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The framework of professional noticing describes three components (attending, interpreting, and deciding) that allow teachers to better understand the thinking of their students. Via this method, teachers attend to their classroom by observing relevant cues from students, interpret these cues based on their knowledge of student development, and decide how best to proceed in their lesson. This study utilized an open‐response survey to collect data regarding the professional noticing skills, physics and mathematics content knowledge, and teaching experience of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics graduate students. Participants were given a physics and calculus problem to solve to assess their level of content knowledge and then watched a video‐based scenario of a teacher and student discussing the same problems. After, participants were prompted to answer questions corresponding with the attending, interpreting, and deciding components of professional noticing. We found significant results that suggest teaching experience alone is not enough to employ professional noticing skills when attending physics scenarios, and that possessing content knowledge has a positive impact on professional noticing ability, both overall and within the components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research with middle school students from Kentucky (KY) and Nevada (NV) provides a snapshot of students' spatial‐scientific understandings as we explored how well students understand lunar‐related content, both spatially and scientifically, after receiving instruction with similar curricular Earth‐Space content. Utilizing a lens of spatial reasoning ability, we further compared the ways middle level grade (sixth vs. eighth) factored into how well students comprehend the complexities of the Earth/Moon/Sun system and the cause of lunar phases. NV teaches Moon phases in eighth grade (age of 13–14) while KY teaches phases in sixth grade (age of 11–12). To be clear, we are not claiming that sixth graders and eighth graders are similar cognitively. Since phases are only taught formally once (at the middle level), we are exploring how well students understand these lunar‐related, spatial‐scientific concepts at the conclusion of their formal instruction. The majority of the states teach lunar phases either in sixth grade or in eighth grade; it is a state's choice. The rationale for this study is to begin the conversation regarding Does grade level matter on science content that requires spatial reasoning ability? This study will begin to shed light on this topic. The research questions specifically investigated for this study were: (1) How do sixth and eighth grade students compare in terms of their spatial ability and lunar knowledge as measured via content surveys? (2) How do sixth and eighth grade students compare in their spatial awareness and description of the Earth/Moon/Sun system as measured via clinical interviews? (3) How do quantitative and qualitative datasets compare/contrast with each other to create a complex snapshot of sixth graders versus eighth graders spatial‐scientific understandings of the Moon and its phases? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated sixth-grade middle-level students' geometric spatial development by gender and race within and between control and experimental groups at two middle schools as they participated in an Earth/ Space unit. The control group utilized a regular Earth/ Space curriculum and the experimental group used a National Aeronautics and Space Administration-based curriculum. The quantitative data sources included the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory, Geometric Spatial Assessment, and the Purdue Spatial Visualization- Rotation Test. The results indicated the experimental males and females, and the students of color and white students in the experimental group showed significant gains in their understanding of geometric spatial visualization from pre- to post-implementation. However, for the control group, the significant gains were limited to the males and the white students. The findings reveal that support is needed for males, females, and all racial groups to have the opportunity to develop their spatial reasoning, which in turn, increases students' scientific understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explored young children's early thoughts about natural phenomena and investigated sources of influence toward their knowledge construction. Two Piagetian interviews were conducted with four children. Each child was questioned about two phenomena in particular: (a) the moon and its changing appearance (moon phases) and (b) the formation of shadows. The first Piagetian interview involved a lunar protocol, and the second (given a week later) was a shadow protocol. The external interest of this research study concerns when and why do children develop the commonly held Earth's shadow misconception as the cause of the moon's phases. Findings showed that none of the young children believed that various lunar phases were due to an Earthly shadow cast upon the moon. The shadow interview results revealed that young children had primitive understandings of the shadow concept. In fact, two of the four children indicated that no light source was needed to produce a shadow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the development of the Geometric Spatial Assessment. We detail the development of this instrument which was designed to identify middle school students' strategies and advancement in understanding offour geometric concept domains (geometric spatial visualization, spatial projection, cardinal directions, and periodic patterns) after experiencing a carefully designed integrated lunar unit. Previous research with students using this lunar unit showed students making significant gains on lunar-related concepts (both scien4fic and mathematical) on a Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (LPCI) (Lindell & Olsen, 2002). Following the administration ofsingle domain assessments, clinical interviews were conducted to ascertain students `problem solving strategies. Results allowed us to select four suitable multiple-choice items per domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study of three children was conducted to shed light on the process that children undergo in developing their understanding of physical phenomena. Using the notion of spontaneous construction and its relationship with school learning of scientific concepts, children's early thoughts of the moon's appearance were explored. Research questions were primarily concerned with how children view the moon's appearrance, explain how and/or why its appearance changes, quantify the moon's size and its distance to Earth, and explain the moon's illumination. A Piagetian interview was conducted with each child and then each was asked to tell a story about the moon. The external interest of this research study involves when and why do children develop the commonly held Earth's shadow alternative conception as the cause of the moon phases. The findings show that children have stories and experiences that give meaning to the existence of such things as the moon, stars, sun, and clouds. Similarities were found in the children c interpretations with regard to their natural tendencies to animate celestial objects. Clues were discovered of cultural influence such as family, personal observations and experiences, books, pictures, car travel, and even a strategically placed Palladian window. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the practice of nature journaling. The author analyzes the ways in which students are able to construct multiple literacies through journaling. The integration of nature studies within language arts instruction offers various opportunities for guiding students towards a closer reading of literature, natural phenomena, and the surrounding world. The article documents the authors' rediscovery of nature study, what happens when environmental observations are incorporated into the curriculum of middle-school children, and alternative modes of literacy instruction. The study offered was conducted within the context of an interdisciplinary teaching and research project.