tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80969954884410108992024-03-11T04:18:31.610-07:00Teaching with Elly ThorsenThis blog focuses on teaching middle school students and provides resources for teachers to use in their classrooms.Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-57362833618539326052023-02-17T09:34:00.002-08:002023-02-17T09:34:22.067-08:00Middle School Science Lesson for Teaching NGSS MS-LS2-1 and MS-LS2-4<h2 style="text-align: left;">Have you seen the news about Alaska's snow crabs??</h2><p>A mass mortality event caused Alaska to cancel its 2022-2023 snow crab season. In 2018, snow crabs in the Bering Sea had a huge population of 11.7 billion, but their numbers dropped suddenly and dramatically to only 1.9 billion in 2022. The reason why? The Bering Sea's cold pool, the super chilly area on the ocean floor where snow crabs live, was almost nonexistent for two years in a row. <i>But what exactly caused the crabs to die? </i>Was it disease, crab cannibalism, new predators, stiff competition for resources, or something else entirely? Scientists are on a mission to find out. </p><p>I love bringing important current events into my lessons in science class. This fascinating current event is a <i>perfect </i>way to teach the NGSS <a href="https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/ms-ls2-1-ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics" target="_blank">MS-LS2-1</a> and <a href="https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/ms-ls2-4-ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics" target="_blank">MS-LS2-4</a>. I have created a lesson plan for middle school science teachers to easily and effectively teach these two standards using the present-day example of Alaska's snow crabs. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What's in the lesson?</h2><p>To save you time digging through the Internet and processing articles about Alaska's snow crabs, a thorough background information page will get you acquainted with what's going on with the snow crabs in the Bering Sea. A page providing teaching directions and outlining various lesson options will help you select the best way to present this information to your students. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbdtuh28kbU7uc3Y2osjScG_lW30yXViEQ_WsOWJcrl2HXLwnHRtuDycttoif-cTNM2y91efm_3pgJOdGLstxRg-KhDmJMP4KJxyredBOTkJS3Qg5iz7DG8uJOwq9lOXfDopvCiog61R7_h92mV0LD3i-RSXRFm_NpBsz9tsC1gEWis_J4wcpICBk/s4032/IMG_2520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbdtuh28kbU7uc3Y2osjScG_lW30yXViEQ_WsOWJcrl2HXLwnHRtuDycttoif-cTNM2y91efm_3pgJOdGLstxRg-KhDmJMP4KJxyredBOTkJS3Qg5iz7DG8uJOwq9lOXfDopvCiog61R7_h92mV0LD3i-RSXRFm_NpBsz9tsC1gEWis_J4wcpICBk/w320-h240/IMG_2520.jpg" title="NGSS MS-LS2-1 and MS-LS2-4 Lesson Plan" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow Crab Info for Teachers & Lesson Directions</td></tr></tbody></table><p>When you're ready to teach this lesson, you will provide your students with a snow crab information page that has graphs to analyze. Once students examine the graphs, they will complete a data trends reflection to understand what is happening to the crab population and start to think about why the population is declining. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGjbz8pVopsso6AvAkubTv_yqrGvyX0jdEpkBOggR5_R6sgcj7EoTh0HCfeXDlCPqWTr0thTOLhtHxlrrgfwrsFlZCE958pmqnCE9RR3Q3yHYYQJacmMHcjH8rSfd-M5IdiFGAYs-s6k4uKET6Gse4Pzav3XeEUMEN6G-WMsTNDhJCo15F1z-MNLf/s4032/IMG_2522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGjbz8pVopsso6AvAkubTv_yqrGvyX0jdEpkBOggR5_R6sgcj7EoTh0HCfeXDlCPqWTr0thTOLhtHxlrrgfwrsFlZCE958pmqnCE9RR3Q3yHYYQJacmMHcjH8rSfd-M5IdiFGAYs-s6k4uKET6Gse4Pzav3XeEUMEN6G-WMsTNDhJCo15F1z-MNLf/w320-h240/IMG_2522.jpg" title="Student Information and Data Trends Pages" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student Pages</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After students complete the data trends reflection, you will be ready to begin a discussion and really meet the MS-LS2-1 and MS-LS2-4 standards. This lesson will provide you with eighteen discussion questions. How you present those discussion questions is up to you. Will you give each student a discussion question and have them complete a written, video, or audio project? If you do, a grading sheet is included and ready for you to easily assess your students. Or will you post the discussion questions around the room in the form of <a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2016/05/successfully-using-stations-in-middle.html" target="_blank">stations</a> that your students can complete in pairs or small groups? Don't have room for stations in your classroom? Then you can give groups of students a set of discussion cards to go through together while group members take turns recording answers. What if you don't have time for the extra step of cutting out cards, or what if a student is absent and needs to make up the lesson? Well, just use the discussion question page with all of the questions listed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheabrrvBgwPnGkhhjH3Q1Xc7lkOOXcLow3EYLFxNuu5tPFKFq_BzU53_co2_mOu7lWYbw0NkajwGZsiYNiWh1X6_zQegAY9clKu5Xk8R3Br9wEGtMIF5F8Uj4enxrAL67WO17Fha8U79PsmML5n1s70Qk6K5mDGY7FuBIt1k0oT88sHJXHOijMHcB7/s4032/IMG_2526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheabrrvBgwPnGkhhjH3Q1Xc7lkOOXcLow3EYLFxNuu5tPFKFq_BzU53_co2_mOu7lWYbw0NkajwGZsiYNiWh1X6_zQegAY9clKu5Xk8R3Br9wEGtMIF5F8Uj4enxrAL67WO17Fha8U79PsmML5n1s70Qk6K5mDGY7FuBIt1k0oT88sHJXHOijMHcB7/w320-h240/IMG_2526.jpg" title="MS-LS2-1 and MS-LS2-4 Discussion Questions" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MS-LS2-1 and MS-LS2-4 Discussion Questions</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;">The <a href="https://www.nextgenscience.org/" target="_blank">Next Generation Science Standards</a> my lesson covers are as follows:</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.</li><li>MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.</li></ul><h2 style="text-align: left;">Why you'll love this lesson:</h2><div>I know you and your students will love this lesson about Alaska's snow crabs. You will love it because it will save you an <i>enormous </i>amount of planning time, allowing you to bring in an interesting present-day event that is well-aligned to the standards you need to teach your students. Although snow crabs are certainly not warm or fuzzy, your students will love this lesson because it's a real-life current event where students can see how a small physical change in an ecosystem can have a massive effect on an organism's population. </div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Where you can get this lesson:</h2><div>This lesson is available on several different websites so you can add it to your classroom today.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Populations-in-Ecosystems-Lesson-Plan-NGSS-MS-LS2-1-and-MS-LS2-4-with-Snow-Crabs-9153522?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CRABLESSONfeb23" target="_blank">Snow Crab Lesson on Teachers Pay Teachers</a></li><li><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1418822061/populations-in-ecosystems-lesson-plan?ref=listings_manager_grid" target="_blank">Snow Crab Lesson on Etsy</a></li><li><a href="https://classful.com/product/populations-in-ecosystems-lesson-plan-ngss-ms-ls2-1-and-ms-ls2-4-with-snow-crabs/" target="_blank">Snow Crab Lesson on Classful</a></li><li><a href="https://www.madebyteachers.com/products/populations-in-ecosystems-lesson-plan-ngss-ms-ls2-1-and-ms-ls2-4-with-snow-crabs/" target="_blank">Snow Crab Lesson on Made by Teachers</a></li></ul></div><div><i>Are you a middle school science teacher? <a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter!</a> You'll get a free science resource just for joining.</i></div><p></p>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-13441067022096006472022-08-11T09:41:00.008-07:002022-08-15T13:26:54.458-07:00Free Middle School Science Activities, Worksheets, Interactive Notebook Pages, and More!<h1 style="text-align: left;">FREE Middle School Science Resources</h1><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4xKhcr7UI4AS-wa7N09_vSbHhhFr0Vf2cw1iFmHuBwolOnYWnMJkySYpppcEaEXZAgbCYSzt_RG5FsoJUsghna334_YpWNmBPktzl0pSqruZMY8shUIFEYtoywZ6fcacuzlH-1ExYU7zFgJK8kG0dPY1OTU19WdMDTnblKLsVnT03c0gOr9Wqkzt/s1056/freesciencelessons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="672" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4xKhcr7UI4AS-wa7N09_vSbHhhFr0Vf2cw1iFmHuBwolOnYWnMJkySYpppcEaEXZAgbCYSzt_RG5FsoJUsghna334_YpWNmBPktzl0pSqruZMY8shUIFEYtoywZ6fcacuzlH-1ExYU7zFgJK8kG0dPY1OTU19WdMDTnblKLsVnT03c0gOr9Wqkzt/s320/freesciencelessons.png" width="204" /></a></div><br />Hello middle school science teachers! Are you looking for <i>free </i>science worksheets? How about some free science posters and activities? Here is my collection of free resources about the scientific method, genetics, the human body, physical science, measurement, data analysis, and more! I created them with seventh grade science in mind, but these resources will work perfectly for other grades as well. Look below to find some great resources for your science classroom. Click on the links to download. Enjoy :)<p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Data Analysis</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Analyzing-Data-Interpreting-Graphs-Digital-Task-Cards-for-BOOM-Learning-5960548?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGdataboom22" target="_blank">Free Analyzing Data and Interpreting Graphs Digital Task Cards Boom Deck</a>: Use these digital task cards to practice interpreting data from pie charts, line graphs, and bar graphs. You can also use it as a fun way to assess what students understand about reading graphs. Unfamiliar with Boom Learning? <i><a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2020/09/three-ways-to-use-boom-decks-for-free.html" target="_blank">Learn more about how to use Boom for free in your classroom.</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Analyzing-Data-Worksheet-Average-Global-Temperatures-in-the-21st-Century-5279285?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGdatawkst22" target="_blank">Free Analyzing Data Worksheet: Average Global Temperatures in the 21st Century</a>: This worksheet will give your students practice analyzing data and interpreting a line graph. It uses temperature data about climate change available from NASA. Students will examine twenty years of real average global temperatures to answer the questions on the worksheet. It can be used in science, social studies, or math classes. Use the worksheet as an in-class assignment, homework, or a substitute plan.</li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Genetics</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Genetics-Vocabulary-BOOM-Deck-Digital-Task-Cards-for-Middle-School-Science-6496091?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGgenboom22" target="_blank">Free Genetics Vocabulary Boom Deck</a>: Students use these digital task cards on the Boom Learning site to practice the definitions of genotype, phenotype, dominant, recessive, homozygous, and heterozygous. All cards are multiple choice or click the correct response. Use this versatile deck as a preassessment, homework assignment, review, or assessment. </li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Genotype-and-Phenotype-Punnett-Square-Worksheet-FREEBIE-2120594?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGhalloweengen22" target="_blank">Free Halloween Genotype and Phenotype Punnett Square Worksheet</a>: Celebrate Halloween in your science classroom with this fun Halloween monsters worksheet! Your students will create Punnett squares to determine the likelihood of certain genotypes and phenotypes in monsters.</li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-Monohybrid-Crosses-Punnett-Square-Worksheet-FREEBIE-3049107?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGstpatsgen22" target="_blank">Free St. Patrick's Day Monohybrid Crosses Punnett Square Worksheet</a>: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in science with this genetics worksheet featuring leprechauns. Your students will use monohybrid Punnett squares to find the percent chance of different genotypes and phenotypes. Students will need a working knowledge of words like heterozygous, homozygous, hybrid, and purebred. The questions on the worksheet are arranged from easiest to most challenging.</li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Holiday-Genetics-Punnett-Square-Worksheet-FREEBIE-2243305?