Science Education Idea Exchange

I found another up-and-coming Teachers Pay Teachers creator called School House Rap . She has many resources for elementary teachers, but one of her freebies caught my attention as a middle school teacher: her Engineering Design Process Logbook . I looked it over. The layout is simple and eye-appealing. Knowing the target age group, I know parts are too simple for middle schoolers. For example, evaluating whether a design works should involve more than a "yes or no." However, this could be powerful for my students who require writing modifications. I would recommend this resource to my elementary friends. Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

These lesson plans include activities to build background knowledge on ecological abiotic and biotic factors, and how they impact the environment. Students will practice their knowledge in a simulation of the impact of fishing and a class debate over the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers. There is a long-term project to measure the effect of the use of fertilizer on water. There are colored and blackline copies of the student packet as a secured PDF. There is also a secured PDF with the teacher's guide and materials for a matching activity. This product includes the following activities: ⚪Forest Fire Probe ⚪ Algae & Fertilizer Lab  (can be purchased separately) ⚪Ecosystem Influence Matching Activity ⚪Invasive Impact Report ⚪DNR Simulation ⚪Nitrogen Fertilizer Use Debate

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I hunted for new and free resources and found this get-to-know-me activity. It is a beaker for students to complete on themselves and can be found here . The creator, The Crafty Teacher TX , permitted me to share this resource. It is appropriate for a middle school classroom and has questions that are great ice-breakers, like if you were on a deserted island, what three things would you need? This could be assigned on the first day of school or completed in class and posted on the walls. Photo by Elevate on Unsplash The content creator has many other materials for building classroom culture.

I won a gift card to give away to my followers! I will be sending a message through Teacher's Pay Teachers tomorrow for the drawing that will take place on Sunday. How can you get into the drawing? Go to my store Click the "follow" that looks like below Check your email tomorrow evening. I will provide a link to submit your email to receive the gift card, if you win.  

 I was reminiscing the other day about activities I loved. One that came to mind was a pom-pom natural selection activity I did with my students. I found it! Two educators from the University of Pennsylvania created this worksheet . My favorite part was the simulation. I think my students would have agreed. They actively gathered data on different types of predators and adaptations of the prey. I didn't follow the directions to a tee, but the point was made. Photo by Eliza Diamond on Unsplash Check out this free online resource!

Here's another up-and-coming duo: Squeeze for Thoughts! They create worksheets in both Spanish and English! I admit my Spanish is barely passable, but I would love to help my ELL students as much as possible! (I've lived in another country where English was not the first language.) Photo by Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash I love their Moon phases worksheets. The worksheets are available for free and are of high quality. An answer key is included for your use ( English version / Spanish version ). It looks like they have already created many resources. If you like their resources, leave a review and follow their store!

It's time for back-to-school safety! This booklet is a print-and-go activity (or simply upload to a student portal as a PDF) for lab safety. Students read through and make choices on how to be safe in the lab. When they make incorrect choices, they come to a "Reteaching" page that describes the lab safety rule. Students are congratulated on acting safely when they have successfully navigated the lab scenario. This could be used as an introduction to safety protocols, but would likely be better used as a review activity at the beginning of the school year. This product includes the following safety rules: ⚪disposal of solids ⚪no food or drink in lab ⚪entering the lab ⚪broken glassware disposal ⚪retrieving heated glassware ⚪hot glassware & cold water ⚪chemical contamination (replacing excess into the original container) ⚪chipped/cracked glassware ⚪smelling chemicals ⚪safety goggles ⚪cutting with scalpels  

I heard about Figm a as a site to replace jamboard  from the Teaching Channel . I love learning about new tools, especially free ones. I could sign up for a free account, which limits me to three projects. Upon setting up my account, I was prompted with the following: I decided to check out the Whiteboard features. What I like about it: ease of use layout collaborative timer (not startling when it goes off!) music: relaxing, upbeat, etc. Paid features: voting more storage My overall thoughts: It would be worth trying the free account to see if it's a great fit for your classroom. I love the idea of students working while reminders are on the board. This website would work great for how I operate. I would have expectations, a to-do list, and a timer to help students focus and manage student behaviors.

I found another up-and-coming TPT seller with a free product . Hers focuses on building the understanding that air has volume. In this freebie, students observe a demonstration of cups filled with air in a tank. They get to see how the air is "poured" from one cup to another. Jill takes it even further and has ways to adapt this demonstration for younger and older students. She also includes discussion questions. This is a lot of work for a free resource! If you like it, follow her store and leave a review to help her grow! Photo by Amritanshu Sikdar on Unsplash

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Students will practice converting units and finding ratios to engineer a working model of a solar eclipse . During the project, students will research solar eclipses, make calculations, brainstorm, build, and test their designs. This product includes the following activities: ⚪Research ⚪Calculations ⚪ Brainstorm ⚪Design ⚪Build & Test ⚪Redesign ⚪Critical Thinking Question

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