E l e m e n t a r y E d i t i o n
M a y 2 0 0 4
EXPLORING WEATHERBecause weather involves chemistry, physics, geology, and biology, it serves as a wonderful way to integrate various science disciplines. By teaching about the weather, you have the opportunity to show your students how the Earth is unique. They get a chance to understand the bigger picture of how Earth systems work. This issue can help you plan activities and lessons to work the weather into your curriculum. No matter where you live, the weather affects your daily life, allowing you many different opportunities to bring the weather indoors and into your classroom. Exploring Weather in the News Article summaries provided by the NSTA WebNews Digest (Visit http://www.nsta.org/mainnews for nationwide news for science educators). Program Places Weather Stations in 2 Schools (The Charlotte
Observer) A partnership between the National Weather Service and the American Weather Service results in a new program that enables students to monitor the weather through reporting stations in the classroom. Click here to read more: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/living/education/7589147.htm Exploring Weather on the Net In this month's elementary journal, Science & Children, NSTA members read "S'COOL Science" The link to that article is: http://www.nsta.org/gateway&j=sc&n=49275 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: Clouds and Fog: http://www.scilinks.org/retrieve_outside.asp?sl=92635621105510441011 NSTA Article on Exploring Weather The suggestions in this Teaching with Tradebooks article, "Weather
Watchers (May 2003) will help you use tradebooks to enhance a unit
about weather. Activities for students in grades K-3 and 4-6 are
provided. http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-05/sc0305_18.pdf Books, Books, Books Click here to view the NSTA Catalog books on exploring weather: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-05/books_elementary.htm Click here to view the list of new books from NSTA Press: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-05/newbookselem.htm Professional Development How to Kick Strategic Planning Addiction: In his recent article from Phi Delta Kappan, "Tipping Point: From Feckless Reform to Substantive Instructional Improvement," Mike Schmoker points out that although we already know the best way to improve instruction, we persist in pursuing strategies that have repeatedly failed. He urges us to break free of our addiction to strategic planning and large-scale reform. (Public Education Network) Click here to read more: http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0402sch.htm NSTA Opportunities Coming Your Way: A Summer Issue of Science & Children 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 & Children this July. Click here to read more: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-05/scsummer.pdf Write for NSTA's Journals Science & Children (Grades PreK–5) has issued this Call for Papers on specific topics. Click here to find out more: Next Month's Theme: Free for All 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/2004-05/member_elementary.htm. THE FINE PRINTThis
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