Science Education Idea Exchange

DewWool is a newer store with many free online resources! I found the " Root Structure " diagram and thought it was too good not to share.  This is for you if you need resources for students to label structures. (It also includes math and elementary education resources.) The resources appear to be simple and easy to use. One downfall, because it's free, is there are advertisements. I know this was a concern with the last school I worked at students: viewing unapproved materials via popup ads. Photo by  おにぎり  on  Unsplash

I am still revamping and adding cute clipart to my resources. But, I did create my MS-PS1-2 lesson plans with portions of them available separately. Here is the description of the lesson plans: These chemical reaction lesson plans have activities to help students create and gain a basic understanding of physical and chemical changes. They start with an introductory phenomenon on changes. Next, students have research, stations, and a lab to understand the objective better. Two assessments are included: a CER and a critical thinking question about physical and chemical changes.

Blooket feels like Quizziz in that you can assign or host a game. There are libraries of games already created, or you can create our review questions for students. What makes it stand out is there are different game mode options to keep it novel for students.  Sign up for free and start creating your review games.

This resource is a little late for International Women's Day, but never too late to celebrate women and their scientific contributions. Included in the " Women Scientists " posters by Najem studio are four biographies of famous female scientists. I love it because it's cute, easy to read, and an appropriate March bulletin board decoration. Photo by  Diane Serik  on  Unsplash

I have been busy updating my products and combing through for improvements. I did manage to create this one!  Physical and Chemical Changes Background Digital and Print Stations The physical and chemical changes background stations provide a kinesthetic way for students to gain a brief background on the physical changes, chemical changes, chemical reactions, evidence of changes (density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point, states of matter, and odor). 10 stations can be printed for the classroom or shared digitally with students. Each station includes a check for understanding questions to lead to the next station. A student worksheet has a spot to record the station answers. The teacher's guide has the answer key and the order of the stations.

While subbing, I learned of this app called Notability. The district has a paid subscription for students to use on their devices, and it's saved so many trees! Students can edit PDFs their teacher shares with them. Instead of printed copies of worksheets and note sheets, students write directly on them and submit their work to their teachers. I have not yet explored whether it can be used on secured PDFs, but I believe so. If you know, can you comment below? The free account is limited but worth exploring if your students are one-to-one with devices.

This freebie is in time for St. Patrick's Day ! It's a free element coloring sheet by  Madd for Science . The elements spell out the word "lucky" with festive decorations. They suggest using it as a warm-up or an activity for students that finish early. (I personally would use it for early finishers and  display completed sheets around the classroom.) Download your free print-and-go copy here ! Photo by  Eyestetix Studio  on  Unsplash

MS-ESS3-2: Natural Disaster Forecasting Activity Students make predictions about natural disasters. They will research the one they choose, gather data points, and forecast the next likely location. If possible, they will connect with a professional of their chosen natural disaster as they engineer solutions and map predictions. I have been taking some time to make my products more user friendly and add resources to make them helpful, so a little slower on the new products. :)

I love using stations to provide background knowledge and breaking large readings into smaller ones. If done well, it is a powerful tool. Here's what I have found to help my stations be successful: Don't allow more than three students at a station. It increases the likelihood of off-task behavior and visibility issues for the students. Set a timer: on the board, have a timer running. Students will move to their next station when they hear it go off. Have an extra station. By this, I mean that you should have questions or an activity a student can work on no matter where they are. Some stations will go quickly, and some will take the whole time. Consider using something that would summarize the learning from all the stations or allow for creative thinking about an issue related to the learning materials. I have been creating some stations in my Teachers Pay Teachers store that involve a brief reading and a check-for-understanding question at the end. The answer to the question ...

Here's another great resource for the emergency absence.  Kristin Consorti  created a lesson plan on creating a  Natural Disaster Survival Kit . They are an ELA teacher, so it encourages writing and lists the standards covered by the lesson.  The lesson plans are easy to follow and are print-and-go. Not to mention, the topic is engaging for students. Included is a way to score the project and clear guidelines for students.  Download your copy today! Photo by  Raychel Sanner  on  Unsplash

I have had fun making note sheets and decided to build stations to provide the background information necessary to complete the note sheets. Atoms Background Stations & Note Sheet Bundle The  atoms background stations  provide a kinesthetic way for students to gain a brief background on the structure of atoms (protons, neutrons, electrons, valence electrons, nucleus, and orbits), types of bonds (ionic and covalent), atomic mass, atomic numbers, the periodic table of elements, types of molecules (compounds and elements). 12 stations can be printed for the classroom or shared digitally with students. Each station includes a check for understanding questions to lead to the next station. A student worksheet has a spot to record the station answers. The teacher's guide has the answer key and the order of the stations. (Stations, teacher’s guide, and student worksheet are secured PDFs.) This  note sheet  is a single secured PDF that includes a black-and-white and a col...

 I stumbled upon these free simulations from ASU while looking for another activity I had used in the past. I am so glad! The simulation demonstrates how natural selection leads to the evolution of peppered moths. Students can choose to have a light-colored or dark-colored tree. They take on the role of birds hunting for the moths. The simulation has a timer and graphs the outcomes of the moths the students find. It is simple and easy to use and requires no prep work. I would use it alongside a worksheet, or have students generate questions to kickoff a unit on evolution.

