Over the past decade, much has been learned about the ocean's secrets and especially about the creatures of the deep sea. The deepest parts of the oceans are currently the focus of many new discoveries in both the physical and biological sciences. Middle school students find the deep sea fascinating and especially seem to enjoy its mysterious and…

According to the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council 1996), students in the middle school years should progress in studying life science from examining individual organisms to recognizing patterns in ecosystems and developing an understanding about the cellular dimensions of living systems. Students should broaden the…

This role-playing simulation is designed to help teach middle level students about the typical lifecycle of a fungus. In this interactive simulation, students assume the roles of fungi, spores, living and dead organisms, bacteria, and rain. As they move around a playing field collecting food and water chips, they discover how the organisms…

The brain is a truly fascinating structure! It controls the body and allows everyone to think, learn, speak, move, feel, remember, and experience emotions. Although the brain is a single organ, it is very complex and has several regions, each having a specific function. These functionally diverse regions work together to allow for coordination of…

Reading Harry Potter aloud to the class one autumn sparked the students imaginations and also the authors'. As a result, that semester the author designed and taught a thematic unit based on Harry Potter. The students were able to identify with the 11-year old wizard and his adventures in a strange new world. In mathematics, language arts, and…

Teachers are usually avid readers, but the pressures of the school year often prevent the sort of thoughtful professional development that a good book can provide. That's why a summer reading list is such a great option, to refresh and renew the scientist within. At the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), a group of teachers works all…

In this article, the author emphasizes that the fundamental goal of environmental education in middle school is to establish the correct environmental awareness by teaching students that is vital to our survival to love nature and to take care of the environment. In other words, one should help students establish the correct outlook on nature,…

Activities featured in this new compendium--a collection of 26 articles published in Science Scope, NSTA's member journal for middle school teachers--will show how. Technology-Based Inquiry offers fresh approaches that teachers and students can use to explore physical science, Earth and space science, life science, and more. It covers the…

This curriculum supplement, from The NIH Curriculum Supplement Series, brings cutting-edge medical science and basic research discoveries from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) into classrooms. It was designed to complement existing life science curricula at both the state and local levels and to be consistent with the National Science…

Recent events, such as the anthrax scares and the SARS outbreak, have forced teachers to focus on issues such as disease control and bioterrorism in their own backyards. Students are aware of the current biological issues in the news and are curious about infectious diseases and the issues relating to biological warfare. In order to address the…