Resources for Environmental Literacy: Five Teaching Modules for Middle and High School Teachers By: Environmental Literacy Council and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Resources for Environmental Literacy offers a fresh way to enhance your classroom productivity. The environmental context it provides can improve your students’ science learning even as learning the science improves their ability to deal with...  [view full summary] Resources for Environmental Literacy offers a fresh way to enhance your classroom productivity. The environmental context it provides can improve your students’ science learning even as learning the science improves their ability to deal with five real-world topics: • Biodiversity • Genetically modified crops • Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis • Global climate change • Radioactive waste But this resource doesn’t encourage students to take a particular stand on these subjects. Instead, it builds skills in critical thinking and analytical reasoning about complex issues. For ease of teaching, each of the book’s modules includes such useful features as: • Student learning goals based on Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the Standards • Background content for teachers, organized into sets of “essential questions”—such as “What is a species?” and “What is the science involved in the genetic engineering of crops?”—with answers you can draw on when guiding students. • A suggested teaching approach, including misconceptions to watch out for and assessments to use. • Student activities and materials you can adapt to your classroom needs. Resources for Environmental Literacy is designed especially for teachers of middle school life science and physical science as well as high school Earth science, biology, and physics. The modules offer appropriate teaching strategies plus high-quality resources to deepen your students’ understanding of key environmental topics. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $26.36 Nonmember Price: $32.95 Grade Level:

NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities, Second Edition By: LaMoine L. Motz , James T. Biehle, and Sandra S. West NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Science-learning spaces are different from general-purpose classrooms. So if your school is planning to build or renovate, you need the fully updated NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities. It’s the definitive resource for...  [view full summary] Science-learning spaces are different from general-purpose classrooms. So if your school is planning to build or renovate, you need the fully updated NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities. It’s the definitive resource for every K-12 school that seeks safe, effective science space without costly, time-consuming mistakes. New to this edition is a chapter on “green” schools, including how to think outside the traditional walls and use the entire grounds to encourage environmental responsibility in students. The revised guide also provides essential up-to-date coverage such as: • Practical information on laboratory and general room design, budget priorities, space considerations, and furnishings. • Stages of the planning process for new and renovated science facilities. • Current trends and future directions in science education and safety, accessibility, and legal guidelines. • Detailed appendices about equipment-needs planning, classroom dimensions, and new safety research, plus an updated science facilities audit. NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities will help science teachers, district coordinators, school administrators, boards of education, and schoolhouse architects understand those differences and develop science facilities that will serve students for years to come. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $31.96 Nonmember Price: $39.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Project Earth Science: Geology By: Brent A. Ford NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Now you can literally explain what it's like “between a rock and a hard place!” Use Project Earth Science: Geology to introduce your students to plate tectonics and teach them what causes volcanoes and earthquakes. Lead explorations of these...  [view full summary] Now you can literally explain what it's like “between a rock and a hard place!” Use Project Earth Science: Geology to introduce your students to plate tectonics and teach them what causes volcanoes and earthquakes. Lead explorations of these and other larger-than-the-classroom geological phenomena with the teacher-tested, Standards-based activities. Earth's physical evolution and dynamic processes are carefully explained in language accessible to students and teachers. Supplemental readings provide educators with the background information to answer student questions and concerns. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.16 Nonmember Price: $28.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12 By: M. Gail Jones, Michael R. Falvo, Amy R. Taylor, and Bethany P. Broadwell NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Futurists predict that nanotechnology will be the next major scientific revolution—one with an even greater impact than the Industrial Revolution. Nanoscale Science will help your middle and high school students understand the big implications...  [view full summary] Futurists predict that nanotechnology will be the next major scientific revolution—one with an even greater impact than the Industrial Revolution. Nanoscale Science will help your middle and high school students understand the big implications of tiny technology. Using guided inquiry with open-ended exploration where possible, the book’s 20 investigations teach students about the unique properties and behavior of materials at the nanoscale—one-billionth of the size of a meter. The activities are organized around five themes: scale, tools and techniques, unique properties and behaviors, nanotechnology applications, and societal implications. All activities use readily available materials and provide clear background, instructions, and formative assessments. They also explore questions sure to engage both students and you, such as: • Just how small is one in a billion? • How might manipulating matter at the nanoscale lead to everything from stain-resistant fabrics to improved means to clean water to tumor-targeting nanoshells? • And how will society change when we use nanolabels to track where people, animals, and materials move around the world? For the first time in human history, we have the ability to manipulate and build materials from the atom up. NanoScale Science—written by experts at developing effective ways to teach about nanotechnology—is a pioneering instructional guide to this important subject. Use it as a fascinating supplement to studies of biology, physics, chemistry, math, and the environment. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $20.76 Nonmember Price: $25.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Project Earth Science: Meteorology By: P. Sean Smith and Brent A. Ford NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: The forecast for learning meteorology is bright! With nineteen hands-on activities, ten readings, and a thorough resource guide, Project Earth Science: Meteorology brings the atmosphere right into the classroom. Designed for small budgets,...  [view full summary] The forecast for learning meteorology is bright! With nineteen hands-on activities, ten readings, and a thorough resource guide, Project Earth Science: Meteorology brings the atmosphere right into the classroom. Designed for small budgets, Meteorology is teacher-written and classroom-tested, with ready-to-use, self-directed activities. These activities require students to make clouds and hail; build weather maps; and understand the causes of smog, ozone depletion, and acid rain. Whether it’s exploring basic principles or following real-world examples, your students will agree—discovering how weather works was never this much fun! [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.16 Nonmember Price: $28.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Dig In! Hands-On Soil Investigtions By: NSTA Press, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and USDA NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Give students the dirt on soil with a practical book that brings new meaning to the term "hands-on." Using these 12 activities and two original stories as guides, kids will soon be up to their elbows in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use,...  [view full summary] Give students the dirt on soil with a practical book that brings new meaning to the term "hands-on." Using these 12 activities and two original stories as guides, kids will soon be up to their elbows in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use, animals that depend on soil, plants that grow in soil, soil science, and soil conservation. Each teacher-tested lesson plan offers helpful background, assessment methods, and suggestions for further exploration. This book also contains SciLinks--Internet links, housed on an NSTA web site, that we promise to keep up-to-date and relevant to your teaching for as long as the book stays in print! [hide full abstract] Member Price: $17.56 Nonmember Price: $21.95 Grade Level: Elementary School

