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Posted January 10th, 2009 by admin

Life: Diversity to DNA

Author: Tracy Voreis
Level: Middle School
Content Area: Science, Language Arts

Resources

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You may also find additional resource information included with each lesson.

Supplemental Information: 

Professional Books that Influence Our Teaching

Title

ISBN/Order #

Vendor

Description

Nurturing Inquiry: Real Science for the Elementary Classroom

0325001359

Any bookseller/ NSTA

Charles Pearce describes how he uses inquiry periods, discovery boxes, the Kids’ Inquiry Conference, and more to set up an inquiry-rich environment in this amazing book that definitely extends beyond the elementary age group! He also provides useful forms for tracking student inquiry. For anyone frustrated with the misuse of the word “inquiry” as a buzz word synonymous with “hands-on,” this book describes true inquiry: students asking questions, designing investigations, and sharing their findings.

Beyond the Science Fair: Creating a Kids’ Inquiry Conference

0325007349

Any bookseller

Engage kids in the work that real scientists do. Students design their own investigations, write science journal articles, and present their investigations at a non-competitive conference. The students’ preparation is done in the classroom, and this book provides useful student forms as well as step-by-step organizational instructions for the teacher.

Big Book of Science

1882796187

Any bookseller

Learn how to make foldables to help your students learn science topics.

Reading for Understanding

0787950459

Any bookseller

Learn how to use Reading Apprenticeship strategies in content-area middle and high school classrooms to help students understand text.

Nonfiction Matters

1571100725

Any bookseller

Learn how to engage students in nonfiction research and writing through inquiry and project-based learning.

Reading Reasons

1571103562

Any bookseller

Find mini-lessons that teach students reasons that reading is important and help them internalize the importance that reading will play in their lives.

Science Workshop

0325005109

Any bookseller

This book is another resource to help teachers implement inquiry-periods, the Kids’ Inquiry Conference, and reading and writing in the science classroom.

Science As Inquiry

0673577317

Any bookseller

This book gives explanations of different types of inquiry, ideas for using inquiry in your classroom, and sample lesson plans.

Bottle Biology

0757500943

Any bookseller

This book teaches readers how to build different ecosystems using plastic bottles, and it gives them teaching ideas for using these ecosystems.

Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites

0761938818

Any bookseller

Learn 20 teaching strategies that engage students’ brains and enhance their memory. Marcia Tate has compiled brain research into this practical book for teachers.

How the Brain Learns

0761977651

Any bookseller

This book has explanations of how the brain works and the teaching implications of this research. Teaching strategies and reflection questions and surveys are included.

Teaching with the Brain in Mind

1416600302

Any bookseller/ NSTA

This is a relatively short book that addresses how the brain works, motivation, attention, and provides some brain-based teaching strategies.

The Power of Their Ideas

0807031135

Any bookseller

Although this book is more about school reform than teaching strategies, it is an inspiring read for everyone. You will want to start your own school after reading this book!

What Do I Do When…? How to Achieve Discipline with Dignity in the Classroom

1879639211

Any bookseller

This book is a practical guide to dealing with many different discipline situations.

Recommended Professional Websites

Title

Address

Description

Elementary Science Integration Project (ESIP)

http://www.esiponline.org/

Find lists of recommended trade books, strategies for using trade books in your classroom, and tips for connecting science and literacy in the classroom.

ESIP’s Trade Books 101

http://www.esiponline.org/
books/101.html

This describes all of the different kinds of trade books and the rationale for using them in the classroom.

Search It Science

http://searchit.heinemann.com/

This is a database that allows you to search for trade books according to topic, targeted age group, and other categories. You can do a demo and see if you want to pay to subscribe for 6 weeks or a year. You can also buy an annual site license for all the faculty in your school.

Kids’ Inquiry Conference

http://esiponline.learnserver.net/kic/

The Kids’ Inquiry Conference website allows you to access a student journal article template. It is also helpful for finding sample journal articles for your students to use as models. Your students can search the journal articles when doing their own project research.

Dinah-Might Adventures

http://www.dinah.com/

See Dinah Zyke’s amazing Foldables and books of Foldables.

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/ projects/cases/ubcase.htm

This website is intended for older students, but some of the case studies could be modified for middle school students. They challenge students to think about the real-world applications about the science they’re studying. For example, if you’re studying protozoa, you could use the case study about DDT “To Spray or Not to Spray” to discuss the benefits of reducing malaria vs. the harmful effects of DDT on other organisms.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children K-12

http://www.nsta.org/ostbc

Each year, the National Science Teachers’ Association chooses “Outstanding Trade Books.” This website has the annotated bibliographies for the selected books for the past ten years.

Science Fiction and Fantasy for Children: An Annotated Bibliography

http://www2.lib.uoguelph.ca/
resources/bibliographies/
science_fiction/
index.cfm?action=about

This is a free searchable database of science fiction and fantasy titles.

Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site

http://www.carolhurst.com/
subjects/curriculum.html

Search for books related to a certain topic you’re studying. There are some activity ideas for featured books.

Singing Science Records

http://www.acme.com/jef/
science_songs/

Play science songs for your students.

An Online Biology Book

http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/ faculty/farabee/BIOBK/
BioBookTOC.html

If you need to brush up on a life science topic, this site offers written explanations and diagrams.

Another Online Biology Book

http://www.huhs.org/departments/ science/martin/advbio_units_1-9.htm

If you need to brush up on a life science topic, this site offers powerpoints, animations, and links.

MIT Biology Hypertextbook

http://web.mit.edu/esgbio/www/

This is another helpful site to use to brush up on life science topics.

National Science Education Standards

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/ books/nses/html/

This presents the National Science Education Standards and sample lessons that meet the Standards. The standards clearly explain what children should learn in science in elementary, middle, and high school.

National Center for Science Education

http://www.natcenscied.org/
default.asp

This organization offers resources for teaching evolution and for defending the teaching of evolution.

The Biology Project

http://www.biology.arizona.edu/ default.html

This site offers problem sets, tutorials, lesson plans and activities.

Genetic Science Learning Center- Teacher resources

http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/
teachers/

Lessons and activities about genetics and the cell can be found here.

PBS Teacher Source

http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/

Find lessons and activities that can be used with or without PBS television programs.

Population Education

http://www.populationeducation.org/ index.jsp

This website has lessons that explore human population growth and its impacts.

NOVA- Teachers

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ teachers/

Search NOVA’s lessons and activities.

Science Line

http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/

Find articles and information about careers in each science discipline.

Why Files

http://whyfiles.org/

This is an excellent site for teachers to find current events topics in science as well as informational resources. A favorite article of my students is “Playing Chicken.”

Exploratorium

http://www.exploratorium.edu/

Explore all different science topics in the online exhibits.

NC State Problem Based Learning

http://www.ncsu.edu/pbl/pbl_lessons/ middleschool/middle_science.html

Find problem-based learning lesson plans for science.