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGxmasgen22" target="_blank">Free Winter Holiday Genetics Punnett Square Worksheet</a>: Students find the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring of winter holiday characters like Santa and Mrs. Claus, Rudolf, and elves. This one page worksheet can be used as practice in class or as a homework assignment. A key is included.</li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Human Body</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Human-Body-Systems-Organ-Systems-Warm-ups-or-Bell-Ringers-FREE-SAMPLE-Pack-4597695?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGorganwarmups22" target="_blank">Free Body Systems Bell Ringers</a>: This set has six warm-up cards, one from each of the following organ systems: nervous, circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, and digestive systems. Use these warm-up cards as bell ringers, task cards, or stations. They're perfectly sized to fit in science interactive notebooks!</li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Human-Body-Systems-Informational-Paragraph-Posters-1660135?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGbodyposters22" target="_blank">Free Body Systems Informational Posters</a>: Use these colorful posters to decorate your science classroom during your unit on the human body. The organ systems included are the digestive, muscular, skeletal, nervous, respiratory, and circulatory systems.</li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Homeostasis-Reading-Worksheet-Introduction-to-Homeostasis-4375334?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGhomeostasis22" target="_blank">Free Homeostasis Worksheet</a>: This one-page worksheet will introduce your middle school or upper elementary science students to homeostasis with a short reading passage and a question set about homeostasis. <i><a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2022/05/homeostasislessonplanideas.html" target="_blank">Get lesson plan ideas for teaching homeostasis.</a></i> </li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Levels-of-Organization-Tissues-Vocabulary-Game-Cards-for-Human-Body-Units-7380703?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGlvlorggamecards22" target="_blank">Free Levels of Organization & Tissues Vocabulary Game Cards</a>: Use this set of eight differentiated science vocabulary game cards in your human body unit to review and reinforce terms related to the levels of organization in the human body and the four basic types of tissue. The cards can be used in many ways throughout your lessons; nine ideas for use are included. The eight included vocabulary cards are cell, tissue, organ, organ system, epithelial tissue, nervous tissue, muscle tissue, and connective tissue. <i><a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2021/11/middle-school-science-vocabulary.html" target="_blank">Learn more about vocabulary review activities.</a></i></li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Measurement</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Density-Interactive-Notebook-Page-FREEBIE-3502586?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGdensityINB22" target="_blank">Free Density Science Interactive Notebook Page</a>: Students practice the relationship between mass, volume, and density in this INB page perfectly sized to fit in composition notebooks. An answer key is provided. </li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Liquid-Volume-Measuring-with-30-mL-Graduated-Cylinders-FREE-Worksheet-6922176?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGgcwkst22" target="_blank">Free Liquid Volume Graduated Cylinders Worksheet</a>: Give your students practice measuring liquid volume in 30 mL graduated cylinders. Students record the volume of liquid in graduated cylinders and shade the graduated cylinders to show specific volumes. The graduated cylinders in this worksheet show liquid with a meniscus instead of a straight line.</li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Physical Science</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Heterogeneous-Homogeneous-Mixtures-Winter-Holiday-Candy-Sorting-Activity-3487122?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGwintermixtures22" target="_blank">Free Heterogeneous & Homogeneous Mixtures Winter Holiday Activity</a>: Use this activity to introduce, practice, or review heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures while celebrating the winter holidays. Students classify candy into groups of mixtures and discuss why each candy is heterogeneous or homogeneous. The activity can be used with or without candy. If teachers choose to use the activity without candy, students can write their favorite candies on the included blank candy cards.</li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/States-of-Matter-Odd-One-Out-Worksheet-FREEBIE-5529074?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGmatterodd1out22" target="_blank">Free States of Matter Odd One Out Worksheet</a>: This one page worksheet will give your students practice with the states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas). It involves critical thinking skills and will challenge your students. The questions are arranged from easiest to hardest. <i><a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2017/01/odd-one-out-strategy-to-get-students.html" target="_blank">Learn more about how to challenge your students' critical thinking skills with Odd One Out Worksheets.</a></i></li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Scientific Method</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constants-Controlled-Variables-Exit-Ticket-Free-Scientific-Method-Assessment-2112726?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGconstantsET22" target="_blank">Free Constants (Controlled Variables) Exit Ticket</a>: Use this quick four question assessment to determine student understanding of what a constant is, why constants are important, and how to identify constants in experiments. The questions are all multiple choice. Multiple printing options are included. </li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Qualitative-and-Quantitative-Observations-Activity-The-Scientific-Method-1393612?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGqqactivity22" target="_blank">Free Qualitative and Quantitative Observations Activity</a>: This activity gives students a chance to review qualitative and quantitative observations and then work together to practice identifying each type of observation with everyday objects. The objects can be anything the teacher has available in the classroom. </li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Variables-Hypotheses-Practice-All-Star-Coloring-Worksheet-FREEBIE-3701369?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGvariablescoloring22" target="_blank">Free Variables and Hypotheses Coloring Worksheet</a>: Practice the scientific method with this sports-themed coloring worksheet. This worksheet gives your students practice with independent variables, dependent variables, and hypotheses. Students read scientific questions and identify variables by coloring stars. Then they write hypotheses. <i><a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2018/07/how-to-teach-scientific-method-to-7th.html" target="_blank">Get ideas about how to teach the scientific method to your students.</a></i></li><li><a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Newsletter signup freebie</a>: Become an email subscriber to get this exclusive scientific method freebie.</li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Miscellaneous—Use in any grade and subject area</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homework-Pass-Reward-A-Behavioral-Incentive-for-All-Subjects-and-Grade-Levels-1391811?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGhwpass22" target="_blank">Free Homework Pass</a>: Use these homework passes as a way to reward good student behavior. A black and white and colored version are both included. There are ten homework passes per page to reduce printing time and paper waste.</li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Interactive-Notebook-Grading-Check-in-English-and-Spanish-1401651?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGinbcheck22" target="_blank">Free Interactive Notebook Grading Rubric in English and Spanish</a>: This quick and easy grading rubric allows teachers to grade interactive notebooks at a glance. Use it to grade students on their table of contents, completion of daily work, page numbers, completed glossary, and overall neatness and organization. <i><a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-set-up-interactive-notebook-in.html" target="_blank">Read about the best way to set up interactive notebooks in your classroom.</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Student-Goal-Posters-Freebie-2225453?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FBLOGgoalposters22" target="_blank">Free Student Goal Posters</a>: Use these student goal posters to get students thinking about what they want to be when they grow up and how your class can help them reach their goal.</li></ul><p></p><p>Thank you for checking out my free science resources! I hope they help make your teaching life easier. Have a great year teaching middle school science! </p>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-86154563060428272232022-05-05T14:57:00.002-07:002022-08-15T13:27:06.724-07:00Homeostasis Lesson Plans: How to Teach Homeostasis to Middle School Students<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifRt-VaCo3sYpIHeWJ6F5ftVQvf6bwRAoJQNmvCLSfQj9mtWlhXTjjGEovZ6ZuWA9eUB6kl-zg3cH-GIJtIxfdImtoib8x57mbTLU4zgIVVtpsjGgA9sLHNFIUT_jORUXY_86y14B6mtpEl09NMHf2VftwAenwTeHY1FbflNAays1nR0N7XjaImSZ/s2048/homeostasislesson.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifRt-VaCo3sYpIHeWJ6F5ftVQvf6bwRAoJQNmvCLSfQj9mtWlhXTjjGEovZ6ZuWA9eUB6kl-zg3cH-GIJtIxfdImtoib8x57mbTLU4zgIVVtpsjGgA9sLHNFIUT_jORUXY_86y14B6mtpEl09NMHf2VftwAenwTeHY1FbflNAays1nR0N7XjaImSZ/w266-h400/homeostasislesson.png" width="266" /></a></div>I always enjoyed teaching homeostasis to my seventh grade science students. It was a quick unit perfect for including activities and projects. In the hopes of making your teaching life easier and saving you planning time, I’m going to break down my unit to give you some ideas for teaching homeostasis in your own classroom. Before you go, be sure to download the free homeostasis worksheet found in the homework section below.<p></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Standards</h1><div>Depending on your location and the grade level of the students you teach, you might be using one of the following standards.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">NGSS HS-LS1-3</h4><div>Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis. Examples of investigations could include heart rate response to exercise, stomate response to moisture and temperature, and root development in response to water levels. Assessment does not include the cellular processes involved in the feedback mechanism.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">TEKS SCI.7.13</h4><div>Knowledge & Skill Statement - 7.13: The student knows that a living organism must be able to maintain balance in stable internal conditions in response to external and internal stimuli. The student is expected to:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Student Expectation - 7.13A: Investigate how organisms respond to external stimuli found in the environment such as phototropism and fight or flight.</li><li>Student Expectation - 7.13B: Describe and relate responses in organisms that may result from internal stimuli such as wilting in plants and fever or vomiting in animals that allow them to maintain balance.</li></ul></div><div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Student Objectives</h1><div>Below you’ll find some of the homeostasis objectives I have used in my seventh grade science classroom.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Students will be able to define homeostasis.</li><li>Students will be able to list examples of homeostasis and explain how those examples demonstrate homeostasis.</li><li>Students will be able to analyze a graph or data set showing homeostasis.</li><li>Students will be able to conclude what happens when an organism does not have homeostasis. </li></ul></div></div><div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Why should students learn about homeostasis?