K12Science

K12Science Podcast: International Space Station

I was recently reading the October, 2023 special issue of USA Today, entitled, "NASA at 65."

In this issue, I read the article "25 Years Up There: International Space Station Operators are Preparing for the Outpost's Demise."

25 years ago, the first two elements of the International Space Station were connected by shuttle astronauts. After 2030, NASA will need to bring the space station out of orbit.

I was recently reading the December 7, 2023 issue of "Smithsonian" magazine.

In this issue, I read the article "The Ten Best Science Books of 2023" written by Bridget Alex, Riley Black, Dan Falk, Shi En Kim, Carlyn Kranking, and Joe Spring.

In the article they shared their top nonfiction science titles from the past year, selected by "Smithsonian" magazine's editors and frequent contributors. In our last podcast, I shared the reviews of two of the top ten books. In today's podcast, we will look at the reviews of two more books from the list:

Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb

Starborn: How the Stars Made Us (and Who We Would Be Without Them) by Roberto Trotta

I was recently reading the December 7, 2023 issue of "Smithsonian" magazine.

In this issue, I read the article "The Ten Best Science Books of 2023" written by Bridget Alex, Riley Black, Dan Falk, Shi En Kim, Carlyn Kranking, and Joe Spring.

In the article they shared their top nonfiction science titles from the past year, selected by "Smithsonian" magazine's editors and frequent contributors. In this podcast, we look at two of their selections:

"Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World" by John Vaillant

"Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell" by Sy Montgomery

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of "The Science Teacher" a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section "Career of the Month" written by Luba Vangelova. In this section, she focused on the career of an acoustician.

An acoustician is an expert in the branch of physics concerned with the properties of sound. Tony Hoover is an acoustician and recommends interested students to have a great understanding of acoustics, which is an interdisciplinary field that involves a lot of physics, math, and engineering.

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of "Science Scope" a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, "Practical Research" written by Samantha Lindgren, Meghan McCleary, Susan Gasper, Amanda Nieves, Kara Stengren, and Amira Shabana. They wrote an article entitled, "Outdoor Teaching and Learning in Natural Spaces and Outdoor Classrooms."

When we consider topics like climate change and the complex impacts it has on our students' futures, learning in outdoor spaces and using the natural environment as a primary learning resource becomes an important and timely approach to science education. This type of learning draws on the fields of outdoor and environmental education, which emphasize place-based and experiential pedagogies, interdisciplinary, and the relationships between people and nature.

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of "Science Scope" a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, "Citizen Science" written by Jill Nugent. She wrote an article entitled, "Beavers from Space!"

Beavers from Space is an online project that launched in 2023, and your help is needed to determine where beavers are found and where they appear to be absent, specifically in the waterways of Alberta, Canada. For more information, please visit:

https://workingwithbeavers.ca

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of "The Science Teacher" a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the article "The Use of Storytelling to Model NGSS Science and Engineering Practices" written by Adrienne Larocque and Anna Babarinde.

An important strand of three-dimensional learning in the Next Generation Science Standards is science and engineering practices. These practices replace the oversimplified "scientific method" often presented in science textbooks that bears little resemblance to actual scientific research. It requires time and effort to research and prepare accounts about people who model the Scientific and Engineering Practices. Joanna Haigh is one of those people.

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of "Science and Children" a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.

In this issue, I read the section, "Science 101" written by Matthew Bobrowsky. He wrote an article entitled, "What Can My Students See During the Upcoming Solar Eclipse?!"

The total solar eclipse that will take place on April 8, 2024, will probably be your last chance to see one until 2025.

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of "The Science Teacher" a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the section, "Commentary" written by John Suchocki. He wrote an article entitled, "Pathways to Science Literacy."

The concepts of science and the practices of doing science are not the same. As science teachers, we should pull the rich practices of science (the ways of doing science) out front and center as a helix wrapping around the core concepts of science.

I was recently reading the Fall, 2023 issue of "Science Scope" a publication of the National Science Teaching Association. In this issue, I read the section, "Integrating Technology," written by Michael McKenzie and Alex Fegely. They wrote an article entitled, "Differentiate Science Lessons by Using VR in Station Rotations."

Blended learning strategies combined with innovative technology, for example, virtual reality (VR), can be used in science classrooms to differentiate teaching and enrich learning experiences. An app often used in classrooms is YouTube VR. You can learn more by visiting:

https://www.youtube.com/@360