Ask A Science Teacher

Fun and fascinating Q&As on topics from astronomy to zoology: “A treasure.” —Library Journal We’ve all grown so used to living in a world filled with wonders that we sometimes forget to wonder about them: What creates the wind? Do fish sleep? Why do we blink? All too often, the explanations remain shrouded in mystery—or behind a haze of technical language. For kids of all ages—or those of us who should have raised our hands in science class but didn’t—Larry Scheckel comes to the rescue. An award-winning science teacher and longtime columnist for his local newspaper, Scheckel is a master explainer with a trove of knowledge. Just ask the students and devoted readers who’ve spent years trying to stump him! In Ask a Science Teacher, Scheckel collects 250 of his favorite Q&As and provides refreshingly uncomplicated explanations. You’ll learn how planes really fly, why the Earth is round, how microwaves heat food, and much more on topics including: The Human Body * Earth Science * Astronomy * Chemistry * Physics * Technology * Zoology * Music and conundrums that don’t fit into any category “For any curious minded reader—young or old.” —Publishers Weekly

Questions, questions, questions! They are a large part of a teacher's stock-in-trade. We use questions to help students review, to check on comprehension, to stimulate critical thinking, to encourage creativity, to emphasize a point, to control classroom activtiies, reduce disruptive behaviour, to help determine grades, to encourage discussion, to discourage inattentiveness, and for other reasons and purposes. Questioning style and content varies from teacher to teacher, student group to student group, and situation to situation. The aim of this "How to..." booklet is to help you focus on a common teaching activity, the asking of questions. To illustrate some of the classifications and concepts discussed, excerpts from a videotaped lesson to third graders on magnetism appears at the end of this booklet.

Rise and Shine provides a friendly support system that new science teachers can turn to in their first days, months, and even years in the classroom. This easy-to-read book offers plenty of helpful techniques for managing the classroom, maintaining discipline, and working with parents. But it also covers important topics unique to science teaching, such as setting up a laboratory, keeping the classroom safe, and initiating inquiry from the first day. Sprinkled throughout the book is candid advice from seasoned science teachers who offer both useful strategies and warm reassurance. Rise and Shine is designed to help preservice teachers, those in the first few years of teaching (regardless of grade level), and those who may be entering a new situation within the teaching field. If you need a mentor-or if you are a mentor or instructor who wants to support beginning science teachers-this book is for you.

Your Science Classroom: Becoming an Elementary / Middle School Science Teacher, by authors M. Jenice "Dee" Goldston and Laura Downey, is a core teaching methods textbook for use in elementary and middle school science methods courses. Designed around a practical, "practice-what-you-teach" approach to methods instruction, the text is based on current constructivist philosophy, organized around 5E inquiry, and guided by the National Science Education Teaching Standards.

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.

A winning educational formula of engaging lessons and powerful strategies for science teachers in numerous classroom settings The Teacher’s Toolbox series is an innovative, research-based resource providing teachers with instructional strategies for students of all levels and abilities. Each book in the collection focuses on a specific content area. Clear, concise guidance enables teachers to quickly integrate low-prep, high-value lessons and strategies in their middle school and high school classrooms. Every strategy follows a practical, how-to format established by the series editors. The Science Teacher's Toolbox is a classroom-tested resource offering hundreds of accessible, student-friendly lessons and strategies that can be implemented in a variety of educational settings. Concise chapters fully explain the research basis, necessary technology, Next Generation Science Standards correlation, and implementation of each lesson and strategy. Favoring a hands-on approach, this bookprovides step-by-step instructions that help teachers to apply their new skills and knowledge in their classrooms immediately. Lessons cover topics such as setting up labs, conducting experiments, using graphs, analyzing data, writing lab reports, incorporating technology, assessing student learning, teaching all-ability students, and much more. This book enables science teachers to: Understand how each strategy works in the classroom and avoid common mistakes Promote culturally responsive classrooms Activate and enhance prior knowledge Bring fresh and engaging activities into the classroom and the science lab Written by respected authors and educators, The Science Teacher's Toolbox: Hundreds of Practical Ideas to Support Your Students is an invaluable aid for upper elementary, middle school, and high school science educators as well those in teacher education programs and staff development professionals.

Proven through more than a decade of rigourous research to be effective with both teachers and students, Making Sense of SCIENCE helps teachers gain a deep and enduring understanding of tricky science topics, think and reason scientifically, and support content literacy in science, thereby increasing student achievement. The materials presented in this book help teachers gain a solid understanding of trick science concepts and common misconceptions, support productive and worthwhile professional learning communities, and prepare teachers to implement standards-based science curriculum. Topics are central to the Next Generation Science Framework and aligned with the Common Core State Standards in literacy. This book guides teachers through investigations of motion, changes in motions, force, and the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration, and features: hands-on experiments with easy-to-follow instrucitons and illustrations; clear explanations of tough science concepts; examples of classic misconceptions; a bank of formative assessments; a CD containing reproducible black line masters; and a guided protocol for evaluating student work in professional learning communities.

This book provides a comprehensive survey of strategies developed to promote authentic, meaningful science learning. The book includes a wide-ranging review of educational theories and practices as well as many useful science lessons and assessment strategies.