</h1><div>Something I always like to include at the beginning of a new unit is the rationale for learning about something. I find that <a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/11/including-why-piece-in-your-lessons.html" target="_blank">including “why” increases student participation and engagement</a>. For homeostasis, we discuss that each of our bodies use homeostasis all day, every day. Students should know about homeostasis so they can keep their bodies healthy and understand how their choices can directly impact their health.</div></div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Unit Length</h1><p>I generally spend about a week on homeostasis. I’ve taught homeostasis in a variety of school schedules—90 minute block classes, 45 minute classes, 50 minute classes, etc. In order to give you a timeline of how I teach homeostasis, I’m going to break down how I teach homeostasis during a week of five classes that are each fifty minutes long. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Day 1: Homeostasis introduction and notes</li><li>Day 2: Homeostasis activity and discussion</li><li>Day 3: Homeostasis activity with graphing component </li><li>Day 4: Begin homeostasis project</li><li>Day 5: Continue homeostasis project and assessment</li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishQUImD1eclxlySWSKyUq2YbvcNE_4ZP4pWjOWgFv35JitE79OTCPpngV74MXJaaTVbn7xYw5QkH2xob6-z-mfLgP-Wuh7orqHcIRehlJvPY7dDauJya3LIkYAfPQ-U33fDZqq_BAHA3xQlp6ZvBNIGDuzT85b-0cAg9mnRmk5tpMWgx9RiRoDVf2/s2048/homeostasislessonplan7thgrade.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishQUImD1eclxlySWSKyUq2YbvcNE_4ZP4pWjOWgFv35JitE79OTCPpngV74MXJaaTVbn7xYw5QkH2xob6-z-mfLgP-Wuh7orqHcIRehlJvPY7dDauJya3LIkYAfPQ-U33fDZqq_BAHA3xQlp6ZvBNIGDuzT85b-0cAg9mnRmk5tpMWgx9RiRoDVf2/w400-h300/homeostasislessonplan7thgrade.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div><h1 style="text-align: left;">A Detailed Look at Each Day</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Day 1</h2><div>I start almost all of my classes with a bellringer students complete on their own. It keeps students busy while I do things like take attendance and address matters with individual students. On day one of our homeostasis unit, my students complete a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Bell-Ringers-or-Warm-Ups-for-Middle-School-Science-8010076?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISBELLRINGERSmay22" target="_blank">homeostasis bellringer</a> to see what they already know. Example questions for day one’s bellringer might involve predicting the meaning of homeostasis and explaining whether or not they think shivering has a purpose. After quickly discussing student answers, we start our unit by sharing objectives and the rationale for learning about homeostasis. The remainder of the class period is spent taking notes about homeostasis. I use a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-PowerPoint-and-Guided-Notes-1450592?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISPPTINBpgsmay22" target="_blank">homeostasis PowerPoint and guided interactive notebook pages</a>. At the end of class, we glue our notes in our interactive science notebooks and have a quick review of the day’s material. (If you’re new to interactive notebooks, please <a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-set-up-interactive-notebook-in.html" target="_blank">check out this INB how-to guide and download a free INB check</a>.)</div></div><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Day 2</h2><div>Once again, students complete a bellringer on their own (this time reviewing or reflecting on the previous day’s material) and discuss it together as a class. Then it’s activity time! My students and I love the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Activities-1449019?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISACTIVITIESmay22" target="_blank">two activities we do for homeostasis</a>. Students love the activities because they can get out of their seats and make meaningful connections with the content. I love the activities because they don’t require any prep time and supplies are minimal and readily available. Perfect! On this day of our homeostasis unit, we complete the shorter of the two activities. It typically lasts between 20-30 minutes. This activity involves students balancing on one foot, discussing the experience as a class, and linking it with homeostasis. We finish the day with a homework assignment that students can begin in class and finish at home. (Check out the homework section below for ideas.)</div></div><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Day 3</h2><div>Students hand in their homework from the previous day. This is the rare day in class when we do not do a bellringer because we’ll likely need the whole class period for the day’s activity. This <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Activities-1449019?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISACTIVITIESmay22" target="_blank">homeostasis activity</a> involves finding resting heartrates and tracking the heartrate changes that come with and after exercise. One thing that surprised me the first time we did this activity was the struggle students had locating their pulse the first time, so be sure to account for that in your lesson planning. For the activity, students are up doing jumping jacks or running in place. Then they record, graph, and analyze how their heartrate changes in the minutes after exercise. (I love including graphing and data analysis in lessons as often as I can and have a whole lot of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Elly-Thorsen/Category/Analyzing-Data-and-Graphs-401331?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=GRAPHDATAmay22fromhomeostasis" target="_blank">data analysis and graph interpretation resources</a> in my store.)</div></div><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Day 4</h2><div>We start this day with a bellringer; this time I ask students to dig a little deeper into homeostasis. If your students are familiar with organ systems, now is a great time to tie in homeostasis with an organ system’s function. (For example: How does the respiratory system demonstrate homeostasis?) After we discuss bellringer answers, we begin a creative homeostasis project. I’ve tried two different projects with my students. My artsy students especially enjoy the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Comic-Project-4363771?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISCOMICmay22" target="_blank">homeostasis comic project</a>. I provide clear guidelines and a rubric for them to follow so the comic is as rigorous as it is creative. Another thing I’ve tried with students is a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Brochure-Project-5183774?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISBROCHUREmay22" target="_blank">homeostasis brochure project</a>. The brochure has more in-depth requirements than the comic. I like to use the brochure with advanced classes or students who need a challenge. However, I make each project worth the same amount of points, so allowing students to make their own decision about which project they want to tackle can be a possibility. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ibwJR9aEBBYGqRrcaKG0-LGqbwBSJ29eCYPZmlxBkwFQE2EZcezFThwl-mAVKb6xpmDhq5Ow0fe288Bk-_q51eqaGPvIqdwaE_kF5ZZxn5SpsQaf_pmLeQ1f4GWOaC2jYI063GiQRAob_2LpFpzrVBlHL5rlEAPkO2MzJ0ynRSQM7m4b3LXHt63W/s2048/design%20(67).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ibwJR9aEBBYGqRrcaKG0-LGqbwBSJ29eCYPZmlxBkwFQE2EZcezFThwl-mAVKb6xpmDhq5Ow0fe288Bk-_q51eqaGPvIqdwaE_kF5ZZxn5SpsQaf_pmLeQ1f4GWOaC2jYI063GiQRAob_2LpFpzrVBlHL5rlEAPkO2MzJ0ynRSQM7m4b3LXHt63W/s320/design%20(67).png" width="213" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AOwUsUdaRKjRBBOJtOKtKAMblx-JKQadyS8zkcFUAmegx2J3TivzLIJFRua5fk2rZU8gP91Tvr2x8cruyEGcgjSdp1mGdldZaQ3mMIASjxgcL9L3MK533q1-FS9KRYpYYw-L2NuUEb1vRnadMu2bqtp5ZvB5uGXn5BlBENK7hkgv30VP0MZfrZwh/s2048/design%20-%202020-01-21T132408.346.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AOwUsUdaRKjRBBOJtOKtKAMblx-JKQadyS8zkcFUAmegx2J3TivzLIJFRua5fk2rZU8gP91Tvr2x8cruyEGcgjSdp1mGdldZaQ3mMIASjxgcL9L3MK533q1-FS9KRYpYYw-L2NuUEb1vRnadMu2bqtp5ZvB5uGXn5BlBENK7hkgv30VP0MZfrZwh/s320/design%20-%202020-01-21T132408.346.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Day 5</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALnC9LUl_RyEhEB6R0LlXnQiGEgApuCCXMhE9vgNodOgjPcrGmFBPom8zSLYXtpBEV1_0MKyaajuSHFgjpEevd5IEdpB8TD-n_Z7px0kS_mP-iCwz-SR9H_BXS89_aI0TZwLZlXJWWCT0PCgb00sgpLoIB4S88RyRKB0b5NbsVcR7TI0sBBJIYji_/s2048/design%20(5).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALnC9LUl_RyEhEB6R0LlXnQiGEgApuCCXMhE9vgNodOgjPcrGmFBPom8zSLYXtpBEV1_0MKyaajuSHFgjpEevd5IEdpB8TD-n_Z7px0kS_mP-iCwz-SR9H_BXS89_aI0TZwLZlXJWWCT0PCgb00sgpLoIB4S88RyRKB0b5NbsVcR7TI0sBBJIYji_/s320/design%20(5).png" width="213" /></a></div>Today’s bellringer asks students to consider when they’ve experienced homeostasis in their own lives. Once we’ve discussed answers as a class, the students continue working on the homeostasis projects they began the day before. We all know that students work at different rates. Students who need more than the two provided class periods are allowed to have the weekend to finish their projects. We finish the class period with a quick <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Quiz-1450601?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISEXITTICKETmay22" target="_blank">homeostasis quiz</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Depending on the results of the assessment, we either move on to the next unit after the weekend or we may spend an extra day going over homeostasis. If an additional day is needed, students might spend time providing feedback on one another’s homeostasis projects and/or completing one of the homework options below.</div></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Homeostasis Homework Options</h1><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Reading-Worksheet-FREEBIE-Introduction-to-Homeostasis-4375334?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FREEHOMEOSTASISwkstmay22" target="_blank">Free Homeostasis Reading Worksheet</a>: Here’s a free worksheet I use with my students. It is perfect to introduce homeostasis or reinforce the material at the beginning of the unit. It also makes a great homework assignment for students who were absent on the day you introduced homeostasis. </li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Homework-1448874?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISPRACTICEwkstmay22" target="_blank">Homeostasis Practice Sheet</a>: This is my favorite homeostasis homework assignment because students answer with both writing and drawing, plus it’s at a level that works for most of my students. It asks students to identify examples of homeostasis, draw those examples, and explain why they are examples of homeostasis. </li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Analyzing-Data-Heart-Rate-Line-Graph-Worksheet-for-Homeostasis-or-Body-Systems-5161743?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISDATAwkstmay22" target="_blank">Analyzing Data Heart Rate Worksheet</a>: Remember when I said I like to bring in data analysis whenever I can? This is a line graph worksheet I use with homeostasis, the circulatory system, or around Valentine’s Day.</li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Odd-One-Out-Worksheet-5164744?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISODD1OUTmay22" target="_blank">Homeostasis Odd One Out Worksheet</a>: I reserve this worksheet for my more advanced classes or students. You may choose to go into more detail in your homeostasis unit by including internal and external stimuli. If so, then this worksheet will likely be a good fit for your students. My Odd One Out Worksheets promote critical thinking by asking students to examine four options and consider which option isn’t in line with the others. <a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2017/01/odd-one-out-strategy-to-get-students.html" target="_blank">(Click here to learn more about how to use this questioning strategy in your classroom.)</a></li></ul></div></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Where to Get Homeostasis Resources</h1><div>I hope this blog post helped you plan your homeostasis unit. All of the resources I mentioned can be purchased in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. My discounted <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Package-1450609?