Search results for ""National Science Teachers Association""

Now you see them, now you don’t! By showing the same creatures in two different settings, this book brings out the detective in young readers. They can investigate the role of protective coloration— nature’s own camouflage—for katydids, crickets, bumblebees, beavers, spiders, and spotted green frogs. The vivid examples encourage children to closely examine the characteristics of hidden creatures that may be looking back at them, whether from the pages of this book or in their own backyards.Looking for Animals is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–3 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of animals, plants, and other phenomena related to biology. Included in each volume is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

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Children who love both animals and a rousing game of I Spy will have fun with this book. To give kids practice identifying similarities and differences, the book starts by pairing easy-to-distinguish animals, such as zebras and horses. Then it moves on to duos that are more difficult to tell apart, such as turtles and tortoises and seals and sea lions. Reading Animals Two by Two is like taking a walk through the zoo with an eagle-eyed friend—one who wants to know if you can spot the differences between a frog and a toad or a mole and a vole!Animals Two by Two is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–3 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of animals, plants, and other phenomena related to biology. Included in each volume is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

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If you know children who say “Ick!” when they spot a spider, this irresistible book will make them say “Ooh!” instead. Next Time You See a Spiderweb describes how these small, skillful creatures weave some of nature’s most clever traps—their webs. Author Emily Morgan shows how spiders snare their prey with tangled webs, funnel webs, and intricate orb webs. The book tells how spiders spin sticky silk without getting stuck themselves. And it reveals the surprising tricks of the jumping spider, fishing spider, and trap-door spider. Next Time You See a Spiderweb is a book that children and adults alike will want to take along on their next nature walk.Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as spiderwebs, the Moon, maple seeds, pill bugs, sunsets, seashells, and fireflies. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website.Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—whether a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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You don’t have to become a mind reader to understand the ideas young students bring to science class. This collection will help you draw out and then recognize what students know—or think they know—about the natural world. What Are They Thinking? is a compendium of 30 “Formative Assessment Probes” columns from NSTA’s elementary journal Science and Children. Each chapter provides: A sample formative assessment probe: a set of interesting questions that root out commonly held, often-mistaken ideas. Geared to elementary students, probe topics range from why you can see the Moon in the daytime to where water goes when it evaporates to what is or isn’t a rock. Your students’ answers to each probe will help you take a step back and figure out how to guide them from where they are conceptually to where they need to be. Accompanying teacher notes: easy-to-grasp explanations and advice that tell you how to encourage evidence-based discussion and then monitor students’ understanding. A bonus feature: a set of study group questions written especially for this compendium by award-winning author Page Keeley. So forget about acquiring psychic powers. Instead, turn to What Are They Thinking? to transform both your teaching and your students’ learning about science.

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Chances are that just under a nearby rock, you’ll spot a roly-poly pill bug (woodlouse). Encourage a child to take a close look, and introduce a fascinating creature. Gently pick it up and watch as it rolls into a ball and unrolls to take a walk. This cousin to lobsters and crabs sheds its crusty skin and will tickle your hand with its 14 (count ’em!) wiggly legs. Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena, such as pill bugs, fireflies, seashells, and sunsets. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website. Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—be it a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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This book tells the amazing story behind seashells: how they are made by molluscs, used for protection and camouflage, and full of clues about all they’ve been through. Inspired by Next Time You See a Seashell, young readers will find these intricate objects even more fascinating when they discover their origins in slimy, snaily creatures. Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as seashells and sunsets. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website. Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—be it a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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Take a world tour between the covers of a book! Environments of Our Earth guides children through six types of regions that are shaped by rainfall—or the lack thereof. Readers take a journey that starts with dense tropical rainforests and woodlands, travels through grassy savannahs and prairies, and ends at dry steppes and deserts. Throughout the book, attentive readers can compare how and why each region is alike and different. They will also discover fun facts about the wettest and driest places on Earth and the amazing effect rainfall has on plants, animals, and people. Environments of Our Earth is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–6 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of geology, land forms, weather, environments, and other phenomena related to science and nature. Included in each volume is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

