Mimi Low

During this 'traits of a puppy coin toss genetics activity', students will simulate the inheritance of genes from two "parent" dogs to create a new "baby" puppy. By flipping a coin, you will randomly determine the combination of dominant and recessive alleles that your puppy will inherit. This is a fun, low prep, and engaging way for students to practice the concepts of dominant and recessive, and genotype and phenotype. Students can either create a puppy using materials provided (paper plates

What makes a top spin longest? Students will analyze features of different tops to determine what helps tops spin the longest. Then, students will use that information to build their own top (suggested list of materials provided in the handout). Optional: create a tournament for the longest spinning top Great for Chanukah as a special activity, or physics class.

Fun and engaging hands on investigation to teach students about characteristics of life! Always a student favorite! Clear, step by step directions and data table for students to use to test if yeast is alive. Very easy investigation to set up, quick to clean up, and keeps students engaged for the entire period. Low cost materials (just empty water bottles, balloons, yeast, sugar) Additional article + questions included as a supplemental activity

The purpose of this hands on, fun, and engaging lab is for students to observe and identify the chemical changes that take place during a chemical reaction. This lab results in multiple chemical changes within a short period of time, and students love it! It is easy to set up, and all materials are inexpensive.

Engaging, simple mushroom dissection Works perfectly with button mushrooms, and other types Great for a unit to teach about fungus, but easily adaptable to other units

In this fun, inexpensive and engaging lab, students set up 4 different experiments to learn about phase changes. This can be done as a station activity as well if you want.

Is yeast alive? In this experiment, students will test to see whether yeast can metabolize sugar. This hands on, inexpensive lab is great for an introduction to the characteristics of life.

Clear, easy to follow and easy to teach slides on weather and climate Includes checks for understanding Great to use when presenting new material to students, to distribute as notes, or as a study guide

Very clear, easy to follow notes to use to teach students about characteristics of life Includes checks for understanding Great for direct instruction, notes or student study guides Also includes information about dormancy, and the difference between living, non living, and dead organisms

This fun hands on investigation with milk, dish soap, and food coloring is an exciting and engaging (and low cost) investigation that demonstrates the properties of milk and soap, and how they interact with each other. Always a favorite of students!

Clear, high quality, simple, easy to follow hands on investigation to explore density of regular and irregular solids. Easy to change in the items I suggested for other items you have on hand. Simple to differentiate for advanced or struggling students. Also helps students understand why things sink or float. Very engaging!

Clear, easy to follow Google Slides to teach states of matter for direct instruction. Age appropriate for middle school Great for study guides or supplemental notes Includes checks for understanding and helpful images A favorite of students and parents!

In this hands on activity with 5 parts (works very well as 5 stations or a 5 part activity for each student to do), students practice reading thermometers in F and C. Higher order thinking questions at the end of the lab (which could be removed, if not relevant) ask students more about temperature, and to think about which phase changes they notice throughout the investigation. Easy to set up, extremely affordable, and great for gen-ed, SPED and ELL students.

Fun hands on activity for students while learning about phases of the moon Students create models of the phases of the moon with oreos

In this fun and engaging lab, students practice measuring the volume of liquid by creating secondary colors, and 'designer' colors. Easy to set up, inexpensive, and a lot of fun for students!

Middle school student handout with 3 short experiments Students follow directions to determine whether a physical or chemical change occurred Easy for teachers to read the handout, and set up the experiment!