Science Education Idea Exchange

 I am throwing a sale on all items found in my Teachers Pay Teachers store! See the graphic below for more information!

One tool that offers a free introduction to try is Educreations . It allows you to create and share videos with your students. It is user-friendly and now has the capability to be shared on Google Classroom and Remind. This is especially ideal for a flipped and self-paced classrooms, as well as distance learning. The drawback is there is not too much storage on the free version, maybe a couple videos at most.

Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash Through EdPuzzle, I found this free course that you can learn about self-paced classroom through the organization Modern Classrooms . I am excited to learn more ideas to reach every learner in my classroom! (Plus, I think they give you a certificate for completing the two hour course.)

Early on, I developed a system that worked well for me to keep track of grades and keep students honest. Set-up: I would have a paper copy of a grade book. It doesn't need to be fancy. Just a list of students and places to name the assignments. As you write down the assignments, it is helpful to note when it was assigned and when it was due. That way, if a student is absent, you can figure out their new date with relative ease. You can take it with you as you look over student assignments for a quick reference. And, if the online grade book ever crashes, you have a backup. (I even found it handy if students changed one class period to another. Sometimes their grades would not transfer.)  Absent students: Make a little dot in a corner of their box to indicate they were absent when the assignment was collected.  I know some teachers mark it as missing in the grade book, but I have found that creates more stress for the parent/student and the teacher as a result. If there is a notes

This is a free resource in my store  that is designed to introduce the NGSS earth science standard number three for middle school.  Students work in small groups to create a visual representation of where water on earth is found and what types of water are used for drinking water. Photo by  Erda Estremera  on  Unsplash

 One of the struggles for reviewing material is to make it engaging. A coworker of mine taught me about "Grudge Match" and it was a huge success. Photo by  傅甬 华  on  Unsplash Materials needed: notebooks/whiteboards/tablets for students to write and display their answers scoreboard that can be erased bank of questions stacking blocks, like Jenga (or some other silly trick for students to do) Objective: The team with the highest final score wins! How to play: 1. Break students up into small teams of about four students and assign team names. 2. Write the team names on the scoreboard with five hash marks for each team. 3. Instruct students that they are not allowed to consult one another on answers and must write their answers silently on their notebook/whiteboard/tablet or the team will be disqualified from the round. 4. Ask the first question and tell students to put their answers facedown until you ask them to reveal their answers. When they are all ready, every student will

 I would occasionally find use Google Forms to differentiate assessment or provide choices for students. For Example, growing up I love the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books and have created some for my students. Creating a branching Google Form allows you to do that. Here are instructions on how to do so: 1. Have your information already created for the branching Form and open a blank Google Form. 2. Type your first question in and offer two or more solutions for the students to pick form.  3. Click the three dots at the bottom of the question and select "Go to section based on answer". 4. Click on the button that looks like an equals sign twice to add two new sections that will correspond to your question number one answer. 5. Next to your original question answers, there is an option to direct the students to a specific section based on their answer.  6. For each answer, select the correct section students should be directed to from their answer. 7. Add a questio

I loved playing "I have, Who Has?" with my students because it is a good vocabulary/concept review tool that involves the whole class listening and engaging at the same time. One student starts off by reading a card that describes a card another student has in their hand. When done properly, the last card reads something like, "I have the last card." To make it interesting, we would see which class period could get it done the fastest, or if they could break their own record. Who doesn't love a little competition? Photo by  Marcel Strauß  on  Unsplash I found premade and free templates on Teachers Pay Teachers, like this one .

 I finished creating my Crazy Creature Traits for the NGSS standard MS-LS3-2 on variation amongst asexual and sexual organisms. As a result, I was also able to create a discounted  bundle with both projects over the standard.

I am going to have a sale on all my items on my store today and tomorrow!

 I found this website many years ago and was recently reminded of it. EdHeads has a few free simulations dealing with STEM topics, like simple machines. They are currently working on expanding their resources, so they are definitely worth following!

If you're like me, I am taking a break from the classroom. BUT, I am itching to be involved in some way. I stumbled upon this volunteer website called  Volunteer Match . There are so many opportunities to give back to the community through tutoring, leading STEM activities, and writing curriculum, to name a few. You can choose your area or remote options.

 I was wasting time online this afternoon and discovered some activities and past events from the National Wildlife Federation . They would be a great resource to begin projects in the classroom that are ecology-focused and all about helping our students learn about the local area.  They have an upcoming event in May featuring gardening with and for local flora and fauna. Photo by  Erda Estremera  on  Unsplash

  Photo by  Triana Nana  on  Unsplash I am just really enjoying using the poor weather outside to create! My latest creation is using slime recipes to teach students about mutations and their impacts on organisms, especially asexual organisms. It can be found here .

 I have a Facebook business page that will be running a promotion: anyone who shares and comments on the post for the giveaway will be entered for free $5 or less item from my TeachersPayTeachers store!

 I am going to be having a sale on all my items today and tomorrow. Go to TeachersPayTeachers to check out the deals for my curriculum and other creators!

I have never posted something news-related here, but this is a bill that makes me nervous: In Iowa, they are considering live-streaming the majority of classrooms for parents to follow along. It really seems like it is to try to "catch" teachers talking about controversial topics.   Photo by  Bernard Hermant  on  Unsplash I have had my share of hover parents and lawnmower parents. This would take it to a new level. Article here .

 I just finished adding materials for all five standards to help engage students in learning about ecosystems. The bundle of resources comes at a discount and can be found here ! The resources included are simulations, projects, and labs.  Stay tuned for my part II birthday escape room and projects for heredity!

I am excited to announce that I have been back at creating content. I updated the Interlocking Bricks  puzzle room with minor changes from the original.  Inspired by my husband and my childhood, I made a vintage video game themed one. There are tropes that pay homage to the original classics with a twist. Believe it or not, no electronics are needed to compete in this game.