Resources for Science
To access supporting materials for teaching Ohio students, click on the links below.
Science Newsletter
Science Newsletter
The Ohio Science Education newsletter provides timely information to science educators regarding important news from the Ohio Department of Education professional development opportunities and classroom resources.
Sign up to receive the Ohio Science Education newsletter.
Science Meetups 2020-2021
The Science Team will be convening Virtual Science Meetups each month of the 2020-2021 school year. Each week will have a different focus of science instruction. Information on other Office of Learning and Instructional Strategies Meetups can be found on the Office of Learning and Instructional Strategies' Resource Page.
October through May schedule
First Tuesday – The Nature of Science: Scientific Inquiry and Application
Each month will focus on component of the Nature of Science, particularly those that are concerned with scientific inquiry and application. Links to session recordings and resources may be found in the table below after the conclusion of the session.
Join Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82261121814
Third Thursday - Science Education Council of Ohio Monthly Webinar
Join the Science Education Council of Ohio (SECO) for their Monthly Webinar series. Each month will highlight a quality instructional material or idea for classroom instruction that will also tie in with the Nature of Science Concept discussed in the meetup during the first week of the month. Details and connection information for the SECO webinar can be found on the SECO webpage.
Fourth Tuesday – Science Office Hours
Science consultants will be available for you to share questions and idea specific to your particular science classroom needs.
Join Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87929130312
Virtual Meetups for Science Schedule
All Meetup session times are Eastern Standard Time.
| Grade Band |
Topic |
Date |
Time |
Partner |
Link |
| K-12 |
The Nature of Science: Science Inquiry & Application |
First Tuesday of the Month October -May |
3:30-4:30 PM |
SECO |
Join Here |
| K-12 |
Science Office Hours |
Fourth Tuesday of the Month October - April |
3:00 - 5:00PM |
SECO |
Join Here |
Partnering Professional Organizations
Virtual Meetups Resources - the Nature of science
Video recordings and resources; including powerpoint presentations and supplemental materials for each of the Science Virtual Meetups dedicated to The Nature of Science may be found by clicking the links below. Districts are encouraged to use these with their Science faculty as part of their professional learning that leads up to the 2021-2022 academic year. If districts are interested in conducting a live Q & A session for faculty with Science Team at the Ohio Department of Education at the completion of the video series, please contact Robin Deems.
| Recordings |
Program Date |
Resources |
| Asking Questions and Defining Problems |
September 15, 2020 |
Asking Questions and Defining Problems |
| Planning and Carrying Out Investigations |
October 5, 2020 |
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations |
| Developing and Using Models |
November 3, 2020 |
Developing and Using Models |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Data |
December 1, 2020 |
Analyzing and Interpreting Data |
| Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking |
January 12, 2020 |
Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking |
| Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions |
February 2, 2020 |
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions |
| Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information |
March 2, 2020
|
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information |
| Engaging in Argument from Evidence/ Science is Open to Revision |
April 6, 2020 |
Engaging in Argument from Evidence/ Science is Open to Revision |
| Science as a Way of Knowing/Science as a Human Endeavor |
May 4, 2020 |
Science as a Way of Knowing/Science as a Human Endeavor |
Ohio Science Standards COVID-19 Gap Analysis
The Science Standards COVID-19 Gap Analysis was created to assist educators in preparing instruction for the 2020-2021 academic year. It will illuminate any gaps in learning that may have been created during the school building closure of 2020, in order to address them with students during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Teaching Students About COVID-19
The Smithsonian Science Education Center, in collaboration with the InterAcademy Partnership and the World Health Organization, has created a free guide for youth called, “COVID-19! How can I protect myself and others?” The purpose of this 7-lesson module is to help youth engage in hands-on activities that they can do at home with simple materials to help them understand the underlying science (and social science) of COVID-19.
Supporting Students’ Science Learning During School Closures
Supporting Students’ Science Learning During School Closures – Council of State Science Supervisors created a guide to provide guidance around how to support student science learning during these unique circumstances. Here is the link to these documents translated to other languages.
Science Explorations To Do at Home
These investigations are designed to be completed in a home setting and are specifically targeted to each of
Ohio’s Learning Standards for Science. These activities use easy to find, familiar household items. The projects are intended to be used by parents to supplement instruction in the classroom or for teachers to assign during remote learning, particularly for students who do not have access to online resources. Be sure to follow pertinent safety considerations.
Safety During At-Home Science Explorations
FLINN Scientific has created FREE At-Home Activities and At-Home Labs for students; including student and teacher guides.
NSTA has created a collection of at-home activities titled the Daily Do. These Daily Do activities are useful for classroom teachers as well as parents to keep their students engaged in meaningful science lessons and experimentation. NSTA members have unlimited access to the Daily Do activities. Non-members of NSTA are also granted access to these activities, however individuals are limited in the number of times they may access within each month.
