FREE What Do Scientists Do? activities and first week of science lesson plans ideal for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms and distance learning.
Second nine weeks involves printmaking projects for my 3-5 graders - if you follow me on Instagram (@smartestartists), you know we have be...
Kids will be WOWED with this hands-on, fall science experiment where they will explore Why do Leaves Change Color for kids! Fun Leaf Activity!
Want a fun activity to do with your kids on the first week of school? Then this Introduction to Science activity is just the thing! It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been out of the 3rd grade classroom for 8 years now! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE being a librarian. But…every now and then... Read more
In order to boost virtual classroom participation and reduce achievement gaps, it is essential that teachers explore different strategies to see which ones motivate their students to learn.
Ready? Set. GO! Blast off with this EASY balloon rocket experiment! Learn simply physics with a fun summer science activity for kids.
Part of the lesson on camouflage is for students to "hide" their creature. I let them choose from butterflies to zebras. I use scrapbook paper or sometimes old wallpaper books. We staple them on our classroom walls for a few weeks, then place them in our science journals. These are 2 examples.
The Scientific Method! Again! I'm in such a science-y mood! By the time kiddos get to me in 6th grade they can repeat it and know all about it. #thestruggleisreal to make it awesome and exciting by the time they are in 6th grade. And doing something they will remember and LOVE is such a challenge. Scientific Method Fun is found with a few centers and one lab that we do. The LAB is called "Cat's in the BAG". MEOW! I use it to setup my expectations for how I want students to complete labs (the detail, organization, and descriptions I expect). I think the first year I called it Mystery Bag but it didn't have the same allure as "Cat's in the Bag!" so thus the title stuck. 6th graders like quirky. And I do too. The purpose of this lab is to get students to write detailed notes and describe things--science isn't just science--it's writing too! To make sure your students know what is expected and how detailed they need to be it's important to set the stage for that. ALSO we make connections to the scientific method! (bags can also be just plain jane lunch bags too!) First I label all of the bags #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 (I recommend no more than 8 otherwise things can get a little out of hand). I put one object in each bag and rolllllll it shut and then I got town stapling the bags sealed. I typically pick things that my students are familiar with and are around our classroom. Even the simplest objects can throw them for a loop! I set up stations around the room and have those numbered as well. Beginning with the kiddos I set up expectations for what I will be looking for (it is the beginning of the school year so brushing off those summer cobwebs is a struggle but it has to be done!). Sometimes I show past students examples of great labs or I make up my own (both good and bad). This is a really important part so they understand while yes, this lab is play, we are also doing science. It really sets the tone for the rest of the labs so I make sure I get it right the first time. When the draw a super cool picture of what they think is in the bag...I encourage them to show their work with their groups and discuss together. This gets them excited and it also makes it so I don't get chicken scratch and lame-o work (I don't ever tell them this but you know the feeling after you've prepped and kids are doing awesome things and then you get work that is like :\ why did we do allllllll of this???). So I try and help them solve my teacher pet peeve problem without telling them about my teacher pet peeve. WIN!WIN! We go over the lab rules. Students are to guess what's in the bag they can shake, touch and gently feel the bag to see what's in it (no shaking or doing anything crazy with the bag) then they have to discuss, draw and write a detailed description about what the think it is. Then do a final check of what is in the bag. The groups have to come up with a consensus as to what it is and fully fill out their lab sheets. Students