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If you’ve ever wished for advice you can trust on how to make science and math more relevant to your middle or high school students, Creating Engineering Design Challenges is the book for you. At its core are 13 units grounded in challenge-based learning and the engineering design process. You can be sure the units are classroom-ready because they were contributed by teachers who developed, used, and revised them during the Cincinnati Engineering Enhanced Math and Science (CEEMS) program, a project funded by the National Science Foundation.Detailed and practical, the book is divided into three sections: 1. The rationale for making engineering an effective part of math and science instruction. 2. Thirteen engineering-related units, including the teacher-contributors’ detailed accounts, lesson plans, and handouts. Content areas include biology, chemistry, physical science, Earth science, and environmental science. Topics range from developing a recipe for cement to implementing geocaching to calculating accurate aim with slingshots and water balloons. 3. Guidance on how to develop, support, and grow your engineering practice. This section offers useful templates and frameworks for you as well as professional development guidance for your school. The contributors’ goal is to help you benefit from their hard-won experience. They write, “During our time with the CEEMS project, we learned a great deal from our mistakes and our successes, and we felt it would be important to share what we learned with the hope that you can build on your own success.” Working from their advice, you can develop a more student-centered classroom culture and nurture learners who are engaged in real-life engineering challenges.

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How do our bodies manage to heal wounds, build the stamina to run marathons, and give us the energy—even while we’re sleeping—to keep us alive and functioning? Matter and Energy for Growth and Activity prompts high school students to explore fascinating questions like these. It takes a new approach to teaching essential ideas about food, human body systems, matter and energy changes, and chemical reactions.Developed by a team of scientists and science educators and then tested in classrooms, the 14 phenomena-based lessons in this book follow a coherent sequence. They unfold in two main sections: (1) making sense of the matter changes involved in human growth and (2) making sense of the energy changes involved in human growth and activity. Matter and Energy is unique because it does the following: Targets important ideas about changes in both physical and biological systems within the same unit. The book first engages students in seeing the usefulness of the ideas in making sense of phenomena in simple physical systems. Then it shows how to apply these ideas to make sense of related phenomena in complex biological systems. This interdisciplinary approach reflects the way science is practiced in the real world. Supports all three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. Disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science practices are all integrated in this unit. Emphasizes important relationships between mathematics and science. Students interpret data sets and graphs to provide evidence for claims. They also do simple computations to explain puzzling phenomena—for example, why does energy have to be added to ignite a marshmallow even though the burning marshmallow releases lots of energy? Builds on the middle school unit Toward High School Biology (also published by NSTA Press). Together the two units help students deepen their understanding of matter and energy changes in plants and animals and the role of chemical reactions in the growth, repair, and activity of living organisms. Matter and Energy for Growth and Activity, Student Edition provides all the student handouts with the teaching tips and sample answers found in the Teacher Edition removed. A set of online resources includes the interactive media, videos, and handouts required to use these experiential lessons. Between both books, you have the support you need to help your students turn abstract ideas into applicable knowledge—a critical first step in learning.

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What if you could challenge your first graders to create instruments they can play in their own “Show Me the Waves” musical show? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!Influence of Waves outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.This interdisciplinary module uses project- and problem-based learning to help young children explore cause and effect. It introduces them to the concept of waves as disturbances that travel through space and substances to transfer energy. Students will draw on physical and biological science, mathematics, engineering, and English language arts to do the following: Discover that there are different types of waves, such as water and sound, that come from different sources and travel in various ways. Find out that eyes, ears, and skin respond to sound and light. Use technology to gather research and communicate. Design, test, and evaluate models to demonstrate how people experience and interact with sound and light. Put on a show that combines voices and flashlights with guitars and drums they’ve made themselves to demonstrate how sound waves and light can be used to communicate and entertain. The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Influence of Waves can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

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The 15 field-tested lessons cover energy, waves and their application in technologies for information transfer, molecules and organisms, and Earth’s place in the universe and systems. Your students will explore questions ranging from how you can make an electrical car move faster to why big waves block the entrance to some New Zealand harbors.

