NDE Science News - February 2025

Use this school year to explore the newly revised standards and to assess your readiness to implement them in the 2025-2026 school year. Minor changes have been made to improve clarity, specificity and coherence.

***The 2024 standards are not state assessed until the spring of 2026

You will find many resources to guide you on the NDE web page.

Thank you for your leadership and all that you do for Nebraska students.

This conference is scheduled for March 26-29 in Philadelphia. Register on their web page.

This conference is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 in Philadelphia. Register on their web page.

The Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science has been promoting science education in Nebraska since 1961. Find upcoming events on their web page.

• Students will develop a scientific research project
• Write an abstract of the project
• Give an oral presentation the day of the competitions
• Students will compete in two divisions: Grades 6‐8 in the Junior Division and Grades 9‐12 in the Senior Division.
• Each Regional Science Competition will select 6 junior and 6 senior high projects to advance to the State Science Fair.
• Judges at the State Science Fair will nominate Senior Division projects to attend the American Junior Academy of Sciences Conference.

The NJAS State Science Competition will be April 24, 2025, at UNL Nebraska East Union.

Students can win scholarships, medals, certificates and other special awards. Your region's web page contains more details.

ALSO: Meeting dates and a call for papers have been announced.

Download the NAA press release to learn more.

Available Scholarships:

• Loren Eiseley Memorial Scholarship ($500).
• Marie and Howard J. Taylor Scholarship ($1000)
• Robert S. Kubicek Memorial Scholarship ($1000)
• Marian O. and Bertrand Schultz Scholarship ($750, awarded even numbered years)
• Marian Schultz Memorial Environmental Scholarship ($750, awarded odd numbered years)

Download the Nebraska Academy of Science High School Scholarships PDF for more information.

The Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science (NATS) is pleased to offer two $500 scholarships to Support pre-service science teachers in their educational pursuits.

Read about this year's winners and the scholarship's eligibility and application criteria on their web page.

Decisions about curriculum and instruction are made locally by individual school districts and classroom teachers. The Nebraska Department of Education provides guidance related to high-quality instructional materials selection and implementation. Please visit the Nebraska Instructional Materials Collaborative.

This is a collection of K-12 formative tasks aligned to the indicator level of the standards. Tasks were developed by Nebraska educators and cover the breadth of the standards giving students an opportunity to provide evidence of what they know and can do related to that standard. This is password protected to keep this information for teacher usage.

How to Access:

1. Visit the NDE Science Assessment web page

2. Sign in using the password

If you need the password, please email: sarah.shaffer@nebraska.gov

❗❗❗ANNOUNCEMENT❗❗❗

Action Required: If you have bookmarked the Formative Task Repository:

1. Return to the NDE Science Assessment web page

2. Sign in again

3. Update your bookmark to the NEW Google Drive location

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has partnered with Platte Basin Timelapse to develop resources that showcase the importance of Nebraska’s wetlands. Within the project there are materials designed with classrooms in mind. Visit their web page for more information.

E-Learning resources for 6-12th grades

• FREE
• 95 e-modules in our library from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Offers content in:

• Genetics
• Pharmacology
• Pathology
• Microbiology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Health
• Careers in Health Science
• Academic Success

To register for uBEATS visit the website at www.unmc.edu/ubeats.

Ignite STEM learning in K-12 - TeachEngineering

Developed by the College of Engineering & Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder and backed by the National Science Foundation, TeachEngineering is an educational STEM resource for K-12 schools. It provides professional development opportunities that integrate engineering into any school’s STEM curriculum.

This National Academies consensus study provides an analysis of the sources, spread, and impact of misinformation in science. It concludes with 13 recommendations for the field to address misinformation.

"My Problem with Teaching Text Organization"

Laboratory Emergency Information Posters

PTRA Bootcamp: Empowering Physics Teacher Leaders

What's Included:

• Travel Expenses
• Lodging
• Funding for AAPT National Meeting Registration
• Limited Spots Available - Apply by visiting their web page.

Everyday Action PLC

• Apply by April 6, 2025 - Application opens February 12, 2025
• For current and future high school physics educators.
• Contribute to building more welcoming and collaborative physics classrooms.
• Paid opportunity to share your expertise and address all students' needs.
• More details are available in the application, and additional information will be provided upon review. Find the application on their web page.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Learn about artificial intelligence (AI) and ways it can be used in the classroom.

"AI is rapidly transforming the landscape & will soon be a regular part of your students' everyday experiences. Secondary teachers will learn about different tools that can be used to transform assignments and create opportunities for students to apply their understanding of science concepts. Strategies to incorporate AI into your planning and lessons will be shared. We will also discuss the limitations and cautions of AI tools in aspects such as safety and questioning techniques."

They invite you to register for upcoming web seminars at NSTA."

• Disciplinary Literacy in Science
• 2024 Standards Revisions, 3-Dimensional Learning, and High-Quality Instructional Materials
• How Informal Educators Can Connect to the 3-Dimensional State Standards

Want to hear more about these or something else?

Reach out -- I would love to collaborate with you and your team.

ESU CC – ESU Coordinating Council

Look for upcoming opportunities to participate on the following teams:

• NSCAS Science Item Writing
• NSCAS Achievement Level Descriptors (ALD) Review
• NSCAS Content Bias Review
• NSCAS Standards Setting

We encourage you to apply!

• Applications will be sent to district leaders and posted on the NDE web page.

Please send me an email at sarah.shaffer@nebraska.gov with the information.

Links to third-party websites do not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of the sites.

Decisions about curriculum and instructional materials are made locally by individual school districts and classroom teachers. The Nebraska Department of Education does not mandate the curriculum used within a local school.

Pictures from canva.com (no attribution required) or provided by the school or organization and used with permission. Organization logos used with permission.