A Thing About Museums
I always had a thing about museums. Growing up there were countless field trips, “for fun” trips, and volunteering throughout high school, etc. But I never wanted to work in [...]
Kick-off
One of the most important things to consider for an inquiry unit of study is how you kick it off. It is important for students to be excited and engaged [...]
“Billions and Billions!”
The Universe is full of awesome phenomena. It belongs to us all. Sometimes, however, it may feel to non-scientists that they aren’t a part of the amazing things we discover [...]
The Whispering Lives of Kids
When I was in graduate school, part of my research included sitting with students and recording everything that they said whether it was to the teacher or to their neighbor. [...]
Salty Days Are Here Again…
So, we have survived the after-Christmas blizzard of 2010 and now it is back to the science classroom. No matter what topic your curriculum sequence is addressing- one topic surely [...]
Welcome
Welcome to the first entry into the Urban Elementary Scientist! It is my hope that this blog will be a place for educators and scientists to discuss, share, complain, and [...]
Don’t Just Read Science, Do Science
I currently teach 2nd and 5th grade science at The School at Columbia University, a K-8 independent school in New York City. In the classroom I encourage a lot of [...]
What Inquiry is Not
Scientific inquiry is one of those terms that’s been coming up a lot lately in science education, but it is also one of those terms that’s hard to define! Ask [...]
Innovate New York: Envisioning an Inventive City
New York is a global city, a diverse blend of culture, vitality, and extraordinary talent. But the wealth of science and technology talent and innovation is less apparent, at least [...]
Rocket Park
Over a round of astrophysics mini-golf, learn what goes into creating a world-class science exhibit from Eric Siegel, Director of the NY Hall of Science, Lee Skolnick, the course’s architect, [...]
