Allison Smith
8 Followers
OTTUMWA, Iowa, United States
About the store
I taught 8th grade science for five years, where I loved sparking curiosity and helping students connect learning to the real world. I also served on my districts curriculum development team for two years, creating engaging lessons and resources for K-12 classrooms. After transitioning to homeschooling, I gained a new perspective on how to make learning flexible, fun, and meaningful. With experience in both traditional and home education, I create ready to use resources that practical and creative. My goal is to save teachers time while inspiring students to explore, question, and grow in their learning.
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Exoplanet Habitable Zone Data Analysis Real NASA Data Middle School NGSS Space
Are we alone in the universe?In this high-engagement, real-world data investigation, students step into the role of astronomers as they analyze actual NASA Kepler Space Telescope data to explore one of the biggest scientific questions of all time: 👉 How many planets in our galaxy could support life?This is not a basic worksheet—this is a full data-driven science experience that builds critical thinking, graphing, and real scientific reasoning skills. 🔬 WHAT MAKES THIS RESOURCE UNIQUE ✔
5th - 10th
Earth Sciences, Physics
NGSS
MS-ESS1-2
, MS-ESS1-3
Also included in: Real Data Science Bundle | NGSS Labs Earth Space Biology MS Activities
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Lab: Resonance & Waves (MS-PS4) Data, Graph + CER
Your students will never forget this question: How can a “normal” wind destroy a massive steel bridge? 🌉💨 This phenomenon-based NGSS lab uses the famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse (“Galloping Gertie”) to launch a powerful investigation into waves, frequency, amplitude, natural frequency, resonance, and damping. Students watch the footage, generate authentic questions, then prove the science with a hands-on model investigation and real data analysis. This is the kind of lesson that fee
4th - 9th
Earth Sciences, Physical Science
NGSS
MS-PS4-1
, MS-PS4-2
, MS-ETS1-3
Also included in: Phenomenon-Based Science Lab Bundle (6 NGSS Units) CER + Teacher Keys
Elephant Toothpaste Phenomenon Lab: Catalysts & Reaction Rates + CER + Key
Your students have definitely seen Elephant Toothpaste before… but this time they’ll ask the question that matters: “What is actually happening—and why does it happen so fast?” 🧪✨ This NGSS phenomenon-based lab turns the classic Elephant Toothpaste demo into a full investigation on catalysts and reaction rates with a strong Notice/Wonder hook, data collection, analysis, and a CER conclusion (Claim–Evidence–Reasoning). It’s the perfect unit introduction for chemical reactions, catalysts/
4th - 9th
Chemistry, General Science
NGSS
MS-PS1-2
, MS-PS1-6
Also included in: Phenomenon-Based Science Lab Bundle (6 NGSS Units) CER + Teacher Keys
Cells Station Lab (8 Stations) Microscopes, Organelles, Osmosis + CER + Key
Need a complete, hands-on cells day that keeps every group engaged and actually builds understanding (not just labeling worksheets)? This Cells Station Lab is a structured 8-station rotation that combines real microscope observations, organelle function practice, prokaryote vs. eukaryote sorting, plant vs. animal comparisons, an osmosis model, and a CER conclusion—all with a teacher guide and answer key for easy setup and grading. ✅ What’s Included 8 station cards (clear directions + “Thi
5th - 9th
Biology
NGSS
MS-LS1-2
, MS-LS1-1
Also included in: Middle School Station Lab Bundle (5 Units) CER + Keys NGSS MS Science
Snowball Launcher — Projectile Motion STEM Challenge (Grades 3–12, NGSS Aligned)
Title: Snowball Launcher — Projectile Motion STEM Challenge (Grades 3–12, NGSS Aligned)Description (emoji-friendly): Launch into winter physics! ❄️ Students test a paper-ball or pom-pom “snowball” launcher to explore projectile motion. Teams hold pullback constant and vary launch angle, measuring distance vs. angle to discover the peak near 45°. They graph data, justify conclusions with CER, and (optionally) estimate launch speed using the range formula. 🎯📈 NGSS Alignment: 3–5: 3-5-ET
3rd - 12th
General Science, Measurement, Physics
Natural Selection Station Lab (8 Stations) MS-LS4-2, LS4-4, LS4-6 + CER
Teach natural selection in a way students actually understand (and remember). This 8-Station Natural Selection Lab hits the full story from multiple angles—hands-on simulations, fossil evidence, real data graphing, case studies, and misconception-busting—then ties it all together with a rigorous CER argument. Students don’t just define evolution… they use evidence to prove it. ✅ What’s Included 8 station cards/activities (simulations + analysis + matching + graphing) Student recording s
5th - 9th
Biology, General Science
NGSS
HS-LS4-2
, HS-LS4-6
, MS-LS4-2
+3
Also included in: Middle School Station Lab Bundle (5 Units) CER + Keys NGSS MS Science
Science Careers Quiz (20 Questions) Career Profiles + Reflection Grades 5-9
Get students excited about science careers with a lesson that feels like a personality quiz—but builds real science identity and vocabulary. What Kind of Scientist Are You? is a 20-question science career quiz that helps students discover a “scientist type,” then read a matching career profile with real scientists, education pathways, cool facts, and reflection questions. Perfect for the beginning of the year, career day, STEM week, advisory, sub plans, or an engaging end-of-unit activity.