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISBUNDLEmay22" target="_blank">Homeostasis Bundle</a> has everything you need to teach your unit and will save you so much planning time. Check it out! And thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Homeostasis-Package-1450609?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=HOMEOSTASISBUNDLEmay22" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYftIKGUJGzEgq2crKwqEhn7M0Dl7Zi_4Ln3Yk72_fdqPNk2eFU_ANVcaANRvz-JNY8tcCXqVsvtrqyj5FkuQ22VdHZjosqz4pk4RRvAYAlgIJIQ-5mI5JEqARlxsofM-pB53XjjupWXpZSp8qP-Df_L76VxK2edbHLQUO0WSlDl66yrTjNRE16MlU/w400-h400/homeostasisPACKAGECOVERlg.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Are you a middle school science teacher? <a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter!</a> You'll get a free science resource just for joining.</div>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-28371778758385260302021-11-18T12:29:00.006-08:002022-08-15T13:27:18.782-07:00Middle School Science Vocabulary Activity: A Fun and Effective Strategy to Practice Science Words<p>Let’s face it: middle school students must tackle a lot of science vocabulary words if they are to fully grasp what they’re learning in class. And learning new vocabulary words can be…dry. How do you teach vocabulary in middle school science? How do you make science vocabulary fun? One of my most effective strategies for teaching middle school science vocabulary is with game cards. They are easy, require little prep from the teacher, and can be used in tons of ways to fit different needs and timeframes. Plus, they are perfect for differentiation. Read on to learn how you can implement this vocabulary activity in your classroom (and get a free middle school science vocabulary PDF).</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What do the vocabulary game cards look like?</h2><p>Each card has a word or phrase in a box on the top of the card. Related words and phrases are listed under the box. Seem familiar? The game Taboo has a similar layout.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE81G1E3ldmtsbnW7KSlc6R2qcGabhGIPVOYAe1pbDiU_tKX9vv7jhVM1hK5v86dBxDvWe_hhqOUOO5StlYzfegRl9LD8YxGyYVV21ueMuqLfF6z9zI9vd1JO5kpMYverc9PQ70WaSAI/s960/science+vocabulary+activities.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitE81G1E3ldmtsbnW7KSlc6R2qcGabhGIPVOYAe1pbDiU_tKX9vv7jhVM1hK5v86dBxDvWe_hhqOUOO5StlYzfegRl9LD8YxGyYVV21ueMuqLfF6z9zI9vd1JO5kpMYverc9PQ70WaSAI/w400-h300/science+vocabulary+activities.png" width="400" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">How do we play this game?</h2><p>The objective of the game is for card-readers to get the players to guess the word or phrase in the box at the top of the card. The rule is that the card-reader cannot say any form of the words listed under the box. (Some people call these listed words the “taboo” words.) Other rules can be added if you want. Some rules you might consider are adding time limits, deciding whether or not skipping a card is allowed, prohibiting all gesturing, or seeing how many cards can be correctly guessed within a certain amount of time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWZlVwnmA6GPKs5oWSiddMUIB8MHi5svbImbCGHpoGwOb_YJMSOEKNeUPVJQhT4hr97PDE3_pU8fh2it_6TWd3HHMWMR0s3jG7-q4tnrS2tnHlNZfTXhgDFBvfhrONzvz3m2_mAGNOkc/s1141/science+vocabulary+game+card.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="1141" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWZlVwnmA6GPKs5oWSiddMUIB8MHi5svbImbCGHpoGwOb_YJMSOEKNeUPVJQhT4hr97PDE3_pU8fh2it_6TWd3HHMWMR0s3jG7-q4tnrS2tnHlNZfTXhgDFBvfhrONzvz3m2_mAGNOkc/w400-h240/science+vocabulary+game+card.png" width="400" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">How can you use these cards as a vocabulary activity? </h2><p>There are <i>so many </i>ways you can use these game cards beyond just the typical Taboo game you've likely played in the past! Here are some ideas for how to use them with your students:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pull out these cards in the spare minutes at the end of a lesson to review as a whole class. You can provide the clues to the students as the card-reader, or students can volunteer to be the card-reader. In most classes you will have plenty of volunteers who love having the role of card-reader. (This is my favorite way to use them with my students.)</li><li>Review content by using a few cards as a warmup or bell ringer at the beginning of class. </li><li>Go through the whole deck before a test for a fun review game.</li><li>Students can work with a partner to play the cards in the deck together.</li><li>Use these cards as a science center option.</li><li>Students can work with their tablemates or in small groups to play the cards in the deck together.</li><li>Show a card with only one or two listed "taboo" words and have students list additional words in their interactive notebooks. Then discuss their answers. </li><li>State the boxed vocabulary word on a card that has four or five listed "taboo" words. Have each student write a list of "taboo" words for the word you stated. Students who correctly list the "taboo" words that appear on your card get a small prize. </li><li>Students can be assigned a vocabulary word and make their own cards.</li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How can these cards be differentiated?</h2><p>Make these cards more challenging by adding to the list of “taboo” words under the boxed word. Four or five listed words is an appropriate amount for your more advanced students. Reduce the difficulty level by removing some of the listed words. Try three “taboo” words for students who have a fair understanding of the topic or just one or two words for students who need more support.</p><p>I’ve created many vocabulary game cards for my students, and I now offer the card sets in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Each of my cards comes in four levels of differentiation so teachers can choose the level of difficulty best for their students and print accordingly. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Where can I get a free set for my classroom?</h2><p>Want to see if this science vocabulary activity will be a hit with your students? <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Levels-of-Organization-Tissues-Vocabulary-Game-Cards-for-Human-Body-Units-7380703?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FREEvocabgamecardsNov21" target="_blank">Here is a free middle school science vocabulary PDF.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Levels-of-Organization-Tissues-Vocabulary-Game-Cards-for-Human-Body-Units-7380703?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FREEvocabgamecardsNov21" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXziN1Mi6AdzvKbqAbEuwG2aHEMT8h0pd2TItF9mqgWkFxQAJie4TG7my7N1j0yZMuuU1FMQmKkBJfzdXvWv7yoqx5ttJUNd3sCp2ZjL88DETzrCqwbi29cWTBN8J8MQmMLcasxW8tlto/s320/organizationtissuefreevocabgameCOVER.png" width="320" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Save yourself time and get premade game cards!</h2><div>I have many differentiated vocabulary game cards in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Elly-Thorsen/Category/Vocabulary-Game-Cards-547503?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=VOCABCARDSnov21" target="_blank">Check out all of my vocabulary game cards.</a> Here are some of the available topics below:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Human-Body-Organ-Systems-Vocabulary-Game-Cards-Bundle-for-Middle-School-Science-7380380?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=ORGANSYSTEMSvocabcardsNOV21" target="_blank">Human Body Organ Systems</a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Genetics-and-Heredity-Vocabulary-Game-Cards-Activity-for-Science-7242895?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=GENETICSgamecardsNov21" target="_blank">Genetics and Heredity</a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Physical-Science-Game-Cards-Vocabulary-Activity-BUNDLE-Chemistry-and-Matter-7164916?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=PHYSSCIgamecardsNov21" target="_blank">Physical Science</a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Measurement-Tools-and-Metric-Units-Vocabulary-Game-Cards-for-Science-7233674?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=MEASUREMENTgamecards21" target="_blank">Measurement Tools and Metric System</a></li><li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scientific-Method-Game-Cards-for-Science-Vocabulary-Review-Activities-7144526?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SCIMETHODgamecards21" target="_blank">Scientific Method</a></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for reading my blog post! I hope you and your students enjoy using these cards in your classroom as much as I do!</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a middle school science teacher, you might be interested in my email list. <a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe.</a> Just for signing up you'll receive an exclusive freebie you can't get anywhere else. </div>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-6584910746550265722020-09-16T16:22:00.004-07:002022-08-15T13:27:27.207-07:00Three Ways to Use Boom Decks for Free Without Paying for a Subscription<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka8ph0P8o6N2_7fPfLyylG-Dohv4VFCX01UmPARQhI6PqAr1zvrZPtnxiWMhsLhuUt-wQDFAg0i9FfRQ9Y2ESFZKfyhifobll8hs6WgKKQ4qSG_62i73IyQPz6-BSteK_omPaSDltE3M/s2048/how+to+use+boom+decks+for+free.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka8ph0P8o6N2_7fPfLyylG-Dohv4VFCX01UmPARQhI6PqAr1zvrZPtnxiWMhsLhuUt-wQDFAg0i9FfRQ9Y2ESFZKfyhifobll8hs6WgKKQ4qSG_62i73IyQPz6-BSteK_omPaSDltE3M/s320/how+to+use+boom+decks+for+free.png" /></a></div>Teachers are learning about all sorts of distance learning options in 2020, and many teachers are discovering BOOM Learning for the first time. BOOM is a great distance learning option and a fun way for your students to practice and assess what they know about a topic. For teachers who haven’t yet been introduced to Boom Cards, they are digital task cards that can be used on any device that is connected to the internet (interactive whiteboards, iPads, Chromebooks, tablets, smartphones, etc.). <p></p><p>Since Boom Decks are used on the BOOM Learning website, teachers are encouraged to buy a yearly BOOM subscription. Understandably, not all teachers want to shell out money for this. Well, I’m here to explain three ways to use Boom Decks without paying for a subscription. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Three Ways to Use Boom Learning for Free</h2><p>Teachers can use their Boom Decks for free using Fast Pins, a free trial subscription, or on interactive whiteboards. To use BOOM, you do have to have an account on the BOOM website, but this is just so you can access your Boom Decks. There are different membership levels you can choose, but you can still use your Boom Decks without paying for one of the upgraded memberships.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Option 1: Fast Pins</u></h3><p>My favorite free way to use Boom Decks is what’s called “Fast Pins.” To use Fast Pins, you create a link and give that link to your students. It is quick and easy and gives an unlimited number of your students access to play a deck. </p><p><i>Directions to Create a Fast Pin:</i></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Sign in to the Boom website.</li><li>Go to the Library tab.</li><li>Find the deck you want and click on the blue Action button.</li><li>From the list of options, click on Fast Pin.</li><li>Click on Generate Pin.</li><li>Copy the link that you created. </li><li>Give that link to your students. They can open the link and play through the Boom Deck immediately. </li></ol><p></p><p>Here is a How To video showing how to create Fast Pins. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="362" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_RiyoP9VQig" width="482" youtube-src-id="_RiyoP9VQig"></iframe></div><p><b><i>Pros:</i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It’s free!</li><li>It is quick and easy. </li><li>You don’t have to spend time creating student accounts or keep track of student usernames/passwords. </li><li>Students can use it wherever, whenever, and on their own devices at home or in centers/stations in class.</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i>Cons:</i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Your created link expires in fourteen days, so after that amount of time you will have to create a link again. It’s not a big deal, but it can be annoying.