WSST

08/29/2026

We want our students to think like scientists, but what does thinking scientifically really mean? This seven-episode video series, produced in collaboration with our friends at Crash Course, explores how scientists know what they know — and how we can tell if a scientific claim is trustworthy. https://www.biointeractive.org/crash-course-scientific-thinking

08/29/2026

Astrophysicist Arthur McDonald uncovered a secret of one of the most mysterious and ghostly particles of our universe – the neutrino.

In a science laboratory 2km underground in a mine outside Sudbury, Ontario, in Canada, McDonald was able to show that the ghostly neutrino particles have mass. The facility, called SNOLAB specialised in neutrino and dark matter physics.

The photo depicts Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) solar neutrino experiment, a detector facility using 1000 tonnes of heavy water situated at SNOLAB. Here physicists studied neutrinos created in nuclear reactions in the sun. In 2000, measurements showed deviations, which were explained by the neutrinos switching between the different types. This meant that neutrinos must have mass.

McDonald shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics with physicist Takaaki Kajita for discovering that neutrinos have mass.

See more: https://bit.ly/3kqlbKH

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

We asked a simple question: What’s in kids’ squishy toys? Finding an answer was surprisingly complicated.

“There’s no requirement for these toy companies to tell us what’s in any of these products,” says Deborah Bennett, a professor and exposure scientist at the University of California, Davis. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/squishies-are-everywhere-but-what-are-they-made-of-are-they-safe/

08/18/2026

Join the LEAP or Science Teacher Prep & Development community to connect, collaborate, and grow. Fill out the interest survey to let us know how you'd like to participate and what supports would help you the most. Read more: https://wix.to/94RtKIP

Science teaching is complex, and it’s even better when we don’t have to figure it out alone. We’re inviting you to fill out the survey below if you’re interested in joining either the LEAP or Science Teacher Prep and Development community. We’d love to learn more about you and how you migh...

08/17/2026

The discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors has had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences. In the course of a few weeks, scientists can change the code of life with extremely high precision, making CRISPR/Cas9 one of gene technology’s sharpest tools.

This genetic tool has not only revolutionised basic science, but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments.

The use of CRISPR/Cas9 has exploded since its discovery in 2012. In medicine, clinical trials of new cancer therapies are underway, and the dream of being able to cure inherited diseases is about to come true.

Learn more: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2020/summary/

08/17/2026

Happy National Science Week!

08/09/2026

Jamie & Shannon representing WSST at the Green & Health Schools conference.

07/29/2026

I hope all of our colleagues and everyone else in the Fox Valley were nominally affected by the storm this week. The power of nature reared its ugly head.

07/24/2026

WSST represents at Teacher Day!

For a minimal fee ($15) teachers can register for Teacher day to get ideas and connections for teaching aviation and STEM.

After the morning, teachers get a wristband to watch the air show for the rest of the day.

https://www.eaa.org/airventure/features-and-attractions/teacher-day