Today we welcome a fellow writer for Pen & Sword, the lovely Dr Sara Read, a lecturer in English at Loughborough University and a contributing editor for earlymodernmedicine.com. Sara has recen…

Today we welcome a fellow writer for Pen & Sword, the lovely Dr Sara Read, a lecturer in English at Loughborough University and a contributing editor for earlymodernmedicine.com. Sara has recen…

This easy Valentine's Day science activity is not only a super fun way to learn about density - it's a science experiment you'll fall in love with!

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome a new guest to our blog – Regan Walker, bestselling author of historical romance. Regan has another new book due out on the 9th May 2015 – To Tame…

Including STEM activities for middle school students in your lesson plan is an easy way to make learning fun. I've begun focusing on more middle school STEM activities and am sharing the best ones.

These middle school science stations give students practice with each of the following six organ systems in the human body: muscular, skeletal, digestive, nervous, circulatory, and respiratory. What's included in this resource: A station information page with thorough and clear directions A total of 18 station cards about the muscular system, skeletal system, digestive system, nervous system, circulatory system, and respiratory system Blank station cards so students and/or teachers can write their own Individual station worksheets for absent students, differentiation purposes, or misbehaving students An answer key Ideas for using these stations: Use them as an introduction to see what students know Use them as a review before a test Use them to practice the content Use them instead of a worksheet Use them in science centers or as task cards Why you and your students will love these stations: Students are always motivated and excited for stations. Stations are quick to set up and take down. You don't have to print a copy for every student. Yay for reducing waste and spending less time at the printer! Stations are easy to differentiate and allow extra support for struggling learners. Students can check their own understanding and work at their own pace. Students can work alone, in pairs, or in groups of three. Stations can be used for practice, review, assessment, or test prep. Stations are easy to use with all sorts of content. Check out the other stations in my store. These stations can also be purchased at a discount as part of the Organ System Assessment Package. Read what teachers are saying about this resource: “This product is a life saver. The detail is awesome.” “A good way to help students prepare for tests and/or to see who needs additional assistance.” “Loved this activity!” Check out these related resources! Organ Systems Poster Project Organ Systems Exit Ticket Package Organ Systems Odd One Out Worksheet Organ Job Application Assignment Take a look at the many other Human Body Resources in my store. ***Look for the green star near the top of any page in my store and click it to become a follower. As a follower of my store you will be notified when I upload a new resource.

UNIVERSAL EMPOWERMENT Take all the awe-inspiring events of the universe and use it to your advantage. Be empowered to be the best version of yourself.“We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out—and we have only just begun.”― Neil deGrasse Tyson Welcome to the STEM-inspired iPhone case that gives your beloved phone an upgraded look, ensuring the envy of all your friends, while also protecting it from dirt, grim, and the occasional scratches. With a smooth, matte finish, your favourite print will last a lifetime (or at least as long as your phone). It has a solid back and flexible sides that make it easy to take on and off, with precisely aligned cuts and holes. Composed of TPU smooth back, flexible frame and shockproof corners, the case is professionally tested and certificated to be safe from accidental drops and bumps in daily use. The raised bezel front and added thickness around the camera ensures your phone is protected from the elements. The slim design allows your phone to fit your pocket easily without being bulky. This case looks and feels sleek, but it's tough, just like you. BPA Free Solid, Durable Polycarbonate (PC) Back Flexible, Transparent Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Sides 0.02″ (0.5 mm) Raised Bezel Front Precisely Aligned Port Openings Wireless Charging Compatible UV Printed Graphic

A nature tray or nature table is a wonderful addition to any home or classroom. If you haven’t begun the tradition of having a nature tray or table, autumn is a perfect time to start.

Count to 1, you've just begun! Count to 10 and try it again! There are so many fun ways for your child to learn how to count in this Get Ready™ for school workbook! From singing turtles to buzzing bees, counting sea shells by the seashore is, well, a breeze. You'll find it packed into this fun-for-all workbook that takes your child on a delightful journey in early learning.Fun Features & Benefits 64 workbook pages Parent Guide with helpful hints on working with your child Fun & colorful illustrations Perforated pages great for individual worksheets Certificate of Achievement for a job well done Take-anywhere learning fun! Details Contents: 64 pages Size: 8.5” x 11.0” Ages 3-5 Trademarks: Growing Smarter Every Day® The School Zone Advantage®

Caption: Lake Baikal. Credit: SeaWiFS Project NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and ORBIMAGE Construction has just begun at the Tunka Valley near Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia on an observatory that, once completed, will consist of an array of up to 1,000 detectors covering 100 square kilometres. Its size will allow scientists to investigate cosmic rays — … Continue reading "Work Begins on the World’s Largest Cosmic Ray Observatory"

When Robin Schmetzer was diagnosed with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, his family had begun to lose hope until they found stem cell treatment through Beike.