go from station to station trying to get this figured out! The big reveal. We do the whole drum roll y'all. Make it exciting and meaningful right!?! Make it MAGICAL. We reveal and there is so much energy in the room from having correctly identified things in the bag, shock as to that really weird one was a staples, and its just all so FUN and SCIENTIFIC. I also have a prize if someone guesses them all correctly but it has never happened. Ha! Then comes the discussion and connection to the scientific method (specifically about making observations, taking notes, and not guessing--have an educated guess). And they get it but you have to make these connections or else the whole lab was just play. And then the scientific method BECOMES REAL and your expectations become concrete. They weren't just guessing what was in the bags. Some are close, some are way, off, and some are spot on. And that's exactly how science works isn't it? Much like the bags the answer to our questions is hidden and we have to question, research, develop an idea, experiment, look at the data, and put the facts together. Results? Data? Which side of the fence are you on? Or are you like me and use both?!? (where's the monkey emoji covering it's eyes when you need it?!?) ALSO...I have these so we can look at the parts of the scientific method. Their exit ticket for the lab is to have a completed lab sheet. We work on a lot of this together. The question? WHAT'S IN THE BAG?, etc. So they put on finishing touches, write a reflection (how does this apply to science/the scientific method/experiments?), and turn in the lab. and TA-DAA! It's a fun one one and a great lab for the beginning of the year. My students love this and they remember it. For some it's their favorite lab throughout the school year (over roasting starbursts and caramel popcorn scale models which is shocking to me ha! but I'm all about schnacks!). If you'd like it all in a handy dandy PDF shoot me an email @ [email protected] and I'll happily pass it along. ***(update) After receiving requests for this activity from teachers all over (seriously! Israel and Zambia included) and my inbox being completely flooded (I LOVE you all!) I have posted it in my tpt store here (and follow along too)! And it is totally FREE! Still feel free to email me for a pdf or to say hello! Follow me on TPT for more school awesomeness! >>HERE!<< >>>>>>>>>>>Wanting another fun scientific method activity? Click here!<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Over and Out!
CER stands for claim, evidence, and reasoning. It is a scaffolded way for students to prove their understanding of scientific concepts in a written format. It helps to develop critical thinking and writing skills concurrently, which are both important in the classroom and the real world. You can think of it as a framework in ... Read more
Use these six classroom management strategies in your science classroom on the first day of school. Back to school for new science teachers.
Grab these states of matter worksheets to learn about solids, liquids, and gases with no-prep printables. Perfect science for kids!
Did you know you can make plastic from milk?
Sedimentary rock is formed when layers of sediment, such as sand, mud, and small rocks, are pressed and cemented together over time. Here’s what happens: Sediment is created when rocks and minerals are broken down by weathering and erosion. This can happen when wind, water, or ice wear away at the surface of the Earth. ... Read more
Are you searching for engaging and educational worksheets to help your students understand the different states of matter? Look no further! In this blog post, we have gathered a collection of fun and interactive worksheets that will capture their attention and enhance their learning experience. Designed for students in elementary and middle school, these worksheets cover the entity and subject of states of matter in a creative and engaging way.
These super fun Back to School Science Stations and First Week of School Science Experiments are perfect for your beginning of school year science activities. They are a great way to celebrate the first week of the school year while introducing academic activities your students will love. Your upper elementary students already love science stations, so why not add some back to school science experiments to those science stations!
