Don't have a Brain POP Subscription? Here's another option.

 I'm lucky to have a school that pays for a Brain POP subscription - it's really expensive!!!

Scholastic has a pretty good alternative that's FREE!!!!  It's called Study JAMS! and in some cases I like it better.  

Tides is a topic that I think Scholastic does a better job.  They include the Sun, moon, Earth relationship, high/low tides but they also discuss Spring and Neap tides which is part of our state's standards.

I made CLOZE notes to go along with the video.  My students need to have a purpose for watching a video to be engaged.  We watch it together once then decide if we need to go back and watch additional times to get the notes completed or review main ideas.  It's not unusual to re-watch 3-5 times.  *5 for chemical/physical changes was our record!

Did I mention the best part about Scholastic Study JAMS?  You can download the video to play offline. 

There is a playback speed option too.  I use this when the facts are presented quickly.  Students like this option because it means less times they need to re-watch.

To introduce tides, I use a wordfind as a warm-up, watch the video and complete notes and then a crossword as either a wrap-up or as homework.  The next class we'll do a cut and paste/sort or a more advanced graphing activity  (I like this one from Middle School Science - I adapted it and used our local tide data.)

The only drawbacks to using Study JAMS! is there are not closed captions and they don't have all the topics BrainPOP does.  I still think it's a great alternative!

Brain POP Tides Guided Notes

To introduce the topic of tides - I use CLOZE or guided notes in my classroom. 

I find completing notes while watching a video keeps students engaged.

BrainPOP requires a subscription - not included in the product

Here's how I suggest using the product:

1. Start with the word search (included) as a warm-up to introduce vocabulary terms before watching the video.
2. Next, Students watch the video and fill in the notes as they go. *After the video I ask students if they need to watch the video again. We have watched the videos several times in some cases. I let the students decide. *I walk around as the video plays to monitor student progress.
3. Review the answers together and have students glue the notes in their interactive notebooks for a reference.
4. Use the crossword (included) as a formative assessment to wrap-up. *There is a word bank to reinforce the vocabulary.

An Easel by TpT is included in each product. It has fill in notes just like the print copy and a link for the video (you'll need to provide students the username and password - not included).

Space Technology - Space Spinoffs

TRACE SPACE BACK TO YOU

Have you ever wondered how space exploration and research impact your daily life?  

This question is from the NASA Home and City website.  This is a fun way for students to investigate space technology (space spinoffs).  

I start with this video of former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine explaining how space has transformed how you live your life.

After the video, students can go to the NASA Home and City website where they can click to learn more about how technology created to explore space is helping make life better back on Earth. 

For example, click home -> bathroom -> sink to find that polished brass finishes on fighter jets, silicon chips and plumbing fixtures all share one thing in common: NASA surface-coating technologies.

I have students go through the website and fill in the chart below with their favorite spinoff, how it was used in space and how we use it on Earth.

Afterwards we discuss which spinoff they think is the most important/useful etc.  After the discussion I ask students to review the spinoffs we saw and discuss whether or not we should continue space exploration.

To differentiate: (or if you don't have student computers) use the  NASA 360 vodcast and fill in the chart together.  

To extend: have students read recent news stories such as: NASA Spinoffs Help Fight Coronavirus, Clean Pollution, Grow Food, More 

I like to remind students that they "paid" for this NASA products with their (parents) taxes.  This means they can apply to use the technology and make money from it!  That always gets them thinking....

FSSA - Last Minute Review

"Science Brain Dump" 

Right before the test, I give my students a copy of the Periodic Table - similar to the one they will get to use on the FSSA.  I tell them, we are going to do a "Brain Dump" about everything they know about Science that might be on the test.

*The released test has an old Periodic Table from 2012 - we review theories & laws and how theories can change over time...

I got this idea from Chris Kesler's Hacking the 8th Grade STARR Science Test that has many of the same topics that we cover.

Here's how we adapted this to our standards:

Front 

• Properties - chemical/physical, metals, nonmetals and metalloids and their location
• Subatomic particles - location, size and charge & how to calculate the # in each element (APE MAN)
• Periodic Table - groups/periods, atomic #, atomic mass, families, trends (reactivity)
• Chemical formulas - subscripts/coefficients
• Chemical equations - reactants, products

Back

• Moon Phases & Tides - spring/neap
• Seasons - equinox/solstice
• Plate Tectonics - boundaries and formations
• Life Science Vocabulary - abiotic/biotic, prokaryote/eukaryote, autotroph/heterotroph, sexual/asexual reproduction
• Body Systems functions - nervous, digestive, circulatory, immune, excretory
• Cell Organelles - mitochondria, vacuole, nucleus) differences between plant and animal cells
• Density - using the density triangle, units

Students and their parents are always asking for a "study guide."  This was a good way to engage students in making their own.  With the time left in class, students play a review game using their sheet.

FSSA Review - Physical Science

To review for Physical Science, I like student lead lab stations.  Chris Kesler is the best at these!  Because we are reviewing, I provide the answers at the lab stations so students have immediate feedback.  I copy the answers on pink paper and put them in a folder so it's easy to monitor student progress. 

One drawback is set-up can be time consuming.  A faster option is an "around the room" activity.

Use posters and released tests or item specifications.  Print the test questions and cut apart.  Tape question(s) under the appropriate poster around the room.  Have students rotate around the room in pairs answering the questions.  

To wrap up, put a copy of the questions under a document reader and review the answers together.