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iExploreScience: STEM in Elem episodes
- 18 How A Teacher Transformed Her Classroom
In this episode, Nicole talks with high school teacher Mariah Ramos about her experience as she transitioned to the NGSS and transformed her classroom. They discuss impacts on student learning, the challenges she faced and how she overcame them, and the reality that transitioning to the NGSS is a journey. They also spend some time discussing how Mariah might outline her next NGSS unit -- a process you may want to dive into yourself.
Resources Referenced:
>> Mariah Ramos on Instagram
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 4-day mini-course designed to kickstart your transition to the NGSS and discovery-style instruction - Kickstart Aha!
>> Looking for a comprehensive professional development program that will give you a step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Explore To Aha! Academy.
>> NGSS For Middle and High School Science Teachers Facebook Group
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
1 hr 4 min - 17 How To Use Student Questions To Build Storylines
In this episode, Erin Sadler of Sadler Science and Nicole VanTassel of iExploreScience chat about using student questions to build storylines. Erin is a master at this, so she is going to share the highlights of a presentation she delivered on this topic at the California Science Teachers Association conference last fall.
To see the full episode recap, click here.
Resources Referenced:
>> Erin's Presentation
>> Quick Start Guide To Storyline Your NGSS Unit
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 4-day mini-course designed to kickstart your transition to the NGSS and discovery-style instruction - Kickstart Aha!
>> Looking for a comprehensive professional development program that will give you a step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Explore To Aha! Academy.
>> NGSS For Middle and High School Science Teachers Facebook Group
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
15 min - 16 How To Get Your Questions Answered
In this episode, we are getting back into the swing of things and answering our listener's questions! Erin Sadler of Sadler Science and Nicole VanTassel of iExploreScience chat about their fall conference highlights and address a few questions about finding and using NGSS-aligned curriculum.
To read the full episode recap, click here.
Resources Referenced:
>> OpenSciEd
>> Stanford NGSS Integrated Curriculum
>> Illinois Science Teachers Association Storyline Working Group
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 4-day mini-course designed to kickstart your transition to the NGSS and discovery-style instruction - Kickstart Aha!
>> Looking for a comprehensive professional development program that will give you a step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Explore To Aha! Academy.
>> NGSS For Middle and High School Science Teachers Facebook Group
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
29 min - 15 How To Incorporate More Exploration
In this short solo episode, Nicole VanTassel of iExploreScience takes a closer look at incorporating discovery into your NGSS classroom. Building from the fundamentals in Episode 10 How You Can Teach For Student Discovery, this episode outlines several activity formats that work well to engage students in exploration and discovery.
Resources Referenced:
>> Episode 10: How You Can Teach For Student Discovery
>> Questioning To Support Student Discovery (iExploreScience Blog)
>> Supporting Students Transition To The NGSS (iExploreScience Blog)
>> Teach The NGSS: Adopting NGSS Instructional Approaches (iExploreScience Blog)
>> NGSS For Middle and High School Science Teachers Facebook Group
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 5-day mini-course that will help you get a grip on the new standards - Intro To The NGSS!
>> Looking for a full, step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Science Teacher Tribe Course + Community professional development program!
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
16 min - 14 How To Build An NGSS Storyline
Learn how to build a storyline to guide your students in the discovery of content in your classroom.
Before you listen, you might want to listen to
* Episode 7: How You Can Incorporate Phenomena
* Episode 12: How the NGSS Will Change Your Content
Example year-long storylines from the California Framework: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/cascienceframework2016.asp
From Sadler Science:
Using Evidence Statements to Write Objectives
How I Create Cohesive Storylines
From iExplore Science:
Freebie: What I See, What it Means - Analyzing and Interpreting Data
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
13 min - 13 How To Use Relationships To Support The NGSS Classroom
In this episode, Nicole VanTassel of iExploreScience talks with Dana Skillman - an NGSS teacher and member of the Science Teacher Tribe - about the importance of building strong relationships in your NGSS classroom. Get the scoop on why it's important -- and more importantly, how to do it -- from a teacher-expert in this episode.
Resources Referenced:
>> Dana Skillman on Instagram
>> Science Teacher Tribe Course + Community
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 5-day mini-course that will help you get a grip on the new standards - Intro To The NGSS!
>> Looking for a full, step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Science Teacher Tribe Course + Community professional development program!
