This week I'm sharing a packet of materials on using and making dichotomous keys. You'll find a page of informational text, directions for using a key, directions for making a key, and two different student worksheets. Here's a sneak peak at the contents. Download Dichotomous Keys. I hope you get a chance to use these in your home or classroom. Please let me know if you try these and how you like them! **Updated January 2019. Please note that in the updated version the Blue-footed Booby has been replaced with another animal.
By: Diane Kashin, Ed.D, RECE. I love loose parts. I love playing with loose parts and sharing loose parts with other educators. My hope is when adults mess about with loose parts that there will be…
Get your kids enjoying the sensory play of dirt, rocks, and sticks while making music with their DIY xylophone musical instrument activity.
Award-Winning and Must-Have Resource Amazing, content-rich guide contains 480 pages of lessons, activities, and resource materials Diverse lesson topics from weather to food systems Lessons are correlated to Common Core Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards This award-winning resource book from gardening educators at Life Lab contains 480 pages of science, math, language arts, and nutrition activities that you can do with your students in the garden. Lesson topics include soil, plants, cycles, ecology, weather, nutrition, and food systems. This content rich guide also includes team-building and sensory exploration activities, organic gardening skills, and information on how to create and sustain a successful school garden program. The fourth edition added a new chapter on Healthy Eating, an expanded resource section on Cooking with Kids, over 25 student lab sheets for experiments, and more. A special feature, Life Lab has created a searchable online database that cross-maps each activity to Next Generation Science and Common Core Math and English Language Arts Standards. Recent comment from a The Growing Classroom user: "Recently I purchased your book The Growing Classroom and can’t thank you enough for this wonderful resource. One of our 3rd grade teachers and I started using the lessons and are blown away by the simple set up and amazing outcome for the students. The whole school community loves the program." – Parent and School Garden Chair, Hopi Elementary School, Phoenix, AZ View TWO sample lesson plans from The Growing Classroom, Seed Ya Later and Space Travelers .
“Consider, too, what an unequalled mental training the child-naturalist is getting for any study or calling under the sun — the powers of attention, of
How many survival uses for aluminum foil do you know? There are a ton out there. Here are 11 weird ones that you can try.
Our first core vocabulary word is STOP. Here is a handout that gives more ideas on how this word can be used naturally. A copy of this was also sent home with your student. Other ideas include: Pointing out the stop sign as the car comes to a stop. You can contrast with the opposite GO as the car starts to move again. When they show they are done with an activity, model STOP _______ (whatever the activity is) and pair with the visual if needed. When putting water in the bathtub, say STOP when there is enough water. If a sibling or a friend is doing a behavior that is "annoying", model using the word stop for them to discontinue the "annoying" behavior.
WeatherSolve Structures can help with wind protection and disruption. We can assist with the design, materials, and installation.
