Teaching Science in 3D

Are you making the most of your science investigations? When Erin started teaching, she definitely wasn’t. She started by using a mostly lecture-based model for her classroom. Then, when she began to incorporate investigations she didn’t consider the purpose of…

Are you using recipe-style science labs in your classroom? While these activities are common, they don’t teach students how to plan and carry out investigations. In this episode, Erin discusses the main reasons that teachers are afraid to ditch these…

This week, Nicole and Erin answer a listener question from Michelle in Washington. Michelle asked, “I would love to know more about how students go through the explore phase. How do you find activities for the students? How do you…

The 2020-2021 academic year hasn’t been easy. But, for some teachers, it hasn’t been without success either. Meet Mercedes, a middle school science teacher. This candid conversation is both a celebration of what is possible and a reflection on where…

Adopting a curriculum is a major hurdle to overcome in the shift to NGSS. However, after the adoption, you might start to notice that the curriculum isn’t connecting with your students. We have found that it’s nearly impossible to create…

The Science and Engineering Practice of Engaging in an Argument from Evidence is often tricky for students to master. It should be noted, the practice of argumentation was absent in previous versions of the standards. Also, many students aren’t taught…

Often, anchoring phenomena is confusing to science teachers. In this episode, Erin and Nicole discuss what this type of phenomenon is and how it is used. Then, they explain how to use it and some common mistakes. What is the…

Science demos, or demonstrations, are a great tool to use in your classroom. But are you making the most of your demos? In this episode, get tips and tricks for making your demos as effective as possible. What are science…