Take a look at this NO PREP MATH HOMEWORK that addresses the major components of the math classroom like problem solving, fact fluency practice, and data/graphing practice. It addresses the TEKS and CCSS! It’s not too overwhelming or time consuming. One week is one page copied front to back. Each week of homework builds on the week before, and this product spirals! It’s no prep for you, just copy and go! What are you waiting for?! Check out the preview to see more! Click here to see all of the Math Homework resources! Choose the one that best meets your student's needs. Product Features Include: • The 4th NINE WEEKS OF HOMEWORK (Homework numbers 28-36) • addresses TEKS and CCSS • a helpful Teacher Guide that tells you what each Homework covers • an answer key • problem solving practice • fact fluency practice (students practice in many different ways) • graphing practice (a different graph every week) • QR Codes are embedded within the homework which link to helpful videos that discuss new concepts and challenging questions (this is my favorite feature) • each homework is 1 page copied front to back • this product spirals • students build their skills as they work through each week of the homework The 4th Nine Weeks Homework addresses the following skills: ☆ Place value practice-numbers up to 1,000,000,000 ☆ Facts Practice up to 12 X 12, practice includes all 4 operations ❪➕➖✖➗❫ ☆ Data/graphing practice ☆ Problem solving practice including all 4 operations ❪➕➖✖➗❫ ☆ Place value practice including decimals to the tenths and hundredths place ☆ Practice using different models and representations-this includes all 4 operations ❪➕➖✖➗❫ ☆ Practicing algorithms- this includes all 4 operations ❪➕➖✖➗❫ ☆ Fractions practice ☆ Geometry practice ☆ Measurement Practice ☆ Personal Financial Literacy practice ✪You'll save if you purchase the ENTIRE YEAR, but if you're not ready you can purchase each 9 week set! Related Products ⭐ 4th Grade Math Homework - Entire Year - 36 Weeks ⭐ 4th Grade-Math Homework-1st Nine Weeks ⭐ 4th Grade Math Homework-2nd Nine Weeks ⭐ 4th Grade Math Homework-3rd Nine Weeks ⭐ 4th Grade - Math Homework - 4th Nine Weeks ⭐ 4th Grade Math Homework - Week 1 Freebie More About This Product: This homework links to math videos! This is my favorite part about this product! I have made videos that are written specifically for these homework questions. These video links are embedded throughout the homework pages. All your students have to do is scan the QR code, and it links to a video that addresses the question the students are working on. One video may address more than one question, or more than one homework. This will allow for your students to complete homework without tears, and parents can help their children without wanting to tear their hair out! This product was designed to be 4th grade math homework, but it can be used in so many other ways for your upper elementary students (3rd-5th graders). Other Ways to Use This Product: • during whole group instruction • during small group instruction • during guided math • independent work • to reteach skills • small group work • extra practice to address a specific skill • for students who finish their work early Why You Will Love This Product: ★ Just copy and go! Copy front to back to make 1 sheet of math homework for the week. ★ Parents will love the consistency of this homework. It’s predictable, and parents and students know what format to expect every week. ★ Students won’t feel overwhelmed with only 1 sheet of math homework. ★ Parents will love the helpful video tutorials. These videos are included for the more challenging questions and help with new concepts. They can be accessed through any QR reader (most are free). ★ When I update this product, you’ll get all of the updates for free! This product gets updated often to make it the most relevant and beneficial to the every day classroom. When you purchase this resource you'll receive all updates for free! If you purchase this product and find a mistake PLEASE message me through TPT and I'll thank you, and correct the mistake right away. THANK YOU for stopping by! ©Fabie Lozano 2018 All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.
Learn what is under your skin with a fun life-size human body project for kids. Download FREE skeletal system bones and organ printables!
Student engagement on the first day of school is more important than you think. Upper elementary and middle school students need to be hooked into loving being back to school o instill curiosity and an interest in science. Including hands-on activities does not have to be costly or time-consuming. Providing fun learning experiences is most ... Read more
We have begun a new writing unit for the 4th nine weeks and it's all about non-fiction. Informative writing apparently has many names, I have heard it called expository, informative and informational. Whatever you chose to call it, we have been working on it this week. To make it a little bit more fun, we have been creating mini-books! All you need to make a mini-book is 5 index cards and one rubber band. I cut little slits to make the rubber band hold it tightly (pictures of the books are a little further down). Before we get to the mini-books, first we talked about how writers do research before they write. We broke out a lot of non-fiction text so they could research some topics and choose one to write about. A few years ago I had a grandparent/former teacher donate a whole set of these books. We have used them for many things this year in ELA and writing. Sorry for the glare, but lamination does not like the camera! I have saved extra copies of Weekly Readers/Scholastic News from years past. This year I have worked on my non-fiction classroom library since with the CCSS we are reading a lot more non-fiction text. Most are from Scholastic and I've gotten them for free using my points. After we read about a few non-fiction topics and chose what we wanted to write about, we set some ground rules for our mini-books. We are also continuing to learn about non-fiction text features in literacy using THIS, THIS, THIS and THIS, so you can see that they had to include several in their mini-books. I think adding the text features was their favorite part, I kept hearing "Come check out my keywords" or "Look at my table of contents!" The next few pictures are a few examples from their mini-books. We aren't done yet, but I think they're going to turn out great!! They are so into it! Pay no attention to the capitalization, punctuation and spelling...I am trying to focus on content before editing : ) I know I'm biased but I'm pretty impressed with their books so far, I love how they used text features, especially the keywords they chose. You can see a little bit of our Plants Unit in there too. : )
Five activities to use to get to know your grade 4, 5, 6, and 7 science students on the first days of school. These back to school activities will allow students to be creative through hands-on activities, writing, or sharing about their personal lives through art to foster personal relationships.
