Jessica Fries-Gaither 

Like many others, I was glued to live coverage of the Artemis II mission all last week. Having grown up with NASA’s space shuttle program, watching a new crew launch into space was exciting, and yes, anxiety-provoking. Thankfully the mission was a rousing success and the crew are safely back on Earth.   My fifth grade students study various topics in astronomy (the Earth-Sun-Moon system, the solar system, and a smattering of whatever else I can fit in) and so I was expecting

The Christmas Bird Count, originally the Christmas Bird Census, is the longest-running citizen science project in the world. In 1900, Frank Chapman, an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History, put forth a call in the December issue of his magazine, Bird Lore: instead of the traditional Christmas 'Side Hunts' (where two teams competed to see who could indiscriminately shoot the most game), why not count the birds instead?

I shared this news on other social media outlets about a month ago, but better late than never, right?

Earth Day is this Friday, April 22, and picture book read-alouds are a great way to celebrate with preschool and elementary-aged...

Want to learn more about using science notebooks in your classroom? Consider joining me for an online exploration of Science Notebooks in...

This past summer, our faculty summer read was Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant. I found the book...

In honor of Women's History month, here are two new picture book biographies to add to your reading list. One Wish: Fatima al-Fihri and...

Yesterday (March 20, 2022) was the vernal equinox, the official beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Or as I should say,...

Updated 3/21/22: Congratulations to Janelle Holland! She won a copy of Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms! Winner has been...

Recently, I brought back one of my all-time favorite lessons: an experiential learning activity about the incredible migration of the...