On April 8th, big kids and little kids alike have an amazing opportunity to add some wonder to the old memory bank. If you happen to live in the path of totality, prepare to be amazed! Don’t miss your chance. The next solar eclipse in the US won’t happen for another twenty years!…
Associate Professor of Science Education
Howard University
The need for student identification and belonging in the scientific community begins in the biology curriculum. This requires equity-mindedness and meaningful inclusion that supports equitable classroom practices and equity science content and pedagogy. This presentation focus’ on the rationale and benefit to teachers and students for developing equity-mindedness for meaningful inclusion. These lesson ideas and strategies are supported by the 3-dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards.
Trainers, co-authors of
Forensic Science: Fundamentals and Investigations
Curator of Anthropology
Field Museum, Chicago, IL
National Geographic Society Grantee
Exec. Product Marketing Manager
National Geographic Learning | Cengage
Senior Product Marketing Manager
National Geographic Learning | Cengage
National Geographic Explorer, Rose Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Professor of Geology, University of Montana
Author, National Geographic Earth and Space Science
Associate Dean and Professor of Science Education
In this session, we explore a wide variety of science phenomena from high school earth and space science and how to apply these to hands-on science lessons. Utilizing resources from National Geographic and the new Earth & Space Science program, we’ll show how images, videos, and hands-on demonstrations connect students to phenomena and standards-based learning (including NGSS). Lesson ideas and teaching strategies will be appropriate for distance learning and classroom instruction.
Senior Product Marketing Manager, K-12 Science
National Geographic Learning | Cengage
Customer Success Consultant
National Geographic Learning | Cengage
In this session, we explore a wide variety of science phenomena from high school earth and space science and how to apply these to hands-on science lessons. Utilizing resources from National Geographic and the new Earth & Space Science program, we’ll show how images, videos, and hands-on demonstrations connect students to phenomena and standards-based learning (including NGSS). Lesson ideas and teaching strategies will be appropriate for distance learning and classroom instruction.
In this webinar replay, you will:
Finding time to engage students in science was already challenging enough before being forced into distance learning by a pandemic. Now with synchronous instruction time with students even less than before when you were in class, it’s nearly impossible to fit science in. With the fun and easy resources here, you will be motivated to tackle science lessons and keep students engaged with science in some unique and creative ways.
One very eye-catching way to get students’ attention is to show them some amazing live images. One way to do this is with a tool like a hand-held digital camera microscope. These little cameras can magnify the surface of any object up to 500x just by touching it with the tip of the lens. They can connect to a computer by USB or to a phone or tablet through WiFi. These live magnified images are an ideal way to introduce phenomena at the beginning of lessons. What you can magnify is practically limitless, but some interesting objects include: flowers; sand; fabric/clothing; insects; human body parts such as skin, fingerprints, hair, eyes; and everyday object become extraordinary under magnification such as coins and paper money, pen ink and pencil writing, and even the pixels on your cell phone will make you rethink how everything is made. There are many sources for getting these hand-held camera microscopes starting at about $50, one good source for teachers is Southern Science Supply.
Making observations may seem like a simple task, but students (especially younger ones) can always use more practice in finding important details and patterns, and also practicing patience. One way you may not have tried is to have students make animal observations using the hundreds of free live streaming cams offered by zoos, aquariums, and other nature organizations. What is great about these is that they usually stream 24 hours a day allowing students to peek in on animal life at any time of day or night. Having students focus on one species (or even one specific individual animal), and make observations over hours or days will increase their observational skills and provide a window into animal behavior that a few minutes at a crowded zoo cannot provide. There are literally hundreds of zoos and aquariums with cameras, but below are a few good options to start with.
National Zoo in Washington, DC
Kids will (sometimes) happily watch a pre-recorded video as part of a science lesson, but why not make that experience active and real by connecting live with a National Geographic Explorer or other scientists? There are many opportunities for your students to talk live to a scientist, engineer, Explorer, or photographer where students are live on-camera with the Explorer and able to talk and ask questions directly to them. The National Geographic Explorer Classroom program offers teachers comprehensive support for these live encounters with Educator Guides available for each event to help you prep students before, to pay closer attention while live, and to discuss what was learned after the event. Some of these are even offered in Spanish and American Sign Language.