Today we welcome a fellow writer for Pen & Sword, the lovely Dr Sara Read, a lecturer in English at Loughborough University and a contributing editor for earlymodernmedicine.com. Sara has recen…

Title: Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Books 6-10 By: Origen Translated By: Thomas P. Scheck Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 360 Vendor: Catholic University of America Press Publication Date: 2002 Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 X 0.80 (inches) Weight: 1 pound ISBN: 0813220211 ISBN-13: 9780813220215 Stock No: WW220213

I've heard the term "Habits of Mind" thrown around quite a bit in the last year or so. This approach is really not new, just a slightly different pathway to get to the same place. "Habits of Mind" is all about teaching our students problem solving. Let's face it, our students come to us with less and less "stick-to-it-ness" with each passing year. These video game babies are accustomed to immediate gratification, and have no coping skills when it comes to problem solving. "Habits of Mind" is all about teaching students how to proceed when they don't know the answer. It's about dealing with the idea that there might not be a right or wrong answer, and yet we still want them to think critically and do some problem solving. There are 16 work habits that should be actively taught to children. In this approach, teachers pose a challenging question, problem, scenario, or task and give students the time to actually tackle the issue at hand. I have actually been doing this type of teaching in my classroom for the last five years, but didn't know that I should be calling it "Habits of Mind." I actually used John Wooden's Pyramid of Success for the basis of this type of instruction and it has served me well. I even have a product in my Teachers Pay Teachers store that uses this approach which teaches the students the skills they will need to be successful with the Common Core Standards and leads them to effective student driven goal setting. Not an easy task! If you are interested in this, check it out. HERE COMES COMMON CORE! But that was a sidebar! On to "Habits of Mind!" What I find fascinating, is how easily these two tie into each other. Let me show you: There are 16 habits of mind: 1. Persistence - which is the same thing as Wooden's Determination. We all know that students need to be able to work at a problem, and stick with it even when the going gets tough. But let's face it, this is what they just aren't any good at! 2. Managing Impulsivity - which is the same thing as Wooden's Self-Control. I would add patience here as well. 3. Listening to Others using understanding and empathy - Wooden's Friendship and Loyalty Listening without judging, placating, or jumping in with stories about yourself or advice without getting the whole message. That's pretty tough, even adults struggle with this! 4. Think Flexibly - look at things from multiple perspectives. 5. Metacognition - Think about thinking. How did you get this answer? 6. Accuracy & Precision - Wooden's Alertness Pay attention to the details! 7. Questioning and Posing Problems - This would require Wooden's Confidence. 8. Apply past knowledge to new situations. (prior knowledge) Wooden's Skill 9. Thinking and Communicating with clarity and precision - Wooden's Cooperation Avoid vagueness, abstractions, and absolutes (Always, never, all, everyone) 10. Gather data through all senses - Wooden's Alertness 11. Creating, Imagining, Innovating - This is the ultimate goal, isn't it? 12. Responding with wonderment & awe - Wooden's Enthusiasm Student choice in topics, format, learning pathways 13. Responsible Risk-Taking - Wooden's Action Failure is just a means to achieving the goal 14. Finding Humor in unusual ways - Wooden's Poise 15. Interdependent Thinking - Wooden's Team Spirit (Multiple sources of information) 16. Continuous Learning - Revisiting old ideas (Revision) - Wooden's Skill If we actively teach these habits to our students, they will meet greater success in the classroom and in life. This is true "College and Career Readiness." What would this look like in the classroom? Good, thought provoking questions require "wait time." You must be patient and give it to your students. First of all, you must be willing to allow "struggle time." Effective effort is a lifeskill, and there should be no quick and easy solutions to these problems. But with that said, you don't want to allow too much frustration. Teachers should prompt student thinking to move students along. Never give the students the answer, but hints and cues will keep the thinking progressing and the students will have more of a chance at perseverance. Think, Pair, Share is an effective approach, but it is important that with this collaboration ultimately every pupil will respond. Use thumbs up, whiteboards, or any other method to hold ALL students accountable to the thinking. Posted by Unknown at 6:41 PM No comments: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Labels: Cooperative Learning, Goal Setting Thursday, August 14, 2014 Do You Know the New Education Buzzwords? Can't They Just Speak English? What the heck is my principal talking about? Every year as we prepare for the opening of school, my principal starts spouting off buzzwords that I only have an inkling as to what she means. I am after all, an educated woman with a Masters Degree, but she uses terms that we have never learned. No one wants the staff meeting to go any longer than necessary - so we all sit quietly. Of course, I can guess the meaning of these terms by using the context in which they were used. Isn't that what we teach our students to do? But this strategy only goes so far...I have a general understanding of what she is referring to - enough to fake it, but I don't have any background information. Sound familiar? I'm quite certain that I am not alone in this! So, I have decided to take some time before the school year begins, and look up some of these terms. And lucky you...I am going to share my findings, so you don't have to take the time to do it yourself! Each day I will write a post on a different buzzword: Tier 1,2,3 Vocabulary List Words, STEM, Depth of Knowledge, Habits of Mind, and anything else that I hear as we head in to the school year. Today's Topic: Tier 1, 2, 3 Tier Vocabulary Today I will begin with tier 1, 2, and 3 words. Now this is one of those terms that I understand the concept, but is anyone ever going to show me a list of words, or do I have to make it myself? Seriously, do we expect every teacher to come up with his/her own list? I would have thought that my district would have taken care of this by now...maybe yours has, but I'm left here guessing as to what words should be Tier 2. I know that my primary focus should be on the tier 2 words, and that these are the academic vocabulary - the vocabulary of learning. Feldman & Kinsella (gurus in the field of academic vocabulary development) call this level "the academic toolkit." It seems pretty clear to me that students need to understand what is being asked of them in order to give a correct response, so I am pretty dialed in that these would be important. I have heard people suggest that each teacher should go through the standards and write down any academic word that is used in the standards, because these are likely to show up on the test. Seriously? We should each do this individually? So, with a little research I have found a really good book to help us out. Daily Academic Vocabulary by Evan Moore Publishing. They have one of these for each grade level. Now these look very comprehensive but they're not cheap. I teach a 5th/6th blend and Amazon.com wants $22 for the 5th grade copy and $31.97 for the 6th grade - and that's the paperbacks. That is $54.00! Hello....I'm a teacher!!!! Also, I've been told that Kate Kinsella is coming out with her own book on the subject and that it would be worth the wait. I guess I will wait. Venturing on, after lots of Internet searching, I found some lists of tier 2 words listed by grade level. These were on the website of Hyde Park Central School District in Hyde Park, New York. Looks like they have their act together! Thanks for sharing HPCSD! Click on these links to pull up the grade level tier 2 vocabulary lists: GRADE 5, GRADE 6, GRADE 7, GRADE 8, Posted by Unknown at 4:16 PM No comments: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Labels: Goal Setting, Language Arts Older Posts Home Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) Grab My Button! Blog Archive ▼ 2015 (2) ▼ September (1) First Day of School; Fun Learning! ► January (1) ► 2014 (19) ► September (2) ► August (4) ► May (1) ► March (3) ► February (9) ► 2013 (27) ► December (4) ► November (9) ► October (8) ► September (2) ► August (2) ► January (2) About Me Unknown View my complete profile

