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NEAESC Science Newsletter

SY 25/26 Archive August 2026

Logo for Arkansas K-12 Science Standards featuring a map of Arkansas made of blue, orange, and green puzzle pieces.

AR K-12 Science Standards Parent/​Guardian Guides

K-2 3-5 6-8 9-12

ATLAS Science Blueprints

Exclusive NEAEC Uncovering Student Ideas Assessment Series Access

The book cover for "Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Vol 1, Second Edition" by Page Keeley, featuring a glowing brain graphic.

Uncovering Student Ideas Series

Each of the books in this collection provides formative assessment probes with easy-to-follow steps for uncovering and addressing students' ideas by promoting learning through conceptual change instruction. Probes cover topics such as physical, life, and Earth and space science; the nature of science; and unifying themes. These invaluable books include teacher materials that explain content, identify links to standards, and suggest grade-appropriate ways to present materials so students learn concepts accurately. Teachers, professional development coordinators, and college science and preservice faculty will find these resources essential and exciting.

Other Resources

(inclusion of resources here is not an endorsement, nor is this an exhaustive list)

  • A logo with the text "5D ASSESSMENT" in white next to a colorful, stylized ribbon graphic on a blue background.

    Inspired by A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012), our project was developed to support science teachers in adopting "five-dimensional" assessment practices that explicitly attend to students' interests and identities.

  • A graphic design features light green chemical bonds and hexagons on a solid green background.

    The ACESSE project has been bringing together educators and researchers to collaboratively research, develop, and promote strategies to make science education more coherent and equitable. Strategies and resources that come from this project are being shared around the country through networks of science education leaders. The strategies are grounded in the vision of A Framework for K-12 Education. The ACESSE Project is funded by the National Science Foundation under multiple phases of grant funding. Phase 1 went from 2016-2019 and focused on formative assessment as a leverage point for improvement (NSF grant #1561300). Phase 2 is underway and will occur between 2019-2023 with a focus on the adaptation of instructional materials as a leverage point for improvement (NSF grant #1920249).

  • The logo for Ambitious Science Teaching featuring a four-part colored circle next to the text.

    Ambitious teaching can be learned. Ambitious Science Teaching supports students in tackling authentic and meaningful science phenomena with attention to students’ histories, social interactions, and local and global communities. Ambitious teaching requires that teachers develop deep commitments to student learning and a historical understanding of inequity in science and schools. Ambitious teaching takes practice. This website provides resources to develop a vision of ambitious science instruction for today’s complex K-12 classrooms, professional learning, and teacher education.

  • A graphic displaying the word 'CONTEXTUS' in white capital letters next to a concentric circle logo on a dark teal background.

    Contextus represents the efforts of a community of educators, leaders, and partners dedicated to better science assessments that center learners. Learn more We are teachers, administrators, state science leaders, researchers, and partners committed to creating the assessment system we need to for science teaching and learning to be meaningful, empowering, and rich for every learner.

  • The logo for Data Nuggets featuring white text for 'DATA' and light blue script for 'Nuggets' on a solid green background.

    Data Nuggets are free classroom activities, co-designed by scientists and teachers, designed to bring contemporary research and authentic data into the classroom. Data Nuggets feature a scientist role model and the story of what inspired their research. In a Data Nugget activity, students are guided through the entire process of science, including identifying hypotheses and predictions, visualizing and interpreting data, supporting claims using data as evidence, and asking their own questions for future research. Because of their simplicity and flexibility, Data Nuggets can be used throughout the school year and across grades K-16, as students grow in their quantitative abilities and gain confidence. Data Nuggets have the potential to improve the understanding of science in society while engaging and motivating the next generation of scientists.

  • A banner displays the white text 'Phenomenal GRC Lessons' against a dark background with blurred golden lights.

    Welcome to our Going 3-D with GRC website. This site is a collection of vetted, three-dimensional lessons aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and state standards developed from the Framework for K-12 Science Education. The lessons were developed by teachers across districts and states utilizing local phenomena. The teachers who developed these lessons participate in professional development with Brett D. Moulding and Kenneth L. Huff over the past five years. Brett was on the committee that wrote the Framework for K-12 Science Education and a lead writer of the NGSS. Kenneth was also on the NGSS writing team and has spent the last 5 years applying these lessons in his classroom. If you have questions or suggestions about these lessons please contact Brett at BrettDMoudling@gmail.com.

  • The logo for hhmi BioInteractive featuring a blue and green gradient lizard icon.

    HHMI BioInteractive brings the power of real science stories into tens of thousands of high school and undergraduate life science classrooms through free classroom resources and professional development.

  • The official logo for the IF/THEN Collection featuring bold black text with a colorful starry background inside the letters and the word Collection in purple script below.

    Are you trying to inspire others with authentic and relatable images of women in STEM? This Is What A Scientist Looks Like™ We are pleased to offer the IF/THEN® Collection, a digital asset library of women STEM innovators, for educational and other noncommercial use.

  • A logo of "Investigations Project" featuring a cluster of colorful hexagons next to dark text against a black background.

    Consistent with big ideas in the Framework for K-12 Science Education and reports on elementary and secondary science instruction, we believe that instruction should be equitable, expansive, deep, and joyful. Learning should be anchored in rich phenomena, build from young people’s ideas and experiences, invite and support the practices of science and engineering, develop big understandings and explanations, and help youth build just and caring communities in and out of the classroom.

  • A logo featuring a green leaf shape with the white text "Learning in Places".

    We are a collaborative network of educators, families, and community partners working to cultivate equitable, culturally thriving, socio-ecological systems learning and ethical decision-making using field-based science education in outdoor places, including gardens, for children in pre-kindergarten to 5th grade (and beyond) and their families.

  • The logo for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine features dark text on a white background.

    The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes the publications of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. NAP publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important matters in science and health policy. All free to download.

  • The PBS LearningMedia logo for teachers is displayed in blue and white.

    Engage K–12 students with phenomena and science practices using this collection of supplementary digital media resources created by GBH in collaboration with NASA. The resources align with key NGSS Earth, space, and physical science disciplinary core ideas. To ensure that science content is accessible for all students, supports are included for students with disabilities or who are English learners; many resources have Spanish translations.

  • The PhET logo features light blue and yellow lettering against a black background, with a yellow paper airplane replacing the letter h.

    Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

  • A green rectangular banner with the white text "STEM teaching tools".

    The STEM Teaching Tools site has tools that can help you teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). We are currently focused on supporting the teaching of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Each tool is focused on a specific issue and leverages the best knowledge from research and practice. Under the News section, you can learn a bit more about how you might use them. This article provides background on this effort. Review more resources in our Tools area and check out the online "short courses" shown below.

  • A logo featuring a lightbulb outline with a squiggle inside, next to the text 'THE WONDER OF SCIENCE' on a dark background.

    The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. The website aggregates resources developed by Paul Andersen and other science teachers implementing the Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS). All of the resources are licensed under Creative Commons licensing.

  • The official logo of the National Science Teaching Association, featuring an atom graphic and the text nsta.

    Welcome to the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), a vibrant community of 35,000 members — science educators and professionals committed to best practices in teaching science and STEM and its impact on student learning.

  • The cover of the book titled 'A Framework for K-12 Science Education' features a collage of science-related images including space, test tubes, and students conducting experiments.

    Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce, A Framework for K-12 Science Education proposes a new approach to K-12 science education that will capture students' interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field.