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New in 2016!Like all enthusiastic teachers, you want your students to see the connections between important science concepts so they can grasp how the world works now—and maybe even make it work better in the future. But how exactly do you help them learn and apply these core ideas?Just as its subtitle says, this important book aims to reshape your approach to teaching and your students’ way of learning. Building on the foundation provided by A Framework for K–12 Science Education, which informed the development of the Next Generation Science Standards, the book’s four sections cover these broad areas: 1. Physical science core ideas explain phenomena as diverse as why water freezes and how information can be sent around the world wirelessly. 2. Life science core ideas explore phenomena such as why children look similar but not identical to their parents and how human behavior affects global ecosystems. 3. Earth and space sciences core ideas focus on complex interactions in the Earth system and examine phenomena as varied as the big bang and global climate change. 4. Engineering, technology, and applications of science core ideas highlight engineering design and how it can contribute innovative solutions to society’s problems. Disciplinary Core Ideas can make your science lessons more coherent and memorable, regardless of what subject matter you cover and what grade you teach. Think of it as a conceptual tool kit you can use to help your students learn important and useful science now—and continue learning throughout their lives.

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2015 REVERE Award Finalist, PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers!A 2015 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12!It’s fun to toss maple seeds up in the air and watch them spin down to the ground like nature’s own helicopters. This book prompts inquisitive kids to learn about these marvels of aerial engineering, including their real name (no, not whirlybird), the work they do for maple trees, and how to uncover the little trees waiting to sprout from the seeds. Next Time You See a Maple Seed is a mini class in how tall trees grow from these tiny, twirling winged fruits.Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena, such as maple seeds, Moon phases, pill bugs, fireflies, seashells, and sunsets. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website.

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As he begins to discover the interesting rocks all around him, Spenser has many questions about what he finds. Given the differences in the rocks’ colours, sizes, shapes, and textures, there is much to learn about rocks! But that’s not all the curious child learns in this tale of discovery. Spenser’s fascination grows as he sorts and re-sorts his rock collection and asks questions about what he observes. For Spenser—as well as young readers—the experience is an engaging introduction to scientific procedures such as classification and research.Spenser and the Rocks is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–6 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of geology, land forms, weather, environments, and other phenomena related to science and nature. Included in each volume is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

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This book’s tempting opening line invites children and adults to take in a daily phenomenon with fresh eyes. By reading Next Time You See a Sunset together, you can learn to appreciate the spinning of the Earth, the progress of day into night, and the reasons for the spectacular colours and shadows that accompany sunrise and sunset. Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You Seeseries from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as seashells and sunsets. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website. Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—be it a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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In this funny fairy tale, it takes a village to figure out the height of Milton the friendly giant. The townspeople’s attempts to gauge just how big he is will entertain young readers as they learn the importance of standard units of measurement. ow Tall Was Milton? even accounts for the real-life origin of such silly-sounding units as feet.How Tall Was Milton? is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–6 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of measurement, animals, plants, and other phenomena related to science and nature. Included in each edition is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press

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Children don’t have to be botanists-in-training to discover the message of this book: “All plants are interesting. Even the weeds.” Young readers are sure to be intrigued by the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and functions in flowers, fruit trees, and all sorts of other flora. How Does a Plant Grow? will inspire children to be newly alert to the many wonders of the plant world, from how seeds sprout to why leaves turn to the light to the vital roles of stems and roots. How Does a Plant Grow? is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–6 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of plants, animals, and other phenomena related to science and nature. Included in each edition is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

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Now Companion Classroom Activities for Stop Faking It! Force and Motion, proves an ideal supplement to the original book—or a valuable resource of its own. The hands-on activities and highly readable explanations allow students to first investigate concepts, then discuss learned concepts, and finally apply the concepts to everyday situations.

