“Hands on Science” but Socially Distant?

COVID has changed the way we do Science, but students still need and want to be engaged even if they can’t do traditional labs. 

I like to use a combination of videos, notes and cut and paste activities.

For our Tides lesson we started with a video (Brain Pop, StudyJams, or Brain Stuff).

Next, students filled in Cornell notes using the information from the video as well as their textbooks and some direct instruction. 

During our “lab time” students completed a Cut & Paste Activity (Google Drag & Drop for online students). I used a template to differentiate for students that needed extra help organizing their facts.   

 

While students were cutting and sorting their pieces, I played music from Mr. Parr.  I had time to go to each student to check their mastery of the learning goal. 

Students enjoyed the activity.  It could be completed individually or as a group.  In our case everyone completed their own copy for their notebook but were able to talk to their group to review the information. 

Other uses for Cut and Paste Activities:

• Warm-up/bell ringer
• Homework after a lesson
• Exit ticket
• Formative assessment or quiz
• Review before a summative assessment

With cut and paste activities students are engaged and I can easily see who needs more instruction and who is ready to move on.

Back to School and too much to do!

Last year felt like my 1st year teaching.  I had no idea what to expect next, masks, shields, no "hands on" activities, quarantine . . . 

Our school district never stopped in-person learning but we also had remote learners on Zoom at the same time.  I felt like I could never walk away from my computer. 

This year may feel like another 1^st year – but I’m ready!  I am excited that we'll all be together and can do labs again! 

 

Here are the Top 5 Things To-Do on my Planning Day(s) List:

1. Classroom Set-up

• Boards (Safety, Learning Goals)

Students make their own symbol (click to see examples)

I can see from the picture I need to work on alignment :(

I'm trying something new this year.  I'm going to introduce the "word wall" by lesson instead of making 1 board with all the unit words.  I'm going to rearrange the board with the specific learning goals in the center and the matching vocabulary around the edges.

• Supplies - We can share supplies again (still using hand sanitizer!) Check out the link for my favorite "tap" glue.

2. Seating Charts

• I never sit at my desk, I just walk around so this loop works for me.  I add student names and delete extra seats.

3. Syllabus

• I make the syllabus into a 3 fold "brochure" with fill in the blanks so it's interactive.  We complete it together on the 1st day.

4. Meet the Teacher/Orientation

• I'm going "hands free" this year. I made signs that parents/students can take a picture of.  I'll also have a slideshow playing on repeat with the basic information.

5. 1st Week Plans

• Safety 
• Textbook Scavenger Hunt
• Measurement - I like Sarah Carter's (Math Equals Love)Mini Metric Olympics adaptation of AIM's activity. 

 *I need to add the "big foot" station for my 6th lab group.  

My husband always tells me to make a list (and go  back and check it).  He knows me - I get distracted when I see school supplies.  

At least with a list I'll get a good start . . .

Hope your planning days go just the way you planned.  Good Luck!

Digital Assignments

Back to School is almost here!  I'm excited to see all my student's in-person however I know that at some point during the year students will need digital options.

These activities are ready to go with new Easel Activities:

This activity has a digital assessment:

Easel Activities and Assessments are great for:

• In-person or distance learning
• Any Learning Management System (LMS) or device
• Using as model in the classroom by clicking “View as a Student” 

I like that these are self grading and I get data to check student progress!

End of the Year SORRY! Review Game

Students are ready for summer now but we still have 3 weeks to go!

I needed to come up with something to keep students engaged that wasn't a movie!

I saw a SORRY! gameboard on Pinterest and made one for our Science Classroom.

I took questions from the test reviews we did all year.  Game card topics include: Scientific Method, Theories & Laws, Properties of Matter, Physical and Chemical Changes, Sun, Seasons, Moon Phases, Eclipses and  Tides.

You can get a copy here:

Next I need to adapt this for distance learners on a learning management system (LMS).

Make a Rocket Timeline

We have been investigating space technology including satellites, space probes and telescopes. Today our topic was rockets.  To introduce the topic, we made a quick, easy rocket timeline.

To start, students drew an outline 

Next, we watched a 5 minute video clip - Rockets 101 | National Geographic and filled in part of the timeline.

To fill in the rest of the timeline, students read – A Pictorial History of Rockets 

To wrap up, we discussed the similarities and differences between early and modern rockets and how technology has changed how we explore space.

This can be adapted for a learning management system (LMS) by making it a drag and drop Google/One Drive assignment.  

I did it informally today, my distance learners followed along with us on Zoom.  I used a document camera and students responded in the conference chat.

Teaching Limiting Factors & Carrying Capacity Simulation

I like to use online simulations but found it difficult to explain to my distance learning students what I wanted them to do.  I also wanted to check their understanding.  I made these steps for students to follow:

Go to: Phet Natural Selection Simulation Link

Click Intro

Use these settings: 

Click Add a Mate

Look at the chart at the bottom. Click the stop button at 2 Generations.

1. What happens to the # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings)?

A. # of rabbits increases
B. # of rabbits decreases
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose Limited Food

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 2 Generations

2. Compare your # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings) to your 1^st simulation.  What happened to the number of rabbits when food was limited?

A. # of rabbits increased
B. # of rabbits decreased
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose Wolves 

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 2 Generations

3. Compare your # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings) to your 1^st simulation.  What happened to the number of rabbits when predators were added?

A. # of rabbits increased
B. # of rabbits decreased
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose a different season (Winter) 

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 2 Generations

4.  Compare your # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings) to your 1^st simulation.  What happened to the number of rabbits when the climate is changed?

A. # of rabbits increased
B. # of rabbits decreased
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose a Dominant (brown fur)

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 3 Generations and add Wolves

5. Compare the # of white and brown furred rabbits.  Which ones were eaten by wolves most often?

A. brown

B. white

6. TRUE or FALSE Limiting factors are sometimes helpful because they can keep the population from getting too large.

7. If there is more food than usual in an ecosystem, then...

A. Populations will stay the same
B. Populations will decrease
C. Populations will increase

8. If a disease destroyed the plants rabbits eat, what would happen to the population?

A. The rabbit population would stay the same
B. The rabbit population would infinitely increase
C. The rabbit population would decrease

9. What would happen if the population of wolves suddenly increased? How would it affect the rabbits in the ecosystem?

A. The rabbits would decrease due to more wolves eating them

B. All of the population of rabbits would increase
C. The biotic factors in the ecosystem would increase
D. The wolves predators would decrease

10. In a meadow ecosystem, which of the following is the best example of a limiting factor for a rabbit population?

A. Turtle Population

B. Sunlight

C. Grass available

Our school uses Schoology which self grades and gives students immediate feedback.  It could also work in Google Classroom.

Hope this helps your students too!

Making Anchor Charts for the Classroom

Anchor charts are powerful visual aids in the classroom that support teaching and enhance student learning but in Science they can be hard to find or very expensive.  They may be outdated or not support exactly what you're teaching.  The answer.......  Make your own!

You can turn any page into a poster/anchor chart.

Here's how:

1. Save your page as a .pdf
2. Open the .pdf

3. Click print

4. Select poster
5. Choose your size
6. Print
7. Assemble

Hints: I use white copy paper and color the pages before laminating.  

You can add bulletin board border to add some style. 

I use dry erase markers on the laminated sheets - it erases easily (except for red).

For online students: I share the 1 page .pdf during my Zoom conferences so we're all looking at the same thing.

I make sure there are anchor charts near lab stations.  I often see my students looking at the charts when they get "stuck" so I know they're helpful!