Helpful sites for teachers seeking student-centered, inquiry-oriented classrooms
Websites
STEM Teaching Tools
Find support and tools for planning and teaching aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), assessment, issues of equity in science classrooms and so much more! Brief, helpful articles written in a friendly style by folks who spend time in actual classrooms.
The Under-representation Curriculum
A free, flexible curriculum guiding students to use scientific reasoning tools such as data analysis, hypothesis creation, and investigation to look critically at science itself, exploring issues of equity, inclusion and social justice in STEM.
OpenSciEd
OpenSciEd resources enable any science teacher, anywhere, to access and download freely available, high quality, locally adaptable course materials, aligned to NGSS. Lessons are designed to get kids excited and curious about the world around them and confident in their ability to figure it out through questioning, investigating, and solving problems. Units for grades 6-8 currently available; high school units coming by 2024 and eventually elementary will be added.
The Wonder of Science
The Wonder of Science is full of resources to support the next generation of science teachers. It was developed by Paul Andersen of YouTube’s bozemanscience fame, and other science teachers implementing the Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS). You’ll find assessments, phenomena, how-to videos and more, all licensed under Creative Commons licensing.
Personal Genetics
Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue (PGED) offers accurate and engaging information, conversation starters, and lesson plans about genetics. Science is moving quickly and impacting people’s lives. This organization strives to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn, share, ask questions, and make informed decisions. For example, there is a lesson plan to introduce students to CRISPR, including the basic scientific concepts of genome editing, its potential for improving human health, as well as some of the ethical discussions surrounding the development and applications of the technique.
Ambitious Science Teaching
A website devoted to giving teachers the tools to involve students in meaningful science learning. Clear explanations accompanied by example video clips from classrooms explore how to use phenomena to engage students with scientific concepts, encourage scientific discourse and plan for collaborative sensemaking.
Gender-Inclusive Biology
To support all students, present and future, we must adapt existing biology teaching to grow a gender-inclusive curriculum. This website offers curated resources for everyone involved in biology education, providing practical support for teachers in developing a more inclusive, thoughtful biology curriculum.
Phenomena for Science Topics
This page is an ever-expanding source of phenomena-based materials for you to use with your students. Thomas J. McKenna, a faculty member in Science Education at Boston University, created and maintains this site to support educators who are working to create equitable opportunities for ALL students in science. Beautiful library of phenomena images as well as tips on how to use them with students and exemplary lesson plans.
Next Generation Science Storylines
A site dedicated to providing tools for classrooms where teachers support students in science and engineering practices for building and using science ideas to explain real phenomena and solve real problems. Explore lesson plans and helpful planning materials that emphasize making science learning all about investigations grounded in students’ own questions — storylines for learning.
MIT Blossoms
MIT Blossoms Video Library contains over 100 math and science lessons, all freely available to teachers as streaming video and Internet downloads. Every 50-minute lesson is a complete resource that includes video segments, a teacher’s guide, downloadable hand-outs and a list of additional online resources relevant to the topic. Each lesson builds on math and science fundamentals by relating abstract concepts to the real world. The lessons intersperse video instruction with planned exercises that engage students in problem solving and critical thinking.
Blogs
Cult of Pedagogy
Need a smart best friend in the teaching profession? I recommend Jennifer Gonzalez. Sign up to receive her blog posts, and browse the archives whenever you have free time.
Project 180
Monte Syrie’s chronicle of his efforts to radically transform education in his own classroom. In 2016, he decided to spend two years setting aside traditional grading practices in his high school English classroom, seeking to make learning, not grades, the central focus for his students. He shares his continuing journey, successes and failures, along with helpful strategies for building a classroom community that is learning-centered and student-empowering.
Social Media
Raven the Science Maven
Dr. Raven Baxter is a molecular biologist, science educator, speaker, and music artist set on making science culture a place for everyone! Her website has her bio, science music videos and lessons, and contact information, as well as links to find her on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Check her out!
Alexis Nikole, Black Forager
Alexis Nikole is a popular and entertaining food forager with accounts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. In her lively posts she introduces viewers to collecting and cooking everything from acorns to yellow dandelions to seaweed, finding edible (and/or useful medicinal) treasures wherever she travels. Through foraging, Nelson is able to reconnect with African American and Indigenous traditions of using plants for health and nourishment.
SciencEdLife 