Does anyone here look familiar to you?  You may recognize the person on the left in the top photo as our very own NJSTA President, Cheryl Zanone visiting the NGSS Share-A-Thon at the NSTA National Conference,  "This Saturday program brought together many NGSS researchers and programs in one room.  Can't find this anywhere else but an NSTA Convention.  What an experience!"

Caitlin Dowling is not only a biology and physics instructor at Passaic County Technical Institute, she also serves as Head Cheerleading Coach!
​
She recently completed NJCTL's endorsement program in physics, in less than twelve months,  with a 4.0 and passed the Praxis. While not everyone can match her speed and performance level, we all can learn from her approach....more
​

At its February meeting, the NSTA Board of Directors voted in favor of changing the association's name from the National Science Teachers Association to the National Science Teaching Association. The board believes this change represents a major shift in NSTA's vision to better connect with a science teaching community that has grown to include many who do not carry the formal title of "teacher."

According to bylaws, the proposed name change requires the approval of the NSTA membership. An electronic ballot will be e-mailed to all members on May 20. Voting closes on June 20 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT).

Important! Members who want to receive the ballot, but have opted out of receiving emails from NSTA are asked to visit My Account page no later than May 2 and uncheck the opt out box.

Why Did the NSTA Board Make This Decision?
​
The new name reflects a broader scope of those in the science teaching community and the many places where science learning takes place. Our goal is to support all those who share our mission to promote excellence in science teaching and learning for all.
NSTA's transformation includes more than a name change. We are excited about the changes ahead as we refocus our programs, services, and products to be more collaborative, personal, interactive, and responsive.

Throughout the year, we will unveil new ways it will support science teaching and learning with enhanced content, new and exciting digital products, more personalized services, and dynamic resources that range from the printed page to social media and virtual learning opportunities.

Questions about opting out or about your membership status? 
Email membership@nsta.org.

Join the Members-Only Discussion Forum
A members-only community forum is now available to give all NSTA members an opportunity to share ideas, express opinions, or ask questions about the proposed name change.  Click here to sign in and join the conversation.

Not a member? Join here!

Middle school science and high school biology teachers are invited to submit an application to attend a free one-day workshop presented by Project 2061, the science education initiative of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. We are pleased to be able to offer the workshop at two New York locations, thanks to our partners at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY and at Teach for America in New York City.
 
The workshop, “The Use of NGSS-based Materials to Support Teaching of Middle School and High School Life Sciences and Their Physical Science Prerequisites,” is also open to science specialists or administrators with science curriculum responsibilities.
 
Led by the Project 2061 research and development team, the workshop will introduce participants to a pair of curriculum units designed to give students a coherent understanding of matter and energy in living organisms:

• Toward High School Biology is designed for use in middle school and focuses on helping students understand what happens to atoms and molecules during the chemical reactions that result in the growth and repair of living organisms:
• Matter and Energy for Growth and Activity is for high school biology students and expands on the middle school unit to help students understand the relationship between matter and energy changes. The unit also explores how energy-releasing and energy-requiring chemical reactions are coupled in living systems so that organisms can carry out basic life functions.

 
The workshop will demonstrate how the units tackle some common learning difficulties, including persistent misconceptions that many students have about matter and energy. Participants will also see how the units align with Next Generation Science Standards and will have an opportunity to try out some sample activities and explore online teacher resources that are available with the units.
 
Teams of two or more middle and high school educators are encouraged to apply, but all team members must submit separate applications. You will be notified by email if you are selected to attend. Certificates of participation in this AAAS-sponsored professional development workshop will be provided to all teachers who attend. A complimentary light breakfast and lunch will be served.
 
To submit your workshop application, click on one of the locations below:  

• Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, NY, Tuesday, July 9 (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
• Teach for America, New York City, Wednesday, July 10 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

 
Submission deadline: June 9, 2019

Presented by the New Jersey Science Convention 2019

The Anton Banko Award for Excellence in Teaching Elementary Science recognizes an educator teaching in grades K-5 who is an outstanding teacher of science. For the finalist the Banko Award covers expenses to attend the New Jersey Science Convention (up to $1000) and $2000 to purchase science supplies at the teacher’s discretion. For the two runners up the Banko Award covers expenses to attend the New Jersey Science Convention and $500 to purchase science supplies at the teacher’s discretion. 

