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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Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics Lab (Step-by-Step Photo instructions)
Print out sets of these STEP-BY-STEP photo instructions to help your students successfully MODEL PLATE TECTONIC ACTIVITY using graham crackers, cake icing and fruit rollups. With these photo-enhanced instructions, you won't need to lead your students through the lab. Just print out a 4-page set for each lab group and hand out materials. Then walk the room and monitor your students' progress.
(I normally have my students take notes and draw labeled pictures with arrows in their science journals.
6th - 8th
Earth Sciences
Climate vs. Weather Sorting Activity
This simple sorting activity can be used over and over again to help students distinguish climate from weather. It was originally designed to meet Texas 5th grade Science TEKS, but would be a great review activity for Texas 8th grader science students during their weather unit. I had my kids glue the board in their Science notebooks and save the sort sentences in a pocket or envelop glued to the next page. When it was time to review, they just opened their notebooks to the page and we had a sort
5th - 8th
Earth Sciences
TEKS
SCIENCE.4.10.C
Climate vs. Weather Quiz
After having students complete my Weather vs. Climate Sorting Activity, give them this quiz to assess their mastery. Includes a Bonus option for them to write and label either a weather or climate statement at the very end!
5th - 8th
Earth Sciences, Science
Behavioral vs. Structural Adaptations Sort Activity
This a great sorting activity that gives students practice identifying structural (physical) vs. behavioral adaptations. Reuse this activity in a review station later in the unit, or before semester, end-of-course or annual state tests.
Students need repetition to aid retention of key concepts; I revisit this sort activity a couple days after introducing it and challenge student groups to "see who can correctly finish this sort the fastest." (I usually offer the winners cookies at lunch or some
5th - 9th
Biology, Earth Sciences, Environment
Moldy Bread Experiment Lab Sheet & Related Jigsaw Readings
My middle school science students really enjoyed this week-long Moldy Bread Experiment. All that's required is four kinds of bread, some sandwich baggies, tap water, cups and eye droppers.
As an added benefit, fun lab can "run in the background" while the class pursues other state-required science explorations. This lab can also be started on a Friday and left over the weekend to shorten its actual class-time duration.
The added jigsaw readings from the FDA are purely optional but I highly r
6th - 9th
Basic Principles, Biology, General Science
Microscope Mini-lesson and Quiz
This one-page, self-guided lesson teaches Biology students how to use a a basic monocular optical microscope. I typically hand it out prior to our first lab using microscopes. I ask students to read and review the hand-out and then glue it into their lab notebooks for reference. During our first day of of microscope lab work, I walk the room and orally quiz students on the parts of a microscope and proper use. At the beginning of the second day of microscope lab work, I ask students to partner u
6th - 10th, Higher Education
Biology, Earth Sciences, General Science
1918-19 Influenza Pandemic Reading with Questions
Students don't do enough reading in science. Here's a brief one-page story about the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. The reading includes a page of questions and an answer key. It's a perfect introduction for a unit on viruses, or a great extension activity for students whom finish early. It's also a straightforward assignment students can do when a substitute must cover your room. You could also give it as homework in a flipped classroom, or a
7th - 10th
Biology, Reading, U.S. History
UPDATED Tangerine Quick Quiz Package
Keep your kids reading Edward Bloor's novel, TANGERINE, with this bundle of weekly half-page quizzes. My students took a quiz each Friday until we finished the novel. The 5-6 question quiz questions are fact-based--just so you can check that students are actually reading the book. I offered Monday retakes for those who had fallen behind in their reading. I also threw out one low quiz grade. SEE my related "Tangerine 5Ws and an H" activity, also found in my store. Also see my related "Tangerine P
6th - 8th
English Language Arts
Parts of a Chemical Equation Interactive Notebook Strip
I had students fill in the blanks and glue this Parts of a Chemical Equation note strip into their science notebooks. It served as a reference tool during our unit on chemical reactions. There are 4 note strips to a page to help save paper.
