Set of 6 free printable Constellation Star Sewing Cards, also called lacing cards or lace-up cards. Improves fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Last year, I started a new Space Club program at four middle schools. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, I searched the web for ideas and curriculum to implement. I soon became excited to find great resources like NASA and TeachEngineering , but I was
Design and make a straw rocket and use this simple experiment to explore the trajectory of spaceships when they are launched from Earth.
Christian astronomy is fun to teach in your Montessori inspired homeschool! Here are lots of great crafts, activities, and printables for your kids.
Fun STEM activity for outdoor play and makes a great science lesson! (Includes a printable rocket template).
Make a model of a seismometer using a shoe box, pen and a strip of paper and diiscover how scientists detect earthquakes.
Our Outer Space Cryptogram puzzle is perfect for curious young minds eager to explore the cosmos. In this engaging activity, kids decode outer space-related words using a picture key provided above the cryptogram grid.
Personal space activities and teaching boundaries for kids are important (but tricky) topics to cover. These playful learning activities will help.
This post contains affiliate links. The idea of teaching kids the social skill of personal space through space protectors and space invaders is nothing new – but I’m going to share the worksheet I used and how I did this with my group in case anyone is looking for additional inspiration. I co-ran a social […]
Learn about star formations with these cute, FREE Printable, Constellation Flashcard for kids. Perfect for solar system lesson!
I came up with the idea for Race to the Galaxy (originally named Space Colonies) after reviewing games on the PhysEdGames YouTube channel. Since I’m a huge Sci-Fi fan, I really wanted to add a space-themed activity to my cooperative … Read More
Are you and your students ready to explore space and the solar system? This is by far one of my favorite Science units to teach in second and fourth grades!!! I’ve compiled a list of a few of my favorite activities and FREE downloads for you to use with your students. Students love the mystery […]
Like most preschool fascinations, I’m not entirely sure how it began. It might have been the Star Gazing Discovery Bottles I made last month, or the fact that they are in bed before they actually appear in the sky every night. Whatever the cause – studying stars has become the…
5 Constellations Kids Should Know - a great constellations printable to help kids learn about the main 5 Constellations in the northern hemisphere
A fun and interactive way to learn about moon phases, using plastic cups! Turn the cup to see the moon change. Learn how to make one here.
Asking and answering questions is one of the key strategies to teach students when teaching them how to comprehend what they are reading. It's in both the literature and informational text standards for Common Core, so it must be important! Asking questions allows the reader to have an open dialogue with the author which leads them deeper into the text. I look at it as sending students on a quest through the text. Asking questions and searching for answers takes students through the text in an engaging way. I thought it would be so fun to take students on a QUESTION QUEST through different texts with this space themed unit. We will look at some different lessons, activities, and strategies that you can use to teach asking and answering questions. If students are asking questions while reading, they are thinking. Children are really great at asking questions, because they are doing so to figure out the world around them. We just have to teach them to transfer that curiosity to reading. Once they start asking questions, they will keep turning pages to find out what happens next. What more could we want from our students as engaged readers?!! Questioning also helps students consider new perspectives and ideas. In this unit, you can refer to students as QUESTION COMMANDERS. They will be like astronauts going on a mission to space, but instead their mission lies within new texts. Although students are terrific at asking questions about the world around them, it can often be difficult for them to create questions about a text in the beginning. I like to start by showing them pictures. I model with questions I have about the picture first. I write the questions for them to see, so that they can see I began with a question word and ended the sentence with a question mark. I then let them ask questions about the pictures, recording their questions on the charts below. You can practice with a couple of different pictures, such as these that are included in the resource. I actually like to do a study with nonfiction texts first for a whole week. Since we are doing a space theme, you can use any informational texts about space that you have. In first grade, some of our science standards relate to the sun and moon, so I chose those to use here. Start by showing students the cover of the book, having them create questions they have based on solely that. I record their questions on sticky notes and then add them to the anchor chart below. I tell them that as we read, we will go on a quest for answers to our questions. This is a good time to inform them that we don't always find answers to our questions in the text, and that's okay! Asking quality questions while reading to build engagement if far more important than always getting our questions answered. That's part of life and part of reading. You can give these QUESTION COMMANDER name badges to wear so they feel very official. They will fit in a standard name badge holder. These are two of the posters you can hang for reference. It helps for students to have the question words visible. Remind students that they can find answers to the questions by using key details from the words and pictures. With that first text you choose to read, you want to really model for your students and