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Help integrating science and literacy - here is a nonfiction text for students available in a variety of formats including electronic.

This nonfiction article is written for use with upper-elementary students (grades 4-5) but can also be used with middle school students. Students learn about two of Saturn's moons, albedo, the relationship between heat absorption and temperature, and how decreasing sea ice in the Arctic actually contributes to further melting. Modified versions are available for students in grades K-1 and grades 2-3, or any student needing a simplified version. At each grade level, the article is available in text, printable pdf files allowing you to print the story in either text or a foldable book format, and an electronic version. Reading strategy templates and related activities provide tips for integrating this story with your science and literacy instruction.

This resource guide from the Middle School Portal 2: Math and Science Pathways project provides insight into how teachers can help middle school science students develop science vocabulary.

In this article, we discuss some common misconceptions about light, heat, and the sun. We also provide tools for formative assessment and ideas for teaching the correct scientific concepts. Most of the examples are aimed at elementary students but many are appropriate for middle school students as well.

Students hold lots of misconceptions about the light and heat.

This publication is all about developing your middle school students' understandings of earths oceans and the major effect they have on climate. Understanding and interpreting local weather data and understanding the relationship between weather and climate are important first steps to understanding larger-scale global climate changes. Activities that ask students to collect and analyze local weather data as well as analyze global data can be found in the Lessons and Activities section. Analyzing and interpreting data is a major focus of this publication. Numerous data sets can be found in the Sources for Real Data section. The Background Information section and the article Tomorrows Forecast will help reinforce your own content knowledge.

More exemplary resources from the Middle School Portal 2: Math & Science Pathways project.

Although not middle school friendly, this site gives tremendous detail about the function of the senses and how the brain is involved. Good for your accelerated students.

Density is not typically an easy concept for most middle school students and even more difficult for younger students, but it doesn't need to be!

Forensic science is always interesting to students. The mystery and puzzle solving are hard to resist. Here's a real case you can use to get students thinking scientifically while integrating knowledge of insect life cycles-a timely topic for spring.

Rotting corpses always get kid's attention!

"Textmasters was created to bring the collaborative learning environment of literature circles to content area reading with a science or social studies textbook. "

Great strategy for helping students read the textbook.