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Like three guides in one, Scientific Argumentation in Biology combines theory, practice, and biological content. This thought-provoking book starts by giving you solid background in why students need to be able to go beyond expressing mere opinions when making research-related biology claims. Then it provides 30 field-tested activities your students can use when learning to propose, support, and evaluate claims; validate or refute them on the basis of scientific reasoning; and craft complex written arguments. Detailed teacher notes suggest specific ways to use the activities to enrich and supplement (not replace) what you’re doing in class already. You’ll find Scientific Argumentation to be an ideal way to help your students learn standards-based content, improve their practices, and develop scientific habits of mind.

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Models-based science teaching embraces the creativity inherent in science and in learning. Practicing science teachers at all levels who want to explore new and better ways to frame and model science will find value in this book.

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This fascinating book will stay with children every time they gaze up at the night sky. Through vivid pictures and engaging explanations, children will learn about many of the Moon’s mysteries: what makes it look like a silvery crescent one time and a chalk-white ball a few nights later, why it sometimes appears in the daytime, where it gets its light, and how scientists can predict its shape on your birthday a thousand years from now. Next Time You See the Moon is an ideal way to explain the science behind the shape of the Moon and bring about an evening outing no child—or grown-up—will soon forget.Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as sunsets, seashells, fireflies, pill bugs, and more. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website.Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—be it a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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Keep curiosity alive! That’s the message of Never Stop Wondering, which inspires children to develop an enduring interest in the mysteries of the universe. Illustrated with whimsical drawings and written in lively verse by Emily Morgan (author of the Next Time You See series, pp. 58–60), the book is a vibrant ode to the power of asking questions and the endeavor of science. It prompts kids to be inquisitive and persistent like the great scientists of history and provides activities to get their questions flowing; it motivates them to appreciate scientific inquiry; and most important, it encourages them to never stop in their quest to explore the “whys” of the world.

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The field-tested probes are short, easy to administer, and ready to reproduce. Volume 2 suggests ways to embed the probes throughout your instruction, not just when starting a unit or topic.

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While building a soapbox racing car, a pair of friends provide an easy-to-understand lesson in how simple machines are all around us, making our work more efficient. Michael and Luci show readers that a broom is a lever, nails are wedges, and a screwdriver is both a lever and a wheel and axle. The two also prove that curious children can be just like scientists, making observations and using how and what questions to explore physical science principles they encounter all the time. Michael s Racing Machine is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K 6 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of light, color, machines, sound, and other phenomena related to physical science. Included in each volume is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

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Not since the 2011 release of A Framework for K-12 Science Education has a document held such promise and significance for the science education community as does the Next Generation Science Standards. The NGSS aims to better prepare U.S. students for the rigor of career and college-level scientific study by stressing the importance and integration of the three dimensions: science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. They will provide for a more integrated and cohesive approach to science instruction, leading to a more scientifically literate citizenry. However, the NGSS also marks a change in how we think about science instruction and the task at hand, the adoption of these new standards and their incorporation into instruction, will require a significant amount of support. The key to unlocking the full potential of the NGSS is a deep understanding of the interrelationship of its core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This brief and easy-to-use Reader’s Guide offers teachers, principals, district and state administrators—anyone with a vested interest in improving the quality of science education—the tools they need to fully absorb the new standards and begin to implement them, effectively, into classroom practices.

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When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides a wealth of real-world examples to show you what’s different about practice-centered teaching and learning at all grade levels. The book addresses three important questions: 1. How will engaging students in science and engineering practices help improve science education? 2. What do the eight practices look like in the classroom? 3. How can educators engage students in practices to bring the NGSS to life? Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices was developed for K–12 science teachers, curriculum developers, teacher educators, and administrators. Many of its authors contributed to the Framework’s initial vision and tested their ideas in actual science classrooms. If you want a fresh game plan to help students work together to generate and revise knowledge—not just receive and repeat information—this book is for you.