5th - 9th
General Science
Zombie Ants Reading Comprehension (MS-LS2, MS-LS4) Questions + Answer Key
Your students won’t believe this is real… but it is. 🐜🧠 This high-interest nonfiction reading explores the “zombie ant” fungus that controls carpenter ant behavior in rainforests—then checks understanding with 10 rigorous comprehension questions plus a complete answer key. It’s perfect for zero-prep sub plans, early finishers, or a phenomenon-based hook for ecosystems, symbiosis, and natural selection. ✅ What’s Included 7-page resource with: Informational text: The Zombie Ants of th
4th - 12th
Biology, General Science
NGSS
MS-LS2-2
, MS-LS2-3
, MS-LS4-4
Singing Sand Dunes Reading Comprehension (MS-PS4) Questions, Answer Key, Subplan
Hook your students with one of the coolest natural phenomena on Earth: sand dunes that “sing.” This high-interest nonfiction reading explains how dunes produce real booming/whistling sounds and connects the phenomenon to mechanical waves and wave properties (frequency, amplitude, wavelength). It includes 10 rigorous comprehension questions AND a complete answer key, making it perfect for zero-prep sub plans, early finishers, or a phenomenon-based lesson opener. ✅ What’s Included 7-pag
4th - 12th
General Science, Physical Science, Physics
Magnetic North Pole Reading Comprehension (NGSS MS-PS2-3, MS-ESS2-2) Zero Prep
Hook your students with a real-world mystery: Earth’s Magnetic North Pole is moving fast—so fast that scientists had to issue an emergency update to navigation models used by GPS and smartphones. This high-interest informational text explains why the pole moves, how Earth’s magnetic field is generated, and what the impacts are—then checks understanding with 10 rigorous comprehension questions that push beyond “right there” answers into real scientific reasoning. ✅ What’s Included 5-page
4th - 12th
Earth Sciences, Physical Science, Physics
NGSS
MS-ESS2-2
, MS-PS2-3
Fog in a Box: Dew Point & Condensation Lab (Grades 3–8) 3-ESS2-1 MS-ESS2-5-6
Short Description In this quick, visual lab, students create “fog in a box” using a clear container, a cup of hot water, and an ice pack on the lid. They observe how warm, humid air cools, reaches the dew point, and forms fog near a cold surface. Perfect as a short weather demo, bell-ringer lab, or intro to humidity, condensation, and fog. Full Description (Condensed) Why does fog form on cool mornings—and why do windows fog up in winter? In Fog in a Box: How Does Warm Air Make Fog?,
3rd - 8th
Earth Sciences, General Science, Physical Science
Cranberry Bog Boat — Buoyancy & Density STEM Challenge (Grades 3–12, NGSS Aligne
Make buoyancy click with a seasonal engineering lab: students design a small foil “bog boat” that carries the maximum mass (cranberries/coins/washers) before sinking. They plan, build, test in a water bin, record data, and iterate to optimize stability and displacement—perfect for stations or a full-period lab. What students do Plan & sketch under material/size constraints, predict capacity. Test in rounds, adding equal-mass items until failure; record max mass, freeboard, and failure mode.
