I have been using interactive notebooks in my science classroom for over 10 years. I have made countless changes to my notebooks since I started using them all of those years ago. Below, I will tell you everything that I…
The NGSS Crosscutting Concepts are one of the three dimensions of the standards. There are many uses for them in your science classroom. However, teachers often underutilize them. Below I explain what the Crosscutting Concepts are and how to use…
Science and Engineering Practices are one of the three dimensions of the NGSS. They represent a significant change in science education because they empower students to take the lead in their own education. And, they represent a shift away from…
While the Scientific Method is a staple in many science classrooms, it doesn’t align with the NGSS.
In this post, I explain why I don’t use the scientific method in my classroom any more and why it doesn’t align. I also provide articles of support if you aren’t quite ready to give up the scientific method yet.
For years, I started the year in my science classroom in essentially the same way. Why? Because it was what I had always done AND it seemed like the other science teachers around me were doing the same thing. But,…
The 3 dimensions of the NGSS are at the heart of the instructional shifts that come with these standards. 3D learning in the NGSS represents a move away from the memorization of unrelated facts. Instead, they require a move toward…
Argumentation helps scientists to understand the world around them. Also, it is a tool that we use in our everyday lives to improve our understanding of a subject. However, argumentation was absent in previous versions of the standards. Here is…
The setup of your science classroom is very important in how the classroom will run. Here are important things to consider when setting up your science classroom for the year. What things should you consider when you set up your…
The Crosscutting Concepts connect the content of different disciplines. However, your students won’t understand these connections unless they are explicitly made for your students. One excellent way to make these connections for your students is to use a Crosscutting Concept…
A major focus of my STEM certification program last year was structuring the classroom to increase student independence within a science or STEM course. Why is student independence so important in a science class? When you make the shift to…