Want to make a connections with your students (all 100+ of them) in the first 10 minutes of class? Start your class off on the right foot with these science-focused back to school activities for middle school students. Included: - Science Student Profile Sheet - Visual Name Tag Template - What Does A Scientist Do? Sheet - I Am a Scientist Activity While students get to work on these activities as they enter class, this is the prime opportunity to get a view into who they are. Check their responses and drawings to prompt discussion with your students, bonding before taking attendance has even begun. Enjoy! Terms of Use: All rights reserved. Purchase of this item entitles the purchaser the right to reproduce the pages for individual classroom use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden without written permission from the author or additional license purchase. Copyright © 2018 SCIENCEcerely, Me by Erin Hansen Find my blog at www.SCIENCEcerelyme.com and follow SCIENCEcerely, Me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram @SCIENCEcerely_me.

About the Book In the midst of the rain, rainbows can be hard to see. But with courage and the help of good friends, there is always a way out of the darkness. Book Synopsis For anyone going through a difficult passage, this uplifting, beautifully illustrated picture book is about finding optimism in the darkest of places. Rain before rainbows, clouds before sun, night before daybreak--a new day's begun. In this heartfelt story about courage, change, and moving on, a girl and her companion fox travel together away from a sorrowful past, through challenging and stormy times, toward color and light and life. Along the way they find friends to guide and support them, and when the new day dawns, it is full of promise. With gorgeous, richly realized illustrations and immense hope at its heart, Rain Before Rainbows holds out a ray of sunshine for anyone looking for light. Review Quotes Inspired by Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning," this British import offers hope and purpose, reminding readers that waiting brings reward and sowing comes before the crop and the flower stem before blossom. . .The poetry of the text builds on the sentiment of the scripture and although it complements the illustrations, it is compelling enough to be read independently. . . An uplifting book with a timeless message--that tomorrow will be better.--School Library Journal About the Author Smriti Prasadam-Halls is an award-winning, internationally best-selling children's author whose books include Welcome to Your World, illustrated by Jaime Kim, and the Publishers Weekly #1 bestseller I Love You Night and Day, illustrated by Alison Brown. Her books have been published in more than thirty languages around the world. Previously, Smriti Prasadam-Halls worked at the BBC and in children's publishing and television as a writer and editor. She lives in London with her three sons. David Litchfield started to draw when he was very young, creating comics for his older brother and sister. He is the illustrator of numerous picture books, including When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel by G. Neri and War Is Over by David Almond. He lives with his family in Bedford, England.

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