This little invention has been a hit with kids as well as teachers. I first created a Bop-o-phone out of desperation for additional xylos. The frame/box costs basically nothing, and it adds some versatility to a set of Boomwhackers. Here are easy instructions and pictures. Please post additional ideas or feedback. Enjoy! Materials needed: an empty, sturdy box that contained a case of 8.5" x 11" copy paper (usually easy to find in the faculty workroom), wide tape, a meter stick, a marker, sturdy scissors, and a about six feet of yarn or soft string. For each mallet, you will need a pencil or 10" length of 1/4" diameter dowel, a small rubber ball (party favor or from 25 cent vending machine), and glue. Step #1 (1) Begin 2 cm from the left side of the box and mark along the top edge 4 cm wide by 1 cm deep arcs, 1 cm apart. Repeat markings on opposite edge. Cut out the arcs. (Cutting from each side and meeting in the middle will give cleaner results.) Step 2 (2) Gently pull the glued seams on one side of the box apart and lay the end flap flat. Mark a line through the center of the bottom of the box from the open edge to 7" from the opposite side. Then mark a "V", extending from the center line to each corner of the box. Cut along these lines. Step #3 (3) Fold the bottom sections over each other with the "V" on top (inside), narrowing the width of the open end of the box to about 8". Then fold the end flaps up, trim/square them up, and tape your seams. (4) Place Boomwhackers in the 'cradles' in diatonic order. (You can leave some off for pentatonic activities). Tie two lengths of yarn around the box and tubes lengthwise as shown in the top picture. Tape yarn in place on bottom of box to keep it from sliding around. The yarn will keep tubes in place, and it doesn't really inhibit tone. (5) Make a mallet by carving/drilling a hole in a rubber ball, applying glue to in the hole and on the end of the dowel or pencil, and inserting the stick into the ball. (Soft rubber balls actually sound better than hard ones.) You can use the Bop-o-phone as an Orff-type instrument for ostinatos or as a melody instrument. It's very easy to convert Boomwhackers to and from this mallet format. Here's a link to my digital song collection of color-coded melodies (with ostinato suggestions), which you might find very useful and versatile: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-BIG-BOOK-of-FOLK-SONG-FUN-for-Bells-or-Boomwhackers-466033
Without a doubt, this little challenge is one of the best ever! It's super simple and amazingly complex. It's the Index Card Tower! I know, oxymoron, right? Let me explain! The simplicity is for you since the challenge uses one material. The complexity is for the students because this challenge is not easy
Are you looking for some quick and easy Nature STEM activities to help take the learning outside? This resource has 8 STEM activities to support your outdoor education program. This resource is in BOTH ENGLISH & FRENCH Just like my Collection of Nature Activities for Every Day Play, each activity has a list of materials needed, steps to follow and a picture for inspiration. This resource also includes 21 writing response pages perfect for students to document their learning. There are also nature vocabulary cards to support student writing. These activities are geared for PreK to Grade 3 Students and perfect for independent or group work. Many of these activities can be done in any location. It could be your school playground, local neighbourhood, a walking path, in the forest, in a garden or any special area nearby that you have access to. Materials can also be sourced and then brought into the classroom to allow ample time to explore the STEM process. Please see the preview for a closer look. Online Learning: If you would like to share activities with your students and parents, digital use is permitted. You may share one activity at a time on a secure platform which is password protected, or via email to students and their family. *********************************************************************************************************** About the (Teacher) Author: Kat is the creator behind Je_me_demande: Take the Learning Outside. She is an elementary school teacher in Northern Ontario with over 18 years’ experience in the classroom. Kat has a love and passion for the outdoors and is constantly striving to take the learning outside as much as possible, no matter the grade or subject. She is a strong advocate for outdoor education and loves sharing easy ways to encourage educators to venture outside. Kat is also a mother to 2 boys who love to explore outside with their mom. If you have any questions about the resources by Je_me_demande you can connect with her via email [email protected] or send her a DM on Instagram @je_me_demande
Learning about how plants grow can be a fascinating subject for children from early years and beyond. I love the look of wonder on a child’s face when they try to comprehend how a tiny seed c…
This post was originally created as a guest post last fall (2018) for a series of 30 days of 30 different nature inspired learning techn...
Finn went outside to hunt for natural resources he could use to create patterns, he always loves any opportunity to learn outside. We did try to make our patterns in the garden, but the wind was blowing the leaves away. Resources Leaves Pine cones Pebbles Mini log slices Dried flowers Method Finn in his happy
An outdoor class room and nature learning spaces are great ways to encourage learning outside for your kids and engage in outdoor sensory play. Create your own nature play and learning spaces outside to meet your outdoor classroom goals. Try these Montessori ideas with nature based learning stations, summer outdoor room spaces and outdoor education resources. Creative ideas for promoting motor skill development, too!
Thursday, November 7 is Outdoor Classroom Day! How do you learn outside? Check out 10 of our best resources to take your lessons outdoors and into nature!
Play resources need to be able to take a knock if they’re used every day by lots of children.