</li><li>The scores of your students are not recorded for you as they would be if you had a subscription. However, you can have your students record their own scores and report their scores to you. Or students can keep track of their own progress in their <a href="https://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-set-up-interactive-notebook-in.html" target="_blank">interactive notebooks</a>. </li></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u>Option 2: Free Trial</u></h3><p>BOOM offers a free trial for new users. So, if you have never used BOOM before, you can have a three month* free trial of a premium account. More information about the free trial is on the BOOM Learning website. *Note: When I made this blog post the free trial was for three months. The length of the free trial has varied in the past, so it may change again. <a href="https://boomlearning.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/16000084433-special-promotion" target="_blank">Click here for the most up-to-date information about Boom’s free trials.</a></p><p><b><i>Pros: </i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You have full access to what BOOM has to offer.</li><li>Your students can have their own accounts and their scores will be recorded for you whenever they use a Boom Deck. </li></ul><p></p><p><b><i>Cons:</i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Eventually, your free trial will expire. At that point you’ll either have to start paying or delete your student accounts. </li><li>There is a limit to the number of students you can have. Last time I checked it was 150 students. I don’t know about you, but most years I have had 200+ students so this option doesn’t work for me.</li></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Option 3: Interactive Whiteboard</h3><p>If you are teaching in-person classes, you can play through the Boom Decks together as a class on your interactive whiteboard. Just open the Boom Deck you need and use it as a bell ringer, review, pre-assessment, or whatever. </p><p><b><i>Pros: </i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It’s free!</li><li>Your students can all learn together at the same pace.</li><li>Interactive whiteboards can be used in a variety of ways.</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i>Cons:</i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It’s not individualized for the students, and they can’t work at their own pace.</li><li>Hello? We’re in a pandemic and not much in-person learning is taking place, so students obviously aren’t clustered together staring at the same interactive whiteboard.</li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Do you use BOOM in your class?</h2><div>How do you use Boom Decks with your students? Do you have a paid BOOM subscription or do you prefer to use one of the free methods listed above? Share how you use BOOM in the comment section!</div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">Middle School Science Teachers: Are you looking for Boom Decks?</h2><div><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Elly-Thorsen/Category/BOOM-Learning-450984?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SCIENCEBOOMCARDS" target="_blank">I have a variety of science Boom Decks in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.</a> Currently, there are scientific method topics, physical science topics, and data analysis Boom Decks. I make new decks often, and if there is a topic you are wanting, please let me know in the comments section. Here is one of the Boom Decks in my store:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UMc5dfr326k" width="481" youtube-src-id="UMc5dfr326k"></iframe></div><br /><div>***<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Analyzing-Data-Interpreting-Graphs-Digital-Task-Cards-for-BOOM-Learning-5960548?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FREEDATABOOM" target="_blank">Try out this Data Analysis and Graph Interpretation Boom Deck for free!</a></div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a middle school science teacher, you might be interested in my email list. <b><u><a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe.</a></u></b> Just for signing up you'll receive an exclusive freebie you can't get anywhere else. Thanks for reading my blog!</div>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-44691476605288929132019-09-19T08:48:00.000-07:002019-09-19T08:48:50.509-07:00Changes in States of Matter: A Demonstration for Your Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLePNJqhL_dwHyOMU4UvkTfusnt81-S86MaVeKFR7ZIS5-5SYBclW6YJJUTd5GVUAp_WYZJIMnW1Sf1UYfDfRrwRFOveVoMoerpyi_hRCQDPd856fEMaL-Sang8mtS3bDuTeVKDZVljt8/s1600/design+-+2019-09-18T143816.288.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLePNJqhL_dwHyOMU4UvkTfusnt81-S86MaVeKFR7ZIS5-5SYBclW6YJJUTd5GVUAp_WYZJIMnW1Sf1UYfDfRrwRFOveVoMoerpyi_hRCQDPd856fEMaL-Sang8mtS3bDuTeVKDZVljt8/s400/design+-+2019-09-18T143816.288.png" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a one gallon milk jug after the activity.<br />
It's all caved in now!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back when I taught seventh grade science, I always used this demonstration in my changes in states of matter unit. I liked it because it was easy, didn’t require many supplies, needed very little prep work, the students enjoyed it, and it got my students thinking and talking about the changes in states of matter. Can’t beat that right?<br />
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<h2>
Activity Overview:</h2>
In this changes in states of matter activity, boiling water is added to an empty milk carton. Once sealed, the milk carton significantly contracts and crumples in on itself. The activity shows students two changes in states of matter (vaporization and condensation), and with the right questions, it gets your students thinking about and discussing particle movement in the different states. If done as a demonstration, it takes approximately one 45 minute class period. If done as an experiment, it could take two 45 minute class periods.<br />
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<h2>
Needed Supplies:</h2>
One of the best things about this activity is that it requires minimal supplies and all of those supplies are inexpensive and easy to find. Here’s what you need:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><span style="color: purple;">An empty one gallon milk carton with its lid:</span></b> While it’s possible to use other containers and container sizes, I recommend using a regular ol’ plastic gallon size dairy milk carton. I’ve used half gallons and that size doesn’t really show a whole lot of crumpling. Other plastic cartons can be too rigid and don’t show the crumpling at all. And some cartons might even melt and get all gooey and messy on you. Plus they can give you some nasty burns. So yeah, just use a gallon milk carton.</li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">Water:</span> Different amounts can be used, but I’ve found that 1.5 liters works best. Don’t use less than 0.5 liters and don’t fill the carton more than halfway.</li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">A heating source to boil the water:</span> I like using a hot plate because students can easily see the bubbles and steam coming off of the water as it’s boiling. You can use an electric kettle or a microwave or a Bunsen burner. Or you could even go caveman and build a big bonfire in the middle of your classroom. Just kidding. Please don’t do that. </li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">A heatproof container to boil the water:</span> Because you can’t boil water without one.</li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">A funnel:</span> It’s optional, but can be nice to have when pouring the water into the carton. Plus you can wear it as a hat when you’re not using it.</li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">An ice bath:</span> No, it’s not for you to sit in. The ice bath is optional, but can be used as another part of the activity. </li>
<li><span style="color: purple;">Safety materials:</span> It’s always important to model laboratory safety.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>
Demonstration Instructions:</h2>
This activity can be used as a demonstration or an experiment. In my class I’ve always used it as a demonstration because 35+ middle school students all messing with boiling water at the same time in a classroom that’s not really set up for laboratory purposes didn’t sound like a good time.<br />
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<h3>
Here are some demonstration directions you can use:</h3>
<ol>
<li>Review the changes in states of matter with your students. </li>
<li>Explain to your students that you will be boiling water, adding it to an empty milk carton, and sealing the carton with the lid. </li>
<li>Have students make predictions about what will happen to the carton.</li>
<li>Begin heating the water. While the water is heating, ask questions about what is happening to the water particles and what change in state of matter is occurring and why. It’s vaporization, ya’ll. </li>
<li>Once the water is boiling, carefully pour it into the empty milk carton. Use a funnel if you have one or skip it if that’s how you roll. Immediately put the cap on the milk carton. Make sure it’s on there tightly.</li>
<li>Have students observe the changes and make observations about what they see. Ask them to try to explain why this is occurring. (Here’s why the carton crumples: As temperatures increase, air pressure and air volume increase too. As temperatures decrease, air pressure and air volume decrease as well. The difference between the air pressure on the inside and the outside of the carton along with the decreasing volume of the cooling gas inside of the carton cause the carton to collapse.)</li>
<li>If you have an ice bath prepared, now’s the time to place the carton in the cold water. The cold water will increase the speed at which the carton crumples. If you don’t want to do the ice bath part, well that’s just fine and dandy. Skip it and move on to the next step.</li>
<li>Point out the tiny droplets of water on the insides of the carton. Ask students to explain where those droplets of water came from and why they are there. (Condensation.)</li>
<li>Discuss the activity and the changes in states of matter with your students. Maybe have your students draw the particle movement during each part of the activity. </li>
<li>That’s it. All done. </li>
</ol>
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My Changes in States of Matter Demonstration is in my store. It has full directions, student sheets with many discussion questions, and an answer key. <u><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-Demonstration-Activity-4876422?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CHSTATEBLOGPOSTdemoactivity" target="_blank">Get my Changes in States of Matter Demonstration here.</a></b></u><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-Demonstration-Activity-4876422?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CHSTATEBLOGPOSTdemoactivity" target="_blank"><img alt=" Changes in States of Matter Demonstration" border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgli74xdYe1PFENaDlfy-jxkqMj9TJhflsxiQ4RNa5Bd-c5OfZMuDgerBr6GHh-ryjQgh6aaDOEaCcnkUzPr7rlhLXvrNfEYhAStEuQR3F_B-ssBSMO7gYDlScKPE1-Vy9mfXhY2rjyGwI/s400/design+-+2019-09-19T103902.294.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Experiment Ideas:</h2>
Like I said, I do this as a demonstration. Because, you know, 35+ middle school students playing in boiling water can be a titch terrifying. Even if they aren’t actually playing <i>in</i> the boiling water. That’s just what I envision happening when I think about my students doing this activity as an experiment. But, some teachers are fortunate enough to have smaller class sizes and a classroom that is setup for this kind of thing.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Here are some experiment ideas:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Test which amount of water causes the milk carton to collapse the most.</li>
<li>Test different container sizes to see which collapses the most. </li>
<li>Test different container materials to see which carton collapses the most. (Test the materials yourself first to make sure there aren’t any melting issues.)</li>
<li>Try placing the filled cartons in different locations to see which causes it to collapse the fastest. (Think: refrigerator, freezer, ice bath, sunny windowsill, under a fluffy towel, on a table…</li>
</ul>