be there to offer support when creating questions together as a class. The following day, you can use a different text about the same topic but give students a copy of a picture from the text. Have them sketch the picture and come up with as many questions from the text as they can. Afterwards, you can read the text having them listen for answers to their questions. They can record the answers, and if a question doesn't get answered, I just have them circle it. (I included a graphic organizer for pictures and illustrations, so use the one that fits your text you choose to use.) You can see some of the graphic organizers I use for recording questions about the text. You many only want to focus on asking questions in the beginning, and then later practicing asking AND answering questions. When you are ready to teach asking and answering questions within literature, you can use the anchor chart above. We will encourage students to take time before, during, and after reading to wonder and ask questions about the story. The Way Back Home is a cute story that leaves the reader wondering at different points, so it's perfect for asking questions. Again, you want to do lots of think alouds and modeling of asking questions. You can do that on the anchor chart, also asking students to help create questions. Continue practicing with different texts. You can use this MISSION QUESTION to get students really engaged in asking questions. You can have it delivered to your classroom along with a book inside, and then assign your questions commanders their mission! This craft can be used for recording questions students have before, during, and after reading one of your texts from your text set. I have included lots of options in the resource for recording questions and answers for whole group, small group, and centers. You can choose to use the ones that most fit your needs. I hope your students love going on a QUESTION QUEST into texts! It's so important to have a classroom environment that encourages questioning and curiosity. Honor their questions and share questions that you have, whether it be about a text or anything. They will always remember how important it is to stay on the question quest in the classroom and in life. If you're ready to take your class on a QUESTION QUEST, you can click HERE to grab the resource or click on any of the photos. Thank you so much for stopping by! You can find more themed comprehension units in the BUNDLE below!
My kids love to read and hate to read at the same time. It's kind of odd, really. They love when I read to them and when they are engrossed in a book. But sometimes they just don't want to read. I typically lay off because they will not learn to love reading by me
Find out how to create a toy that seems to defy gravity-- a cool balance trick and neat science experiment.
This atmosphere for kids science activity is easy and fun and full of playful learning. Let's learn about the 5 layers of the earth's atmosphere with a
Last year, I started a new Space Club program at four middle schools. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, I searched the web for ideas and curriculum to implement. I soon became excited to find great resources like NASA and TeachEngineering , but I was
Try these fun and educational activities for kids. Make a volcano, a tornado, glitter jars (like snow globes), giant bubbles, dry ice bubbles, and more.
This was an after school program that I put on for kids. (See all my kids' programs here!) Basically, I love all things astronomy (here's another kids' craft and a storytime), so it was only a matter of time before I got an actual astronomer in here to talk about constellations. [Insert picture of Astronomer lecturer here...] Yeah, I forgot to take a picture. So you'll just have to believe me. Anyway, I was able to find a willing expert astronomer from our local astronomy club. He talked to the kids for about fifteen minutes on some popular constellations and their history. Here's some visual stimuli: from Wikipedia from Wikipedia And with that introduction, the kids were free to begin our craft: constellation viewers! Super simple, but lots of fun. The kids loved it. Here were the supplies needed: The steps to make them are pretty easy; I got the idea and the instructions from Momma Owl's Lab. Basically, choose which of the constellations you want, cut out the circle and glue it to some black paper. On a piece of cardboard (or something to stop the pin), the kids poked out the holes for the constellation. The we rubber-banded the paper to the toilet paper tube. They could also be decorated with markers and stickers. Here's the view: Pretty cool, right?? They're TOTALLY awesome and I love them. The constellation sheet comes from space.about.com, but they're backwards. Which is to say, they're correct, but since we're looking through the tube at the back, they needed to be inverted. So I went ahead and made a sheet where the constellations are inverted, but their titles are still readable. Click to get larger version to print. So I would say this program was a total success. The kids made a couple of viewers in the time they had at the library, but they also could take home the rest of the constellations and make more there. Also, books were available for check-out! The Stars: A New Way to See ThemWritten by H. A. Rey NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the UniverseWritten by Terence Dickinson Scholastic Discover More: Night SkyWritten by Giles Sparrow A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky Written by Michael Driscoll, illustrated by Meredith Hamilton
These 20 Activities and Lessons that Teach Obedience to Kids will help equip you to teach kids to obey. This is part of my character building series, a great resource for parents and teachers everywhere. The word “obey” has gotten a bad wrap over the years. Before you jump into this post and all it...Read More
Teaching students about respecting personal space (and getting consent) before entering is important - "Personal Space Camp" and practicing the skills is a great way to do it!