Please note my prices are 5% cheaper on my website! www.mrskstreehouse.com These 10 lovely log slices are approximately 8/9cm and are sawn fresh from responsibly sourced wood here in the Peak District Please note they won't be the ones in the picture but will be similar in their size and shape They will be painted in Chalkboard paint and the numbers and corresponding dots drawn on for you. They will be drilled but please note the ribbon and stick(!) will not be included! I can include rustic string if required. Please see options. You will need to seal/varnish these log slices if you wish to use them outdoors or just to preserve them if required. You can also add a high quality cotton bag if required. I will try my best to supply you with a perfect log slices due to it's nature there may be slight imperfections and loose bark. Dispatched with Hermes Collections are possible to save postage (Leek, Staffordshire) Please message with any queries. Being a natural product logs slices can split and also lose bark so it is worth checking them regularly. Some people don’t mind this and like the rustic look! However there are a number of things you can do to seal and preserve them, linseed oil is popular and safe particularly if you plan to use your log slices with children. Also as these log pieces are relatively fresh cut they may contain some residual moisture, it is always best to store in a cool well ventilated place and never in direct sunlight. Please note I use a variety of wood types so if you require something specific please get in touch before ordering. Please feel free to look at my other listings of log slices on Etsy or visit my Facebook page Mrs K's Tree House Thank you
The GO bag maths pack is the perfect set for teaching Early Years maths concepts. Made from all natural materials the set inlcudes:1 x Ten frame forest scroll10 x Rustic /smooth squares10 x medium log slices15 x small log counters10cm sticks5 x chalkboard squaresAll packaged in a handy Go bag that makes it easy to transport your set to the playground, forest school, garden and beyond for an open ended learning experience.
Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to celebrate and inspire learning and play outside the classroom! Register today!
An outdoor class room and nature learning spaces are great ways to encourage learning outside for your kids and engage in outdoor sensory play. Create your own nature play and learning spaces outside to meet your outdoor classroom goals. Try these Montessori ideas with nature based learning stations, summer outdoor room spaces and outdoor education resources. Creative ideas for promoting motor skill development, too!
Is the weather getting warmer where you are? Yesterday we embraced the sun with this quick and easy STEM activity. We grabbed some rocks and made our very own rock maze for cars! This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support! For my full disclosure policy, click here. Lately my son and I have been getting into mazes and puzzles. So it made sense that we would take our love outside into nature. We have a ton of rocks lying in our front yard, so this activity took very little time to set up. I just brought out some toy cars and we were good to go! Create Your Own Rock Maze This was a super easy activity to do. You could go about building a maze intuitively and then see where you end up. We first set up where our "start" and "end" points would be. Then, we got to creating and building. At first our maze was very simple. We essentially created a straight path from start to finish. But once our original path was finished, we added in more curves and hidden incorrect paths. I hope you have fun trying out this activity with your kids too! Today's post is part of a 28 Days of STEAM Series hosted by Left Brain Craft Brain. She's got links to over 60+ STEAM projects for kids, so definitely check her site out! If you liked this STEAM activity, you'll like these ones too! Let's study bird beaks Let's Build a bird's nest 6 Fun Flower Activities Make a Conveyor Belt Cardboard Airport Runway Easy Spinner CD Art Happy making, friends!
Complete set of 8 different size wide boards which can be placed end to end, or in interesting layouts designed by the children. These boards develop strong Gross Motor skills in children, necessary for growth and development. Range in Length from 17" to 40"
If there is one thing I have come to know, it's awesome activities for preschoolers. Benjamin visits a wonderful preschool two mornings a week and this lovely place is FULL of amazing activities for preschoolers. The two lovely people who run this preschool have allowed me to share their classroom activities with you - and
This post has some ideas for loose parts outdoor academic learning and fun in the sun. Freecounting printable to use outdoors!
DIY mud bricks are a fun way to get kids outside and playing while practicing engineering skills, problem-solving, and creative thinking.
There is a joy in getting out of the classroom and getting students moving. Outdoor Maths gives us a huge variety of ways to explore Maths in a less confined space. The first and most obvious way…
