The Next Generation Science Standards are being developed in collaboration with NSTA. These standards will form the backbone of the Common Core Standards in Science within the next year of so. Interesting. They are worth digesting.

Many science educators advocate conceptual or qualitative physics, the notion that physics is best taught not by mathematical formulae, but rather through experiments, labs, demonstrations, and visualizations which help students understand physical phenomena conceptually. Consistent with the Physics First curricular movement, this perspective maintains that a deep, fundamental understanding of physics provides a solid basis for future science learning.

Eric Brunsell is Assistant Professor of Science Education @ UW-Oshkosh. He is the facilitator of Edutopia's STEM group, and a regular blogger for Edutopia. You can follow him on Twitter @brunsell. We all know that the web is full of excellent web resources for science teachers and students.

Thanks John! Just posted this as well. Didn't see that you listed it as a resource.

FABULOUS!!! A must see and a great resource for any chemistry class. Watch it and see what you think.

Look at this interesting and rich resource of videos and interviews with scientists. Some good classroom material no doubt.

What a wonderful set of resources for any teacher or student to explore. Here is what they have on Ben Franklin. Organized effectively and access to digitized documents that give you a window into his world.

On the NSDL website, they have literacy maps that organize the conceptual understanding of a topic. While a bit cumbersome, they are worth reviewing. You can print them out.

If you don't know this site, you NEED to review what's there. Looks like a treasure trove of interesting ideas, materials, resources, etc.

Credit: NASA/CXC/MIT/F. Baganoff, R. Shcherbakov et al. How do you probe a supermassive black hole? Take a look at the pulsars that orbit it. These rapidly spinning neutron stars flash regular radio pulses, and in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal astronomers say that the timing of such pulses could provide a new understanding of the 4 million solar mass black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

Pigeons can learn abstract numerical rules, a skill that scientists had believed only primates possessed. Although the birds may not be able to do higher math, their ability to reason numerically is likely something that a wide variety of species can do, too, researchers say.

At the end of every year, we here at ScienceNOW take a look back at some of our favorite and most popular stories of the past twelve months. Here are our top 10, including our most popular story of all time. Be sure to also check out our year in photos.

The year 2011 saw scientific research that stretched from the farthest reaches of the universe to the deepest mysteries of the cell. Following a yearly tradition, Science's editors and news staff have selected one scientific Breakthrough of the Year and nine runners-up -- and have also highlighted some areas to watch for 2012.

Watch this TED Talk. Tells an important story in my estimation. Good for Environmental Science students.

Interesting ebook on cell biology. I have looked at unit 1 and the assessment. Interesting way to review the subject if a AP Biology teacher or for more advanced students. How could this be used?

Check this out. Looks like a very powerful resource. Just now exploring.

This TED Talk by Alexander Tsiaras, a computer programmer and neuroscientist, describes some wonderful images of human development from conception to birth. Check this out.

A new study in Nov. 2011 that advocates for more time for students to study science

Interesting site launched by Hopkins CTY. Looks like a good site for STEM students. Interested science students may find useful information and connections.

Interesting TED Talk about protocells from Martin Hanczyc. Where does life start and end? On the spectrum from non-living to living, he introduces his work with protocells. They speak to how life may have originated from only a few chemicals. Like his definition of living.

Might be worth looking at if you are searching for a way to teach science differently or turn some students on to science using gaming.