Virtual Meetups Resources - Choice boards
To learn more about Choice Boards and explore how the faculty at Genoa Area Local Schools have successfully utilized Choice Boards in their K-12 curriculum, access the Recording of the Ohio Department of Education's Virtual Meetup for Science: Choice Boards. Examine the templates and slides offered by Genoa Area Local teachers, to inspire your efforts to incorporate choice boards into your classroom curriculum. There are many examples provided for implementation across the curriculum and in all grade levels.
Resources Created by Outside Organizations
These resources were created by other professional organizations, many of which are outside Ohio, and are not guaranteed to fully align to the
Ohio Learning Standards and Model Curriculum for Science. When reviewing these resources, educators can use the standards, content elaborations and expectations for learning contained in the Model Curriculum to help make determinations on whether to use the materials with their instruction.
- cK-12 - The cK-12 Foundation provides a library of free online textbooks, videos, exercises, flashcards, and real world applications for over 5000 concepts from arithmetic to anatomy. cK12 integrates with many Learning Management Systems including Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas and Edmodo
- Concord Consortium – Virtual guided STEM lessons to engage students in scientifically accurate models and activities.
- The Cornell Lab – Citizen Science Projects to connect students to the world of birds.
- Ohio Department of Education STEM Resources - Resources and activities for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math integration
- Ohio Division of Wildlife - Part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, this Ohio agency provides current information and data on Ohio's wildlife species, as well as classroom resources for teaching about Ohio wildlife; including activity guides, field guides, guidance on developing a WILDSchool Site, Project WILD Curriculum Resources, Project Based Learning resources, and their Chat with a Biologist program.
Science Laboratory Safety
As Ohio students return to school for the 2020-2021 school year, it is imperative to ensure that student safety and well-being are accounted for in all learning environments. The Ohio Learning Standards for Science recognize the importance of providing opportunities for students to engage in inquiry-based activities, which focus on the science and engineering practices and the nature of science. These opportunities provide equitable learning experiences that enhance student performance. To provide for opportunities for students to engage in these activities in a safe manner, the Vermont Agency of Education has issued guidance and suggested protocols pertaining to
laboratory safety for science classrooms. This document details a risk assessment, as well as protocols for social distancing in the science classroom, student and staff hygiene and appropriate disinfection of equipment and work stations. This guidance is also congruent with what is necessary for Ohio science classrooms and educators to provide safe spaces for students to engage in scientific inquiry and investigations as well.
NSTA has also created a
science classroom safety page which includes a position statement on the liability of classroom teachers, a position statement on safety and school science instructions, and other resources for science classrooms.
Speaking Up for Elementary Social Studies and Science, YouTube presentation by Nell Duke, Universtiy of Michigan, about the importance of teaching Social Studies and Science in the elementary grades.
Curriculum Analysis
Curriculum analysis documents provide a tool to closely review current instructional resources to ensure alignment with the expectations of Ohio's Learning Standards and Model Curriculum for Science.
Instructional Implications
Instructional implications documents are intended to provide an overview of the most significant shifts in content or instructional focus between the 2010 and 2018 standards. Teachers or district teams are encouraged to examine these changes more thoroughly using Ohio's Learning Standards and Model Curriculum for Science. Advanced science courses at the high school level are not included in these documents because there were limited changes to the content in those courses.
Vertical Alignment Example
The vertical alignment document provides one example of an overview of the K-8 progression within each topic area. This document is a high-level view and cannot serve as a substitute for the breadth of information provided in Ohio's Learning Standards and Model Curriculum for Science. The information provided is not sufficient to adequately plan instructional details of lessons or units. Please refer to the intended uses in the introduction to this document.
Additional Learning Standards Support Tools
- The Standards Spreadsheet provides a list of science content statements in a document that allows for convenient uploading into database programs. This document is a high-level view and cannot serve as a substitute for the breadth of information provided in Ohio's Learning Standards and Model Curriculum for Science. The information provided is not sufficient to adequately plan instructional details of lessons or units. Instructional planning requires consideration of the Content Elaborations, the Nature of Science and Ohio’s Cognitive Demands, in addition to these basic standard statements.
- Standards Spreadsheet
Planning Resources from Outside Organizations
- Science Education Council of Ohio – This state science teachers organization provides resources to support the instruction of Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum for Science. From now until June 15th all SECO resources will be available at no cost.
- Understanding Science – The University of Berkeley provides resources to understand the nature of science.
Environmental Education Council of Ohio
Science Education Council (SECO)
National Science Teaching Association
Last Modified: 5/11/2021 3:14:50 PM