Science Education Idea Exchange

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.

  No-Frills Science is a new TPT store created by a teacher with many years of experience. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash I found their freebie scavenger hunt on the periodic table of elements in a recent search. It offers a lot for a free resource! What I like: print-and-go lesson plans and answer keys included could be utilized with a sub bad puns

  I have two new ecology that I posted last month! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MS-LS2-Ecology-Unit-Lesson-Plans-12001210 This MS-LS 2 ecology package is all the lesson plans for ecosystems and populations at a discounted rate! The bundle includes a student packet ready for printing (color and black-and-white), answer keys, teacher printouts for activities, lesson assessments, unit assessments, phenomena, labs, materials lists, extended projects, and more! The topics covered (click for individual lesson plans): Resource Availability & Carrying Capacity Symbiotic Relationships: Competition, Predator/Prey, Mutualism Cycling Matter & Energy Abiotic and Biotic Influences Conservation and Methods to Maintain Biodiversity The lesson plans for approximately 32 days are detailed and could be copy and pasted to share with your administration. ***Most lessons can easily be adapted to distance learning and homeschooling. Standards/Objectives: ✅NGSS: MS-LS2-1, MS-LS2-2, ...

I found another up-and-coming Teachers Pay Teachers creator called School House Rap . She has many resources for elementary teachers, but one of her freebies caught my attention as a middle school teacher: her Engineering Design Process Logbook . I looked it over. The layout is simple and eye-appealing. Knowing the target age group, I know parts are too simple for middle schoolers. For example, evaluating whether a design works should involve more than a "yes or no." However, this could be powerful for my students who require writing modifications. I would recommend this resource to my elementary friends. Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

 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 another up-and-coming duo: Squeeze for Thoughts! They create worksheets in both Spanish and English! I admit my Spanish is barely passable, but I would love to help my ELL students as much as possible! (I've lived in another country where English was not the first language.) Photo by Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash I love their Moon phases worksheets. The worksheets are available for free and are of high quality. An answer key is included for your use ( English version / Spanish version ). It looks like they have already created many resources. If you like their resources, leave a review and follow their store!

I absolutely love creating content! Since I'm finding myself at home with some extra time on my hands, I have decided to create a Teachers Pay Teachers account that can be found clicking here . I am pretty excited. I am going to try to be more faithful about updating my blog with resources I find and to share with you current projects I have in the works. Since we are all at home, I have been creating some escape/breakout/puzzle rooms by request for my friend's children. So far, I have a Lego, birthday, Star Wars, and Disney themed games. If you are interested in a specific puzzle room idea, let me know in the comments below and I will give you free access to a copy before I post it on my store. I appreciate the help generating ideas and enjoy creating them to help get kids engaged. I have also created some very basic clip art. Maybe not the most amazing things you've seen, but once again, I had fun. If you go to my store, you can download ones like below for fre...

Something I have learned from my PLC is this pen activity for comprehension checks using different colored pens on a worksheet. In science, our review sheets typically have vocabulary, comparisons, and a little bit of analyzing. This is done shortly after the direct instruction piece, but never the same day as the material is introduced or assessed. It's a diagnostic tool. The students are given anywhere from 8-10 minutes for a single-sided worksheet. (I usually allot one minute per question.)  Students work independently using the black pen. This represents what they know or believe they know.  Students go up front, where I have a cup of blue pens placed and partner up with the first person they see grabbing a blue pen. Together, they review their answers and help each other fill in any gaps. Students grab a red pen and work independently again. This time, they are allowed to use their book or notes to fill in the remaining pieces and double check their work. I ...

Teachers Pay Teachers is an addicting website! You can sign up for free and there are several free and cheap resources. The website sends a weekly email with 10 free downloads and usually two are science related. One thing I have learned is that to be a good teacher I do not have to reinvent the wheel. (Not to mention the power of sharing ideas leads to greater things for the greater good.) I wish I had the talent of the contributors.

This  activity  is to help introduce genetics and Punnett Squares using the toys Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. I created it in my first years of teaching and had a lot of fun with it. I updated this to create a free download of the activity from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Please check it out and leave feedback!

This is an activity that I learned of when I student taught.  I took the worksheet and revamped it to make it less confusing for students.  The only bummer is I cannot figure out how to post it all so it looks like it would in Word or a PDF.  The only part that is is missing is the page with the chromosomes on it. This is a nice introduction activity for middle school or high school when you begin the discussion of heredity.   Name: _____________________________                       Genes Activity Procedure: Determine your phenotype (outward trait) and then the genotype (alleles present for trait) for each trait and record in the given column.  If you are unsure if you are homozygous (AA) or heterozygous (Aa) for a trait, consider yourself heterozygous. Transfer your genotypes to the chromosomes by writing...

There are many free websites that I have stumbled upon that share free ideas.  Here is a couple valuable ones, no matter your subject. http://sciencespot.net/ : Labs, PowerPoint, and worksheets http://www.biologycorner.com/ : Labs, worksheets, pictures, and video worksheets http://www.mysciencebox.org/ : Unit plans with excellent ideas for photosynthesis/cellular respiration and others  http://science-class.net/ : Resources for middle school teachers such as lab ideas for many subjects