Over 500 free science fair projects with complete instructions.
"Students must develop a thorough knowledge of basic concepts which they can apply in a wide range of situations. They must also develop the broad-based skills that are so important for effective functioning in the world of work: they must learn to identify and analyse problems and to explore and test solutions in a wide variety of contexts. This firm conceptual base and these essential skills are at the heart of the science and technology curriculum and must be the focus of teaching and learning in the classroom."
Excerpted from The Ontario Curriculum - Science and Technology, Grades 1 - 8. Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario Association des Professeurs de Sciences de l’Ontario
“Promoting Excellence in Science Education through Leadership and Service
STAO, founded in 1890, continues to be the professional voice of Science Educators in Ontario. The mandate and mission of the Science Teacher's Association of Ontario /Association des Professeurs de Sciences de l'Ontario (STAO/APSO) is to "Promote Excellence in Science Education through Leadership and Service."
STAO/APSO is is a non-profit organization run by volunteers whose vision is to promote excellence in science education for its 2600 members. Identifying the needs of educators primarily at the elementary and secondary level is a goal shared by all committees. We support student learning by sharing new ideas with teachers across the province in the form of newletters, a magazine, workshops, an annual conference, an on-line “virtual library” of teaching lessons and tips, and resource material available at the organization website, www.stao.org. Here are a few of the many supports that STAO has to offer beginning science educators.
The STAO web site can be found at www.stao.org. It has been created for both science teachers and students. You can click the links to find out more about our organization, upcoming conferences, selected articles from our periodicals, the Crucible and Elements, apply for or renew your membership, follow exciting links to other science related sites and organizations, registration for regional workshops or conferences, trips to the E-Science Store for resources or link to the Virtual library’s archive of teacher materials at any grade level. It also links you to the many people there to support you in the STAO organization.
Resources: Free to Download!
STAO has been active in the development of resources to support the implementation of curriculum and ministry initiatives. On the STAO website under ‘Resources” you will find resources that were developed to support specific courses (i.e. College Biology, Earth and Space Science, etc.) and they are free to download for your use! Hardcopies are also available for your use from the STAO Science Store. Our latest resources were developed to support the Think Literacy document in grade 7,8, 9 and 10 Sciences. These subject specific resource documents are intended to:
• Blend the teaching of subject content and literacy skill development. • Serve as a springboard for teachers to design additional classroom resources.
STAO’s ScienceWorks PD Workshop Program is a series of innovative, hands-on workshops designed to increase a teacher’s confidence and ability to teach science and technology with an experimental approach. Workshops have been developed by creative teams of science educators to support specific curriculum strands in the grades 1-12 curriculum, as well as more general topics such as literacy, assessment strategies and safety issues in the elementary and secondary classrooms. Serve as a springboard for teachers to design additional classroom resources.
ScienceWorks workshops involve teachers in activities closely related to the specific expectations in the curriculum policy documents. Teaching pedagogy, assessment strategies and “hints” from experienced science facilitators compliment the sharing of best practices amongst participants. Each individual attending the workshop will receive a resource featuring:
• Teacher instructions and answer keys for activities linked to specific curriculum expectations.
• Master student worksheets of activities ready to copy for use in your classroom.
• Background support information for the teacher.
ScienceWorks workshops are offered at the annual conference, can be ordered directly by a school or school Board, and are offered in your local area at Regional Workshop Days. You will find information about the two current Workshops Days planned:
Region 4 - Ottawa - Saturday, February 25, 2006
Region 5 - Toronto - Saturday, February 18,
The annual conference is held in November and gives educators from all over Ontario an opporunity to network and share the latest of what iaappening in Science Education. There are sessions and activities focused on supporting teachers beginning their career. An extensive exhibitor’s area provide a preview of the all the best resources and supplies avialable to support your delivery in the classroom. This year’s conference will be held from November 16-18, 2006 at Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, Toronto. The theme for STAO2006 is “Building Harmony in Learning” and will enhance the connectiveness of science and technology to the world at large. We are encouraging environmental, aboriginal and others of like interest in the health of our world to speak. Currently a call for presenters for the conferences can be found at www.stao.org. A full conference planner will arrive in your school in early September, and appear on the STAO website.
Many of the exceptional teacher resources collected by STAO/APSO over the years are made available to teachers everywhere through the Virtual Library. These resources address the needs of both elementary and secondary educators. Teachers continue to contribute their best teaching strategies, class activities, and links to amazing sites and tips on how to deal with specific items in the curriculum. Library is searchable by grade, topic or key words. You can access the Virtual Library at www.stao.org
• Learn together: The annual STAO conference, attended by over 1,000 Ontario teachers each year, is an opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops, to network with other educators and to be stimulated and refreshed by challenging speakers. Throughout the year, there are also a variety of workshops, regional conferences and other professional development opportunities.
• Giving teachers a voice: STAO works closely with the Ministry of Education and Training in developing and implementing new directions in science curricula. As a member, you'll have input into decisions that affect you. Take advantage of the curriculum incentives offered by STAO.
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This teachers guide (for grades 2, 4, and 7) on the topic of Black Bears is recommended by Curriculum Services Canada and created by the Ministry of Natural Resources. It includes background readings, lesson plans, and suggested activities.
Larger than any other museum of its kind, this museum located in Ottawa helps the public to understand the ongoing relationships between science, technology and Canadian society.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute invites curious kids to explore biology... on screen, off screen, and in between.
This document, developed by the Catholic Curriculum Cooperative Writing Partnership, is presented here by Curriculum Services Canada provides some example of science teaching in Grade 9. The document includes units in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology with a descriptions, strands, and expectations.
Curriculinks is ENO's web-based resource in support of Ontario curriculum. This is a continually growing directory of relevant curriculum resources with descriptions of their applications in the classroom.
Curriculum Services Canada (CSC) is the Pan-Canadian standards agency for quality assurance in learning products and programs. Access teacher-generated resources and course profiles.
You will find classroom activities supporting curriculum topics. The correlated Discovery School video and CD-ROMs provide a wealth of knowledge.
Go to the Hands On Activities and then Activities section. I particularly like the Science Snacks. Snacks are divided into easy-to-follow sections that include instructions, advice, and helpful hints.
Each Snack begins with a photograph of itself, a short introduction and a list of the materials needed. Other sections give assembly instructions, contain descriptions of how to use the completed exhibits, and explain the science behind them. Most of the Snacks can be completed by one...
If you or your students have questions about how something works -say trick birthday candles or fiber optics - this is the site for you.
A Global Study of Wildlife Migration - Your students can contribute data and sightings online. There are also tons of activities, lessons related to learning strategies, wildlife, plants, naturalized schoolyards and much more.
This guide provides links to numerous sites related to Science topics. A wealth of information is available.
Let's Talk Science strives to improve Science literacy through leadership, innovative educational programs, research and advocacy.
This TVOntario resource discusses the Life of Mammals. There are self-guides tours that can help students learn key topics, as well as a series of Zoo assignments for secondary students.
A favourite stop for Ontario elementary teachers, Link to Learning is a constantly updated directory of Internet links appropriate for student use in the study of the Ontario curriculum.
This document provides the guidelines for teaching Science in Kindergarten
An Aeronautics and Space Resource for educators since 1988.
The NSTA, based in the United States was founded in 1944 and is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
The Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner (OCUP) has downloadable units for all subjects and grades and some combined grade units.
The OSC mission "To delight, inform and challenge visitors through engaging and thought-provoking experiences in science and technology" continues to be a favourite choice for many Science and Technology teachers.