3rd - 12th
General Science, Measurement, Physics
Candy Corn Parachute Drop — Holiday STEM Challenge (Grades 3–12, NGSS Aligned)
Description Boost engagement with a seasonal engineering challenge that’s easy to prep, budget-friendly, and truly data-driven. In the Candy Corn Parachute Drop, students design, build, and test a parachute that carries a candy-corn payload. They compete for the longest average fall time while meeting real-world constraints, then analyze results and iterate like engineers. What students do Plan a design under material and size limits, predict performance, and sketch. Build a canopy + lines +
4th - 12th
General Science, Physics
Flywheel Spinner- Rotational Inertia & Stored Energy (Grades 4–9) 2-Page STEM
Title Flywheel Spinner 🔁 Rotational Inertia & Stored Energy (Grades 4–9) — 2-Page STEM Challenge + Data Table & 20-pt Rubric Short blurb Students design a string-pull flywheel and test how mass placement and hub size affect spin time. Quick build, clear metrics, and a student-friendly 20-pt rubric—print & go. Full description In this hands-on challenge, learners build a cardboard (or lid) flywheel with a string-pull axle, then investigate how rotational inertia changes with mass pl
4th - 12th
Engineering, Physical Science
NGSS
MS-PS3-5
, 3-5-ETS1-2
, HS-PS3-3
Seed Germination Variables Lab (Beans in a Bag) — % Germination vs ONE Variable
Low-prep, high-impact life science investigation! Students test one variable (light/dark, soak time, or temperature) using beans in zip bags, record daily data, and calculate % germination. Includes student pages, teacher guide, and rubric. Full Description: 🌱 Hands-on NGSS lab where students investigate how ONE environmental variable affects seed germination. Learners set up two labeled zip-bag treatments (A vs B), collect daily tallies, compute % germination, and explain results using
3rd - 12th
Biology, General Science
Heart-Rate Inquiry — Biosensors & Data Lab (Grades 3–12, NGSS Aligned)
How does activity change heart rate? In this inquiry lab, students design a fair test, collect BPM data (watch/sensor or manual count), and graph results to explain patterns using CER. Great for PE crossovers, biology, or a winter wellness mini-unit. 🫀⏱️📈 What students do 🧠 Define the problem: plan a fair test (IV = activity, DV = BPM, controls = timing/posture/method). 🔬 Measure pulse: resting → activity (e.g., jacks/jog/fast walk); repeat 3 trials and average. 📊 Graph & analyze: B
3rd - 12th
Biology, Health, Physical Education
Gingerbread Insulation Lab, Keep the Cookie Cabin Warm! Holiday 3rd-12th
Description How do we keep a gingerbread “cookie cabin” warm in winter? In this hands-on heat transfer lab, teams test everyday insulators (foil, felt, bubble wrap, cotton, foam, paper, etc.) to minimize thermal energy loss. Students design fair tests, collect temperature data over time, and iterate to improve their cabin’s insulation. ❄️🍪🔥 What students do 🛠️ Build a testable “cookie cabin” (small box or graham-cracker cabin—not for eating) with a thermometer port. 🔬 Plan a fair test:
3rd - 12th
Engineering, General Science, Physics
Candy Cane Cantilever — Holiday Structures & Torque STEM Challenge (Grades 3–12,
Engineer a festive cantilever that reaches the farthest overhang beyond the table edge—using only candy canes and limited tape! Students plan, build, test, and iterate while applying torque and center of mass ideas. Perfect for a high-engagement holiday lab, stations, or a one-period challenge. 🍬🧰 What students do 🧠 Plan & sketch: identify anchor vs. arm, place joints/tape, predict max overhang. 🧪 Test & measure: record trials, overhang (cm), stability (10 s), failure modes. 📈 Analyze
3rd - 12th
General Science, Geometry, Physics
Fall STEM Challenge Bundle 4 Hands-On Activities for Elementary & Middle School
🍁 Fall STEM Challenge Bundle — 4 Hands-On Activities for Elementary & Middle School Description: Save time and money with this ready-to-use Fall STEM Bundle! Includes four exciting, low-prep challenges that integrate science, technology, engineering, and math — perfect for a full week of seasonal fun. Includes 4 Activities: 🎃 Pumpkin Catapult Challenge 🍎 Apple Oxidation Test 🍂 Leaf Tower Engineering 🎈 Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Design ✅ Designed for Grades 3–8 ✅ Each activity fi
4th - 9th
Chemistry, Engineering, Physics
Pi-Day Catapult — Optimize Angle & Tension (Predict vs. Measure) | MS–HS NGSS
Description (NGSS included) Celebrate Pi-Day with a data-driven projectile challenge! Students tune angle and tension on a simple launcher, then predict vs. measure range and compute percent error. Teams graph Range vs. Angle (and optional Range vs. Pullback) and explain results with CER. 🧠📈 🔬 Investigate: hold one variable constant to fairly test the other. 🧮 Model: use a calibration shot or R ≈ (v²·sin(2θ))/g to predict. 📊 Analyze: compare predicted vs. measured; percent error
3rd - 12th
Engineering, General Science, Physics
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About the store
Experience
I taught 8th grade science for five years, where I loved sparking curiosity and helping students connect learning to the real world. I also served on my districts curriculum development team for two years, creating engaging lessons and resources for K-12 classrooms. After transitioning to homeschooling, I gained a new perspective on how to make learning flexible, fun, and meaningful. With experience in both traditional and home education, I create ready to use resources that practical and creative. My goal is to save teachers time while inspiring students to explore, question, and grow in their learning.
Teaching style
My teaching style combines quick, focused worksheets with hands-on activites that keep students engaged. I believe in balancing skill practice with interactive exploration to make learning meaningful. I am also creating bundled units that demonstrate educational standards specifically.
Awards & shining teacher moments
I was honored with the Principal's Coin for my leadership with the Science Club. I also helped develop district curriculum and was selected to pilot a phenomenon-based learning program.
My own education history
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, as well as a Master's degree in Secondary Science Instruction and Curriculum Development. This combination has given me a strong foundation in both science content and effective teaching practices.
Additional biographical information
I am a lifelonger learning that loves inspiring my students (now children) to look with wonder and exploration at the beautiful world God created.
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