It’s almost time for back to school! Get to know your students and help students start thinking about science in their own lives. This free resource, Science About Me, is a simple and fun activity for students to complete the first week of school. What’s included? Suggested Use page Full page printable Notebook-sized printable Who ... Read more
A great science introduction that introduces your students to science and its processes and helps you gain important insight into your students.
Read how I carried out an experiment on weathering and erosion with my upper elementary class. Students get to use background knowledge to make predictions!
Do you have a smarty-pants at the table who loves to get even smarter? Our Fun Fact Printable Placemats are a great way to bring fun and smarts to the table. This Planets set includes NINE UNIQUE planet placemats in five different styles so that you can pick the set that suits your style or event. Whether you are hosting a party, or just want to be a SUPER PARENT on a regular weeknight, these planet placemats will enliven the table setting and enliven the conversation. We recommend printing the black and white placemats on regular copy weight paper at your local print shop. This should be pretty cheap (we'd guess about $0.15 each!). Then bring coloring supplies to the table and allow the kids to color their placemats. We recommend printing the color placemats on card stock at a local print shop and laminating them! That way, just wipe them off at the end of the meal and save them for next time. With 9 different planets, you'll get a lot of use out of these before your child gets the same placemat twice! INCLUDES: 5 different color options 9 different planet designs formatted to print on 11 x 17 paper at your local copy shop BONUS: The black and white placemats could be BLOWN UP HUGE at a copy center like Staples! If you are not sure what to do, we have instructions here! NOTE: This is a very large file. Please allow the file to download completely before attempting to unzip it. For personal use only.
National Park Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year! I weave the parks into every subject I teach throughout the year, but during National Park Week we simply get to celebrate the parks. To make things even easier for you, I have outlined a week’s worth of FREE lessons for you and...
Learn Animal Classifications for Kids with 10 FREE printable Cootie Catchers! Fun animals for kids activity for all ages!
Week 11 Reading Comprehension (D-11). A life science reading comprehension passage about endangered species. Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Science.
Learn about the human digestive system for kids twith this memorable digestion experiment. ZANY human body project making poop!
Guest Post by Christine Weis | For the Love of Teachers There’s no crazy like back to school crazy so I like to start off the year with some fun and easy activities that build classroom community a…
These illustrated tests evaluate your child’s recognition of various birds, flowers, insects, and sea creatures as well as his knowledge of science facts. Discussion questions test his ability to explain the “whys” of science as he learns to appreciate God’s marvelous design in creation. The 9 tests (including 3 nine-weeks examinations) and 23 quizzes are correlated with the text Understanding God’s World, 4th ed.; Understanding God’s World Activity Book, 4th ed.; and the Home School Science and Health 4 Curriculum/Lesson Plans, which includes nine weeks of health study to complete the school year. Answers and grading guidance are sold separately in the Understanding God’s World Teacher Quiz/Test Key. Grade 4 (27 weeks). Available in both bound and unbound versions.
These human body for kids activities allow children to learn about the heart, muscles, lungs, 5 senses, bones organs, cells, and so much more!
How would you like to have a moon rock hunt in your backyard? Find space rocks you can actually pick up off the ground. A FREE printable included!
Use STEM engineering activities in elementary school as a fun, engaging, and meaningful way to tackle the Next Generation Science Standards.