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Well, I hope you and your students enjoy this activity. Remember, my <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-Demonstration-Activity-4876422?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CHSTATEBLOGPOSTdemoactivity" target="_blank">Changes in States of Matter Demonstration</a></u></b> is available in my TpT store and comes with full directions, student sheets with plenty of thought-provoking questions, and an answer key. If you want more materials for your changes in states of matter unit, check out my <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-BUNDLE-2816478?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CHSTATEBLOGPOSTbundle" target="_blank">Changes in States of Matter Bundle</a></u></b>. It has interactive notebook pages, bell ringers, activities, stations, projects, worksheets, and an assessment. Woo-hoo!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-Demonstration-Activity-4876422?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CHSTATEBLOGPOSTdemoactivity" target="_blank"><img alt=" Changes in States of Matter Demonstration Activity" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ofaKLkZl_QCBTcpRDgUHmEi0u4DyIvYv0pV-Y_nDR9nLo_s2KAlaijKtEAU4PFRfsoEBfzefVNn9fSg8KVkHFgx9MrVhicaVosRPmlxNgjABxRLMTbLZ-ayYKROGTkVEQRMqzruOT8Y/s200/Changes+in+States+of+Matter+Demonstration+COVER.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-BUNDLE-2816478?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CHSTATEBLOGPOSTbundle" target="_blank"><img alt=" Changes in States of Matter Bundle" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBJYKFzHWc8ZJpdZD7M89rgSDB8x9jBsoo9FeEJQXeSS25Mdid7S9RGikT4E1Me_p9927EKR51zsXpg1hjWlovSBxy8ySrte1cDUTnlpAxqMucHn3RnGkhxgCaJMIQlgF_cWgNjFjV-k/s200/changesinstatePACKAGEcover2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
As a science teacher, you might be interested in my email list. <b><u><a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe.</a></u></b> Just for signing up you'll receive an exclusive freebie you can't get anywhere else.Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-91980674079265940822019-08-06T11:15:00.001-07:002019-08-06T11:15:37.293-07:00Why Pre-Assessments Are Always a Good Idea: My Ruler Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAM1IpHuYHuHBrblojUc9c6YqmWeg8lrs6QLtU3Vh_xmRbDuuBcwF_iOsKbt8yof0MSVU-a3GVpIz3rl8dAQnVPjjQupAfKIcStuLs6p50oLrUlUWKYQ3pMKIqcwA51YY8-5MDf1LEHWA/s1600/design+%252856%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAM1IpHuYHuHBrblojUc9c6YqmWeg8lrs6QLtU3Vh_xmRbDuuBcwF_iOsKbt8yof0MSVU-a3GVpIz3rl8dAQnVPjjQupAfKIcStuLs6p50oLrUlUWKYQ3pMKIqcwA51YY8-5MDf1LEHWA/s320/design+%252856%2529.png" width="213" /></a></div>
In the summer before my first year of teaching science I remember talking to the other science teacher. She casually mentioned that I should teach my students how to use a ruler before doing any labs or activities because many of them wouldn’t know how to measure properly. We were talking about my seventh grade students. <i>Seventh grade.</i> I remember learning how to use a ruler in early elementary school. How could seventh graders not know this basic skill? Surely my students knew how to use rulers.<br />
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Just in case my fellow science teacher was right, I decided to add a couple of questions about measuring with rulers to my <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Seventh-Grade-Science-Exam-A-Beginning-or-End-of-the-Year-Assessment-1900688?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=BOYEXAMblog19" target="_blank">beginning of year exam</a></u></b>. Weeks later, when my students took that pre-assessment, my mind was blown. Over half of my students didn’t know how to use a ruler. They didn’t know you need to start at the first line of the ruler and not at the edge. Furthermore, they didn’t know a ruler can be used to measure in a unit other than inches. Even the students who knew that rulers can measure in centimeters had no idea that rulers are marked with millimeters too. It was like rulers were some rare, mythical object instead of a basic tool found in most classrooms.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4uxoU1xBjBV-UZ6pCqOxtR8Hpi5ZoIwuU9eBF9LSdF6rgwrPi3MXhkJCh-EgFpcjOc46gvofmwjhBdGLCewv_a0On4nWjNsY5BbYXC5-qDoD2IAp_4H_PVVsIntBzWanZhJ-gtK3fhw/s1600/IMG_3648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4uxoU1xBjBV-UZ6pCqOxtR8Hpi5ZoIwuU9eBF9LSdF6rgwrPi3MXhkJCh-EgFpcjOc46gvofmwjhBdGLCewv_a0On4nWjNsY5BbYXC5-qDoD2IAp_4H_PVVsIntBzWanZhJ-gtK3fhw/s320/IMG_3648.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages from my students' INBs about using rulers properly.<br /><b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Metric-Length-Interactive-Notebook-Pages-for-Measurement-in-Science-3472962?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=LENGTHINBpgblog19" target="_blank">Get these Metric Length INBs in my store.</a></u></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thankfully, I became aware of the issue in the first week of school and could easily and quickly fix it. We had a special lesson on rulers and students added <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Metric-Length-Interactive-Notebook-Pages-for-Measurement-in-Science-3472962?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=LENGTHINBpgblog19" target="_blank">measurement and ruler information to their INBs</a>.</u></b> I made sure my students could use rulers properly before proceeding to the more complex stuff in science. Any time we had a lab or unit involving length, I reviewed ruler skills to make sure my students still had it down. Had I not known about my students’ measurement problems, I would have spent much of the year wondering what was up with my students’ answers and why lab and activity results were wonky. The pre-assessment saved my students from frustration and lost learning time.<br />
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This experience taught me to never assume that students come to class with certain knowledge and skills. Whenever possible, I check to see what students know before beginning a new lesson or unit. If students don’t know the basics, then they get overwhelmed quickly, shut down, and don’t learn. Doing a precheck can be as easy as having students raise their hands in answer to a yes or no question, eavesdropping on student discussion of a topic, or adding a question to students’ bell work. If you notice that students don’t understand something, address it before moving on and introducing new content. Knowing about the issue right away allows you to fix it before it gets in the way of student learning.<br />
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Have your classes ever shocked you by not knowing something? What was it? When did you find out they didn’t know it? Were you able to address the problem? Share your story in the comments section!<br />
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Need measurement resources for your classroom? Check out the some of the metric length resources from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.<br />
<b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Metric-Length-Interactive-Notebook-Pages-for-Measurement-in-Science-3472962?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=LENGTHINBpgblog19" target="_blank">Metric Length and Ruler INB Pages</a></u></b><br />
<b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Metric-Length-Worksheet-A-Science-Measurement-Resource-1524628?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=METRICLENGTHwkstblog19" target="_blank">Metric Length Worksheet</a></u></b><br />
<b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Measurement-in-Science-Stations-Tools-and-Metric-Units-3793178?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=MEASUREMENTSTATIONSblog19" target="_blank">Measurement in Science Stations: Tools and Metric Units</a></u></b><br />
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Are you a middle school science teacher? <b><u><a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter!</a></u></b> You'll get a free science resource just for joining.Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-64118438338243741462019-07-23T11:55:00.004-07:002022-04-19T11:48:33.873-07:00How to Teach Laboratory Safety to Middle School Science Students<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AjM3eaQfzQKh8DH7q_73YIouZhjEZIokFZRIPyRigQuf5giYYux5CJK6KmrXXpADhYQYCCxULwjKtFTz2gT_O_N-AbytRDvP3cXBaytVvo3voXc2h_BxKtqT-5q51nnG4CNoXQz7TTI/s1600/design+%252846%2529.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AjM3eaQfzQKh8DH7q_73YIouZhjEZIokFZRIPyRigQuf5giYYux5CJK6KmrXXpADhYQYCCxULwjKtFTz2gT_O_N-AbytRDvP3cXBaytVvo3voXc2h_BxKtqT-5q51nnG4CNoXQz7TTI/s320/design+%252846%2529.png" title="how to teach lab safety to middle school science students" width="320" /></a>The very first unit I teach to my seventh grade science students is laboratory safety. Teaching lab safety as your first unit immediately sets your students up for yearlong success in science class. Students love experiments and often learn the most from that kind of hands-on activity. Therefore, being able to safely participate in science class at the beginning of the year is vital. Another bonus is that the unit is short and the content is straightforward (i.e. easy), so it is a great way to introduce and practice class procedures like note-taking, working in a group, participating in an activity, handing in homework, taking a quiz, etc.<br />
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<h2>
How do I plan my lab safety unit?</h2>
Start with a lab safety contract! Safety contracts are filled with all of the important safety stuff students need to know. Use one to build your unit. When I first started teaching middle school science, I used Flinn Scientific’s safety contract. (Just Google “Flinn Scientific Safety Contract” and what you need will pop up, available for free. I know there is a high school and a middle school version out there and both of them come in English and Spanish.) However, not all of the Flinn Scientific material applied to my students—it mentioned chemicals and equipment we wouldn’t be using. For my own lesson planning purposes, I printed a copy of the safety contract and highlighted the most important information and crossed off what wasn’t going to be relevant to my students that year. That helped me focus on what I wanted my students to come away knowing. Using my highlighted safety contract, I wrote a list of lab safety rules that encompassed the most important safety information. Then I created my lab safety quiz. Once you have your safety rules written and your assessment made, you’re ready to decide how you’re going to teach the material. Note-taking? Activities? Scenarios? Choose what works best for you, your teaching style, and your group of students.<br />
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<h2>
What lab safety rules should I use?</h2>
Like I mentioned above, you can construct your own lab safety rules using a lab safety contract. Alternatively, you can use the rules I wrote for my own students. They are listed below. You’re welcome ;)<br />
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<ol>
<li>I will always take the time to read and understand all laboratory procedures before beginning.</li>
<li>I will carefully follow all directions and will ask the teacher if I do not understand something.</li>
<li>I will not touch any laboratory materials before being told to do so.</li>
<li>I will keep my area clean and clear of everything except laboratory materials. </li>
<li>I will properly wear all required safety items, such as goggles or aprons, for the duration of the laboratory activity. </li>
<li>I will wear appropriate clothing on lab days. I will wear closed toed shoes. I will tie back long hair if applicable. I will not wear baggy clothing or jewelry. </li>
<li>I will only work when the teacher is present. </li>
<li>I will not eat, drink, or chew gum during the laboratory activity. </li>
<li>I will not run or engage in any horseplay during the laboratory activity. </li>
<li>I will tell the teacher immediately about any injuries, spills, or broken items. </li>
<li>I will not take any of the laboratory materials without permission from the teacher. </li>
<li>I will completely clean my area and appropriately return laboratory materials before leaving the classroom. </li>
</ol>
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<h2>
How many days long should my lab safety unit be?</h2>
