Young Scientists in Action

Building Critical Thinkers for a Better World
Alesia Moldavan
Bailey Nafziger
Young Scientists in Action
December 2025 | 264 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9798348833343
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ISBN: 9781071976449
Available from January 0001

Description

Empower every student to make positive change through science

Elementary teachers face the immense challenge of lesson planning across multiple subjects, often under the weight of standardized testing that prioritizes reading and math. Too often, this leaves science overlooked—even though it holds the power to enrich literacy, numeracy, and, more importantly, students’ understanding of the world. With the right support, science instruction can move beyond worksheets and standards checklists to become a subject where curiosity and critical thinking drive learning and students see connections to their own lives. This resource empowers educators to reclaim science as a space for relevance, meaning, and impact where it matters most—in the classroom.  

In Young Scientists in Action, authors Alesia Mickle Moldavan and Bailey Nafziger provide educators with the tools to transform elementary science classrooms into dynamic spaces where students critically engage with real-world issues. Using phenomena-based and community-focused approaches, this resource equips educators with practical strategies and ready-to-use lesson and unit plans that foster critical thinking and agency. By transforming science into both an academic pursuit and a catalyst for social change, the authors ignite purpose and engagement in the classroom. 

With a focus on actionable solutions for today’s most pressing challenges, this book helps educators leverage science to inspire empathy, critical thinking, and community change in young learners by providing

  • An Elicit–Investigate–Interrogate–Act Framework designed to guide educators through four key phases of instruction that foster critical connections between science concepts and societal issues
  • Lesson and Unit Plans that are interdisciplinary and ready to implement, and address real-world challenges such as environmental sustainability and accessibility for all learners
  • Teacher Reflection Tools that include prompts, teaching manifestos, and strategies for small steps for big impact
  • Connections with Standards like NGSS and enriched with practical advocacy strategies, providing a strong foundation for aligning instruction with authentic science practices that inspire students to envision and create a better future. 

Offering practical strategies and evidence-based insights, Young Scientists in Action paves the way for educators to create classrooms where all students see themselves as scientists and advocates for change.

Contents

Foreword

Foreword

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Introduction

  • Why This Book?
  • Our Lenses and Beliefs Framing This Book
  • My Adaptation and Why Motivator: Alesia Mickle Moldavan’s Lens
  • Looking Back to Move Forward With My Why: Bailey Nafziger’s Lens
  • A Collective Partnership
  • The Book’s Audience
  • The Book’s Organization
  • Your Teaching Manifesto

Part 1: Using Science to Solve Problems: Where Do We Begin?

  • Chapter 1: Connecting Minds and Hearts Through Critical Thinking and Engagement in Science
  • Building Critical Thinkers
  • Empathy in Science
  • Science as a Human and Social Endeavor
  • Tracing Pedagogical Approaches Illuminating Students’ Assets and Communities
  • Using Science to Explore Fairness
  • Understanding Our World and Each Other
  • Representation Matters
  • Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
  • Science as a Tool for Advocacy
  • Connecting Initiatives in Science Education Reform and Standards to Equity
  • Equity in the Context of NSTA and NGSS
  • Integrating Standards for Fairness and Agency
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 2: Bringing Purpose and Action to Science
  • How We Do (and Don’t Do) Science
  • Science Is a Way of Knowing
  • Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order of Consistency in Natural Systems
  • Scientific Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena
  • What Are Scientific Laws?
  • What Are Scientific Theories?
  • Scientific Knowledge Is Open to Revision in Light of New Evidence
  • What Counts as Science?
  • Who Gets to Do Science?
  • Alternative Science Epistemologies
  • The Value of Community
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions

Part 2: Designing and Implementing Science Lessons for Critical Thinking and Action

