Scientific Papers for High Schoolers 101

Let’s be honest: even adult scientists groan a little when they see a long, data-heavy research paper. So how do we get high school students not just to read scientific literature, but actually enjoy it—and better yet, write it?

DIY Field Trip: Building a Field Experience Students will Remember (without losing your mind)

There’s something magical about watching your students explore the outdoors, get their hands dirty in the muck, and finally understand how an estuary works because they’re standing in one. But if you’ve ever tried to book a field trip and found your dream experience booked up—or just not quite right for your curriculum—you’ve probably thought: “What if I just …

Literature in Marine Science: Celebrating Literacy Week in the Marine Science Classroom

This year’s Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! encouraged educators to build literacy across subjects, and in our high school marine science classroom, we dove headfirst into one of the most iconic ocean-inspired novels of all time: Jaws by Peter Benchley. But instead of focusing on fear, we used this story as a launchpad for science, media literacy, and creative expression. …

NSTA 2024 in New Orleans!

New Orleans is already known for its vibrant culture, rich history, and world-famous cuisine, but this year, it also served as the perfect host city for the 2024 National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference. Science educators from around the country (and the world!) gathered in the Big Easy to exchange ideas, discover the latest teaching …

Sea Hare Serendipity

Aristotle once theorized that living creatures could arise from nonliving matter and that this process was common. He hypothesized that maggots could arise from dead flesh and fleas come from dust. According to Aristotle, the generation of things like sea shells varies with the sea bed. Slime gave rise to oysters, sand to scallops, and …