Science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts (CCs) constitute a significant part of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012). As teachers, the role of the authors is to highlight the pivotal role that both scientific knowledge and the practices used to generate knowledge play in learning. This article…

In this article, the authors highlight how a preschool teacher nurtured children's natural curiosity by inviting an expert visitor into the classroom, resulting in many possible investigations. The setting of this activity was an early learning facility at a university with a volcanologist on faculty who was able to share his expertise with…

This article provides an overview of the instructional activity implemented to introduce the authors' first-grade students to the concept of measuring, collecting, and recording temperature data as part of a unit on weather. The activities introduced involved approximately one week of instructional time. However, the application of the skill…

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many professional development programs have been canceled or postponed. Many teachers are working from home, at least in part, limiting how frequently they can interact with colleagues and interrupting the ease of popping in on the teacher next door. Because these common resources are out of reach, teachers…

With policies that strongly emphasize reading, teachers need interdisciplinary strategies that not only represent professional scientists' practices but also support students' engagement and learning in both science and reading. Opportunities abound for teachers to help students recognize the fluid connections between disciplines such as science,…

Since the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) were released, K-12 science teachers have been figuring out how to extend related learning opportunities to all students, including multilingual learners (MLLs) who are new to speaking English. Elementary schools often prioritize math and English language arts, the subjects that are…

We all "do"--that is, participate in--science in some way. Everyone participates in science as part of their activities of daily living, such as using soap to make hand-washing more effective, using heat to cook food, and closing windows and doors to slow the movement of heat. We may not always identify our actions as a part of…

Formative assessment during the course of instruction is an essential practice for supporting all students, including English learners (ELs), in the science classroom. It typically consists of three steps: (1) The teacher elicits information about student learning through various methods; (2) The teacher interprets (or makes sense of) that…

When exploring and introducing sound, students need to understand that there are multiple aspects that work together to create sound. In this single class lesson, students work through an inquiry-based challenge to discover how sound can be manipulated and altered through these elements. By investigating how to manipulate sound, students are able…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) have placed a special emphasis on engineering, raising engineering design to the level of scientific inquiry. Therefore, it is important for teachers to integrate engineering processes into their teaching. Students should experience engineering design in their science…

Insects are extremely important for maintaining the natural environment, performing such essential ecosystem services as decomposition, dung burial, and soil aeration, as well as providing food for other wildlife. Insects are also important for human interests such as crop pollination. Though the advantages of using insects as teaching tools are…

Although the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) have three dimensions, the crosscutting concepts are often the forgotten dimension. One reason teachers may not emphasize the crosscutting concepts might be because they are broad, domain-general constructs that can be difficult to conceptualize in a meaningful way. Yet, when taught…

This article describes one participating teacher's reflections on the generalizable strategies and structures from the professional development (PD) sessions that enabled her sensemaking, and how she translated these generalizations into her own second-grade classroom. Readers will be able to make their own useful generalizations from these…

This lesson focuses specifically on teaching concepts of speed and its impact on energy, as well as providing a basic introduction to potential and kinetic energy to fourth-grade students. "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") 4-PS3-1 states that students should be able "to use evidence to construct an explanation…

The concepts of "culturally relevant pedagogy" and "culturally responsive teaching" have been interpreted and enacted in various ways for over two decades. Informed by this research, the author shares a critical approach to teaching and learning using "sociotransformative constructivism" (sTc). This framework merges…