Blog

Explore extreme weather in your area

Graph of tMax in Palmdale, CA, in CODAP showing mean of 102.98 degrees F.

Leticia Perez is a Senior Professional Learning Specialist at WestEd. Frieda Reichsman is a Senior Research Scientist at the Concord Consortium. Headlines make the news all the time warning of warmer winters, changing seasonal patterns, life-threatening heat, or alternately dangerous freezing conditions. Whether you’re in Massachusetts or California, or somewhere in between, nearly everyone has […]

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Learning science practices with moths and collaborative software

Teachers and MothEd project staff in lab at Michigan State University

Moths live around the world. Despite their ubiquity, they haven’t been studied nearly as much as their daytime counterparts, not even by entomologists. Butterflies have gotten most of the attention. The MothEd: Authentic Science for Elementary and Middle School Students project is exploring ways to deepen independent science inquiry learning in young learners using technology […]

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Infusing genetics with data science and three-dimensional teaching

Fast Plants seedlings

Let’s face it, three-dimensional teaching takes work. There are disciplinary core ideas (DCI), science and engineering practices (SEP), and crosscutting concepts (CCC) to pack in. A simple new tool may help biology classes reap the benefits of Next Generation Science Standards instruction with big payoffs. The 3D Teacher Moves Table, developed for a groundbreaking webinar […]

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New Dynamic Data Science Collection

We’re making data science accessible and empowering students to understand and analyze complex data without hours of coding lessons or years of advanced mathematics. A new collection of Dynamic Data Science activities designed for students in grades 9-14 is now available to get students working with data! National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data Portal […]

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Students Learn Genetics with Geniverse  

How well do students learn genetics concepts using Geniverse in their high school biology class? Scarlett, the Geniverse female avatar, and Arrow the dragon journey to the remote Drake Breeder’s Guild. With funding from the National Science Foundation, we sought to understand the contributions and challenges of teacher implementation of digital games by studying Geniverse, […]

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Digital gaming will connect afterschool students with biotech mentors

Our nation’s future competitiveness and our citizens’ overall STEM literacy rely on our efforts to forge connections between the future workforce and the world of emerging STEM careers. Biotechnology, and genetics in particular, are rapidly advancing areas that will offer new jobs across the spectrum from technicians to scientists. A new $1.2 million National Science […]

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