I always make my lab safety unit last no more than one week long. That gives us more than enough time to introduce, practice, and assess the unit. And remember, I also use this time to familiarize students with classroom procedures, which saves us oodles of time later in the year. Five 50 minute class periods (or three 90 minute block periods) is the most I’ve ever needed for this unit. In my opinion, the optimal amount of time to spend on the safety unit is four 45 minute long class periods.<br />
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<h2>
What does a complete lab safety unit look like?</h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgADNQlGxqcDu3T-AEwO5GvlFAoyLz3CXZc29frpEpkBumaAF-VszYyIM8wxG0djoK-7UZqEzOCEJSXxtBTV_vJoFSGAWkaiLrXTlOd6vA6A_wQN6bXJJ99QVDnxyT0uyibGz2MUXdQI/s1600/design+%252847%2529.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgADNQlGxqcDu3T-AEwO5GvlFAoyLz3CXZc29frpEpkBumaAF-VszYyIM8wxG0djoK-7UZqEzOCEJSXxtBTV_vJoFSGAWkaiLrXTlOd6vA6A_wQN6bXJJ99QVDnxyT0uyibGz2MUXdQI/s320/design+%252847%2529.png" width="320" /></a>Below you’ll find a breakdown of my own tried and true lab safety unit. I’ve taught this unit using various bell schedules—(45 minute classes, 55 minute classes, and 90 minute classes). The unit description below is for four days of 50 minute class periods.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Day One:</u></h3>
Start class with a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Laboratory-Safety-Warmups-or-Bell-Ringers-for-Middle-School-Science-4030046?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYWARMUPS22" target="_blank">science safety warmup</a> (also called a bell ringer) to see what students already know. Discuss student answers. As a class, read through and discuss <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Laboratory-Safety-Contract-in-English-and-Spanish-3280932?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYCONTRACT2022" target="_blank">lab safety contracts</a> and have students sign theirs. Send the contracts home and have parents sign the contracts as homework.* Make it clear that students will not participate in any labs or experiments until their signed contracts have been handed in.<br />
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*The lab safety contracts are due by the end of the week. Students are reminded throughout the week to hand them in.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Day Two:</u> </h3>
Begin class with another warmup about lab safety. Discuss student answers. Use a PowerPoint to guide student note-taking about lab safety. I include the following notes sections: Before the Lab, During the Lab, After the Lab, and Other Safety Information. Here is a video of the interactive notebook pages I use with my students. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Lab-Safety-PowerPoint-Interactive-Notebook-Pages-in-English-Spanish-1401558?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=LABSAFETYINBapr21" target="_blank">You can get these INB pages and a PowerPoint here.</a><br />
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<h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='318' height='265' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwJYqvWE9QCUqjGyAQXehnWwzGdzLQbcI63PiEDC73P-i2ZzK5DprdvAEHed_oU4KV2l4cU1L62Uz1jYFguLQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<u>Day Three:</u></h3>
Begin class with a warmup about lab safety. Discuss student answers. Review the material students learned the day before. Then it's activity time. Students can practice the lab safety rules in small groups with a fun <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Lab-Safety-Rules-and-Scenarios-Activity-in-English-and-Spanish-1399674?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYSCENARIOS2022" target="_blank">scenario activity</a>. Then you can send students home with this fun <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Lab-Safety-Bookmark-in-English-and-Spanish-Safety-Notes-or-Activity-7996248?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYBOOKMARK2022" target="_blank">safety bookmark</a> that'll function as a study guide. Alternatively, instead of the scenario activity, you can have students color and complete the lab safety bookmarks as a beginning of the year safety activity. (Take a look at the example safety bookmark below.)<div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Lab-Safety-Bookmark-in-English-and-Spanish-Safety-Notes-or-Activity-7996248?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYBOOKMARK2022" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgBdx8CffwfgXxaXXMFYwaCHhyjM27O9KTq0gDD4HXCLNdFnSVKEDgv5k4eIpHtGOiHWiYzx0qVflg-HeC4Fm9QLizdy8opg4VRzTotsBBnq_I3Cux0yC6wnOfXzlGugdiXNk6rRZ2P8KrNE8V7fOnRvRIEPZ6n5Vn_JiCc5nMmydk7bX3eBmff6V/w300-h400/IMG_9659.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></div><div><br />
<h3>
<u>Day Four:</u></h3>
Begin class with a warmup about lab safety. Discuss student answers. Review lab safety information. Students complete their <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Laboratory-Safety-Quiz-in-English-and-Spanish-1401628?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYQUIZ2022" target="_blank">lab safety quiz</a>. If there is time at the end of class, then go over the quiz answers together. <br />
<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">***<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Lab-Safety-Bundled-Package-in-English-and-Spanish-1403837?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYBUNDLE2022" target="_blank">Cross your lab safety unit prep off of your to-do list! Get all of the lab safety resources mentioned in this post in one awesome time-saving bundle. Plus, ALL of the lab safety resources come in both English AND Spanish.</a></h2><div><h2><br /></h2><h2>
What do I do before each science experiment in the future?</h2>
Before Every.Single.Science.Experiment we review general safety information and safety information that is particularly relevant to that experiment.<br />
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Well, that’s my lab safety unit! I hope it helped you plan your own unit or gave you a clear picture of how to use my <u><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Lab-Safety-Bundled-Package-in-English-and-Spanish-1403837?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYBUNDLEblog" target="_blank">safety unit</a></b></u> in your own class. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Lab-Safety-Bundled-Package-in-English-and-Spanish-1403837?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SAFETYBUNDLEblog" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Science Lab Safety Bundle for Purchase" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoF9T9OWQlICxNSfRKufQSHIHE1jquHVH5zLnTvOHG8pIqUnTDftmlyd9qAXEhhqSMYoto0TdTJkO8Ii62YEi9PZ6ucmiTA1kWRgcXPjMS3Kmcd_iR1ab-SCHThJEsKhnYxvcooyEYrU/s320/design+%252849%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a science teacher, you might be interested in my newsletter. <u><b><a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter here.</a></b></u> Just for signing up you'll receive an exclusive freebie that you can't get anywhere else.<br /></div></div></div>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-63208053352314542172018-08-18T11:15:00.000-07:002019-01-26T12:22:49.959-08:00How to Be an Effective Middle School Teacher Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFz-okyxe7mtyT3PBbkGXN9oX_MkRJ3Wpx7ABPK-EBbVBH8FKd7WMypzRblAaRrJYgVDEJKyxitgNjRbx5RQPMjraa9l0s2RdvX9fvbuJrhDcBFn01ymm2DxAhmemqkJCfAn6wlMY0yA/s1600/design+%25287%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFz-okyxe7mtyT3PBbkGXN9oX_MkRJ3Wpx7ABPK-EBbVBH8FKd7WMypzRblAaRrJYgVDEJKyxitgNjRbx5RQPMjraa9l0s2RdvX9fvbuJrhDcBFn01ymm2DxAhmemqkJCfAn6wlMY0yA/s400/design+%25287%2529.png" title="teacher hacks" width="266" /></a></div>
These are the final five tips I have for you about how to be an effective middle school teacher. Feel free to add your own tips in the comment section!<br />
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<h3>
<u>Be choosey about what you grade.</u></h3>
There is only so much time in the day. Pick the most important things to grade, and don’t get behind in your grading. Return graded work to students quickly so they have time to learn from their mistakes and get feedback about how to improve. I think we’ve all had that teacher who returned assignments a month or two or three after assigning them. I don’t know about you, but that always irritated me. Here are some tips on how to <u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2016/10/11-tips-to-reduce-grading-time-and-make.html" target="_blank">reduce grading time</a></u>.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Get feedback on how to improve your teaching.</u></h3>
This can be from your students. When I was teaching middle school, my students would grade me twice a year. Their comments helped me reflect on my teaching practices and make improvements. I gained valuable insight from those little dudes and dudettes. If you’re serious about improving your teaching skills, <u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-the-Teacher-Teacher-Evaluation-Reflection-Tool-1391782?utm_source=myblog.com&utm_campaign=GRADETHETEACHERblogpt4" target="_blank">let your students grade you</a></u>. You can also request to have fellow teachers and administrators observe you. Observations are scary. I know. I hated them. But I learned so much from them that they were almost always worth the sleepless nights, nail-biting, and massive pit stains that preceded them.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Differentiate your lessons when feasible.</u></h3>
Challenge your students at their level. Too much challenge and they will shut down. Too little challenge and they aren’t really learning. Differentiation can mean the difference between an okay teacher and an amazing teaching. Many times, the most advanced students in class don’t get the challenge they need. Here’s how you can <u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2014/11/differentiation-of-instruction.html" target="_blank">challenge those students</a></u>.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Know that some classes are just wonky.</u></h3>
This doesn’t make you a bad teacher. Without fail, there has always been one “off” class every year of my teaching career. I’ve made great strides with those classes, usually, but never perfected them. What works for most classes might not work for your “off” class.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Take care of yourself!</u></h3>
Teacher burnout is real and common. Your needs need to be met. If you’re unhappy and struggling, you aren’t your best teacher self. Regularly take time for yourself and do what you love.<br />
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Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your tips! Please add your own teacher tips to the comments section below.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Previous Teacher Tips:</u></h3>
<u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-be-effective-middle-school.html" target="_blank">Part One</a></u><br />
<u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-be-effective-middle-school_16.html" target="_blank">Part Two</a></u><br />
<u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-be-effective-middle-school_17.html" target="_blank">Part Three</a></u><br />
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Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-69426924169154134122018-08-17T11:15:00.000-07:002018-08-20T07:30:46.452-07:00How to Be an Effective Middle School Teacher Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0Xyl9dUNfaWhFqt9z4B-dqR_WyAFWL4WqNVL4NDX5bPkcGlFBbNkm09COTi_d0NCIRlvXh0aSJ_kjgsWhmv1S08LVzH1FxNi9eSjFFQ5zYleoG7utHFwptd0UI4GjptI9n4NFMkqkfk/s1600/design+%25286%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0Xyl9dUNfaWhFqt9z4B-dqR_WyAFWL4WqNVL4NDX5bPkcGlFBbNkm09COTi_d0NCIRlvXh0aSJ_kjgsWhmv1S08LVzH1FxNi9eSjFFQ5zYleoG7utHFwptd0UI4GjptI9n4NFMkqkfk/s400/design+%25286%2529.png" title="teaching middle school" width="266" /></a></div>
Read these tips to become the best teacher for your students.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Lean on other teachers.</u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The teachers around you understand
what you’re going through. They can provide a shoulder to cry on, chocolate to
eat, and solutions to stuff you’re dealing with in your classroom. I remember
many Tootsie Rolls were eaten with my fellow teachers during my first year of teaching.
