. To recommend a web resource, log into the Physical Sciences Resource Center and select the Submit Resources link. Or, check on the collections of physics materials targeted, whether you are a K-12 teacher, college faculty member, student, education researcher, or someone generally interested in physics and astronomy.
Assessment Data Interpretation
Interpreting Assessment Data: Statistical Techniques You Can Use is the title of a new book published in 2009 by NSTA Press covering educational assessment and designed for teachers of grades 6 to 12. This 104-page, paperback book, written by Edwin Christman and John Badgett, includes eight chapters on assessment and testing development, scales, central tendency and variability, standard scores, correlation, validity, reliability, and grading. An appendix deals with areas of standard normal distribution. There is a discussion of cheating and its prevention. Each chapter begins with a series of objectives and ends with challenging questions, summaries, or problems. Most chapters have a list of references. The book is indexed. It sells for $22.46, or $17.96 for NSTA members and can be ordered online at the NSTA Science Store.
Chabot Space and Science Center
Chabot Space and Science Center offers hands-on activities, workshops, lectures, and other events for visitors of all ages. Check out the Space Pop classes available at the Science Center in February, or use the Virtual Science Center to make a wealth of astronomy and space science information readily available via the web. The center is located in Oakland, California and has outreach to K-12 students and teachers.
Teaching evolution tool kit
NSTA Press has published a book in 2008 titled NSTA Tool Kit for Teaching Evolution. It is a 73-page, paperback book on evolution compiled by Judy Elgin Jensen. Some history and explanation of evolution as stated by Charles Darwin is followed by suggestions on how to teach evolution and answer questions about it. Recent advances in molecular genetics have added credibility to studies of evolution. Social challenges, creationism, and textbook selection are discussion topics that are treated in teaching evolution. The role of mutation is explained even though Darwin didn't know about mutation; mutation discoveries came after his time. In this and many other works on evolution, emphasis is on evolution of animals to humans. Some attention is given to microorganisms but plants are seldom mentioned. Actually the principles of natural selection as the mechanism of evolution can be demonstrated more easily with plants and it is surprising that more effort has not been made to illustrate evolution using plants. The book has an index and references as well as types of activities that can be done by students in class. It is a brief survey of evolution teaching to help a biology teacher get started. The book sells for $9.95 or $7.96 for NSTA members. It can be ordered from NSTA Press via the website.
Climate change and biology
A 238-page, paperback book titled Climate Change from Pole to Pole: Biology Investigations has been published by NSTA Press in late 2008. The authors are Juanita Constible, Luke Sandro, and Richard Lee, Jr. The first part deals with the science of climate change with emphasis on the biological effects. The second part comprises chapters on specific animals: penguins, polar bears, and wolves, then goes on to chapters on phenological mismatches such as pollen allergies, and heat waves. An appendix gives examples of data analysis for "Cruel, Cruel Summer." Each chapter has a section on teacher pages (notes for activity and discussion) and student pages (questions to answer). There are even instructions on how to use this book in a curriculum. A glossary of 93 terms and an index are helpful, as well as references at the end of each chapter. The term "climate change" is used in preference to "global warming" because the terms are not synonymous; the difference is explained in the introduction. The book provides a comprehensive background for understanding and teaching of current topics on climate change appropriate to high school education. The book sells for $26.96 ($21.56 for NSTA members); this special pricing expires February 13, 2009. Order online at the NSTA Science Store.
Evolution resources at National Academies and NSTA
The National Academies has published reports, statements, research papers, articles, podcasts, and other resource materials on evolution through the National Academy Press; visit the website for information. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) also has a list of resource materials on evolution. Both organizations list materials on creationism as well as evolution.