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This book will get young readers buzzing about bees! Next Time You See a Bee reveals the big impact these little insects have on the world. It shows how the physical features of bees make them pros at collecting and spreading pollen. It explains how bees pollinate flowers, allowing the plants to produce delicious foods such as apples, almonds, and peaches. It also introduces readers to the wide variety of North America’s native bee species, discusses why bees are threatened, and shares what readers can do to help. After reading Next Time You See a Bee, curious kids can partner with adults to observe these remarkable creatures without fear—and take bee-friendly measures to protect the insects for the benefit of us all.

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This is just the resource you need to get middle schoolers ready for August 21, 2017—the day when millions of North Americans will have the rare chance to witness a total solar eclipse. But the book’s usefulness won’t end when the eclipse does! Solar Science offers more than three dozen hands-on, inquiry-based activities on many fascinating aspects of solar astronomy. The activities cover the Sun’s motions, space weather caused by the Sun, the measuring of time and seasons in our daily lives, and much more.The authors are award-winning experts in both astronomy and science education, so they know how to prompt students to work like scientists by asking questions, doing experiments, comparing notes, and refining and reporting results. They also know you have to make the most of every instructional minute. The book contains plenty of ideas for related writing projects; grade-appropriate math examples; and connections to music, art, fiction, and history. It’s also aligned with the three-dimensional learning encouraged by the Next Generation Science Standards and connects to the Common Core State Standards.Solar Science is ideal for teachers, informal science educators, youth group leaders, curriculum specialists, and teacher trainers. You can use these versatile activities one at a time, as the basis of a stand-alone unit on the Sun, or as a comprehensive curriculum. You get to determine the best way for your students to learn a lot while having fun with the Sun.

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The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force issued new guidelines for mammograms in 2009. What does this mean for someone with a family history of breast cancer? Congress periodically votes on a piece of legislation called the Farm Bill. What does its current iteration mean for the safety of supermarket eggs? Understanding how the latest science affects real people patients, consumers, voters, and taxpayers is at the heart of science literacy. From Chapter 1 of Front-Page Science Like citizen journalists, your students can get to the heart of science literacy and challenging questions like these with the learn by doing methodology in this innovative book. Front-Page Science uses science journalism techniques to help students become better consumers of, and contributors to, a scientifically literate community. The book is divided into three parts: Background information and a rationale for using science journalism techniques Concrete advice about how to teach science literacy in this framework from helping students find story angles to teaching search strategies and interview techniques The process of putting together and writing a news story, including how to get students started, help them when they re stalled, and respond to their drafts A free website provides downloadable lesson plans, teacher suggestions, and a forum for exchanging ideas with others. Like Front-Page Science, the website is part of the National Science Foundation funded Science Literacy Through Science Journalism project. By making full use of these rich resources, you ll teach your students skills that will help them make sense of their world not just now, but also after graduation and for years to come.

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Show your students how amazing it can be to just “see what will happen” when they blend biology, engineering, and serendipity. Focusing on innovations sparked by accidental or unexpected observations, the case studies in this resource are a lively way to integrate engineering and experimentation into your biology classes. Middle and high school students will learn fundamental science processes while using their natural curiosity to explore ideas for new applications and products. They’ll also find out that small, plant-eating mammals called pikas helped scientists find new ways to survive extreme weather events and that algae can be used as airplane fuel.The book’s 20 easy-to-use investigations help you do the following: Use real-world case studies to bring accidental inspirations to life. Each investigation starts with an actual scientific discovery that students explore through primary documents or historical accounts. Let students be the innovators. The investigations task your classes to investigate biological concepts, do research, examine data, create models, and use their own personal ideas to design new products or problem-solving applications. Apply the material in flexible, interesting ways. You can implement the investigations in part or as a whole, and you can use them to teach one or more science concepts while exposing students to the unpredictable nature of science. Students will be intrigued by investigations with titles such as “Vindicating Venom: Using Biological Mechanisms to Treat Diseases and Disorders” and “Revealing Repeats: The Accidental Discovery of DNA Fingerprinting.” Discovery Engineering in Biology is not only ideal for the classroom. It’s also perfect for informal education at STEM camps, science centers, and more. You’ll help your students see that just as there is no one way to do science, there are many paths that lead to innovations in engineering. And who knows what might happen? Maybe your students will engineer the next amazing survival product inspired by pikas!

