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COLLECTING, INTERPRETING, & ANALYZING DATAAs a science educator, you want your students to think and act like scientists, which includes presenting their data and communicating findings to their peers. Students at the middle school level are expected to use appropriate tools and techniques, including mathematics and graphing, to analyze and interpret data and to communicate experimental findings. When students can identify and explore factors that affect data, such as variability and reliability, their skills of observation, measurement, and experimental design improve. To help you help your students, we've put together a collection of ideas on collecting data. Data Collection in the News Article summaries provided by the NSTA WebNews Digest (Visit http://www.nsta.org/mainnews for nationwide news for science educators). Discover through this month's news articles the various ways you can teach your students to collect and analyze data. Articles selected for this issue discuss how schools and scientists partner in an astrophysics project, as well as how students are selected to work with NASA scientists at a space flight facility and on an experiment with the agency. http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/news_stories_middle.htm Data Collection on the Net In this month's middle level journal, Science Scope, NSTA members read "Watershed Investigations." The link to that article is: http://www.nsta.org/gateway&j=ss&n=49177 SciLinks® is a web-based service from NSTA that provides online content chosen for printed articles and books. It does so through keywords; the keyword for this issue is: Presenting Scientific Data: http://www.scilinks.org/retrieve_outside.asp?sl=9263565510441044 NSTA Articles on Data Collection The following NSTA journal articles provide you with useful ideas about collecting, interpreting, and analyzing data. Click here to read more: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/middle.htm Books, Books, Books Click here to view the NSTA Catalog books on collecting, interpreting, and analyzing data: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/books_middle.htm Click here to view the list of new books from NSTA Press: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/newbooksmiddle.htm Professional Development First Major Study Suggests Worth of National 'Seal' The first in a long-awaited series of studies shows that nationally certified teachers are more effective at raising their students' reading and math scores than are teachers who apply for the credential but do not receive it. (Education Week) Click here to read more: http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=27certify.h23 NSTA Opportunities Coming Your Way: A Summer Issue of Science Scope You told us you have more time for reading and planning in the summer months, so we are mailing our first-ever summer issue of Science Scope this July. Click here to read more: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/scopesummer.pdf NSTA's Position Papers—Advocating for Science Education NSTA's research-based position statements outline the organization's stand on critical issues in science education. These position papers can offer you a sound voice on important issues affecting science education today. These statements provide you with valuable background on today's science education issues. Click here to read more: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/www.pdf Write for NSTA's Journals Science Scope (Grades 6–9) has issued this Call for Papers on specific topics. Click here to find out more: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/scope.htm Next Month's Theme: Fun and Games If your colleagues would like to subscribe to Science Class, please direct them to: http://www.nsta.org/newsletters. If you have a text-only browser or are having any difficulties with our links, please visit http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-04/member_middle.htm. THE FINE PRINTThis
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