Science Education Idea Exchange

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.

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...

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 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  

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

This week's resource is on cellular respiration. The author  Ms.  J  Classroom  created a PDF with a claim-evidence-reasoning question about the relationship between exercise and cellular respiration. They follow the activity with a few review questions. What I like: A quick way to assess understanding of cellular respiration Answer key included Provides a practical application of what students are learning about in class Easy for a sub plan Download your copy today! Photo by  Clique Images  on  Unsplash

  Looking for something festive?  This resource  contains links to three different  holiday decorations: ornaments, a tree topper, and a garland of DNA! They are  absolutely cute   and  most  of the  items  are created  by  Evolution of a Science Teacher .   This  is another new store. Download your free copy  here ! Photo by  Josh Harrison  on  Unsplash

Maybe this is one of the few times you will see cells and mountains associated. Either way, I have put out products on both. Cells Who Am I? Cells Vocabulary Review Game All About Cells Lesson Plans and Review Games Bundle MS-LS1-1 Characteristics of Life Forensic Activity MS-LS1-2 Cells: Structure and Function Activities MS-LS1-3 Body System and Disease Project MS-LS1-4 Plant and Their Pollinators Activity for Adaptations MS-LS1-5 Plant Growth Factors Experiment (Acquired Traits) MS-LS1-6 Photosynthesis in Freshwater Plant Lab Mountains and Earth Science MS-ESS1-4: Mountain Range History Activity Students will look at three pieces of information on their mountain range (Himalayas, Rocky Mountains, and Andes) to try to guess the age of the mountains. Background information on Pangea and more recent plate movements is provided. Next, students sketch the location of their mountain range. Finally, students examine evidence and interpret its meaning. The evidence includes isotopes, fossils...

Photo by Philipp Pilz on Unsplash In a search for new items, I found this worksheet on carrying capacity and limiting factors by Growing New Scientists . Kirsten has many accomplishments, so I recommend this product and others in their store! The worksheet is available in three different formats: Word, PDF, and online. It has two parts to help students review abiotic and biotic factors and carrying capacity. What I love: Three different formats to make it fit your needs Answer key included to take out the guesswork Questions of a variety of styles to tap into what students know The worksheet is easy to follow and understand for students Download your free resource and check it out!

Enchanted Learning is an old website that I relied on as a new teacher years ago. I cannot believe they still have it up and running! The nice thing is that you can create worksheets from the website and it includes answer keys. The downside is that it won't be pretty without time and effort.

 I am working on completing activities for all of the NGSS PS1 standards, so stay tuned! For now, here is a new one that I created: MS-PS1-4: Phase Change Models for States of Matter S tudents create a model drawing of phase changes for a pure chemical. There are two templates to make the states of matter models. It can be printed or designed into a slide presentation (instructions included). This activity assumes they already know about atoms, states of matter, and thermal energy. The activity included is no-prep. Simply upload or print the materials and go! Included are: Teacher's guide with suggested chemicals and chemical boiling/melting points (secured PDFs) Graphing Model Template and instructions (secured PDF) Drawing Model Template and instructions (secured PDF) Standards/Objectives: ✅NGSS: MS-PS1-4 In the life science camp, I ha ve my  Genetics Vocabulary Note Sheet . The genetics note sheet has key terms for beginning a heredity unit. Students color and label informa...

Over 8 class periods, students learn about agencies and methods to protect biodiversity to meet NGSS MS-LS2-5. Throughout the plans are opportunities for students to conclude on best conservation practices. The lesson plans can be found here . The simulation is run by checking restocking, catch, and release, and limiting licenses against a control. Students share data as a class to get averages to look at the success of all three methods. Finally, after creating a graph, students complete a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) over their findings. The project will have students conducting research, engineering a design, and evaluating competing designs over six or more 45-minute class periods. The objective is to evaluate competing designs for maintaining biodiversity. 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 with answer keys and lesson plans. Standards/Objectives: ✅NGSS: MS-LS2-5 This product inc...

 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 a a couple new products I put a little over a month ago.  Over 8 class periods, students learn about agencies and methods to protect biodiversity to meet NGSS MS-LS2-5 . Throughout the plans are opportunities for students to conclude on best conservation practices. The simulation is run by checking restocking, catch, and release, and limiting licenses against a control. Students share data as a class to get averages to look at the success of all three methods. Finally, after creating a graph, students complete a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) over their findings. The project will have students conducting research, engineering a design, and evaluating competing designs over six or more 45-minute class periods. The objective is to evaluate competing designs for maintaining biodiversity. 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 with answer keys and lesson plans. Standards/Objectives: ...

I found this website in my quest for new tools and simulations. It's called Gizmos . The screenshot below shows their photosynthesis activity.  The simulations are reminiscent of PhET from the University of Colorado Boulder . They look amazing, but I do not have a paid account to delve into it. You can look at the simulations for up to five minutes per day without an account. After that, you must sign up for an account. The free trial is offered for a limited time before a paid subscription is required. What other resources have you found?

For many years, we used the PBS website on photosynthesis as a webquest to give our students background information. It does a great job of explaining the process thoroughly. We easily spent a class period exploring and would regroup on the information the students learned. Check out this classic!

Another freebie is ready for you to download! I made a graphic organizer years ago for my students and you can find it here . This graphic organizer comes with the answer key and what you see pictured below.

I am sorry that it's been a while since my last post. We are in the process of moving and I have a little. It's busy! I finished my lesson plans on cellular respiration for NGSS in middle school. You can check it out here . The lesson plan bundle includes a couple labs, graphic organizers, and activities to help students understand the function of cellular respiration.