BigBrainofScience
112 Followers
San Antonio, Texas, United States
About the store
I'm now retired from teaching. But in my 12 years in the classroom I created and accumulated a lot of resources. Although my experience spanned multiple subjects and grade levels, the bulk of my teaching career was spent as a middle school science teacher and Gifted & Talented science teacher. (My 8th grade GT students took 9th grade Biology, too. That's why you'll find a bunch of Biology assignments in my store, too.) And yes, you'll find novel reading, writing and even math resources in my store, too...because, well, I taught those subjects as well. (That happens when you have six Texas teacher certifications.)
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Comprehensive Cells Unit Test
This is a rigorous, comprehensive, 4-page, mostly multiple-choice unit test that covers cell parts, prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells, cell theory and microscope usage. It also includes 2 essay questions. The test includes plant and animal cell diagrams as well as multiple microscopic slide images for student identification.
This test was originally used with Gifted & Talented 8th graders taking HS Biology in Texas, however it could be modified for use as a cell parts only test for 7th grade lif
7th - 10th
Biology, Science
3 Stars & a Wish Student Feedback Card
Want to keep students engaged while their peers make presentations or show off projects? Want to teach students how to give both encouragement and gentle criticism? Print out these "3 Stars & a Wish" cards (four to a page) and have students write brief feedback comments during or after each classmate's presentation. I had my students write 3 things they liked about a presentation next to the stars. On the "Wish" line, I had them tell about something they wish their classmate had done better.
N
Not Specific
Art, English Language Arts, Science
3 Kinds of Investigations PowerPoint with Quiz
This powerpoint introduces and explains the three kind of scientific investigations: descriptive, comparative and experimental. A built-in experimental scenario QUIZ with "fly-in" answers allows you to immediately assess students understanding of the concept. (An accompanying worksheet can also be found in my store.)
6th - 9th
General Science
First Day of Middle School Science Info Gathering Sheet
Use this handy sheet to learn a little bit about your students as well as collect valuable information for contacting parents/guardians during the year.
It's divided into sections for ease of use and I've kept it as an MSWord file so you can modify it to your needs. (Please see the preview as the Thumbnail file does not display correctly!)
The Tell Me About You and Favorites sections will help you learn about and make connections with your students;
The Science Memories section will help you q
6th - 8th
Science
First Day 'Easy A' Science Quiz
Every student starts the year with an "Easy A" after they complete this"1st Day Easy A Science Quiz," because there are no wrong answers!
Hand out this "Quiz" to your students as you greet them on the first day of class. The quiz is chock full of questions to help you learn about your students. Don't be surprised if many students want to share many of their answers with classmates, before turning in the quiz. Keep them in a binder to reference and revisit on other days during the first week. The
5th - 8th
Science
Atoms Quick Quiz
Conserve paper with this half-page quiz on atoms designed for Texas 8th grade science students. Works great as a bellwork quiz or follow-up quiz to a unit on atoms.
7th - 8th
Chemistry, General Science, Science
Forces and Motion Quick Quiz
Save paper with this half-page matching quiz that covers Newton's Laws of Motion and related vocabulary.
6th - 8th
Basic Principles, Physical Science
Earth's Interior & Plate Tectonics Half-page Quiz
This is one of my paper-saving half-page quizzes. It works great as a class-starting warm-up activity after you've completed units on the Earth's Interior and Plate Tectonics. I've included both an initial quiz and a "retake" (Quiz #2), both with answer keys! This quiz would also work well as review exercise before semester or year-end tests; Students could take and keep the corrected first quiz in their notebooks and study it before taking the 2nd version for a grade.)
8th
Earth Sciences, Science
Rock Cycle and Minerals Quiz #1 & #2
Here's another one of my paper-saving half-page quizzes. This one also includes a second version for students whom must retake the quiz. NOTE: The thumbnails aren't displaying correctly, however there are two quizzes per page!
6th - 8th
Earth Sciences
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About the store
Experience
I'm now retired from teaching. But in my 12 years in the classroom I created and accumulated a lot of resources. Although my experience spanned multiple subjects and grade levels, the bulk of my teaching career was spent as a middle school science teacher and Gifted & Talented science teacher. (My 8th grade GT students took 9th grade Biology, too. That's why you'll find a bunch of Biology assignments in my store, too.) And yes, you'll find novel reading, writing and even math resources in my store, too...because, well, I taught those subjects as well. (That happens when you have six Texas teacher certifications.)
Teaching style
I typically followed a 5E lesson plan. I piled on the rigor and really tried to fit in labs wherever possible. I thought my kids earned best by DOING science, so my lesson plans typically had my students doing a lot of hands-on activities. I liked to use matching games to help my students (especially ESL students) build vocabulary and retain material. As I slowly build my TpT store, you'll see me adding more and more materials in this vein. You'll also find that many of my lessons are self-guided. Again, this is because I really think kids learn best by DOING, not listening to me (or any teacher) talk.
Awards & shining teacher moments
Twice nominated for teacher of the year by my peers.
First teacher at my school to take a Destination Imagination team to the state tournament.
Accepted into the UT Southwestern STARS summer internship for teachers in 2010. (I conducted research into regrowing nerve cells in the Li Lab of the Neurology Dept.)
Invited for a second UT Southwestern STARS summer internship in 2012.
My own education history
Earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin in 1982. Began as a pre-med student, so I had quite a bit of coursework in biology as well.
Worked as professional writer for 14 years.
Obtained my Texas alternative teacher certification in 2015.
I currently hold certifications in six areas: 8-12 Composite Science, 4-8 Science, Gifted & Talented, ELS supplemental, 4-8 Generalist, K-4 Generalist.
Additional biographical information
I've also taught photography to adults at a local community college. And I've taught continuing education courses in basic and advanced woodworking. My father was an English teacher for 30+ years. Teaching runs in my blood. I'm now retired from teaching, but miss it. Still sifting through years of lessons to share on TpT. If you need a resource and can't find it, email me. Time permitting, I'll build you what you need...send it to you for free and put in my store for others!
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