Exploring Safely: A Guide for Elementary Teachers By: Terry Kwan and Juliana Texley NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Take the fear factor out of science lessons. This easy-to-digest book relieves many of the safety worries that come with teaching science in elementary school. The emphasis is on positive options for heading off potential hazards, from handling special...  [view full summary] Take the fear factor out of science lessons. This easy-to-digest book relieves many of the safety worries that come with teaching science in elementary school. The emphasis is on positive options for heading off potential hazards, from handling special equipment to conducting field studies. Chapters cover: - making safe work habits second nature to students - equipping your classroom for safety and conveniene, including organizational systems for preparation, setup, and cleanup - choosing and culturing live plants and animals for classroom study - working safely with electricity, chemicals, and volunteers A special added ingredient: model forms that can be adapted for your needs, including permission slips and student contracts. Best of all, a wealth of anecdotes about what works—and what doesn't—in real-life classrooms makes Exploring Safely enjoyable to read as well as to reference. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $18.36 Nonmember Price: $22.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Informal Education

Project Earth Science: Astronomy By: P. Sean Smith NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: The hands-on, teacher-tested activities in Project Earth Science: Astronomy brings the sometimes daunting concepts of astronomy down to Earth. Background information, supplementary readings, and suggestions for integrating other disciplines provide...  [view full summary] The hands-on, teacher-tested activities in Project Earth Science: Astronomy brings the sometimes daunting concepts of astronomy down to Earth. Background information, supplementary readings, and suggestions for integrating other disciplines provide the teacher with a framework to launch a successful introduction to astronomy. Students will discover Earth’s uniqueness by examining it as a part of the whole—one planet within our Solar System. How did the planets form? Are we seeing a star’s present or past? Why is Earth’s distance from the Sun so important? Project Earth Science: Astronomy will lead you and your students on an exploration that takes you to the stars and back. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $23.16 Nonmember Price: $28.95 Grade Level: Middle School, High School

Safety in the Elementary Science Classroom (flipchart) NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: It’s a safety resource your classroom should not be without! As attractive as a poster and as convenient to use as a calendar, the completely updated Safety in the Elementary Classroom flipchart is a quick-read resource on how to prevent or solve...  [view full summary] It’s a safety resource your classroom should not be without! As attractive as a poster and as convenient to use as a calendar, the completely updated Safety in the Elementary Classroom flipchart is a quick-read resource on how to prevent or solve safety problems as they arise. It offers step-by-step instructions on such essential topics as: • In case of accident • Fire protection • Plants in the classroom • First aid • Animals in the classroom • Field trips • Fire prevention and control • Storage and labeling • Safe use of equipment and materials Among the flipchart’s other helpful features: The cover provides room to write important emergency phone numbers. A handy checklist serves as a quick reference for some of the most important safety practices. And NSTA SciLinks connect you to the most up-to-date resources on safe science. Safety in the Elementary Classroom is eye-catching as well as practical, in easily readable hang-up format, 11" × 11 1/4" (closed). Printed in full color on heavy paper stock for durability, it’s charmingly illustrated throughout with lively graphics. Flowers and vines coil around the pages on plants in the classroom; hamsters scamper and frogs leap across the section about animal care; a fire hose and fire extinguisher douse the section on fire prevention. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $11.96 Nonmember Price: $14.95 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, Informal Education

Watershed Dynamics (Teacher Edition) (Includes the full Student Edition) By: William S. Carlsen, Nancy M. Trautmann, and The Environmental Inquiry Team NSTA Press Book Average User Rating: Whether you’re a stream studies novice or a veteran aquatic monitor, Watershed Dynamics gives you abundant practical resources to extend your students’ investigations into local water quality and land-use issues. This two-part set is ideal...  [view full summary] Whether you’re a stream studies novice or a veteran aquatic monitor, Watershed Dynamics gives you abundant practical resources to extend your students’ investigations into local water quality and land-use issues. This two-part set is ideal for teaching biological and ecological concepts and research techniques. It also shows how the interplay between scientific data and human judgment can shape public policy decisions on zoning, flood control, and agricultural practices. The Teacher Edition explains how to guide student research and engineering design projects. Classroom-ready materials include detailed background, sample assessment tasks and rubrics, and guidelines for integrating peer review into classroom science. The Teacher Edition also includes the complete Student Edition. Watershed Dynamics is the final volume in the four-part Cornell Scientific Inquiry Series, designed to guide students in designing and conducting experiments, presenting their results, and exchanging feedback with their peers. See the other titles in the series: Decay and Renewal, Assessing Toxic Risk, and Invasion Ecology. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $13.56 Nonmember Price: $16.95 Grade Level: High School