Stop Letting Your Textbook Tell You What To Teach
When I walked into my first science classroom, my "curriculum map" was a table that listed topics and textbook chapters. I was a new teacher and didn't know what else…
Is Your Science Content Inspiring Student Learning?
"No One Cares About Your Content, Cathy" I figured I'd give Karen a break. 🤣 Sorry, all you Cathys. But seriously, let's chat about content... and the reality that oftentimes,…
Teaching NGSS Literacy and Argumentation By Understanding Scarce Water Resources
Engaging in Argument from Evidence is one of the Science and Engineering Practices we should be embedding into our regular instruction as a way for students to develop a strong…
What You Can Do To Prepare For The Uncertainties Of Next School Year
A common problem I see with online teaching resources is avoiding the "teaching as telling" trap. I know, it's so hard to do. I've seen some beautiful digital resources that…
Interactive Science Notebooks For The NGSS
The term “interactive science notebooks” is most likely not entirely foreign to you. It’s been around for years now, and I think for most teachers, it conjures up images of…
The Step You Can’t Skip Planning Your Next NGSS Storyline
When you embrace exploration and discovery in your science classroom, you'll find learning just takes more time. There's no way around it. Students need time to figure things out. While…
Hands-On To Minds-On Learning By Exploring Atmospheric Currents
When I first started using discovery-based learning and the NGSS, my students struggled. They were used to traditional science classrooms where they were told information, took notes and completed worksheets,…
3 Ways To Incorporate Data In Your NGSS Classroom
There are so many ways to engage your students in the discovery of a concept. Model-building (the 3D kind), simulations, and investigations are great ways to get students moving,…
Science Phenomena For Your NGSS Storylines
I may have mentioned I have a penchant for wanting to DIY things. The idea always sounds good in theory. Chocolate-covered Oreos are pretty expensive for that little box, why…
NGSS Storylines For Online Distance Learning
We can all agree this emergency remote learning situation isn't ideal. It's not ideal in a typical science classroom, and it certainly is making three dimensional, NGSS-aligned instruction particularly challenging.…