  • Chapter 3: Planning Lessons That Matter and Foster Change
  • Learning About Students
  • Diversity as an Asset
  • Sustaining an Inclusive Environment
  • Establishing Classroom Norms
  • A Framework for Social Justice Science Lessons
  • The Elicit Phase
  • Finding the Phenomena
  • Types of Phenomena
  • Where to Find Sociocultural-Informed Phenomena
  • The Investigate Phase
  • Planning for the Investigate Phase
  • Three-Dimensional Science Teaching
  • Instructional Considerations
  • Focusing on Safety
  • Collaborative Student Groups
  • The Interrogate Phase
  • Structuring Classroom Debates for Critical Thinking
  • Guided Discussion With Claim–Evidence–Reasoning
  • The Act Phase
  • What Does Taking Action Look Like?
  • How Teachers Can Support Student Action
  • Using an Act Menu to Make a Difference
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 4: Unit Plans for Critical Thinking and Action
  • Units in This Chapter
  • Unit Plan 4.1: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: ACT: Water Negotiators
  • Teacher Page: INVESTIGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Teacher Page: INTERROGATE: Water Negotiators’ Roles
  • Unit Plan 4.2: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: ACT: Diaper Deserts
  • Unit Plan 4.3: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: ACT: Honorable Harvest
  • Teacher Page: Mushroom Life Cycle Card Sort
  • Teacher Page: General Unit Template
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 5: Grab-and-Go Lessons
  • Lesson 5.1: Accessibility: Inclined Planes
  • Lesson 5.2: Politics and Plastics
  • Lesson 5.3: Invasive Carp
  • Lesson 5.4: Fossil Fuels and Nonrenewable Energy
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions

Part 3: Looking Ahead and Taking Action

  • Chapter 6: Navigating Today’s Classroom with Purpose
  • Knowing Your Purpose, Priorities, and Professional Responsibilities
  • Finding Your People and Sphere of Influence
  • Curating Patience for Growth Opportunities
  • Keeping a Journal to Chronicle Progress
  • Encouraging Growth Mindset
  • Holding on to Hope
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 7: Your Call to Action
  • Taking Action in Your Context
  • Revisiting Your Teaching Manifesto
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • References
  • Index

Description

Empower every student to make positive change through science

Elementary teachers face the immense challenge of lesson planning across multiple subjects, often under the weight of standardized testing that prioritizes reading and math. Too often, this leaves science overlooked—even though it holds the power to enrich literacy, numeracy, and, more importantly, students’ understanding of the world. With the right support, science instruction can move beyond worksheets and standards checklists to become a subject where curiosity and critical thinking drive learning and students see connections to their own lives. This resource empowers educators to reclaim science as a space for relevance, meaning, and impact where it matters most—in the classroom.  

In Young Scientists in Action, authors Alesia Mickle Moldavan and Bailey Nafziger provide educators with the tools to transform elementary science classrooms into dynamic spaces where students critically engage with real-world issues. Using phenomena-based and community-focused approaches, this resource equips educators with practical strategies and ready-to-use lesson and unit plans that foster critical thinking and agency. By transforming science into both an academic pursuit and a catalyst for social change, the authors ignite purpose and engagement in the classroom. 

With a focus on actionable solutions for today’s most pressing challenges, this book helps educators leverage science to inspire empathy, critical thinking, and community change in young learners by providing

  • An Elicit–Investigate–Interrogate–Act Framework designed to guide educators through four key phases of instruction that foster critical connections between science concepts and societal issues
  • Lesson and Unit Plans that are interdisciplinary and ready to implement, and address real-world challenges such as environmental sustainability and accessibility for all learners
  • Teacher Reflection Tools that include prompts, teaching manifestos, and strategies for small steps for big impact
  • Connections with Standards like NGSS and enriched with practical advocacy strategies, providing a strong foundation for aligning instruction with authentic science practices that inspire students to envision and create a better future. 

Offering practical strategies and evidence-based insights, Young Scientists in Action paves the way for educators to create classrooms where all students see themselves as scientists and advocates for change.

