Like your own personal survival guide, Help! I’m Teaching Middle School Science is a nontechnical how-to manual—especially for first-year teachers. But even veteran teachers can benefit from the plentiful ideas, examples, and tips on teaching science the way middle-schoolers learn best.

The book covers all the basics: what to do on the first day of school (including icebreaker activities), preparing safe and effective lab lessons, managing the classroom, and working with in-school teams as well as parents. But its practical—and encouraging—approach doesn’t mean it shortchanges the basics of effective pedagogy. You’ll learn how to handle cooperative learning and assessment, how to help students write effectively, and the importance of modeling for early adolescents.

Applicable National Science Education Standards and helpful resources and references are provided throughout the text. In addition to a wealth of reproducible field trip permission forms, lab report formats, and measurement and safety quizzes, you get low-cost recipes for salt crystals, culture medium, fun putty, and the ever-popular “oobleck.” Help! is just the lively resource you need to see you through your first months—and beyond!