The eligibility requirements for the Banko Award are: 
​

• Currently teaching Kindergarten through 5th grade at a NJ public or private school 
• A demonstrated ability to engage children in the study of science, in accordance with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science and NGSS

To nominate a teacher for the Anton Banko Award, send his or her name, position, school, and contact information by May 15th to Kim Feltre at kfeltre@htps.us. NJSC will contact nominees to give them the opportunity to complete the application process. The deadline for nominees to complete the application is June 30th.

Questions? Contact Kim Feltre at kfeltre@htps.us. 

Visit the NJSC website for details.

from EdReports.org

A few weeks ago, EdReports released its first middle school science reviews. It took us more than a year to get these reports out the door, but our educator reviewers invested that time because we know how important a high quality, standards-aligned curriculum is for our students and their futures.
As an EdReports content specialist, and science educator for two decades, I recognize that the Next Generation Science Standards are a big shift for the field. Our reports are designed to empower educators with information and evidence to guide their practice—but diving into a report can feel daunting at first.
We want to help. Check out this short guide made to accompany our science reports. In it we highlight three ways to identify if you’re using high-quality science materials in your classroom.

We know that instructional materials are not the silver bullet. But we also know that materials can make a difference in what and how students learn. We hope you’ll share these tips with your colleagues and join the #materialsmatter conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Lacey Wieser
EdReports Science Content Specialist

from Achieve

​One of the major shifts--and common buzzwords--for science assessments is "phenomena." When we asked teachers and researchers to dive into tasks and identify what characteristics in assessments set students up to demonstrate three-dimensional performances, we heard loud and clear that phenomena are one of the most critical features of three-dimensional assessments. What is the role of phenomena in assessments, and why does this matter?
 
Here's what our experts found:

1. If our goal for student learning is preparing students to make sense of the world around them and address problems, assessments have to actually ask students to make sense of phenomena and address problems.
2. The information about the phenomenon or problem--like the data, images, contextual language, etc.--plays a direct role in which science ideas and practices, and at what grade-level, students are cued to bring to the table.
3. Not all phenomena or problems are going to be inherently interesting to all students--but phenomena in assessment should be presented in a way that students clearly know why this is important and relevant.
4. Good phenomena-based scenarios problematize the phenomenon--in other words, scenarios present students with some kind of uncertainty and help students understand what they are supposed to be addressing and why.
5. If we want assessments to truly reveal what students know, students have to be motivated to engage in tasks--this means that to support diverse students, we need to make sure that the phenomena and problems we're asking students to engage with are compelling to the students who are seeing the task. 

The annotated tasks highlight how task scenarios support student thinking and connect to the specific three-dimensional performances targeted in assessments, based on a complete list of features that are important for scenarios in assessments. These can help anyone interested in figuring out what to look for in high-quality science tasks. 

​In learning,
The Achieve Team

Unveiled at its Annual Open House in January, the Rutgers Geology Museum’s newest exhibit shows visitors how tiny space rocks, or meteorites, tell the big story of the formation of the stars and planets.
Through the guidance of Rutgers University’s own resident meteorite expert, Dr. Juliane Gross of the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, this three-part exhibit details the formation history of our Solar System, describes the origin and differences between the types of meteorites, and describes the formation of layered planets, like our own.

Read more: https://geologymuseum.rutgers.edu/about-us-geology-museum/mastodon-musings/240-new-exhibit-on-meteorites-and-planetary-science

The following is information about a wonderful professional development opportunity for teachers fully funded by the FDA.
 
Foodborne disease outbreaks and food recalls frequent the news. What organisms cause these diseases? What can an individual do to protect themselves from these diseases? What measures are being taken by the federal government to prevent transmission of these diseases?
 
Science, health, agriculture, and family and consumer science teachers have an opportunity to provide inquiry-based lessons related to these outbreaks, recalls, and nutrition.  Lessons can be found in the curriculum Science and Our Food Supply. And, in order to prepare teachers to use these lessons, FDA provides a free multidimensional professional development program that will take place July 21 – 27, 2019 in Washington, DC. Included in the program are transportation to and from Washington and all housing and meal expenses.
 
During the program, selected teachers will participate in activities such as the following - meet with FDA and USDA scientists to learn about their current research on foodborne diseases and nutrition; work with instructors to learn proper techniques to use in doing all the labs with their own students; and, tour USDA’s farm in Beltsville, MD.
 
Selected teachers are asked to implement the supplemental curriculum in their classrooms during the 2019- 2020 school year and to do a hands-on workshop on the curriculum for other teachers. 
 
