Virtual labs are a great tool to try if you have computer access. I love them because: They are FREE! If you are tired of spending your own money on lab supplies, throw in a virtual lab instead. They are great for visual learners. If students mess up, they can start over with no pressure ... Read more
10 Ideas to help students learn science vocabulary words10 Ideas to help students learn science vocabulary words-- awesome for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade
In this Saltwater vs Freshwater Experiment your science students will see the difference. We give you everything you need for your lesson.
This includes everything you need to teach your Earth Science lesson on Mass Extinctions. Here is our Investigating Mass Extinction Lab.
The last couple of years I taught, I did an elaborate science demo day for Halloween. This is one of those experiences that students will remember when
These Corrosion and Rusting Lab Activities will help with your Physical Science class. We give you everything you need for your lesson.
window.addEventListener('LPLeadboxesReady',function(){LPLeadboxes.addDelayedLeadbox('w5B9CVVpZM3VM42aCMGWwh',{delay:'5s',views:0,dontShowFor:'3d',domain:'thescienceduo.lpages.co'});}); Let’s get right down to business. As a teacher, you are constantly searching for tools to help engage ALL of your students within your daily lessons. Unfortunately, many of you are also often faced
I try to avoid having students memorize things, when possible. I think it is far more valuable to be able to figure something out from other information or to be able to read and write science or to be able to think through a stoichiometry problem. But when it comes to polyatomic ions, students just […]
If you're looking for something fun to do while teaching science, here's our top ten list of interactive websites for scientific learning Getting Nerdy Science
At the beginning of every school year I can bet that you review the scientific method. While there isn’t necessarily a specific set of steps that we follow in all branches of science, we want our students to be able to use inquiry and think through the scientific process. One great way to get our ... Read more
The Challenge: Lab Work Teacher: (hands out the lab sheets and materials tray) “Alright, we’re going to start the group activity now!” Student A: (grabs the tray of materials) “I’m going to pour the baking soda in the cup!” Student B: “STOOOOOOPPPPP!” Student C: “Ok. Student A can do that, then I’ll do the next ... Read more
If you look on Pinterest you are sure to see a lack of science classroom decoration ideas. I want to share with you my...
Don't let you 3rd, 4th or 5th grade students miss out on these terrific science sites that will make your science lessons come alive!
You're probably wondering how teaching with movies in science can benefit your students. If that's you let me explain. Teaching with mov...
These lab safety tips will help keep the calm in your secondary science classroom - Getting Nerdy Science
LET'S FINISH THIS! As a high school biology and chemistry teacher, I always find this to be a very interesting point in the school year. After spending time with family and friends during the holidays, and feeling very rested and relaxed, it's time to start thinking about returning to school for the second semester of the school year. New Year's resolutions are running high, and the realization that the school year is half over brings both excitement and anxiety to teachers as they prepare to return to the classroom after the holiday break. The "excitement" comes in being able to see summer break on the horizon. The "anxiety" comes in the form of "Oh my gosh, I have so much to do before the end of the school year!" We have to make a complete and total mind shift from first semester to second semester. The dynamics of the classroom, the way we carry out planning, and our classroom management strategies need to undergo a complete and thorough transition. First semester was spent getting to know our students. We learned their personalities, their strengths, their weaknesses, and all of their idiosyncrasies. We learned what worked and what didn't work as far as teaching strategies, and now it is time to take our "first semester game" to a new level for second semester. In short, we have to make a change from "getting started" to "getting finished." To that end, I have a list of 11 tips and strategies for the successful completion of second semester in secondary science classrooms. Tip #1: Organization and Planning is Essential. Yes, I realize this tip is predictable and mundane, and not really a concrete strategy. Please stop your eye-rolling and consider this. Do not return to school after the holidays until you have thought through the entire semester and you have a plan of action. The first couple of weeks after the holidays are chaotic and can turn into a blur of indecision and wasted time if you are not careful. Know what you need to accomplish during the semester, and start your students down that path on the very first day they return to your classroom. Grab your student's attention, and don't give them time to settle into old routines. Start the first day with fresh ideas, fresh classroom management strategies, and a fresh look in your classroom. Having a clear vision and an action plan, and the implementation of it on the first day of the semester will send a definite message to your students: "We have a lot to do and we are not going to waste any time getting started on it." Tip #2: Assess where you are in your curriculum. Students in my state must take an end-of-course exam in biology and chemistry. I would assume that every state has a state mandated curriculum or framework of standards that must be covered in any given course. Where do you stand on covering all of the content that you are required to teach? Before you start second semester it is essential that you make a list of units and topics that you need to cover. Once you have a list of topics, determine how many days you can spend on each topic and still get them all covered before the end of the school year. Obtain a calendar grid for the months January through June and fill out the days and weeks with the topics you must cover. Keep this on your desk or wall, and stick to it! Tip #3: Make changes to your Classroom Management Plan. Now that you have spent an entire semester with your students, you have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't