Hi! If you’ve been following for a while, you might have noticed I have A LOT of blog posts and it can get difficult to find what you need. I compiled a complete list of blog posts broken down by content that I will keep updated. You can refer back
Glow sticks always increase student engagement! They are inexpensive to buy (I can usually find them 8 for $1 at the dollar store). There are quite a few labs you can do with glow sticks depending on your science content area. Here is a list to choose from! TEACH PHYSICAL
Whenever I play review games before a test, I always have some sort of prize students can win. There is a LOT more buy in when there is a prize at stake, even if it’s only worth a few cents! Here are a list of prize ideas your students will
Ecology is one of my favorite topics to teach (along with evolution), so I’m excited to write up this blog post on biomes! In biology we begin the year with the characteristics of life, and then move into ecology. I like starting with ecology because it involves relatively easy concepts.
Owl pellets are really fun to dissect during ecology. One concern voiced by some colleague is this- most students have already dissected owl pellets in elementary or middle school. By the time they get to high school biology, should we do it again? What are they really taking away from
The beginning of the school year for chemistry teachers means… #1: atomic structure, and #2: how to read the periodic table. Looking for some fresh ideas? Here is a list of resources you can use to introduce and explore the periodic table. 1. ORGANIZING A STORE: Before diving into the
As a biology teacher, when I introduce the characteristics of life at the beginning of the year we discuss the term homeostasis. Students seem to remember the term for about a week, and it vanishes from their memory. When we could circle back to the term during cells (when observing
US teachers- are you tired of reviewing the metric system every year? Multiple times a year? It’s almost as if students completely forget the difference between a meter and a centimeter every summer. The first week of school I dive right into content… I don’t waste days doing icebreakers, going
At the beginning of the year, it’s good to review graphing and make your expectations clear on what you expect when students turn in a graph. Title? Clearly labeled X and Y axes? Proper scale? Key? Nearly drawn bars? If you teach physical science, this is pretty critical.
Bell work… Bell ringers… Do-nows… Warm ups. Whatever you call them, it is important to have some sort of routine at the beginning of the class period. Your day will run so much smoother when students walk into class and know what to begin working on without being told. I
I’m a big fan of changing out bulletin board decor with each unit. It can be as simple as changing out some anchor charts or reference posters to match what you are currently teaching. But if you want to take it one step further, try making your bulletin boards interactive!
Are you teaching a new science class for the first time? Are you overwhelmed with what lab supplies you will need and how to spend (or save) your budget? I’ve taught biology for many years, and compiled a list of 20 must-have items to get you started. Some materials can