I've rounded up a handful of my favorite engaging science activities for the first days of school that will grab your middle school scientists by their brains and help you to get to know them!
By incorporating a few different animal adaptation activities, your students will gain a better understanding of this phenomenon. Several of these activities can be found in my phenomenon based Animal Adaptations unit. Explore all of the amazing resources and utilize them to engage your students in the fascinating and vast topic of animal adaptations!
Check out these beginning of the year science activities to get you started! This post has lots of science ideas and a freebie to engage your students.
STEM Class Activities for the First Week of School If you want to get to know a little more about your students, and get them started to think like scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, I have some great ideas for you! Get to Know You Activities for STEM Class Get to know your new STEM students with an All About Me activity! The Math About Me and Science About Me activities are perfect for this. With multiple options, depending on what grade you teach, there is something for everyone. These activities have your students think about things in a slightly different way. For example, in the Math About Me activity, their age can be displayed as a mathematical expression (such as 48÷4), while in the Science About Me activity, the banner asks students to write down how many solar orbits they have taken (their age). Collaborative Activities and Team Builders ABC STEM Game: Try to think of a "STEM word" for each letter of the alphabet as a class. You might start with "astronaut, architect, or ASK (the first step of the Engineering Design Process). Find Your Pair or Find Your Team: Use sets of colored straws, pencils, colored dice, or mini erasers. Pass out one to each student and then have them find the other student(s) with the same color/type of object. You can also use pairing cards such as these. This is great for when you want to build STEM teams, too! Find all my favorite STEM Team Builders and Icebreakers in this post: STEM Lab Rules and Expectations It's important to go over safety rules for all equipment, your specific rules to your classroom, and then to set expectations for students. You may have some you start with and you may want to ask your students to help come up with some basic ones too. Some ideas for STEM rules and expectations: Only operate equipment you've been trained to use. safety Report accidents right away. safety Clean up your workspace when you are finished. responsibility Listen to your teammates. It's okay to disagree but not be disrespectful. cooperation Sometimes you will fail and that's okay! Do your best and try again. growth mindset If you don't know, ask. curiosity What other rules and expectations do you use in your class? You may want to have a specific set of rules for things like robots, too! I created a free set of robot rules you can download below: Need a safety poster for your glue guns? This editable resource is available to download here: STEM Building Challenges Try some basic building challenges with your students so they can get a feel for hands-on activities right away! You can download Tower Task Card Challenges from my free resource library: You can also find STEM challenge cards to use with KEVA planks in this blog post: STEM Books to Read What better way to start off your school year than with books that inspire creativity and explore failure and growth mindset! Find all my recommendations over at this blog post: I hope you have a great start to your STEMtastic year! Pin these ideas to save them for later:
Fun STEM activity for outdoor play and makes a great science lesson! (Includes a printable rocket template).
I love that there are so many engaging themes to use this time of year that are considered "creepy," but aren't necessarily Halloween-oriented and can be used completely unrelated to the holiday. Take the skeletal system, for instance! There's something totally spooky about learning about bones, but you don't have to relate it to Halloween, right?! It's a great October theme and one that your students will FOR SURE love. ((( All resources linked at the bottom of the post! ))) First off, here are some of my favorite nonfiction texts that are great for teaching about bones and the skeletal system. They're ideal for students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. There's PLENTY of science found within this theme. From teaching about the different bones, to the way the hand works, to understanding why calcium is so important for bone health! Lots to learn for sure! How fun is this STEM activity?! Your students will explore just why bones are so important to the body using playdoh and plastic drinking straws. What a better way to reinforce the importance of bone health than by having a little flavored milk taste test?! Washi tape art *might* be one of my ...
These Scientific Method Posters and Science Experiment Recording Sheets are a great way for elementary students to become familiar with the scientific process. Display them in your classroom. Use them for small or larger experiments.
Looking to grab students' attention during the first week of school with fun and easy science experiments? These super fun back to school science experiments are perfect for your first week of school science activities.
