GLOBE and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Publications

To support U.S. schools, districts, and states in the adoption of the new national science standards, the GLOBE U.S. Partner Community developed "A Guide to Connections between The GLOBE Program and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)" through the support of a grant from the National Science Foundation. This guide connects GLOBE protocols and resources to the NGSS Framework and can be used as a resource for digital curriculum platforms.

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WaterBotics: A Novel Engineering Design Curriculum for Formal and Informal Educational Settings

Publications

WaterBotics has been implemented with thousands of middle and high school youths in five U.S. geographic regions.The underwater environment presents novel challenges that can facilitate unique learning experiences for students engaged in robotics programs. WaterBotics ® is an underwater robotics curriculum using LEGO ® MINDSTORMS ® components and related materials. It has undergone an extensive, eight-year research and development phase. WaterBotics can be used effectively in a variety of formal and informal educational settings, such as school-based classrooms, summer camps, and after-school

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The Go-To Guide for Engineering Curricula, Grades 6-8: Choosing and Using the Best Instructional Materials for Your Students

Publications

How to engineer change in your middle school science classroom With the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards, your students won’t just be scientists—they’ll be engineers. But that doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel. Respected science educator Cary Sneider has done the groundwork for you, collecting a full range of time-tested curriculum materials to seamlessly weave engineering and technology concepts into your math and science lessons. In this volume, you’ll find descriptions of instructional materials specifically created for—and tested in—middle school science

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Making Educational Games That Work in The Classroom

Publications

The development of analytical skills is a central goal of the Next Generation Science Standards and foundational to subject mastery in STEM fields. Yet, significant barriers exist to students gaining such skills. Here we describe a new “gentleslope” cyberlearning strategy that gradually introduces students to the authoring of scientific simulations via a Web-based modding approach called CyberMOD. Modding involves adding agents with predefined functionality to a simulation world to produce a unique combination whose behavior can then be visualized by running the simulation. This permits low

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Impact of Environmental Power Monitoring Activities on Middle School Student Perceptions of STEM

Publications

Middle school is a crucial stage in student development as students prepare for a fast changing future. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills that students acquire in middle school lay the foundation for a successful career in STEM. Moreover, most STEM occupations require competencies in science, math and logical thinking prior to engagement in problem solving. Therefore, it is vital to prepare and develop interest in middle school students to participate in the future STEM workforce. This study examines the impact of hands-on authentic projects on middle school

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