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Engineering in the Life Sciences, 9–12 provides how-to advice that will make the book your go-to resource. It offers six standards-based lessons that show how to infuse engineering concepts into existing courses. It also provides wide-ranging material from each of the major content areas in biological sciences, including structures and processes, ecosystems, heredity, and biological evolution. Spark your high school students’ interest with lesson titles such as “Designer DNA,” “Ecosystem Board Game,” and “B-pocalypse.” Inspired by extensive field testing, the authors made the book easy to use in diverse settings by supplementing the lessons with detailed support materials and adding chapters on managing engineering-oriented activities and conducting assessments. They also included teaching tips and connections to standards, plus five case studies about how engineering concepts and science intersect to address human needs. The result is lessons that are eminently doable, illustrating how you can use an authentic engineering approach to engage students with the life sciences.

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Next time you want to see a show, go outside and look at the sky. The clouds will put on a show for you with their ever-changing shapes and sizes. This book reveals some fascinating science behind these beautiful displays. Author Emily Morgan answers all kinds of questions: What are clouds made of? Why are some clouds white? Which clouds mean fair weather is coming, and which ones mean rain is on the way? If you could reach those fluffy, floaty puffs, could you jump on them like a trampoline?Next Time You See a Cloud is an engaging look at the science behind a sky-high spectacle. Make it a habit to keep looking up—there’s a new show every day!Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as spiderwebs, sunsets, fireflies, the Moon, and more. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website.Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—be it a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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This fascinating book will stay with children every time they gaze up at the night sky. Through vivid pictures and engaging explanations, children will learn about many of the Moon’s mysteries: what makes it look like a silvery crescent one time and a chalk-white ball a few nights later, why it sometimes appears in the daytime, where it gets its light, and how scientists can predict its shape on your birthday a thousand years from now. Next Time You See the Moon is an ideal way to explain the science behind the shape of the Moon and bring about an evening outing no child - or grown-up - will soon forget.Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as sunsets, seashells, fireflies, pill bugs, and more. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website.Especially designed to be experienced with an adult - be it a parent, teacher, or friend - Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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This colorful book takes students on a ramble through a school yard garden - past the seeding beds, along the compost bin, and over to the bird house and bird bath. Along the way, children learn what insects, animals, and plants need to thrive and discover the fun of observing and recording it all. My School Yard Garden proves you can learn a lot from a garden, no matter where it grows.

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Every summer children enjoy watching fireflies twinkling in the twilight, but after reading this book, they’ll see the insects with new eyes. Share Next Time You See a Firefly with a child. Discover why fireflies flash and how they live secret lives underground before coming out to fill the evening with their glimmers of light. Together you’ll also realise that if you catch fireflies, you must let them go: Fireflies have a lot to do!Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as insects, seashells, and sunsets. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website. Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—be it a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

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This thorough and thought-provoking text includes more than 200 up-to-date internet resources, as well as extensions to each of the physical science, biology, and chemistry activities.