To apply on line – deadline April 24, 2019- go to: http://www.teachfoodscience.org/apply.asp
 
The Science and Our Food Supply curriculum guides on which the summer program is based are available from this website - http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodScienceResearch/ToolsMaterials/ScienceandTheFoodSupply/default.htm. 
​We strongly suggest you review these guides before applying for the summer workshop.
 
For more information, contact Mimi Cooper at mimicooper@verizon.net  

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is excited to launch its student contest “I’m the Teacher Now” for a chance to win an iPad and case with an Osmo Creative Kit or Apple Pencil! Six winners will be chosen, two from elementary school, middle school, and high school. Each of the six winners will receive an iPad and case. The elementary school winners will also receive an Osmo Creative Kit, and the middle and high school winners will receive an Apple Pencil.
 
To enter, create a 1-2 minute original presentation that creatively explains or demonstrates a scientific concept to a student at least one grade younger than you. The contest deadline is Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Make sure to remind students to look at the rubric so they know what we expect of their presentations!
 
Please share this information with your peers and students so that they can have a chance to win. For more information about the contest, please visit our website at https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/competitions-for-students.html.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail us at STEMEd@orau.org. 

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is hosting “Drop Everything and Read About Science” lesson plan competition for educators! K-5 teachers will have a chance to win Osmo Genius Kits, iPads, Coding Games, or Code and Go Mice. We would love for you to be one of the three winners! We are asking teachers to submit an original lesson plan that integrates science and literacy.
 
The deadline to submit your plan is Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Enter the competition by submitting your lesson plan here: https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/ScienceLiteracyCompetition.aspx. For more information about this contest and our previous contests, visit: https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/competitions-for-educators.html .
 
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail us at STEMEd@orau.org. 

​Wonder Science® launches a streaming channel, website and mobile app with a mission is to stimulate fresh interest in science among viewers who typically steer clear of educational programming.
 
During its initial release, early adopters can download Wonder Science for free across all platforms.
 
The channel is targeted to audiences looking to relax and unwind by introducing a new form of science media—a way to zone out to science. Episodes run from 6-minutes to 6-hours, employing a simple formula that blends mesmerizing visuals with music. The combined effect transports viewers into an alternate reality—filled with brilliant gems, industrious ants, bizarre microorganisms, and psychedelic sound waves.  
 
Wonder Science shows frequently present a microscopic perspective on nature and technology, uncovering worlds within worlds that are all around us but normally unseen. The use of optical, confocal and electron microscopes draws attention to the huge import of small things.
 
"Wonder Science is like an educational lava lamp," says Danielle Parsons, Wonder Science Founder and CEO. "We keep experts off-screen, because we want to encourage each viewer to form their own direct, unmediated connection with science. By not imposing information, we create enough space to allow people's natural curiosity to kick in."
 
When that curiosity inevitably sparks, viewers can choose to watch narrated versions of shows and dig deeper into topics on the website. Programs exploring biology, chemistry, physics, and geology have already been incorporated for use in college classrooms. But if viewers want to use Wonder Science as a sleep aid, or as a backdrop at a party, that works too. 
 
Music is fundamental to the experience of Wonder Science. The company collaborates with electronic, synth, and indie artists to create the original soundtracks accompanying many programs. Contributing musicians include Ariel Pink, KRON, Stuart Price, El Tigr3, and Füxa.
 
The channel takes inspiration in part from the growing Slow Movement, which now permeates almost every area of life—from cooking to fashion to cinema—advocating a cultural shift toward slowing down. Wonder Science episodes unfurl patiently through long shots of video and animation. Instead of a 10-second clip of a microbe, viewers can observe the creature's behavior over 10-minutes.
 
Content is produced in-house and sourced from scientists worldwide. On original productions, Wonder Science joins forces with prestigious universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Caltech, UCLA, and institutions abroad. Though its website, Wonder Science invites academic, industry and citizen scientists, as well as science artists, to contribute edited and raw footage for potential inclusion on the channel.
 
"We're thrilled to enable academics to reach new audiences with groundbreaking science," says Parsons. "Over the long term, we are focused on building a unique repository of rare and amazing science visuals from around the world."

​Website: www.wonderscience.com

FLARC (Fairlawn Amateur Radio Club) is hosting a special event on Friday, April 19th at 7 PM at the Fair Lawn Senior Center, 11-05 Gardiner Road in Fair Lawn, NJ.  Not only will the evening feature speakers but FLARC has invited a number of other clubs and organizations involving youth and STEM programs in north Jersey to be part of a larger discussion on education, science and (of course) amateur radio. 