One teacher, Joe Grabowski, set up so many of these live events with scientists and his students that he actually became a National Geographic Explorer because of his work to connect students to real scientists this way. With help from Nat Geo, Joe was able to set up and expand his own organization called Exploring By the Seat of Your Pants to facilitate daily live events for students to connect with scientists live.
The best part is that every event from both organizations above is recorded and available for free, on-demand, any time. There are literally hundreds of videos on every subject area imaginable to choose from!
Students can also get to know National Geographic Explorers through using our National Geographic Exploring Science program for grades K-5 where students ‘meet’ many Explorers in the pages of the book and in the digital platform through videos. Each grade includes one host Explorer who revisits students throughout the year in the text and digital platform.
Instead of using Google Earth to fly over your own house or to ‘spy’ on your neighbors, why not use the power of the tool to take students to places they’ve never been before? Google Earth and other organizations have created some incredible opportunities for learning through hosted, informational, and content-rich explorations all over the world. Being whisked away digitally to a faraway place is only so valuable without some context and guidance while you’re there. The examples below include either teacher resources to help students make the most of their trip, or they have valuable resources and guidance built-in to keep students on task in their learning. The Google list below includes several expeditions created by National Geographic and other Explorers including Jane Goodall. All of these are free resources.
The Nature Conservancy Virtual Field Trips
Google Earth “Voyager” Expeditions (may take a minute to load)
National Geographic Virtual Expeditions:
Saving the Kordofan Giraffe with Explorer Naftali Honig
Goodall, Gombe, and Google with Jane Goodall
Building the National Geographic Photo Ark with Joel Sartore
Helping People and Animals Coexist with Explorer Krithi Karanth
Explore the Last Pristine Seas with Explorer Enric Sala
Students as young as preschool have the skills to collect real scientific data that scientists need to do their work. Allowing students of all ages the opportunity to make a real contribution to the scientific body of knowledge can be a very powerful experience. Citizen Science projects connect everyday people and their willingness to observe and collect some data, with scientists who rely on that data to conduct their research. This can be as simple as taking a picture with your phone using the iNaturalist App to share with the science community, or as elaborate as climbing a mountain peak and collecting snow samples along the way (only for the experts!). These projects can also be as local as observing the stream in your neighborhood to the worldwide Christmas Bird Count conducted every year for the past 120 years by the Audubon Society. Get started choosing how you’ll make an impact with the links below.
National Geographic Citizen Science Projects
Adventure Scientists run by NG Explorer Gregg Treinish
Engaging K–8 students in the current environment is especially challenging. With the demands on teachers to keep students on-task through distance learning or with social distancing in classrooms, science instruction time is being sacrificed for other priorities. This session will provide teachers with practical guidance on using available tools and resources to teach K–8 science effectively regardless of how you are teaching. Hear advice from fellow teachers for keeping science at the forefront in lesson planning and the benefits science instruction has in keeping students engaged and motivated to learn. We will use examples from our Exploring Science K–5 program to show how students can learn science content and practices, including hands-on activities, in any teaching scenario.
Senior Product Marketing Manager, K-12 Science
2nd Grade Teacher, Blissfield Community Schools
Engaging K–8 students in the current environment is especially challenging. With the demands on teachers to keep students on-task through distance learning or with social distancing in classrooms, science instruction time is being sacrificed for other priorities. This session will provide teachers with practical guidance on using available tools and resources to teach K–8 science effectively regardless of how you are teaching. Hear advice from fellow teachers for keeping science at the forefront in lesson planning and the benefits science instruction has in keeping students engaged and motivated to learn. We will use examples from our Exploring Science K–5 program to show how students can learn science content and practices, including hands-on activities, in any teaching scenario.
In this webinar replay, you will: