Check It Out! Build a Tower

Need a quick activity that requires only newspaper and tape? Maybe an activity for a family science night? www.flickr.com/photos/vinzcha/ / CC BY 2.0 Consider this online resource adapted from PBS that combines science and engineering. It includes a clearly written procedure, vocabulary, background, and suggestions for an assessment. It could be completed by teams of engineer/scientists in your classroom!   My students love this activity. The site suggests 20 minutes but my students always ask for more time to try variations they’ve seen other teams attempt. That’s what scientists do right, build on each other’s work?

Resources for Snowflakes

Learning about snowflakes is an easy way to integrate math, science, and art. It’s been snowing where I live so I decided to publish a new product for TPT: Simply Science, Resources for Teaching about Snowflakes. To thank you for following my blog, I’m sending you the link to the web page that was created just for this product. You’ll find online sites that let kids cut out their own snowflakes and then they can save, email, or download their snowflakes for printing. No scraps of leftover paper! Also, there’s information about the science of snowflakes and suggestions for making large paper …

Resources for Teaching about Sound

Resources for Teaching about Sound A great way to add to your physics unit. Let me save you time collecting resources! I’ve created activities and worksheets that you can use to easily enrich your sound unit. Here’s what you get for just $2.40! • Two writing prompts in English and Spanish already placed on worksheets • A glossary of common terms with definitions in both English and Spanish • Five key terms and definitions in a LARGE font – just print and post on your wall • Seek-a-Word puzzles can be a fun way to learn new science terms • …

Check It Out: Shadow Illustrations

source: tinyurl.com/shadowillustrations Artist Vincent Bal turns the shadows of everyday objects into ingenious illustrations, Consider adding this resource to your light unit or challenging your students who enjoy drawing to create a few shadow illustrations of their own to share with classmates. This could be an activity for pairs or teams of students. You just need a few common objects and a flashlight!   This suggestion came from Ian Byrd. He sends me an email every Friday with resources for gifted students. Most activities would work with the amazing variety of students we have in our classrooms. You might check out Byrdseed: …

Winter and Christmas Puzzles!

UPDATE: These fun resources now require a membership. You’ll be asked to pay  £17.50 for a full year of access. Need a few puzzles, mazes, or drawing activities with a winter or Christmas theme? I found a few just for you! Pick the ones that best fit your students interests and abilities from Activity Village in the UK. If you’re interested in puzzles specifically about winter, I’ve included those as links after each type of puzzle – I hope this saves you time looking for just what you need! Stepping Stone Puzzles Counting Puzzles – stars Find the differences – snowmen Grid Copy Puzzles – snowflake …

Quick Science: Toothpick Stars and Toothpick Puzzles

Need a few simple activities you can use if a lesson ends sooner than expected or when students have been really focused in class and have earned a fun reward? I’ve posted two products that use simple materials in my Teacher Pay Teacher stores: Simply Science and Simply Math. Use flat toothpicks and water to create Toothpick Stars. Several videos let you see the activity before you present it to students.   Arrange and then rearrange toothpicks to solve Toothpick Puzzles. Use small or full page images or a PowerPointâ„¢ presentation to display the thirty-two different puzzles. Arrange and then rearrange flat …

Quick Science: Spinning Illusions

Use an optical illusion to extend your light or five senses unit. Print in color or have students color the images. Tape the paper to a pencil or straw, staple, and spin! Step-by-step directions and a short video make it easy to create a spinning illusion your students will love. Kids may want to draw their own illusions to share with classmates and family members. Does it matter if you spin slowly or quickly? What if you use dark colors, bright colors, or pale colors? Will you see the illusion better if you are close, holding it at arm’s length, or far …

Halloween Puzzles!

Need last minute puzzles for Halloween? I found a few just for you! Pick the ones that best fit your students interests and abilities at Activity Village in the UK. Stepping Stone Puzzles Complete the Picture Puzzles Cryptograms Dot to Dots Grid Copy Puzzles Mazes Sudoku Puzzles Word Scrambles Word Search Puzzles and More… Click on a type of puzzle, find the one you like and click on the link above that example. The puzzle opens and can be printed or downloaded for printing later!

Check It Out! All Kinds of Minds

You’re coming to the end of the second month of your school year, maybe your first year as a teacher. You’ve gone through many of your strategies to help support a student who might struggle with behavior, academics, or social interactions. You can talk to the student, get advice from colleagues, former teachers of the student, or their family members. What if you need more options, more strategies to support your student? Consider visiting All Kinds of Minds. They have a library that “provides insights into the learning challenges that students face”, including: Thinking with Numbers Mastering the Challenges of Reading …