Bringing youth to amateur radio is the holy grail for many hams. But a small school in Queens has accomplished just that and with award-winning results. John Hale, KD2LPM will lead a panel discussion on the development and growth of a club which has been nationally recognized for its achievement. The Garden School launched the club in 2016 and stands out as the only active radio club in any of the city's schools. Students from the sixth through 12th grade can join, and the club was recently awarded a blue ribbon at the 2018 New York City Maker Faire for its innovation, creativity and ingenuity.
 
The school's radio club, which has grown consistently  to around 20 members since its launch, has competed in contests and learned all about operating ham radios from inside the 78th Street school. 
 
The FLARC 2019 Speaker Series is honored to have as its program  John Hale KD2LPM who was recently named the ARRL's Hudson Division "Ham of the Year" for his work on this project,  Gerard Pilate N2WGF, President of the Hall of Science Radio Club and a partner in this project,  and Michael Ricatto KK2KKK a Queens entrepreneur and community advocate for the project.
 
The talk will be held  on Friday, April 19th at 7 PM at the Fair Lawn Senior Center, 11-05 Gardiner Road in Fair Lawn.
 
All are welcome and refreshments will be served.
 
For those interested in developing STEM programs and other related activities in today's youth, this will be a seminal event. So save the date and come to the Fair Lawn Senior Center at 7 PM on April 19th for a unique night of  discussion and learning and creating 21st century amateurs.
 
For more information, please visit the club's website at www.fairlawnarc.org or call 201-791-3841.

​I am looking for science educators to donate 15 minutes to take the following survey. District leaders, folks in informal ed, etc., are welcome to take it, as well!  The link is here: https://cuboulder.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cFOn6spXQQ8fNVH.  This survey is from the ACESSE Project.
 
The Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education (ACESSE, or “access”) project brings together partners from educational research and practice to improve equity by building coherence in science education. The project is based on a deep collaboration between the University of Colorado Boulder, the Council of State Science Supervisors [including Michael Heinz], and the University of Washington.
 
Thank you!

Have the Rutgers Geology Museum present at your library, summer camp, or community function! Rutgers geologists and Museum staff will visit your organization and present an activity aligned with the "Universe of Stories" theme of the New Jersey Summer Reading Program.
 
Check out the attached flyer and our website for more details and to register!

WASHINGTON (March 18, 2019) — The application period has been extended for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). ​

Applications are now due April 5, 2019.
​
EPA is seeking PIAEE awards applications that highlight environmental stewardship in one or more of the following areas:

• environmental sustainability;
• healthy school environments, including projects that reduce food waste in cafeterias;
• environmentally-friendly agriculture practices;
• reducing human contributions to ocean litter;
• school gardens;
• recycling; or
• using STEM to teach environmental education.

EPA will select up to two winners in each of EPA’s 10 Regions, one for Grades K-5 and one for Grades 6-12. Winners will be invited to a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in mid-2019 and have their project mentioned on EPA’s website.
PIAEE awardees will receive up to $2,500 to be used to further the recipient's professional development in environmental education, and the teacher's local education agency will also receive an award of up to $2,500 to fund environmental educational activities and programs.

The PIAEE is an annual award program administered by EPA’s Office of Environmental Education. Since 1971, the EPA has recognized exceptional K-12 teachers employing innovative, interactive approaches to environmental education. It is one of the most important ways EPA and the administration demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nation's teachers. 

For information on recent winners, visit: https://www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators-piaee-winners

​Details regarding application requirements and descriptions of winning projects since 2002 can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/education/application-requirements-and-form-presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators

The Education Department of New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium  hires part-time seasonal field instructors for their K-12 marine science education program. Following a paid training period, you will lead school groups on hands-on, interactive explorations of Sandy Hook’s salt marsh and barrier beach environments. Experience is not necessary however a background in marine science or education is helpful.

Interested candidates should email resumes to: Rosemary Higgins at rhiggins@njseagrant.org or mail resume to:

Rosemary Higgins
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium
22 Magruder Road
Fort Hancock, NJ 07732

The course meets during the spring and fall. 

Weekly Tuesday evening classes and two field trips from May 7 – June 22
Plus five evening classes during the Fall from September 17 – November 4 
 
The Rutgers Cooperative Extension is offering their annual "Coastal Stewardship" course. The Coastal Stewardship course (formerly known as the Shellfish Gardener course) aims to educate stakeholders about the ecology of Barnegat Bay and to promote responsible stewardship of coastal marine resources while using shellfish biology, restoration, and aquaculture as the primary teaching tools.