In time for Valentine's Day, I found these STEM-themed cards on Teachers Pay Teachers from a new store called  Curious Shenanigans .  The free template has six different versions in color and black and white. Download your free copy  here  in time to celebrate! Image by  Alexa  from  Pixabay

ESS2-6 Coriolis Effect Activity In this Coriolis Effect activity, students go through three stations to simulate the impact of uneven heating and the Earth's rotation. They create a map to synthesize their learning. At the end, students complete a claim-evidence-reasoning over ocean currents. ( Included in the  ESS2 Bundle ) Ecology and Biome Note Sheet The cell parts note sheet has key terms for a unit on ecology. Topics include levels of organization in an ecosystem, abiotic versus biotic factors, representations of energy flow (trophic pyramid, food web, and food chain), and biomes. Pair this with your favorite reading, presentation, or video for students to summarize the key terms and concepts. (Background information is not included.) Who Am I? Ecology and Biome Vocabulary Review Game The classic "Who Am I?" game has 28 cards that cover common terms in ecology and biomes (see list below). Simply print the secured PDF with cards and instructions and play! (Definitions...

I heard another educator say we are teaching the YouTube generation, so why not embrace it? Videos are truly powerful resources for teachers. Early in teaching middle school, I had a mentor who used Eureka! videos to teach concepts. They are a little bit dated, but they are short, easy to follow, and provide silly examples to walk students through scientific principles. The only way I have found them is on YouTube, but I am sure there are better ways that don't infringe on the rights of the creator.

 My store will be participating in the Teachers Pay Teachers sale on February 4th and 5th. Enter the code  FEBSALE25 to save an additional 5%! AND, I have another $10 gift card to giveaway to one of my followers of my store . I will be sending a note with instructions on how to enter the drawing on February 3rd.

The freebie for this round caught my attention because the flashcards are beautiful to look at!  Included are  detailed images and definitions to help students learn their vocabulary on the parts of the cell and cell types.  There are nine flashcards for download from  Biochemistry by Noor . It may not be a complete set, but it offers a good sample of their work. Download your freebie  here  today! Photo by  National Cancer Institute  on  Unsplash

 I have been working on the NGSS standards for middle school on Earth's Systems and have almost finished! Here's what I have been putting together so far: MS-ESS2-2: Weathering and Erosion Shores (Geologic Processes) In this activity, students examine the geologic process of weathering and erosion on a beach. They model two types of weathering, research, and sort cards on types of weathering to determine rates of geological processes. The final piece is a CER over whether this process is rapid or gradual. MS-ESS2-3: Pangea Puzzle, Fossils, and Plate Movement Activity Students will examine plate movement since Pangea using the placement of fossils and the shape of landmasses. First, they will attempt to piece together Pangea. With research, they will make predictions and draw the placement of current plate boundaries and plate tectonics. A claim-evidence-reasoning is used to assess understanding of the objective. MS-ESS2-4: Mini-Water Cycle Activity Students build and draw model...

Many years ago, I worked at a small school with a limited budget. I tried to be creative in making my classes engaging and limiting my spending. In came the shake table. Sadly, I cannot find the original website that inspired it, but it served my students well. Here's how it is made:  Materials thin rubber bands (4) flat piece of cardboard (stage) larger cardboard lid/box marbles/balls (~12) Steps Grab a cardboard box lid or cut a box so it is no taller than four inches. (In these pictures, I used a large cereal box.) Cut a flat piece of cardboard to serve as the stage. It must be a couple of inches smaller in length and width than your box lid. On the four corners of the stage, punch a hole.  Punch holes on four corners of the box toward the top lip. Cut all four rubber bands open. Tie a large knot at the end of one rubber band and feed the rubber band through a hole in the box so the knot is on the outside. Pull the rubber band through the corresponding hole in the stage and...

I am a big fan of coloring worksheets. This week's freebie is one of such products. It is created by  Mr. Seiwert's Science Resources . They created a worksheet on the reactants and products of photosynthesis. Students color the different atoms and answer questions about the balanced equations. Download your copy here ! Photo by  Alexander Grey  on  Unsplash  

With the holidays, more time was spent with family, but the first MS-ESS2 activity is active, and the next is underway. Over two class periods, students learn about the movement of salt on Earth's surface. They start with a small demonstration of saltwater evaporation, complete research on the cycle, and create a model. The final assessment is a CER over how salt moves from one location to another.

 Another idea I received from my PLC: student reflection on progress. What a perfect topic for a New Year and a great skill for all! We would have students graph their pretest scores and activities along the way and finish with the post-assessment. The idea was for students to see how the percentage rose from the beginning to the end. On the bottom of the sheet was a spot for setting a goal for being successful with the unit and a reflection on how well the strategy worked at the end. Photo by  Алекс Арцибашев  on  Unsplash

DUCKY SCI  is the store behind the freebie  Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration worksheet  on Teachers Pay Teachers. They have many cute resources for a newer store and this one caught my eye. The worksheet reviews the processes and shows how they form a cycle. There is a black-and-white version to print and a color version  that can  be filled out digitally. What I like: easy-to-read font and layout background information to connect to actual scenarios answer key two different student versions This could be used as a summary worksheet or check for understanding for middle and high school students. Photo by  Sharon Pittaway  on  Unsplash

Note Sheets 1.  Atoms, Structures, and Bonds Vocabulary Note Sheet 2.  Parts of a Cell Vocabulary Note Sheet Reviewing Lab Safety: Who Am I? Game- Lab Tools The classic "Who Am I?" game has 18 cards that cover common laboratory tools to review at the beginning of the year or midyear (see list below). Simply print the secured PDF with cards and instructions and play! (Definitions are not included and the game assumes students have learned the terms already.) This has been bundled  with one of my older resources on lab safety in a "Choose Your Own Story" format. It can be found here . Earth's Atmosphere  1. Escape Puzzle Room This puzzle escape room would be great as a review or a day there is a sub in the classroom. Topics covered are ayers of the atmosphere, air masses, weather, types of fronts, the Goldilocks Principle, greenhouse gases, and convection currents. 2. Who Am I? Game 3. Bundle of Above Review Games Coming soon. . . more Earth Science resources!