Science Education Idea Exchange

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...

This free resource comes from a new content creator titled We Teach Stuff . It's a single note sheet on biomolecules and contains three columns for the student to fill in. We Teach Stuff has students draw a picture, write the function, and list examples. What I like about it: simple layout answer keys included- one handwritten and one typed includes lines for students to write their notes neatly You can find the Molecules of Life Note Sheet here . Photo by Photoholgic on Unsplash

 I have used this strategy for notebooking for years after it was introduced to me. Students divide their page into three different-sized sections. (See below for the labels and relative sizes.) I have the students complete the summary at the very end of their notes. They write 3-4 sentences highlighting the big ideas.

 I have heard many times over that students have better recall of notes they write when they are handwritten. I was looking at Twitter this afternoon and saw a person sharing her students' sketchnotes and it caught my attention. What is it? Basically, it is a combination of text and drawings to summarize learning. The Tweets mentioned earlier had the students using a comic book template to write about the Milky Way Galaxy. Why does it matter? It has students synthesize information in a meaningful way to them. And, by creating visuals along with text, important information is easily highlighted. (I'm sure drawing it out helps commit it to memory as well.)

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!

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!

I created these inserts for a four fold window pane.  My students will cut out the four pictures and glue them on the inside  They will label the four tabs as "moss cycle", "fern cycle", "angiosperm cycle", and "gymnosperm cycle". I wish I could draw better, but the general idea is there. :)