My first year of teaching, I finished up my 5th grade science test prep week with a science lock-in. I drove 45 minutes home after the Friday night science lock-in event we put on. And then, I sat in my driveway and cried for a while before going in the house. This was my first … Continue reading 3 Test Prep Ideas You Should Start Right Away
Data has become a central theme in classrooms today. We have formative assessments, summative assessments, reading level assessments, MAP testing, STAAR tests, other standardized tests, istation, the list can go on forever. The last thing we need as teachers is another thing to grade or another assessment! We do need to check in with our … Continue reading Exit Slips and Assessing Student Understanding
If you’ve ever thought, “I just need a good lab so my students can master this week’s science content.”… My new Science Lab Kits are for you! If you’ve ever thought, “I just don’t have the materials to set up a good lab this week.”… My new Science Lab Kits are also for you! I am including … Continue reading Science Lab Kits to complete your science lessons
I started Science Concept Characters back in 2009 and they were such a hit that I kept the activity ready to go for any time I needed something extra. Students can pick a science word/concept, or you can assign a science word/concept to each student. Students will create a character for a science word or … Continue reading Making Learning Fun with Science Concept Character
My first year of teaching I was hired halfway through the year. Not only did I have to quickly figure out my teaching style, but I also had to get about 50 students ready to pass that dreaded 5th Grade Science STAAR test. I needed a way to make learning stick, and stick fast. I … Continue reading The One Review Activity You Should Start Adding to Your Science Lessons Today
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and maybe the most chaotic! I love making things fun around holidays because higher engagement equals fewer behavior issues. Plus, it’s just more fun! These are some of my favorite Christmas/ Winter Holiday activities. My absolute favorite part of these lesson units is the real world connection … Continue reading Christmas Science and Literacy
Cell Structures and Functions are a favorite topic for me. Students love looking at cells under a microscope and students love These activities are created to incorporate reading and writing into the Science curriculum. You can click any link or image in this post to grab the printables and activities for yourself. The informational text … Continue reading Ideas for teaching Cell Structures and Functions
I knew I wanted to make minilessons and centers more interactive, but I just didn’t have the useable space to do it. That’s when I had to get creative and find a way to put my hanging pocket charts on the wall. I love having my mini lesson materials right there in my focus wall! … Continue reading Hanging Pocket Charts: Teacher Hack
1. Varied challenge levels This is a super simple, but effective differentiation strategy for any teacher. Think about the level of learning you want each student to achieve and start there. You may be asking one student to identify elements of a story, looking for main idea and details. But, another student may need deeper … Continue reading 10 Effective Differentiation Strategies for a Variety of Learners
“How do you teach science? What do you do each day of the week?” I saw this question this morning and decided to share my weekly science planning with you. This is my work smarter, not harder plan. So, what does a week in Science look like? I always have my year planned and resources … Continue reading Weekly Science Planning