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Titles included in the set (just to name a few) are: Pop! A Book About Bubbles; How Big Is a Foot?; How Tall How Short; Hear Your Heart; The Busy Body Book; Lucas and His Loco Beans; Diary of a Worm; Wiggling Worms at Work; Over in the Ocean; Coral Reef Animals; Our Tree Named Steve;

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Why do some birds have beaks like straws, or pouches, or even daggers? Invite students to find out by reading this story of a child and two grown-up friends on a jaunt that sparks all kinds of questions. In addition to kindling kids’ curiosity, the colourful book shows how the structure of birds’ beaks plays a significant role in how birds function to find and capture their food. Bonus background material and eight age-appropriate activities round out the contents. The authors are husband-and-wife naturalists who also wrote and illustrated From Flower to Fruit.

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Take a trip through time to discover the value of a special place to jot your thoughts, whether you’re a famous scientist or a student. Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings brings to life the many ways in which everyone from Galileo to Jane Goodall has used a science notebook, including to sketch their observations, imagine experiments, record data, or just write down their thoughts. You also get four steps to starting your own notebook, plus mini-bios of the diverse featured scientists. Written in captivating rhyme, the text is sprinkled with lively illustrations. In fact, it looks a lot like the science notebook you’ll be eager to start after reading this inspiring book.

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This illustrated book is a fun way to get young astronomers ready for August 2017, when millions of North Americans will have the rare chance to witness a total solar eclipse. The book tells how two curious children and their grandparents re-create eclipses in their living room using a lamp, a tennis ball, two Hula Hoops, and table tennis balls. Later, in the backyard and around the house, the family explores safe ways to view a solar eclipse and ponder phenomena from sunspots to phases of the Moon. Written by the authors of NSTA’s award-winning book Solar Science, When the Sun Goes Dark gives children and adults hands-on techniques for learning the science behind eclipses of the Sun and Moon.

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What really helps your students learn science: Labs? Group work? Certain types of problems or test questions? Something you never even thought about? Find out with data that go way beyond what standardized test scores tell you. The Feedback Loop describes a process by which you design formative assessments of what you do and collect a variety of forms of data. Then, the book shows you ways to actually use the information to improve your teaching.Drawing on research-based findings and the experiences of both new and veteran classroom teachers, the guide offers practical ideas for middle and high school teachers, regardless of discipline. The first chapters introduce the Feedback Loop framework; highlight the four elements of goals, tools, data, and inferences; and explore how to close the loop by connecting inferences and goals through feedback. Later chapters show how to use the full loop to inform your instruction. The book supports the Next Generation Science Standards and includes classroom vignettes that ground the ideas in real-life situations. Meant to illuminate without overwhelming you, The Feedback Loop’s data-driven approach will support student learning and help strengthen your teaching practice in your very next lesson or unit.

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From Flower to Fruit will transform curious readers - children and adults - into budding botanists. The book draws you in with the twin charms of rich illustrations and an engaging narrative. But this is more than just a pretty storybook. It sparks curiosity about the parts of a flower and the vital roles of bees and seeds in plant reproduction.Six kid-friendly activities and background information for parents and teachers complement the text. The authors also encourage you to explore several mysteries: How does a seed change as it sprouts into a plant? Why do scientists call a tomato a fruit? Can some fruits really fly, float, and stick to your socks .

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This book about life cycles and the food chain begs to be read out loud. Written in the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built,” The Tree by Diane’s House tells the story of a budding tree and a growing girl. As the tree grows from seed to sycamore, its leaves become meals for caterpillars, which become food for birds. Diane witnesses what happens when living things depend on one another—until they can’t do so anymore. This bittersweet tale provides a thought-provoking ending for young readers about the circle of life in the natural world.The Tree by Diane’s House is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K–3 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of animals, plants, and other phenomena related to biology. Included in each volume is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.

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Inform and inspire young naturalists with this book about a very special butterfly garden. Mrs. Carter’s Butterfly Garden is the story of how former First Lady Rosalynn Carter started a front yard project that grew into a butterfly-friendly trail through her hometown of Plains, Georgia. Learn from Mrs. Carter’s example why it’s good for people when butterflies have welcoming spaces and how kids can create their own butterfly gardens at home or school.

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