work in terms of managing your classroom and the behavior of your students. This is the perfect time to tweak your management system and make changes to ensure your daily routine is a well-oiled machine. I use a system of daily warm ups and bell ringers to get my students on task and ready to learn at the very beginning of each class. Tip #4: Organize and clean your classroom before students return to class. Early in my teaching career I had a wonderful mentor who told me that the condition of the classroom was one of the most important factors in determining the effectiveness of my class. As a young and new teacher, I had my doubts about this. What possible difference could it make if the desks were arranged in an orderly fashion, and that my desk appeared to be in order? As it turned out, this was one of the best pieces of advice I ever received about teaching. Student performance and classroom behavior IS determined (at least in part) by the climate of your classroom. If the classroom is disorganized, the students will be disorganized and student behavior will suffer. If students walk into a classroom that is clean and highly organized they enter a mindset that improves their performance while in your class. Tip #5: Put something new on the wall or bulletin board! You do not want your students walking back into your classroom without making some changes. Shake things up a bit! Put up some new wall displays and bulletin boards. They don't have to be too fancy or time consuming to make. You just need to send the message that this is a new semester and you are ready to go with all new materials and resources. Here are some ideas of things you can display that will take only a few minutes to print, laminate and get displayed on the wall: • Biology and Life Science Careers Mini Posters • Character Building Quotes from Famous Scientists • Important Dates in Science History Monthly Calendars Tip #6: It's time for a new seating chart. While you are shaking things up by reorganizing your classroom and getting new wall displays posted, go ahead and make out a new seating chart for your students. When students return from the holidays, every aspect of your classroom needs to be new, fresh, and different. Tip #7: Start planning now for end of course testing. I am not a fan of the maze of standardized testing that we put our students through each year. However, that is a topic for another day. If your students will be required to take an end of course exam for your class, it is imperative that you begin planning for that now. Take the semester calendar that you made in Tip #2 and see where you might insert a few days for test prep and review. I look for days when the school is planning an assembly or pep rally, or a day when some students will miss for a field trip. It is hard to teach new material when students are missing from class, but it makes for a great time to get in some test prep review time. Be prepared to review. You never know when an opportunity for reinforcement will arise, so keep task cards, review games, or worksheets at the ready. Every minute counts in the second semester rush to the end of the year. Tip #8: Make a plan for struggling students. The sad reality is that some students are always in danger of failing our class, or in danger of not being able to pass the end of course exam. It is extremely important to identify the struggling students and put an intervention plan in place before it is too late. With enough help, guidance, compassion, and will power, we can ensure that most of our students will earn credit in our classes. Students try harder when they know we care about them and that we are trying to give them the help they need. Have individual meetings with your struggling students and develop a plan with each student to ensure their success at the end of the school year. Many of my "A students" belong to organizations that require them to get service hours. I always set up peer tutoring opportunities to help my struggling students get the reinforcement they need, while allowing other students to get the service hours they need. Tip #9: Start working on your lab inventory. My school district requires that we do a complete inventory of our classrooms and lab areas, and we must turn it in before the last day of school. Are you required to complete a lab inventory? If so, do yourself a favor and start working on it now. The end of the year is CRAZY, and you will be greatly relieved if you already have this cumbersome chore accomplished. If you need an inventory form, check out my free Lab Inventory Form in my TpT Store. Tip #10: Make out your lab order for the upcoming school year. This makes perfect sense if you also have to complete a lab inventory. As you complete your inventory, make a list of the items that you are running low on. As the semester progresses, locate your new catalogs and start looking up the purchasing information for the items you will need for the next year. Tip #11: Watch our for Spring Break/Spring Fever! This is also known as "Teach as much as you can as soon as you can!" Once spring arrives, even the best laid plans can fly out the window. And students are not the only ones to get spring fever, right? January, February and March are easy! But after that, even the absolute best teachers amongst us will struggle to keep the kids focused and learning. Hopefully, if you have made it to the end of this article, you have found a few tidbits that will help you get off to a great start for second semester. I hope you had a wonderful holiday break, and that you have a happy, healthy, and organized new year!
I have a confession to make. During my years in the science classroom, I was never able to sustain a long-term warm-up or bell-ringer routine with my
Biomolecules review ideas that actually work. Ideas and resources to make your unit successful this year. Includes digital and print ideas.
Scaffolding, as many of you know, is a term educational experts (or people who want to sound fancy) use to describe how to break down a concept for students so that they can reach a goal or a level you want them to. It’s like building a ladder (or scaffolding around a building being […]
OXFORD KS3 SCIENCE ACTIVATE 1 FREE DOWNLAOD AND PRINTABLE PDF FILE Click The Download Button Below To Download File
The last couple of years I taught, I did an elaborate science demo day for Halloween. This is one of those experiences that students will remember when
