Creativity in Mind

If the weather does not permit you to go outside to do real quadrat sampling why not do this one instead? M and Ms take the place of trees. I think you could also modify this activity for a math class in terms of studying probability. It would create a real-life application for probability.

I used this for my Oceanography elective, but it would be fun to do in many classes, especially during Halloween. It's dark and spooky in the abyssal zone! As with other projects, I included a peer review so that we could critique and celebrate the work of others. Students either used the template I provided or used Canva.

I am including my students' favorite labs and activities for a physical science unit covering motion, forces and energy. The Newton's Scooter Lab is a fun and physical to review Newton's Laws of Motion using a skateboard or scooter and the students' own mass. I used my Roller Coaster Lab to review forces and energy and students had a blast designing various coaster 'prototypes.' The Friction lab, while straightforward is a hands-on approach to this concept. Finally, I am including my Energy Tran

I created this for my living environment (biology) class and I also used it for my environmental science class. There are many biomes brochure projects out there, but I am including my peer review document as well. Whenever I do a project like this, I usually conclude with a symposium where students will share their products and question (and critique) the work of others. It takes the project to the next level in terms of student engagement and accountability.

I may be guilty of saying this too much, but this is one of my favorite activities of all time! I use it whenever I can- middle school, high school, required classes or electives. You can't go wrong! And while you can certainly do it digitally, why not take a break from the screens and print it out so they can do some old-fashioned coloring? Simply tape the two pages together to make the scene. I usually do the front page vocabulary together with them, then set them loose to fill in the terms o

I use this at the beginning of the year or at the start of a new class when I know students will be working in groups frequently. They must analyze a survival scenario and decide which are the most important items for survival. First they do it independently and then we group up. Then we discuss if they did better as an individual or as a group and why they think this is the case. I like using this one when I know there will be a unit on space, but I have three of these survival activities total

Here is a mini circuits unit for you. It includes my guided reading and vocabulary for series and parallel circuits (use as preview or review) as well as a nice little conceptual lab for the topic. Both can be used at the middle or high school level. Enjoy!

I use this at the beginning of the year or at the start of a new class when I know students will be working in groups frequently. They must analyze a survival scenario and decide which are the most important items for survival. First they do it independently and then we group up. Then we discuss if they did better as an individual or as a group and why they think this is the case. I have three of these survival activities. I love using them all!

I will be using this the week leading up to Easter break. It consists of three separate labs in which the students will rotate. Each lab will take a class period, maybe a bit more. You could use all three or just pick and choose depending on how much time you had or how much candy you would like to purchase. At this point in the year, I feel students could use a refresher on basic lab skills such as measurement, graphing, and scientific method terminology. I will be using jellybeans for the firs

If you're tired of the same old food webs, give this one a try. I used this unit in Oceanography/Marine Biology, however, it could also be used in a regular Biology course (or Environmental Science/Ecology). Start with my Marine Food Webs WebQuest (with answer key). Next, I offer a group Marine Food Webs poster project with gallery walk. Students will learn about the various marine ecosystems from an informative reading and then work together to create a food web representing that ecosystem. Fin

I was 'voluntold' that I would be teaching a full-year oceanography course and wound up loving it! While I have both a biology and earth science background, I felt that the students would connect more with marine biology, so most of the course was geared this way (I had complete control of this elective). This includes 17 lesson plan documents. Because we taught in a semester format, this translates to a full year. If you only teach a half year course, you can pick and choose which activities y

I have used all three of these survival activities in my courses over the years. Why would you want all three an not just one? If you have different sections and you don't want the answers getting out If you teach different courses and they match with one course better than another (Ex: Astronomy Vs Biology) If it is likely that you will have the same student in a different semester or year and you want to keep it fresh If you want to see how students are progressing over the course of the year.

I have started doing weekly readings with vocabulary because our assessments have changed to ones in which decoding from informational text is an imperative skill. This is my reading and vocabulary for introduction to electric current, which bridges the gap between static electricity and current electricity. It covers the basic circuit and Ohm's law.

I have started doing weekly readings with vocabulary because our assessments have changed to ones in which decoding from informational text is an imperative skill. This is my reading and vocabulary for graphing in science. This is my edition for series and parallel circuits, which also includes electrical power. I also have a conceptual lab for this material which could be used at the middle or high school level. I will bundle it to this reading separately if you are interested in a mini unit on

I used this at the end of my Motion, Forces and Energy Unit. While I have accumulated marble run sets over the years in order to have six lab setups, I have also used pipe insulation and marking tape (with books and ring stands) in the past. Or, you could purchase one set (about $25-$40) and include this as a station in a larger review setup. It was HIGHLY engaging and students loved it, yet at the same time, they stopped to make all necessary calculations and observations. Prior to the lab, we

I created this lab to reinforce the concept of friction. This is my middle level version as it is conceptual rather than mathematical. While it uses basic lab supplies ( spring scales, masses), there are some lab-specific materials that are easy to acquire. Hooked blocks can be made very easily by screwing in hooks to little blocks of wood. Your tech ed teacher can probably help you here if you don't already have these. Also, I used pre-fab friction boards, but you can use any surfaces you can f

I have started doing weekly readings with vocabulary because our assessments have changed to ones in which decoding from informational text is an imperative skill. This is my reading and vocabulary for electric charge, which I used during my electricity unit. Add some mini static electricity experiments with balloons, hair and rice krispees and it's a fun way to start the unit! :)

I used these throughout my electricity unit for initial exposure to the content, but they can be used for review or homework or, if you need to be out for the day as well. Enjoy!

You can use this in several science courses as it aligns very well with the Human Impact NGSS standards. This is not a new lab, but I've reformulated it a bit to include a graphing component. It also includes a link to a video that explains the concept a bit. I would not play them this until after they have done the activity. They are supposed to act like greedy tyrants- it's all part of the fun!

Add a little fun and creativity to your Chemistry/Elements/Periodic Table units! Students find this project highly engaging because they have ownership of the word they choose for their bookmark. It's a great way to review concepts related to the Periodic Table. Project description, recording sheets, analysis questions and rubric are all contained in one packet To make the bookmarks, I cut out 5 cm by 18 cm rectangles from a standard sheet of posterboard. You will get about 40 bookmarks per shee