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
50 min - 12 How The NGSS Will Change Your Content
In this quick solo episode, Nicole VanTassel of iExploreScience outlines the big content shifts you can expect to see with your transition to the NGSS. What are you supposed to teach? How are you supposed to know? Where can you go to find answers and clarification? Get your questions answered in this podcast episode.
Resources Referenced:
>> NGSS For Middle and High School Science Teachers Facebook Group
>> Using The NGSS Evidence Statements For Backwards Planning (Sadler Science Blog)
>> Getting Creative With Your NGSS Content: When It's Not In The Standards (iExploreScience Blog)
>> Breaking Down The Evidence Statements (iExploreScience Blog)
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 5-day mini-course that will help you get a grip on the new standards - Intro To The NGSS!
>> Looking for a full, step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Science Teacher Tribe Course + Community professional development program!
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
11 min - 11 How You Can Evaluate Student Learning
Erin Sadler of Sadler Science talks to Juli Cannon (Juli Cannon Science) about 3-dimensional assessment strategies and instructional shifts with the NGSS.
Resources Referenced:
>> Juli Cannon Science
>> Juli Cannon on TeachersPayTeachers
>> K-12 Science Framework
>> NSTA Disciplinary Core Ideas Matrix
>> NSTA Science and Engineering Practices Matrix
>> NSTA Crosscutting Concepts Matrix
>> STEM Teaching Tools
>> STEM Teaching Tools Task Format
>> STEM Teaching Tools Crosscutting Concept Prompts
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 5-day mini-course that will help you get a grip on the new standards - Intro To The NGSS!
>> Looking for a full, step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Science Teacher Tribe Course + Community professional development program!
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
31 min - 10 How You Can Teach For Student Discovery
In this episode, we dive into some strategies you can use to help your students truly DISCOVER the content and move away from "teaching as telling."
Resources Referenced:
>> NGSS For Middle and High School Science Teachers Facebook Group
>> Using The Evidence Statements (Sadler Science Blog)
>> Supporting Students Transition To The NGSS (iExploreScience Blog)
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Enroll in the free, 5-day mini-course that will help you get a grip on the new standards - Intro To The NGSS!
>> Looking for a full, step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Science Teacher Tribe Course + Community professional development program!
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
15 min - 9 How You Can Be Brave With The NGSS
In this episode, Nicole interviews Sarah from Happy Teacher Heart about being brave with the NGSS. What does that mean? Sarah shares her experience piloting the new standards and the pushback she received from colleagues who weren't comfortable with changing things up. Sarah describes an activity that gets to the heart of what the NGSS means and outlines a few ways she uses YouTube to introduce engaging phenomena.
Referenced Links:
>> Happy Teacher Heart
>> Happy Teacher Heart on TeachersPayTeachers
>> Happy Teacher Heart on Instagram
>> It's OK To Be Smart on YouTube
Learn more...
>> Check out Nicole's blog and resources at iExploreScience!
>> Check out Erin's blog and resources at SadlerScience!
>> Connect with us on Facebook in NGSS for Middle and High School Science Teachers and NGSS Newbies!
>> Enroll in the free, 5-day mini-course that will help you get a grip on the new standards - Intro To The NGSS!
>> Looking for a full, step-by-step guide to "NGSSing" your science class? Check out the Science Teacher Tribe Course + Community professional development program!
📬 Stay Connected- 📰 Substack: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
- 🛍️ TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/iexplorescience
- 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iexplorescience/
- 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iexplorescience/
- 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolevantassel/
34 min
About iExploreScience: STEM in Elem
From the publisher's feed
iExploreScience: STEM in Elem is for upper elementary teachers — especially grades 3–5 —who want to make elementary science and math more engaging, without adding more prep or…
overwhelm to their day. If you’re looking for practical ways to bring STEM and hands-on learning into your classroom while still meeting standards like NGSS, this podcast is for you.
Each week, you’ll get (ideally) short, (always!) actionable episodes (about 15–30 minutes) filled with classroom-tested ideas you can actually use. From simple STEM challenges and low-prep science activities to math routines, lab management, and neurodivergent-friendly strategies, everything is designed to help you keep students thinking, moving, and engaged—especially during the most challenging times of the year.
You’ll also hear honest reflections from real classroom experiences, with a focus on what works (and what doesn’t) in my 5th grade science and math classroom — no perfection required.
I’m Nicole, and I share practical, hands-on science and math ideas designed specifically for upper elementary teachers who want engaging, rigorous lessons without the overwhelm.