Contents

Foreword

Foreword

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Introduction

  • Why This Book?
  • Our Lenses and Beliefs Framing This Book
  • My Adaptation and Why Motivator: Alesia Mickle Moldavan’s Lens
  • Looking Back to Move Forward With My Why: Bailey Nafziger’s Lens
  • A Collective Partnership
  • The Book’s Audience
  • The Book’s Organization
  • Your Teaching Manifesto

Part 1: Using Science to Solve Problems: Where Do We Begin?

  • Chapter 1: Connecting Minds and Hearts Through Critical Thinking and Engagement in Science
  • Building Critical Thinkers
  • Empathy in Science
  • Science as a Human and Social Endeavor
  • Tracing Pedagogical Approaches Illuminating Students’ Assets and Communities
  • Using Science to Explore Fairness
  • Understanding Our World and Each Other
  • Representation Matters
  • Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
  • Science as a Tool for Advocacy
  • Connecting Initiatives in Science Education Reform and Standards to Equity
  • Equity in the Context of NSTA and NGSS
  • Integrating Standards for Fairness and Agency
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 2: Bringing Purpose and Action to Science
  • How We Do (and Don’t Do) Science
  • Science Is a Way of Knowing
  • Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order of Consistency in Natural Systems
  • Scientific Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena
  • What Are Scientific Laws?
  • What Are Scientific Theories?
  • Scientific Knowledge Is Open to Revision in Light of New Evidence
  • What Counts as Science?
  • Who Gets to Do Science?
  • Alternative Science Epistemologies
  • The Value of Community
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions

Part 2: Designing and Implementing Science Lessons for Critical Thinking and Action

  • Chapter 3: Planning Lessons That Matter and Foster Change
  • Learning About Students
  • Diversity as an Asset
  • Sustaining an Inclusive Environment
  • Establishing Classroom Norms
  • A Framework for Social Justice Science Lessons
  • The Elicit Phase
  • Finding the Phenomena
  • Types of Phenomena
  • Where to Find Sociocultural-Informed Phenomena
  • The Investigate Phase
  • Planning for the Investigate Phase
  • Three-Dimensional Science Teaching
  • Instructional Considerations
  • Focusing on Safety
  • Collaborative Student Groups
  • The Interrogate Phase
  • Structuring Classroom Debates for Critical Thinking
  • Guided Discussion With Claim–Evidence–Reasoning
  • The Act Phase
  • What Does Taking Action Look Like?
  • How Teachers Can Support Student Action
  • Using an Act Menu to Make a Difference
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 4: Unit Plans for Critical Thinking and Action
  • Units in This Chapter
  • Unit Plan 4.1: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: ACT: Water Negotiators
  • Teacher Page: INVESTIGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Teacher Page: INTERROGATE: Water Negotiators’ Roles
  • Unit Plan 4.2: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: ACT: Diaper Deserts
  • Unit Plan 4.3: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: ACT: Honorable Harvest
  • Teacher Page: Mushroom Life Cycle Card Sort
  • Teacher Page: General Unit Template
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 5: Grab-and-Go Lessons
  • Lesson 5.1: Accessibility: Inclined Planes
  • Lesson 5.2: Politics and Plastics
  • Lesson 5.3: Invasive Carp
  • Lesson 5.4: Fossil Fuels and Nonrenewable Energy
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions

Part 3: Looking Ahead and Taking Action

  • Chapter 6: Navigating Today’s Classroom with Purpose
  • Knowing Your Purpose, Priorities, and Professional Responsibilities
  • Finding Your People and Sphere of Influence
  • Curating Patience for Growth Opportunities
  • Keeping a Journal to Chronicle Progress
  • Encouraging Growth Mindset
  • Holding on to Hope
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 7: Your Call to Action
  • Taking Action in Your Context
  • Revisiting Your Teaching Manifesto
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • References
  • Index
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Young Scientists in Action