This OO Moon Craft and OO Book Cover Craft are a perfect way to help your kids remember the sounds of the vowel team OO. Students create their OO moon and OO Book Cover, and then display! You can copy on colored construction paper or black and white and let the kids color it themselves. You choose! ...
Make your own Robotic Articulated Hand Project that teaches tendons, bones and other parts of hand. Best Science Project for middle schoolers. Learn how hand works with robotic movements.
*This is a sponsored post on behalf of Cricut. As you know, I have been working with Cricut. I love the opportunity it has given me to create some fun and unique ways to use my Cricut Explore Machine. My kids were huge fans of lacing cards when they were younger. I have always been
Who says you can’t bring the stars indoors? This lesson calls for some fun indoor camping when it’s just too cold to… by silverwhale
Shake, roll, push, drop … these hands-on science activities are pure fun for kids!
A fun and unusual way to relay a secret/hidden message to players in your Escape Room. The Scramble Spin Escape Room Puzzle/Prop utilizes rings which independently rotate around the center. A message is "scrambled" on the rings forcing Escape Room players to spin them in order to discover the message. The Scramble Spin Escape Room Puzzle measures 9" in diameter. Constructed out of Alder and Maple MDF it will prove durable. The top cross bar is cut from acrylic and held in place by 4 screws. IMPORTANT: Please leave your message in the "Special Instructions for Seller" Box on the checkout page. As a frame of reference the message used in the product images consists of 162 characters (including spaces) size 48 font. Keep this in mind when creating your message. I can make this puzzle smaller or up to 16" in diameter which you see here. A post shared by Phil Janelle (@creativeescaperooms) on Sep 7, 2017 at 8:10am PDT For additional information on customizing your Escape Room and this item please visit ourCustom Work Page. You can also Contact us with your questions, we love questions!
These awesome science and art activities are a great way to teach science by using art. The science topics include the sun, space, leaves, sound, and more!
I recently developed a slight obsession with Shrinky Dinks. It was one of my favorite crafting activities as a child, and now as a mom, my daughter is having fun with it too. If you’ve never used it, it’s basically thin sheets of plastic that you can cut and color and then bake in the oven, […]
The Empowered Educator - Children's Cardboard X-ray 'Tablet'
Explore Earth Science with basic LEGO bricks! Build the layers of soil and learn about the different layers of soil!
Five engineering challenges for kids – with wooden clothespins, binder clips, and craft sticks! It’s a simple STEM activity that kids of all ages will love. Move over, expensive building sets! These simple materials were a huge hit with my boys. The first time we got them out, Owen (almost 7) spent well over an […]
Escape room activities are a fun and interactive way to work on the skills kids need. My favorite part about escape room activities is that they really encourage cooperation and critical thinking skills. Kids work together and use their collective brain power to solve a variety of puzzles and challe
Learn about the phases of the moon with a favorite cookie. Here's how to make Oreo moon phases for fun edible astronomy.
Kids will LOVE these engineering challenges with craft sticks, cups, and wood cubes. Engaging, open-ended, and creative!
Help your students understand earth changes through this hands-on science experiment. Head to this blog post about an engaging earthquake simulation!
Over 20 awesome free STEM activities, worksheets, workbooks, printables and more. Excellent tools for the classroom to inspire STEM learning.
10 Low-Prep (and calming) after-school activities for kids that will change how you think about after-school meltdowns.
I decided to take on my own challenge of incorporating a STEM activity every day for a week. It turned out to be a huge success where both my students and I had a blast. Here were the various …
