Stations: A Tool for Background Knowledge

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 tells them which station to visit next.

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Nitrogen and Carbon Cycle Foldable

I was inspired to create foldables for my 6th graders on the carbon and nitrogen cycles after viewing one created by the blog " The Inspired Classroom ". She had created a much cuter one for the water cycle. Please forgive my pictures, descriptions, and handwriting. :) If you would like a free copy of the nitrogen foldable or carbon foldable , you can find it at My Teachers Pay Teachers.

Biomes Foldable

I had way too much fun making this. My students are going to be learning about these biomes next and I created this example of the finished product and one with the pictures/words without the cuts. I photocopied the sheet and shrunk it to 75%. The students will cut it out, fold down the extra space on the left side, and glue it in their notebooks. Underneath each tab, they will write characteristics of the biomes. I am clearly on a foldable kick! Thank you snow days. :) I did create a digital version of this for you to download on my Teacher Pay Teachers. It's free!

Rubric Maker

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