Science Education Idea Exchange

Generation Genius  is a website funded by the NSTA. The science materials cost $225/year. The website looks comprehensive in terms of resources and reminds me of PBS Kids. It offers videos, activities, readings, and assessments on different topics. I am too cheap to sign up for it now, but you can try it out for free for a month to see if it's a good fit for you.

This resource is amazing!  SWSmith Books , a new store, has worked hard to create differentiated science readings.  This  is one of many stories they have available. They are a 6th and 7th-grade teacher who wanted to have readings that don't make students feel inadequate when it comes to reading. They include a glossary, leveled readings, and vocabulary words that  stand  out for ease of implementation. This specific resource on Darwin is 58 pages with small chapters on the history of Darwin's trip to the Galapagos Islands. There are "words to know" at the beginning of each chapter and review questions at the end. The answer key is included. If you like the resource, you can purchase the bundle for the tiered levels. Photo by  Hulki Okan Tabak  on  Unsplash They also have their  website,  if you're interested in looking at their books and novels.

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 ...

P2R's are a concept I created for encouraging active reading for my students based on other ideas and research I have seen. Here's an example in the works below: As students are completing the preview and read section, I circulate to help answer any questions. It is a great way to help students with words they don't know without them raising their hands and feeling embarrassed, especially since I require them to list at least one word. This is a natural way to differentiate to your readers as well. The review section can be tailored however you see fit. I've included graphs, calculations, big-picture short answer questions to name a few. I believe it's important to get students reading!

We have been out of school for two weeks and I am already losing track of which day is which! Apparently, I need to consult my planner more than I originally thought. There are so many types of graphic organizers out there! Here are a couple that I really like: Connections, Points & Questions Ready-Set-Go-Whoa!