Energy and Matter is one of the most challenging Crosscutting Concepts for students and teachers. Read this post to get the anwers you need. Energy and Matter: An Overview This Crosscutting Concept is pervasive across science disciplines and the Next…
I started using an interactive notebook during my second year of teaching. This post was written at the start of my 10th year in the classroom. It focuses on the traditional method of creating interactive notebooks. However, I don’t use…
I started working with my students to created digital NGSS models earlier this year. And, in this short time I have learn a lot about what to do. And, what not to do. For example, I have decided that Google…
Cause and Effect is one of the most versatile Crosscutting Concepts. Use it with any of the Science and Engineering Practices. Let’s discuss what the NGSS Crosscutting Concept of Cause and Effect looks like in the Upper Elementary Science classroom…
Many teachers mistakenly believe that if they are using models in their classroom, they are meeting the intent of this practice for the middle school grade band. However, the Science and Engineering Practices are divided into grade level bands to…
Systems and System models is one of my favorite Crosscutting Concepts to connect to in my middle school science class. This Crosscutting Concept helps students understand what is within the learning scope. It also helps to provide some structure for…
The Crosscutting Concepts of Systems and System Models is quickly becoming one of my favorites to use in my NGSS aligned middle school classes. I use this practice regularly in my classroom to help students understand the scope of what…
Creating appropriate tables and graphs is an important skill in analyzing and interpreting data. Often, students are given data tables or graph outlines to work with. Unfortunately, this means that few students know how to create tables and graphs on…
Many teachers have switched to using a digital notebook this year. But, this brings up the question – “How can students create digital models?” In this post, I will discuss options to help your students create digital models in order…
The Science and Engineering Practice of Asking Questions is foundational to science. In this post, find out what Asking Questions looks like in an elementary classroom. Also, find out why this is the most used practice in my class and…
