Science Intervention: Strategies To Help Students Catch Up

Many students struggle in STEM-related subjects: science, technology, engineering, and math. Struggling in science can be disheartening for students, their parents, and their teachers. As students increase in grade level, the emphasis placed on science in the public-school system increases, leaving many students feeling as though they will never catch up. Here, we provide some science intervention strategies to help students reach grade-level standards and accomplish their goals.

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7 Things to Know About the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission Launch

NASA's next rover to the Red Planet is slated to launch no earlier than July 30. These highlights will get you up to speed on the ambitious mission.

This illustration depicts NASA's Perseverance rover operating on the surface of Mars. Perseverance will land at the Red Planet's Jezero Crater a little after 3:40 p.m. EST (12:40 p.m. PST) on Feb. 18, 2021. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

In less than a month, NASA expects to launch the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Loaded with scientific instruments, advanced computational capabilities for landing, and other new systems, the Perseverance rover is the largest, heaviest, most sophisticated vehicle NASA has ever sent to the Red Planet.

"Perseverance sets a new bar for our ambitions at Mars," said Lori Glaze, planetary science director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We will get closer than ever before to answering some of science's longest-standing questions about the Red Planet, including whether life ever arose there."

What drives Perseverance's mission and what will it do at the Red Planet? Here are seven things to know: 

3 Lessons From Online Learning to Take Back to the Classroom

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Remote teaching has brought profound changes. I went through a grieving process for what my classroom once had been and for what it felt like to be in a room with students and interact with them so easily. But as I made my way through that grief, after a month or two I began to find some hope. I realized that there are lots of lessons to be learned from this time of distance learning. When we can be in person again, there are some practices that will carry with me because I discovered they actually work better:

Join NASA for the Launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover!

No matter where you live, choose from a menu of activities to join NASA as we "Countdown to Mars" and launch the Perseverance rover to the Red Planet.

NASA is inviting the public to take part in virtual activities and events ahead of the launch of the agency's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, which is targeted for 7:50 a.m. EDT (4:50 a.m. PDT) Thursday, July 30, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Perseverance Launch to Mars: This illustration shows the moment after liftoff of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft begins the first part of its journey to Mars atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

2 Simple Ways to Improve Online Instruction

Distance learning started as an emergency, but teachers are finding ways to make it better, even for students working on smartphones.

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How Teachers Are Integrating COVID-19 Crisis Into Their Lessons

The coronavirus as a teachable moment? Yes, indeed. Many NEA members are integrating the pandemic into their lesson plans—using students’ natural curiosity about what’s happening in the world around them to deepen their understanding of critical, timely concepts in science, history, journalism, and more.

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The Many Benefits of STEM Education

If you’re concerned that STEM is taking up too much classroom time, consider this: STEM permeates the curriculum in ways subjects taught in isolation can’t. STEM also teaches the skills students need for success beyond their formal education.

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Teachers know that they have to take advantage of every minute of instructional time they can get with students. STEM programs, with their integrated lessons, seem to usurp a considerable amount of instructional time. That can lead to arguments about pulling kids away from traditional subjects like science and math.

However, STEM offers students experiences they can’t get in traditional classrooms. STEM integrates learning through interdisciplinary studies. It affords the application of 21^st-century learning skills. And finally, STEM teaches resilience.

Robots May Help Kids with Special Needs

The numbers for autism are staggering:

• 1.8 million cases of autism in the U.S.

• 1 case diagnosed every 20 minutes

• 24,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

• Lifetime care for an autistic person: $3.2 million.

• Autism care costs annually in U.S.: $35 billion.

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Bonnie Gamane speaks wistfully as she recalls the day last year when a robot named Millennia visited the school she administers. What she saw were children with autism interacting with the robot in a way they never had before interacted with humans.

Keeping Kids Excited About STEM While Teaching Remotely

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So much of our everyday lives and routine has been turned upside down thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, as parents and kids alike have found themselves on a remote learning adventure with nationwide school closures. While the move to eLearning has made our children and others safer from the virus, it has also resulted in plenty of frustration and possibly even left your kids feeling discouraged about learning.

Considering how quickly teachers and schools had to move their lessons to an online format, it’s understandable that things are running a little differently, and not without its hiccups. STEM subjects can be particularly tricky as most parents don’t have the kind of materials, knowledge, and tools necessary to make it as exciting as the teacher could. Kids are also having to learn very quickly how to work successfully as a remote student.

With all of that in mind, keeping our kids excited about learning while at home will take some extra, but simple tips and tricks.

How Early Should Kids Begin STEM Education?

Current research results are in favor of early childhood experiences for students, especially those who are disadvantaged. This education is a great equalizer because it provides a rich, common foundation for children who may have diverse backgrounds and experiences.

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