These classes take place at the RCE of Ocean County, 1623 Whitesville Rd. Toms River, NJ. The cost of the course is $75 per person (checks made out to Ocean County Board of Agriculture). 
 
To Register: Please register by Wednesday, May 1 by contacting Kelly Jurgensen (Administrative Assistant: kjurgensen@co.ocean.nj.us, 732-349-1152). 
Click on the program flyer here for more detailed information about this course and how to register.

Do you remember your science tests growing up? For so many of us, they were disconnected from the things that were important to our lives as students. When assessments don't matter to students, students don't put their best thinking forward. The whole point of science assessments is to provide feedback that can help students meet their science learning goals and we can't do that if we don't provide students with the opportunity to show what they know and can do in compelling, positive ways.
 
When student assessments shift toward performances that value the ideas students bring to the table, we learn more about student learning. During the task annotation process, we paid close attention to how assessments support the diverse students who may be responding to the task--and how that impacts what we can conclude about student progress.  As it turns out, many of the same features that promote equity and fairness also ensure that assessments can elicit useful information from students including:

• Emphasizing tasks that are relevant and meaningful to students emphasizes features of tasks and phenomena/problems that also ensure that the three dimensions are needed to complete the task.
• Giving students opportunities to make their thinking and reasoning visible, rather than just right and wrong answers, also ensure that students are using the three dimensions in service of sense-making, not just regurgitating facts, definitions, or procedures.
• Making sure that students' ideas are not only included in assessments but are valued in assessments creates opportunities for students  to more completely share the facets of their current understanding.
• Providing students with multiple ways to make their thinking visible ensures that any conclusions about student performance is well-supported. 

The Task Screener describes some of the most important features of equitable assessment tasks, and the annotated tasks and their summaries highlight how tasks support all students and what could be done to make them even better. These can help us think about how we make sure our assessments are serving students as effectively as possible.
 
In learning,
The Achieve Team
 
Share the suite of task resources and join our conversation on Twitter! 
Tell us what it looks like when assessments support all students--and how does that change what you learn about students in your classrooms? Tag us in your response!
 
Learn More »

APPLY AT: HTTP://BIT.LY/CITYOFSCIENCENJ   
QUESTIONS: worldsciencefestival.com/cityofscience

NEON is releasing two new films that may be of interest to NJ Science Teachers

APOLLO 11 the cinematic event 50 years in the making is exclusively in IMAX for one week only, starting Friday, March 1.  Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11 takes us straight to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission—the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names. Immersed in the perspectives of the astronauts, the team in Mission Control, and the millions of spectators on the ground, we vividly experience those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future. Don't miss seeing this spectacular movie on the biggest screen possible. 

Educator Curricula and two classroom activities available for download here.

WATCH THE TRAILER

​The Biggest Little Farm, John and Molly Chester’s inspirational tale of leaving the big city to as they attempt to build a farm completely in harmony with nature – planting 10,000 orchard trees and over 200 different crops, and bringing in animals of every kind– including an unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster, will open in theaters across the country on May 10th. But schools and community groups will have a chance to see the film early in theaters at advance preview screenings taking place at participating theaters starting in April. Thanks to a generous donation by student and community groups with limited resources have the opportunity to apply for FREE TICKETS to attend these special advance screenings.

Learn more about the Education Program and how you can inspire conversation and hands-on engagement around the themes in the film including, reconnection with nature, soil, and food and regenerative sustainable farming with your students.  Find more information about the program and sign-up on our website here:  https://www.biggestlittlefarmmovie.com/education-program/

WATCH THE TRAILER 

​NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) in Madison Wisconsin is pleased to announce a virtual science fair for students from grades 6-14 applying GOES-16 or GOES-17 data to investigate weather scenarios and natural hazards.

Read the following blog posted to the American Meteorological Society Front Page for more information.
http://blog.ametsoc.org/columnists/goes-1617-virtual-science-fair-seeking-entries-from-students/

Or, go directly to the science fair site for details.
cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education/goesr/vsf.
​
​Accepting entries between March 1st and May 3rd, 2019 

EEdNews: February 20, 2019
 
New items have been added to the Environmental Education News website that may interest you!
http://www.nj.gov/dep/seeds/njcee/eednews.htm

Remember: New items are added nearly every day...so visit often!
​