 CREEPY,
CRAWLY SCIENCE
The challenges connected with having live creatures in the classroom
are many. Identifying safety hazards, ensuring humane treatment,
and dealing with students' allergies are just a few of the concerns
involved when you tap into your students' passion for animals. Because
all creatures play roles in our environment, students need to learn
to appreciate and understand them. Even the "creepiest"
of creatures are critical components of our ecosystem. This issue
of Science Class reveals how many teachers have succeeded
in bringing creepy, crawly creatures into their classrooms, to everyone's
benefit.
 Creepy,
Crawly Science in
the News
Article summaries provided by the NSTA WebNews Digest
(Visit http://www.nsta.org/mainnews
for national news for science educators).
Creepy, crawly creatures featured in this month’s news stories
include snails, worms, and bats. To read more, visit
http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006-04/news_stories_elementary.htm.
Creepy,
Crawly Science on
the Web
In this month's elementary journal, Science and Children,
NSTA members can read "Crazy About Crayfish." The link
to that article is http://www.nsta.org/gateway&j=sc&n=51806.
For the complete April/May Science and Children Table of
Contents, visit http://www.nsta.org/gateway&j=sc&n=51830.
SciLinks® is a web-based service from NSTA that provides online
content chosen to augment printed articles and books. It does so
through keywords; the keyword for this issue is
Bugs: http://www.scilinks.org/retrieve_outside.asp?sl=92635621104410661011
Each issue of Science and Children provides the reader
with many online resources; to view a list of all of the websites
in the April/May issue, visit http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006-04/elemlinks.htm.
NSTA
Journal Articles on Creepy, Crawly Science
The archives of Science and Children contain several articles
showing students’ fascination with the study of all different
types of creatures.
Click here to read more:
http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006-04/elementary.htm
Books,
Books, Books
To read about Creepy, Crawly Science in NSTA Press® and NSTA
Recommends® books, visit http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006-04/books_elementary.htm.
To read about the newest titles available from NSTA Press, visit
http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006-04/newbookselem.htm.
To receive the latest NSTA catalog for your specific grade level,
visit http://ecommerce.nsta.org/catalog_signup.
Professional
Development
ASCD
Issues Special Report on Professional Development
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
(ASCD) issued a two-part special report on professional development
in March. Part I of the report (http://www.smartbrief.com/alchemy/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=F0CE2287-6DC8-43F8-8C88-6D9D332FC944)
examines the link between preservice teacher training and success
in the classroom, as well as the key aspects of successful in-service
learning. Part II (http://www.smartbrief.com/alchemy/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=14DC2CE6-1E78-4675-9412-48F5B40E8101)
digs into the thorny topic of how government policies affect professional
development, then surveys some best practices.
Global
Science Teaching
Students Take on World's Challenges
A recent Christian Science Monitor article
examines a new initiative called Challenge 20/20. Organized by
the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in Washington,
D.C., it engages students as young as preK in finding local ways
to address 20 urgent issues—after students have thought
about them first on a global level.
To read more, visit http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0322/p16s01-legn.html?s=hns%20.
NSTA
Opportunities
NSTA
Web Seminars
Ten NSTA Web Seminars are scheduled between April
2006 and June 2006. These 90-minute, live professional development
experiences allow distant participants to interact with recognized
experts including NSTA Press authors, and scientists, engineers,
and education specialists from NASA and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Seminars last from 6:30 to
8 p.m. Eastern Time. Because these online events are grant-funded,
they are offered at no cost; however, the number of participants
is limited, and participation is first-come, first-served on the
day of the program. Register early to receive a username. Password
and other program information will follow via e-mail. For a complete
schedule of topics, dates, and times, and to register, visit http://institute.nsta.org/web_seminars.asp.
The
Early Years
 Science
and Children (S&C) and NSTA have established a
blog devoted to early childhood science (see http://science.nsta.org/earlyyearsblog).
Here you’ll find teaching advice, management tips, favorite
resources, and activity ideas specifically for teachers of grades
preK–2. The blog accompanies Science and Children’s
column The Early Years. To view the first column, visit http://www.nsta.org/main/news/stories/science_and_children.php?category_ID=86&news_story_ID=50933.
Highlights from the online conversations will appear in the print
column. Teachers who post a comment that gets chosen for publication
in S&C will receive one free book
from a select group of NSTA Press publications.
Call
for Papers
Science and Children (grades preK–5) has issued a Call
for Papers on specific topics. Click here to find out more:
http://www.nsta.org/177
If your colleagues would like to subscribe to Science Class,
please direct them to http://www.nsta.org/newsletters.
THE FINE PRINT
This
e-newsletter is brought to you by the National Science Teachers
Association
1840 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201-3092
Phone: 703-243-7100
http://www.nsta.org
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