Elizabeth Molnar

This 4 page assessment can be used to see if students can apply their vocabulary to models of elements, mixtures, and compounds. Students are asked to provide labels (elements, compounds, mixtures of elements, mixtures of compounds, or mixtures of elements and compounds) to each model and give explanations for their choices. This assignment is intended as a formative assessment, but can be used as homework (practice) instead.

Students will understand motion graphs so much better after they cut out cards with distance vs. time and speed vs. time graphs, along with the vocabulary used to describe these graphs, and match them up. A student work page with pictures of the graphs is included, as well as an answer key and an exit ticket / processing card!

Students learn about how to use coefficients and subscripts to count atoms in chemical formulas by analyzing labeled models of molecules and compounds. Students record their observations and predictions on their student sheets. They have an opportunity to apply their skills in two different ways. Students will analyze three incorrectly labeled boxes, and write their suggested new labels. Students will observe models without labels and create the chemical formulas for them! Students finish by wri

Students are asked to consider why people hold some mis- or naïve conceptions about adaptation and evolution. This process shows students who hold these beliefs that they are not alone, while forcing everything to thing more deeply about the connections between background knowledge and the naïve conceptions. This is a great way to get students talking and uncover deep thinking and understanding of evolution concepts.

Challenge students to show you deep understanding of their vocabulary by artistically representing their assigned term without drawing pictures! A special bonus is that you will have BRILLIANT student-created word wall pieces to post throughout your classroom!

This product includes the names of 18 famous black scientists that are easy to research - information is readily available, and their research contributions are not so complicated that even middle school students can summarize the scientists' achievements. I've included a graphic organizer for the poster project and a full rubric.

This document includes two prewriting CER graphic organizers - one for requiring three pieces of evidence, and one for requiring five pieces of evidence. The graphic organizers include a spot to brainstorm potential sources, and a requirement to include a source for each piece of evidence used to support a claim. At the bottom of the organizer, students are encouraged to rewrite their claims using different words. A rubric that allows you to write in the number of pieces of evidence required t

The Next Generation Standard MS-LS1-4 is addressed here in a collaborative project that keeps each group member accountable for his/her own research. There is a group research sheet as well as an individual research sheet included in this prouct. Students are prompted to create a poster together showing the evolution of their thinking concerning the function of their structural or behavioral adaptation with as many examples of wild animals as possible.

This product includes conversation starters for paraphrasing, agreeing, disagreeing, asking for additional evidence, and clarifying points within a CER framework.

Do you begin a lesson on subatomic particles with Kathleen Crawford's (1994) 'Atoms Family Album' assignment? I have recreated characters from that story and used them to address several naive conceptions students carry about calculating subatomic particles (4 of the cartoons) and Lewis dot structures (1 of the cartoons). I supply a full answer key that explains the naive conceptions behind the incorrect answers given by two of the three characters in each cartoon. I love having students argue

Students strengthen their vocabulary skills when they write about elements, mixtures, and/or compounds. Students are given three RAFT (role, audience, format, topic) prompts to choose from. A rubric is attached on the second page.

Using musical chairs as an engagement strategy, students will be able to deal with both the time that passes during radiometric dating, as well as how the percentages of isotopes vary. There are processing questions as well as the two tables. Even though a class period only allows for two models to be run, four are provided. A full answer key is available for the first two models.

Students will 'show what they know' about the history of Theory of Plate Tectonics through one of three prompts. Each RAFT prompt (role, audience, format, topic) notes specific vocabulary, such as subduction, density, and fossils, which must be included in students' final products.

A claim and evidence is provided. Students have to determine whether or not the evidence supports the claim. They then split into groups and try to write reasoning for the evidence from the perspective that it does support the claim, and then from the perspective that it supports the OPPOSITE of the claim. Students will see why reasoning is important, and how it differs from evidence. Afterward, to reinforce this idea, students view three pieces of evidence to support a new claim from two diff

You can easily differentiate to meet your students needs with these activities! At one station, students use manipulatives to construct parts of atoms. These manipulatives require students to calculate subatomic particles and construct Lewis Dot structures. Students can practice a rounding strategy at a rounding station. They may even compose rounding poems to help them remember the rounding rules. Lastly, students can play a vocabulary slap game. An answer key in included so you can put a stude

I created this vocabulary strategy to address the great linguistic diversity in my classroom and to create a classroom culture of respect. This has been the BEST strategy I have ever implemented to improve classroom culture! As a bonus, vocabulary time is much more fun too! WARNING: If you're not willing to put yourself out there, sample your students' vocabulary, and entertain them while trying to use it with them (in moderation, of course), this product is NOT for you! I don't want you being d

Students are given descriptions of 5 biomes (ocean, arctic tundra, desert, prairie, and tropical rainforest) and asked to decide where each of their (up to) 10 vocabulary words should "live." Students are encouraged to think deeply and explain their choices. This assignment is intended for students in 6th grade or beyond in ANY subject. An added bonus to this assignment is that students are given exposure to several different biomes.

Students find alliterations to describe their vocabulary terms. They are then asked to explain the relationship between each term and its alliteration. Three examples and a rubric are included on the first page of this assignment. The second page is set up for student work.

One of my professors once asked me how I get kids to see themselves as scientists in my class. I believe a powerful tool for encouraging students to identify with your subject matter is to challenge them to make connections between their vocabulary terms and the people in their lives. In this assignment, students are asked to identify someone in their "real world" who might use one of their vocabulary terms, draw that person (in the context of using the term), and give a sample sentence where th

This resource allows students to list up to 15 vocabulary words. Explicit instructions for how to perform the sort, and a detailed example (atoms and subatomic particles because that's often familiar content from 6th or 7th grade up) are provided. The template allows students to sort their words (manipulatives) into two separate groups that they then label based on the sort characteristic. After this, they can further sort their vocabulary terms into three, and then four separate groups. Space i