Bugs, Bugs, Delicious Bugs!


Donna Giachetti, Educational Innovations

By Donna Giachetti

These days, eating bugs is in the news more often than ever before.  Even the dreaded murder hornets, it seems, are a delicacy in parts of the world!  I’m always delighted when science intersects with popular culture, and edible bugs are definitely one of those instances.

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Frog Competition Chaos


By Julie Pollard

“When am I going to ever use this?”  “Why do I even need to know this?”  These questions are the bane of the science teacher’s existence—or at least of mine.  Even though science is woven into every aspect of every day of our lives, my middle schoolers just can’t seem to make that leap.  They’re like frogs who don’t know how to jump. They still think of science as something done by nerds in white coats in labs.

During our unit on ecosystems and competition, my students seem to struggle with the concept of competition for abiotic factors.  They have no problem relating to the predator-and-prey, competition-for-food aspect of competition—which makes sense, if you’ve ever watched eighth grade boys racing for the last slice of pizza.

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July 20, 1969: My Apollo 11 Memories


Ted Beyer, Educational InnovationsBy Ted Beyer

There are certain days in history that pretty much anyone who was alive at the time can remember as though it was yesterday.  Times of trial and triumph.  Heart-wrenching times like September 11th, or the day Kennedy was shot, or the Challenger.  And then there is the day that we landed on the Moon.

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Making Scientifically-Accurate Snowflakes


Priscilla Robinson, Educational InnovationsBy Priscilla Robinson

Snowflakes!  They arrive in flurries, storms and blizzards, not to mention “Winter Bomb Cyclones!”  I’ve always thought the science behind snowflakes is amazing.

A snowflake begins when a tiny dust or pollen particle comes into contact with water vapor high up in Earth’s atmosphere.  The water vapor coats the tiny particle and then freezes into a tiny crystal of ice.  This tiny crystal will be the “seed” from which a snowflake will grow.  The process is called crystallization.

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The Magic of Spring, Seeds, and Science!


Priscilla Robinson, Educational Innovationsby Priscilla Robinson

Spring in the Pacific Northwest comes with a fanfare of germinating seeds, blossoming flowers, and budding trees. As a science educator, I like to jump on Mother Nature’s bandwagon to bring this burst of plant life into my classroom with a variety of biology experiments and activities. What your students see every day can bloom into teachable moments. These learning ideas will help you make the most out of the magic and science of spring.

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