Please contribute to Stepping Into Science International Quarterly

Stepping Into Science International Quarterly is one of the ICASE (International Council of Associations for Science Education) journals, serving a worldwide audience of science education practitioners.  Send contributions for publication consideration to editor Dr. Lynda Paznokas, Pre-Secondary and Informal Science Education Chair for ICASE: 101 Enman-Kincaid Road Pullman, WA 99163-9687 USA  E-mail: [email protected] FAX: 509-335-5046 Phone: 509-397-2765  The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity and length. The journal is published in English.  Due dates each year are February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1

1. Descriptions of exciting school - or - informal science education programs  Describe a school science program or informal science education program that other educators from around the world would find interesting and might wish to try in their countries. Note: Informal science education comes from sites such as a zoo, science center, museum, aquarium, planetarium, botanic garden, national park, outdoor education site, observatory, playground, etc.  Consider science activities that are multidisciplinary such as integrated teaching with reading, writing, mathematics, art, cooking, physical education, technology, music, health, history, and/or geography.  Articles are more interesting to read if they include some of the following: detailed descriptions, quotes from children or other participants, lesson plans, web sites, bibliography, drawings, or photographs.  Articles are typically 1-3 pages.

2. How science is taught in various countries Describe how science education is conducted in your country (national standards, type of curriculum, who makes teaching decisions, assessments, etc. – whatever would interest readers). Include web sites, if appropriate. Articles are typically 1-3 pages.

3. Reviews/descriptions of science books, web sites, or programs Reviews and descriptions can be written for fiction and non-fiction science books, web sites serving teachers or children, and programs for teachers or children. Book reviews usually include: book title, author, publisher, city where published, publication date, ISBN number, summary of the book, uses for the book, strengths/weaknesses (consider scientific accuracy, avoidance of stereotypes, age appropriateness, etc.) If necessary, be sure to have permission for quotations. Web site reviews should include similar information. Reviews are typically 1-2 pages but may be longer if an activity is included.

4. Children’s science art and poetry Each cover of Stepping Into Science International Quarterly has a small picture drawn by a child. It is placed in the center of the logo so it must fit within a 10 x 10 cm area. It can be anything related to science but is often a clearly drawn black-line animal or plant. Each picture must include the first and last name of the child, age, city/country, and brief description of what the picture is. Science poetry from children is also welcome and will be included in the journal from time to time. 5. News from ICASE member associations Submit association news and information that would have a broad appeal and usefulness to teacher practitioners throughout the world.

6. STEPS lessons These science lessons describe a way to teach a single science concept. Children from around the world (pre-school through grade 8) can be awarded a certificate if they are involved in at least six projects, taking a “step into science”). These lessons should be designed with a minimum of sophisticated materials so they can be used in worldwide settings. Each lesson must fit on one page, not including the teacher notes. Use the format shown below and write accurate, up-to-date, detailed teacher notes.

Name of contributor and affiliation: Name, institution, city/state, country

Title of the lesson: Choose a few words that describe the lesson

Challenge: Question that will be investigated in the activity

What do you already know? Questions teachers could ask students, to get them thinking about how they might solve the challenge

What do you need? Materials needed in order to do the activity

What do you do? Step-by-step simple procedure for carrying out the activity

What happened? Questions teachers could ask students, to describe what happened during the activity (students’ observations, not conclusions)

What did you find out? Questions and/or directions for students, to help them describe the results of the challenge question

More to do: Possible extension activity(ies) related to the challenge, that could be done by individual students or the whole class

Teacher notes: Detailed paragraph explanation describing the science content knowledge that students will learn as a result of the activity. Be sure the content is accurate and up-to-date.

Thank you!