7th - 8th
Chemistry
Popcorn Thermal Transfer Lesson with Quiz (Conduction, Convection & Radiation)
Here's a one- or two-day lesson on the three kinds of thermal transfer that affect our atmosphere. To really make the lesson "pop," I suggest you bring in a hot plate and fry pan to cook popcorn by conduction, a hot air popper to cook popcorn by convection, and a microwave to cook popcorn by radiation. Students can "clean up" the experimental mess at the end of the lesson (coffee filters make cheap, disposable bowls). Another teaching tip: Surprise your students with the quiz again about two wee
5th - 8th
Basic Principles, Earth Sciences, Environment
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
Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics Lab Review Questions (with Answer Key)
Want to check for understanding after your students have completed my Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics Lab (with Photos)? Have them fill out this form (either individually of as a lab group) after they have completed the lab activity. NOTE: Although students could fill this out as they are completing each step of the activity, I suggest you wait until after they are done, or do it the next day. Waiting will allow you to check not only what they've learned, but what they have retained!
6th - 8th
Earth Sciences, General Science, Physical Science
NGSS, TEKS, VA SOL
MS-ESS2-2
, SCIENCE.6.10.B
, 5.8.b
4 Signs of a Chemical Reaction lab with photos
Help your students remember the SIGNS OF A CHEMICAL REACTION with this fun lab with a keep-for-review lab sheet that includes memory-tickling photos. My students loved this lab for all its surprises, fire and smoke. But I loved the fact they could glue the lab sheet into their INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOKS and review its photos to help them remember the signs of a chemical reaction prior to year-end testing!
This package includes a lab sheet, answer sheet, plus a materials and procedures page that wal
7th - 10th
Basic Principles, Chemistry, Science
Food Web Scavenger Hunt Activity
This front/back page Food Web Scavenger Hunt was designed as a reinforcement activity for Texas fifth graders. I paired my students and had them work through the front and back page. Then I had them swap papers with neighboring partners and we graded them in class. (I projected the activity on my SmartBoard/white board and had different partner sets come to the board and fill in a section. This made the activity a little competitive (and sneakily repetitive) to ensure everyone understood the foo
3rd - 5th
Basic Principles, Environment, Science
NGSS, TEKS, VA SOL
5-LS2-1
, SCIENCE.3.12.B
, SCIENCE.3.12.C
 +5
Weather fronts quiz
Give students this open-ended question quiz after they've practiced identifying weather fronts and the weather associated with high and low pressure areas.
5th - 8th
Earth Sciences, Science
Industrial Revolution Quiz with Answer Key
I used this quiz with 5th graders in Texas as an end-of-unit assessment. However, it could easily be used with 7th graders, whom also revisit the Industrial Revolution.
5th - 7th
Social Studies, U.S. History
3 kinds of investigations worksheet
This worksheet was built to accompany my PowerPointTM presentation of the same name. However, it also works as a stand-alone worksheet or assessment of a student's ability to identify a sceintific investigation as a DESCRIPTIVE, COMPARATIVE or EXPERIMENTAL investigation.
6th - 9th
General Science, Science
Rock Recipes & Rock Identification Activity
Helping students understand the rock cycle always seemed challenging to me, until I hit upon "Rock Recipes." In this activity, students fill out "rock recipe cards" to help them identify how each kind of rock is made (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks). Then they use the recipes they have assembled to help them identify 5 mystery rocks selected by the teacher. This lesson includes a lesson plan, a student "Rock Recipes" graphic organizer sheet and three colorful IGNEOUS ROCK, SEDIMENTAR
6th - 8th
Earth Sciences
Tangerine novel "Police Incident Report" (plot point summary activity)
Want to gauge how deeply your students understand the content in the popular classroom novel "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor? Here is a graphic organizer made to look like a Tangerine Police Dept. report. After your students read about the climactic fight witnessed by the novel's protagonist, Paul, have them pretend to be a Tangerine police officer and write down a "witness statement" given by Paul.
Challenge students to include details only Paul would know. Challenge them to try to write the stat
6th - 8th
English Language Arts, Reading, Writing
H-R Diagram Paired Activity
Pair your students up to complete this engaging H-R Diagram star-charting activity. I start this lesson with a textbook or online video about H-R diagrams. Then I pass out the two-sided activity sheet to all students and ask a student to read the directions out loud. Then, using an overhead projector or SmartBoard, I project the blank H-R Diagram on the front board. To help students, I first write in additional temperature points across the bottom axis (see my included Answer Key for these addi
8th - 11th
Astronomy, General Science
NGSS, TEKS
MS-ESS1-3
, SCIENCE.K.9.B
, SCIENCE.8.9.A
Showing 1-20 of 39 results
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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