This is an archived educational resource page.
BSCS has determined that we can no longer recommend the use of this resource because it is out of date or we are no longer able to provide support for it. We are continuing to make this page and the resources linked to it available so that members of the educational community can review and learn from it.
Allergies affect more than 50 million Americans, and are among the leading causes of chronic disease in the US. One in every 13 children, roughly two students in every classroom, have allergies to food.
To help middle school teachers more effectively teach about food allergies, BSCS Science Learning has developed an online curriculum supplement called Allergies and Scientific Inquiry. Students using this multimedia resource learn how to distinguish food allergies from other negative food reactions. They explore the role of the immune system in causing allergy symptoms and learn how medical research is contributing to better allergy management.
Lessons engage students in the practices of scientific inquiry, and are aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. Teachers can access instructions for navigating the classroom lessons once logged into the teacher portal.
Is this the right resource for your classroom? Here’s a sample of what students will learn:
- Allergies involve inappropriate reactions of the immune system.
- Scientific medical diagnosis of food allergies is critical.
- The main management option for people with food allergies is avoidance.
- The management of food allergies is improved if people know how to correctly read food labels.
- Individuals with food allergies should not be stigmatized.
This resource was supported by a grant (R25 A1098674-01) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. While opioid use by teenagers has decreased to historically low levels in some cases, there has been a dramatic increase in vaping. Research is showing that exposure to nicotine, marijuana, or other drugs during adolescence can affect the brain’s function and development on both a short-term and a long-term basis.
BSCS Science Learning has developed a curriculum supplement to teach middle school students about drug abuse and addiction in relevant, real-life contexts. The module—Drug Abuse, Addiction, and the Adolescent Brain—helps students understand how drugs of abuse change the way the brain works and consequently change a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A unique aspect of this module is the focus on how drugs of abuse can affect the developing brain of an adolescent differently than they do the adult brain.
This program is freely available and features five classroom lessons with four video segments.
This resource was developed with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
This is an archived educational resource page.
BSCS has determined that we can no longer recommend the use of this resource because it is out of date or we are no longer able to provide support for it. We are continuing to make this page and the resources linked to it available so that members of the educational community can review and learn from it.
Teaching elementary science can be challenging. So how can university faculty prepare future elementary teachers for success in the classroom? And how can professional development leaders help existing elementary teachers grow?
BSCS Science Learning created ViSTA specifically for university preservice methods courses and inservice professional learning programs. The resource is designed to enhance elementary science content knowledge and instructional practices. ViSTA users explore the powerful STeLLA® approach, learning to apply high-leverage teaching strategies through video-based lesson analysis. With access to five content-specific modules—Plants, Electricity, Water Cycle, Force and Motion, and Inquiry—ViSTA users will discover a range of K-8 classroom videos, assignments, and guided in-class exercises that are relevant to their specific contexts.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-0957996. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
This is an archived educational resource page.
BSCS has determined that we can no longer recommend the use of this resource because it is out of date or we are no longer able to provide support for it. We are continuing to make this page and the resources linked to it available so that members of the educational community can review and learn from it.
Elementary science teachers’ first year in the classroom can be challenging. They must navigate leading active student learning experiences while diving into science content that is often outside their expertise. New teachers are more likely to feel prepared for this role if they’ve taken a high quality preservice methods course in college.
That’s why BSCS Science Learning developed ViSTA Plus—a full-semester online course designed to enhance preservice elementary teachers’ science content knowledge and instructional practices. ViSTA Plus users explore the powerful STeLLA® approach, learning to apply high-leverage teaching strategies through video-based lesson analysis. Throughout the course, users discover and pay attention to the ways students make sense of scientific concepts and design coherent lessons connected to big science ideas. The course focuses on two content areas, food webs and water cycle, and provides access to videos, assignments, and assessments.
ViSTA Plus is a valuable resource for university instructors who are looking to adopt a complete course for elementary science methods. A research study on ViSTA Plus showed successful science learning outcomes for new teachers and ultimately their students during the student teaching year.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-1220635. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
In 2014-15, more than 11,000 people died in an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. And since August 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been experiencing the second worst outbreak in history, with roughly 2,264 deaths and 3,310 documented cases.
BSCS Science Learning has developed a free resource to educate the public about Ebola. The website—Understanding Ebola Virus Disease—includes an interactive model that allows teachers, students, and community members to actively explore the factors that influence a disease’s spread and mortality rate.
In alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards, the resource addresses selected disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts.
This material was developed in partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting and is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-1518346. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
This is an archived educational resource page.
BSCS has determined that we can no longer recommend the use of this resource because it is out of date or we are no longer able to provide support for it. We are continuing to make this page and the resources linked to it available so that members of the educational community can review and learn from it.
Where has biology teaching been, and where is it going? How can I create a culture of scientific inquiry in my classroom? How do I teach controversial questions? Biology educators will discover the answers to these and other key questions in The Biology Teacher’s Handbook, Fourth Edition.
BSCS Science Learning has filled this volume with valuable teaching ideas and guidelines for grades 6-12 and college biology educators. Teachers will learn strategies to enhance their instructional practices, create a culture of inquiry in the classroom, promote scientific discussion, and more.
This resource is available for purchase through NSTA Press .