-
My eBook “Think Like a Scientist: Understanding Weather & Climate” is now available through NSTA Press. Learn more about this and other NSTA ebooks for the K-5 classroom here.
Category Archives: 3-5
Designing Family Investigations for Remote Science Learning
It has been eight weeks since our Burlington Schools were closed due to the spread of coronavirus through our community. What was once a temporary inconvenience as turned into a remote learning trial by fire for school district’s across the … Continue reading
NSTA’s “Daily Do” and my eBook: Investigating Weather and Climate
The NSTA recently made the generous decision to open all of its NSTA Kids eBooks freely available on the web at nsta.org/ebooks. These digital, interactive readers are aligned to Next Generation Science Standards across K-5 grade levels and a great … Continue reading
Posted in 3-5, Digital Tools
Tagged climate, earth science, NSTA, patterns, reading, technology
Leave a comment
Weaving ‘Book Talks’ into Science, Weaving Science into ‘Book Talks’
View this post on Instagram Investigating an octopus’ suction cups during the Memorial Superfish aquarium field-trip preview program. A post shared by Burlington Science Center (@burlingtonsciencecenter) on Jan 24, 2020 at 11:52am PST Over the past several months I … Continue reading
Posted in 3-5, K-2, Professional Reflections
Tagged collaboration, crosscutting concepts, reading
Leave a comment
Better Integrating “Keys to Literacy” Scaffolds and Strategies Across the Science Curriculum
Over the past several years our Burlington elementary educators have been inundated with changes. Besides the upending of our K-5 science and engineering curriculum classroom educators were introduced to “Keys to Literacy” a K-12 ranging program designed to boost student … Continue reading
Posted in 3-5, Curriculum, K-2, Professional Development
Tagged Keys to Literacy, writing
Leave a comment
Coded Communications Thanks to Teacher Collaboration
Time is tight in the elementary schools to meet all the expectations of our state’s science standards. So when opportunities knocks for collaboration with teachers who have face time with students outside of their allotted science time – I answer! … Continue reading
Beyond Toothpicks and Marshmallows: Engineering Earthquake Resistant Structures
I’ve been searching high and low for an earthquake engineering design challenge that gave students more control in planning and evaluating their earthquake-resistant constructions than the common “toothpicks and marshmallows” challenge often seen in primary and middle grades. So … Continue reading
Posted in 3-5, Classroom Activities, Digital Tools, NGSS
Tagged earth science, earthquakes, engineering, waves and communication
Leave a comment
Facilitating a Weather & Climate Unit with my new NSTA Kids eBook
NSTA is unveiling a new “Think Like a Scientist” series of eBooks at the #NSTA17 Conference in Los Angeles for elementary age students. While NSTA has been producing eBooks for teachers and older students for some time now, these eBooks may be … Continue reading
Posted in 3-5, Digital Tools, NGSS, Professional Reflections
Leave a comment
Using PhET Simulations to Explore the Cause and Effect Relationship between Forces and Motion
One of my goals this year is to develop a third grade forces and motion curriculum with a team of Burlington elementary teachers. While this work is only in its infancy I am optimistic then at least one of the … Continue reading
Assessing Human Impact in the Cafeteria
Hundreds of mouths stood agape as six students in white “haz-mat” suits picked through a mountainous pile of trays, plastic wrappers, tater tots and pizza sticks. Shrieks and “ewwwwwww”s carried through the gymnasium. Students and teachers collectively held their noses. … Continue reading
Developing an Understanding of Light Energy through PhET Models
“Light moves in the form of waves” and is “reflected, refracted, and absorbed” are all traditional statements of light energy that become staples of assessment for student understanding. But whether students can apply this understanding is a big question. The NGSS … Continue reading
Posted in 3-5, Classroom Activities, Digital Tools, Professional Reflections
Tagged Grades 3-5, light, NGSS, PhET simulation, physical science, technology
Leave a comment
Musselman / Science 