Building Critical Thinkers for a Better World

Alesia Moldavan , Bailey Nafziger
Cancel Print

December 2025 | 264 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 18/07/2024 9781071976449 $38.95
Lifetime 27/10/2025 9798348833343 $35.00

Empower every student to make positive change through science

Elementary teachers face the immense challenge of lesson planning across multiple subjects, often under the weight of standardized testing that prioritizes reading and math. Too often, this leaves science overlooked—even though it holds the power to enrich literacy, numeracy, and, more importantly, students’ understanding of the world. With the right support, science instruction can move beyond worksheets and standards checklists to become a subject where curiosity and critical thinking drive learning and students see connections to their own lives. This resource empowers educators to reclaim science as a space for relevance, meaning, and impact where it matters most—in the classroom.  

In Young Scientists in Action, authors Alesia Mickle Moldavan and Bailey Nafziger provide educators with the tools to transform elementary science classrooms into dynamic spaces where students critically engage with real-world issues. Using phenomena-based and community-focused approaches, this resource equips educators with practical strategies and ready-to-use lesson and unit plans that foster critical thinking and agency. By transforming science into both an academic pursuit and a catalyst for social change, the authors ignite purpose and engagement in the classroom. 

With a focus on actionable solutions for today’s most pressing challenges, this book helps educators leverage science to inspire empathy, critical thinking, and community change in young learners by providing

  • An Elicit–Investigate–Interrogate–Act Framework designed to guide educators through four key phases of instruction that foster critical connections between science concepts and societal issues
  • Lesson and Unit Plans that are interdisciplinary and ready to implement, and address real-world challenges such as environmental sustainability and accessibility for all learners
  • Teacher Reflection Tools that include prompts, teaching manifestos, and strategies for small steps for big impact
  • Connections with Standards like NGSS and enriched with practical advocacy strategies, providing a strong foundation for aligning instruction with authentic science practices that inspire students to envision and create a better future. 

Offering practical strategies and evidence-based insights, Young Scientists in Action paves the way for educators to create classrooms where all students see themselves as scientists and advocates for change.


Table Of Contents:

  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • Introduction
  • Why This Book?
  • Our Lenses and Beliefs Framing This Book
  • My Adaptation and Why Motivator: Alesia Mickle Moldavan’s Lens
  • Looking Back to Move Forward With My Why: Bailey Nafziger’s Lens
  • A Collective Partnership
  • The Book’s Audience
  • The Book’s Organization
  • Your Teaching Manifesto
  • Part 1: Using Science to Solve Problems: Where Do We Begin?
  • Chapter 1: Connecting Minds and Hearts Through Critical Thinking and Engagement in Science
  • Building Critical Thinkers
  • Empathy in Science
  • Science as a Human and Social Endeavor
  • Tracing Pedagogical Approaches Illuminating Students’ Assets and Communities
  • Using Science to Explore Fairness
  • Understanding Our World and Each Other
  • Representation Matters
  • Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
  • Science as a Tool for Advocacy
  • Connecting Initiatives in Science Education Reform and Standards to Equity
  • Equity in the Context of NSTA and NGSS
  • Integrating Standards for Fairness and Agency
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 2: Bringing Purpose and Action to Science
  • How We Do (and Don’t Do) Science
  • Science Is a Way of Knowing
  • Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order of Consistency in Natural Systems
  • Scientific Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena
  • What Are Scientific Laws?
  • What Are Scientific Theories?
  • Scientific Knowledge Is Open to Revision in Light of New Evidence
  • What Counts as Science?
  • Who Gets to Do Science?
  • Alternative Science Epistemologies
  • The Value of Community
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Part 2: Designing and Implementing Science Lessons for Critical Thinking and Action
  • Chapter 3: Planning Lessons That Matter and Foster Change
  • Learning About Students
  • Diversity as an Asset
  • Sustaining an Inclusive Environment
  • Establishing Classroom Norms
  • A Framework for Social Justice Science Lessons
  • The Elicit Phase
  • Finding the Phenomena
  • Types of Phenomena
  • Where to Find Sociocultural-Informed Phenomena
  • The Investigate Phase
  • Planning for the Investigate Phase
  • Three-Dimensional Science Teaching
  • Instructional Considerations
  • Focusing on Safety
  • Collaborative Student Groups
  • The Interrogate Phase
  • Structuring Classroom Debates for Critical Thinking
  • Guided Discussion With Claim–Evidence–Reasoning
  • The Act Phase
  • What Does Taking Action Look Like?
  • How Teachers Can Support Student Action
  • Using an Act Menu to Make a Difference
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 4: Unit Plans for Critical Thinking and Action
  • Units in This Chapter
  • Unit Plan 4.1: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Student Page: ACT: Water Negotiators
  • Teacher Page: INVESTIGATE: Water Negotiators
  • Teacher Page: INTERROGATE: Water Negotiators’ Roles
  • Unit Plan 4.2: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Diaper Deserts
  • Student Page: ACT: Diaper Deserts
  • Unit Plan 4.3: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: ELICIT: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: INVESTIGATE: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: INTERROGATE: Honorable Harvest
  • Student Page: ACT: Honorable Harvest
  • Teacher Page: Mushroom Life Cycle Card Sort
  • Teacher Page: General Unit Template
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 5: Grab-and-Go Lessons
  • Lesson 5.1: Accessibility: Inclined Planes
  • Lesson 5.2: Politics and Plastics
  • Lesson 5.3: Invasive Carp
  • Lesson 5.4: Fossil Fuels and Nonrenewable Energy
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Part 3: Looking Ahead and Taking Action
  • Chapter 6: Navigating Today’s Classroom with Purpose
  • Knowing Your Purpose, Priorities, and Professional Responsibilities
  • Finding Your People and Sphere of Influence
  • Curating Patience for Growth Opportunities
  • Keeping a Journal to Chronicle Progress
  • Encouraging Growth Mindset
  • Holding on to Hope
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • Chapter 7: Your Call to Action
  • Taking Action in Your Context
  • Revisiting Your Teaching Manifesto
  • Chapter Summary
  • Reflection Questions
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

Young Scientists in Action is a timely and necessary book that challenges science educators to reimagine science teaching through the lens of social justice. It offers practical strategies to empower students to recognize, critique, and act on societal inequities by using science as a powerful tool for change. I highly recommend this book to every science educator and every leader committed to transforming science education into a force for equity, justice, and community empowerment
Kristopher J. Childs, The Mathematics Group
Young Scientists in Action is a practical guide for elementary educators striving to make science meaningful, equitable, and action-oriented. Moldavan and Nafziger offer a powerful framework and ready-to-use lessons that center student voice, critical thinking, and real-world relevance. This book supports teachers in creating classrooms where all students see themselves as scientists and change agents, capable of understanding and improving the world around them.
Stephanie Westhafer, Georgia Science Teachers Association
This book provides a resource I wish I had as a practicing teacher. Children are naturally curious about science, fairness, and their world, so connecting science and justice-centered teaching is a great fit. The authors provide key information about facilitating these connections and positioning learners to use their science knowledge to take action in their world.
Jennifer Ward, Kennesaw State University
I had the opportunity to try a lesson in this book. It was engaging for all my students. I was able to scaffold and extend it to meet the needs of all learners. I appreciated the interdisciplinary elements woven into the lesson and that my students could easily connect the learning to their daily lives.
Karli Gilbertson, ISD 622
This book is very important for elementary science teachers. Young Scientists in Action shows how easily science as a tool for advocacy and for social justice can be brought into the classroom with young learners. I can’t wait to bring the Elicit-Investigate-Interrogate-Act Framework for Social Justice Lessons format into my elementary science methods classroom.
Katie Brkich, Georgia Southern University

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