The Practical Science Teachers

Here's this month's 7 things to know from NSTA.

NGSS Now: 6 Things to Know in September 2024 The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is hosting a virtual and in-person event celebrating 20 years of the Board on Science Education. Speakers and panelists will lead conversations to reflect on the science education community’s accomplishments as well as its vision for th...

Hey friends,
I really need your help on this. Realizing that you probably receive many requests for funds, I'm adding one more! This is for a cause close to my heart. Last year, I attended a funeral for my friend, Pat, who died from ALS. It's better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It's devastating. There is no cure. There isn't even an effective treatment. Cutting to the chase, I'm walking in the ALS Walk for a Cure at the zoo on Sept. 30th and could use more donations. Please consider any amount you can spare. This link goes to my fundraising site. Thanks in advance.

The time is now to defeat ALS! For people battling ALS, time is not a luxury to waste. With an average life expectancy of 2-5 years following diagnosis, there is clear urgency to optimize care and find effective treatments for those affected by the disease. That's why we need to do everything we can to help The ALS Association fu...

I had planned to write an article about Project 2025 and education, but greater minds than mine have done the work. This is a good article to start learning about Project 2025 and education.

How could Project 2025 change education? From Head Start to student loans, the conservative proposal for a new Trump administration known as Project 2025 would have a wide reach.

https://nancyebailey.com/2024/04/24/theres-too-much-stuff-on-classroom-walls/

There’s Too Much Stuff on Classroom Walls! - Nancy Bailey's Education Website Classroom walls for young children learning to read are often covered with words, letters, word sounds, symbols, vocabulary, and even speech therapy pronunciation mouths, which are creepy. For years, Word Walls have ruled. Bare walls are also dull and uninviting, but Word Walls scream emergency. Chi...

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-04-19-bringing-better-stem-education-to-the-rural-south?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter

Bringing Better STEM Education to the Rural South - EdSurge News A new curriculum will use project-based learning and culturally relevant teaching strategies to engage high school physics and chemistry students.

Did you wonder what those red dots were during the Total Solar Eclipse? I did. Here's the answer:

What Were the Red Dots around the Total Solar Eclipse? During the total solar eclipse, skywatchers saw ruby-colored prominences sticking out of the moon's shadow. Here's the science of those red dots

Take care of those eyes Monday afternoon!

Solar eclipse viewer Here's how to make a pinhole camera for safe solar eclipse viewing.

Searching for activities to teach students about the upcoming solar eclipse? The Moon will soon block sunlight across a wide swath of the United States, resulting in a total solar eclipse. We've created two activities for Grades K-2, celebrating this cosmic show and allowing students to explore how a solar eclipse occurs. Quick set up and minimal preparation, these activities will take about 30 minutes to complete. $3.00

What is a Solar Eclipse? Skywatchers everywhere are always excited to view a rare total solar eclipse. The Moon blocks sunlight across a wide swath of the United States, resulting in a total solar eclipse. We've created two activities for Grades K-2, celebrating this cosmic show and allowing students to explore how a solar....

If you have an iPhone, read and listen to this post. It talks about the latest, devious malware attack and how to avoid it.

Watch Out for This New iPhone Phishing Attack iPhone users need to be aware of a new iPhone phishing attack that is being used to scam iPhone owners. Recently, a sophisticated phishing attack has

Latest freebies and opportunities from NSTA:

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, March 26, 2024 Ocean Odyssey Educators GuideNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Ocean Odyssey Educators Guide has eight lessons for grades 2–5 exploring ocean literacy and how oceans impact our lives. Based on the IMAX film Ocean Odyssey, the lessons explore animals that live in the ocean ...

I read a Buzzfeed article about why teachers leave the profession, but this one teacher's addition almost made me cry because it rang so true.

5."As someone who left with years of experience, I just want to send a shoutout to all of you who were the 'good kids.' The quiet ones. The ones who never raised your hands. Who never made trouble. Who turned in your work. Who didn’t ask for much. Who thought you were good at 'disappearing' in the classroom. Know this: We saw you. We cared about you. I’m sorry we were too overburdened with your disruptive classmates to pay more attention to you. We remember you. And you’re the ones we still miss from our teaching careers. Yeah, those other kids ruined it for all of us. But, you’re the ones who kept us coming back as long as we did. We still think of you. We wonder whatever happened to you. Did you get into that college you wanted? Get married? Get your dream job? But most of all, we wish we could have made school a lot better for you. You deserved more than the bullies and the weak administrators. You are remembered!"

Worth checking out!

Free Classroom Resources Experiments for the Holidays

https://mailchi.mp/wested/ngss-now-7-things-to-know-in-november-9541288?e=4cbdd5775c

NGSS Now: 6 Things to Know in November 2023

The bewitching season is here! Check out our fun Halloween puzzles for your 3rd grade class today!

Parents, are you overindulging your kid? This 4-question test can help you find out | KQED Giving in to your kid too much can be harmful to their development. Find out how to say 'no' and enforce rules that stick.

Student-Led Conferences: A How-to Guide Learn how to conduct successful student-led parent teacher conferences and explore key questions that can improve the experience for your students.

Here's the latest!

NGSS Now: 6 Things to Know in October 2023

8 free AI-powered tools that can save teachers time and enhance instruction | KQED Have you heard of Conker AI? Question Well? Twee? Curipod? An educator recommends her favorite AI-powered tools to boost teachers' efficiency.

3 Things we get wrong in responding to child grief — and how to do better | KQED Over 200,000 students lost a caregiver to COVID-19. Bereaved students don't need adults to "fix" their grief, but they do need someone to listen to them.

Enjoy!

Freebies and Opportunities for Science and STEM Teachers, October 3, 2023 The Secret Life of Denim Students in grades 2–4 will explore how denim “grows” from the cotton plant with this Young Minds Inspired program developed with the research and marketing company Cotton Incorporated. A whimsical cotton boll named Baxter will guide your students as they learn about

Using Board Games to Teach Math to Young Children Playing board and card games can improve number sense among children as young as 3—and it’s fun!

When students own their learning, they view mistakes as learning opportunities 📷

Sketchnote by John Spencer

Storms in The U.S. | The U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index Pulling in 184 sets of data to rank more than 70,000 U.S. Census tracts, the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index helps you see which communities face the greatest challenges from the impacts of a changing climate. This tool shows what is driving the challenges, so policymakers and communities themselve...

Get your moon tree!

Educators: Celebrate the start of a new school year with a seedling from one of the nearly 2,000 tree seeds that traveled to the Moon and back aboard NASA’s Orion Spacecraft! 🌜🌳

Learn how you can apply to acquire a Moon Tree for your classroom: http://go.nasa.gov/3s834Rr

Encouraging Teens to Develop Self-Regulation Skills When students understand their individual strengths, they can advocate for themselves and meet their own needs.

Teens Need to Start School Later. No More Excuses, Experts Say These two large school systems shifted to later start times for secondary schools and they say your district can, too.