Updates to Our Solar System Module

May 28th, 2009

 

Science is Alive and Changing

    

solarsystem     

 

One of the beautiful things about science is that its concepts and theories change as new discoveries are made. This can, however, pose a challenge for keeping paper textbooks current.

 

If you currently use the Our Solar System module, please follow the link below to find notes about changes in the prevailing definition of a planet and how these affect the book in your classroom.

 

Click here to find out what’s new in our solar system!

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A Taste of the Future!

May 28th, 2009

 

What We’re Planning for the Fall…

   

Virtual Workshops

We got resoundingly positive reactions to our “Virtual NSTA” this spring, so we’ll be offering more virtual events as school starts up again in the fall and through out the school year.

This is a chance to explore Science Companion from the comfort of your own computer… Stay tuned for the schedule.

 

Science Companion Goes High Tech!

In the next year, we’ll be digitizing all of our print materials for you. What does this mean for you?  The teaching tools you need in a portable and navigable format.

Our Teacher Lesson Manuals, for example, will include hot links to all of the support materials you need, like:

  • Teacher Directions
  • Teacher Background Information
  • Black Line Masters
  • Assessment Forms
  • Family Links
  • And More!

Everything you need will be all included in one PDF package.

Click here to download special preview lesson from the Energy Module  Teacher Lesson Manual! 

When you open the file, click on the blue links to explore how you can access different resources you need.

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Page Keeley: “Elementary Science Education in the K–12 System”

May 27th, 2009

    

An NSTA Report 

 

Page KeeleyElementary Science Coalition Board Member  and outgoing NSTA President Page Keeley has written a great article on the importance of elementary science education.

 

She states, “Learning in science begins in early childhood. This is a time when young minds are curious about science and ready to engage in the practices and language of science that form a foundation to be built upon and strengthened throughout a student’s K-12 education. Young children bring to science views of the natural world and ways of thinking that have a major impact on their learning as they progress from one grade level to the next. Ignoring these ideas and delaying the development of science language and practices until students formally encounter science in middle school certainly violates what we know about systems: If one part is missing, it affects the other parts of the system.”
    

Please click here to read the full article. 

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