They (both teachers and Tootsie Rolls) can help.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
<u>Form a positive relationship with each student.</u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Classes are
more fun for everyone when students like and respect their teacher. More
positive adult role models are always a good thing. Do you have a difficult
student you’re struggling to connect with? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Here’s
how you can <u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/01/connecting-with-your-most-difficult.html" target="_blank">form positive connections with ALL of your students</a></u>.</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
<u>Use a paperwork organization system that works for you.</u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Teachers
have a lot of paperwork. Find a good way to organize all of those student
papers and documents before the school year even begins. Some problems happen
when transporting student work to and from school for grading purposes. Originally,
I used paperclips to keep my different class sections separated. Well, let me
tell you, paperclips don’t like to stay on bulging stacks of paper that are
repeatedly crammed into a bag and then pulled out again. My eventual solution was
one of those expanding file folders with multiple pockets. I labeled each pocket
with a different class section. Worked like a charm. Until the little claspy-thing
weakened and the papers spilled all over the floor in one big ol’ mess.
#experience<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u>Communicate with parents often.</u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, the first
time many parents of middle school students hear from a teacher is negative
news about how little Jimmy or little Janie is acting up in class. Try to recognize
and share positive things with parents whenever they pop up. Also, parents have
a wealth of knowledge about their kids. Time and again parent surveys given at
the beginning of the year have proven invaluable in my class. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/07/why-you-should-use-parent-and-guardian.html" target="_blank">Learn more about using parent surveys in your classroom.</a></u></b> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
<u>Anticipate possible problems and misunderstandings.</u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
lesson planning you should dedicate just a little time to thinking about what
problems might arise during the lesson. Come up with solutions, clearer
directions, and/or better approaches. This has saved my sanity many times, and,
more importantly, decreased wasted learning time for my students.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-be-effective-middle-school_18.html" target="_blank">Learn about more ways to be an amazing middle school teacher in Part 4.</a></u></div>
Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-19181150853017468372018-08-16T11:15:00.000-07:002018-08-20T07:28:59.102-07:00How to Be an Effective Middle School Teacher Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufQihNHGGh4cEbhYxznpNv9s0gA5SEqSlgdaj8Zcn7amBpsd4yZmOECcbXhpP_WFtbTjpipLlSddPIIXwMPi6s5d9FWjLiHLrZvPkVNvVhHrAwn7-l3MUU2cd9O_FHoqy0PJUsGFOHaA/s1600/design+%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufQihNHGGh4cEbhYxznpNv9s0gA5SEqSlgdaj8Zcn7amBpsd4yZmOECcbXhpP_WFtbTjpipLlSddPIIXwMPi6s5d9FWjLiHLrZvPkVNvVhHrAwn7-l3MUU2cd9O_FHoqy0PJUsGFOHaA/s400/design+%25285%2529.png" title="How to be a good teacher" width="266" /></a></div>
Read these tips to become the best teacher for your students.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Incorporate socializing into your lessons whenever possible.</u></h3>
Most middle school students thrive on working with their peers. When they aren’t given the opportunity to talk to each other, they will often create their own social opportunities at inopportune times during your lesson. If you provide occasional times to communicate with classmates, then things will go more smoothly for all of you. These can include Think Pair Share, explaining a definition to a classmate, or coming up with examples together.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Allow for movement!</u></h3>
Students have plenty of time to be blobs. Movement gets their blood flowing which improves their ability to learn and refocus after learning difficult content. Movement is especially important during long block classes when students don’t have passing periods to get out their wiggles. Have students get up to turn in their own assignments; have a clear procedure for this, but don’t do it for them. Let students collect their own supplies. Have students do certain movements to show their answers (hop for answer A, flap your arms for answer B, etc.). During especially lethargic classes, I've been known to instruct my students to give a high five to five different people in the room. One of my favorite ways to practice content is with stations, which allow for plenty of movement and socialization. Here are some tips for <u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2016/05/successfully-using-stations-in-middle.html" target="_blank">how to effectively use stations</a></u> in your classroom.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Be flexible.</u></h3>
One thing I love about teaching middle school students is how every day is completely different with them. They are strange people at this age and that means you’ll have to roll with the (hopefully not literal) punches.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Underestimate how long a lesson will take.</u></h3>
There have been a few lessons I taught that ended a good thirty minutes earlier than I expected them too. Wowza. Don’t let that be you. Have plenty of components to your lesson, a back up plan for what to do in case the lesson ends early, or a trusty time filler you can use in emergencies. My students LOVED when I pulled out my book of fun questions. It will not—and should not—kill thirty minutes of time, but it helped with a few minutes here and there throughout the year. Learn how to <u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-to-make-and-use-question-ring.html" target="_blank">make your own fun question book</a></u>, or <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Get-to-Know-You-Ring-Booklet-Questions-Activity-BUNDLE-3146552?utm_source=myblog.com&utm_campaign=BIGQUESTIONBOOKLETfromblogpt2" target="_blank">get mine from my TPT store</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Check for understanding often.</u></h3>
Trust me, you don’t want to have taught an entire lesson only to realize at the end of class that your students are still trying to figure out step one. There are many ways to check for understanding throughout your lesson: cold calling, quick multiple choice questions, listening to student discussions, having students explain things back to you, and even counting the number of blank stares you receive.<br />
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<div>
<u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-be-effective-middle-school_17.html" target="_blank">Keep reading about ways to be an awesome middle school teacher in Part 3.</a></u></div>
Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-57719081383975510302018-08-15T11:03:00.001-07:002018-08-20T07:26:52.280-07:00How to Be an Effective Middle School Teacher Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxALcCEcjCXGnhyj4v2JfsbY7VD78WZtgtNOasloq_5UVLH7S4icLWwOvXSMxwGYNoLJw-B82iR66rXM6_M_-M1pJyp3eOO8wntUI_9pI2Iu4vhR2JAc-jKYguCzmPr74akwqKMW9XGU/s1600/design+%25284%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxALcCEcjCXGnhyj4v2JfsbY7VD78WZtgtNOasloq_5UVLH7S4icLWwOvXSMxwGYNoLJw-B82iR66rXM6_M_-M1pJyp3eOO8wntUI_9pI2Iu4vhR2JAc-jKYguCzmPr74akwqKMW9XGU/s400/design+%25284%2529.png" title="teaching middle school" width="266" /></a></div>
So you want to be a boss teacher eh? Read these tips to become the best teacher for your students.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Build solid lesson plans with clear objectives.</u> </h3>
It all starts here. If you don't have a good lesson plan, then your students won't learn as much as they could in the short amount of time they have with you. If the lesson is boring or if your students only have passive learning roles, then not much learning will take place. Likewise, if the lesson is tons of fun but not actually aligned to learning objectives, your students aren’t going to learn what they need to be successful. Really think about what you want your students to learn and the best way to reach them.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Have and follow a behavior management plan.</u></h3>
Do what works for you and your style of teaching. Not sure how to get started? Read about the <u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-classroom-rules-and-how-i-enforce.html" target="_blank">classroom rules and consequences</a></u> that have been successful with my seventh grade students.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Have clear behavioral expectations for every activity and communicate those expectations to your students.</u></h3>
Fun, well planned activities can turn into nightmares involving evil clowns in less than three seconds when middle school students are involved. Before beginning any activity, clearly explain how students should and should not behave. It only takes a couple of minutes and, man, it’ll make a huge difference.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Use a routine your students can count on.</u></h3>
Routines make students feel safe and comfortable. Class runs smoother if students know what to expect. In my class we typically started with a Do Now followed by a quick review of previous content, an introduction of new material, practice with that material, and an informal assessment or Exit Ticket. Keep in mind, you don’t have to be completely anal about it. Test days, lab days, assembly days and more will jostle your typical routine around and that’s okay. Just be consistent with your routine when possible and when it makes sense to do so.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Include the “why” piece in your lessons.</u></h3>
Students should know why they are learning something. When middle school students understand how a lesson relates to them and their future, they become more invested in your class and what they’re learning. They are better behaved because they want to learn what you’re sharing with them. <u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/11/including-why-piece-in-your-lessons.html" target="_blank">Here's how to include the “why” in your lessons.</a></u><br />
<br />
<u><a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-be-effective-middle-school_16.html" target="_blank">Keep reading about more ways to be an effective middle school teacher in Part 2.</a></u>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-55262112605407445572018-07-20T11:03:00.006-07:002023-09-20T07:06:24.544-07:00How to Teach the Scientific Method to 7th Graders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKiPuyeQGUGFe7C6zaUT_6cmKg-y7C9I648G3nx5-cPmC8R2DiX9ft_LRl6PjY9n2S-1rZqOzSA608yf1m9CWu8sb_vfxeXhiWT3wBFnTq_yCmVcm57lWjMIie2wQO3Go_sS7fOvuHjg/s1600/IMG_6284.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="teaching the scientific method" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKiPuyeQGUGFe7C6zaUT_6cmKg-y7C9I648G3nx5-cPmC8R2DiX9ft_LRl6PjY9n2S-1rZqOzSA608yf1m9CWu8sb_vfxeXhiWT3wBFnTq_yCmVcm57lWjMIie2wQO3Go_sS7fOvuHjg/s320/IMG_6284.PNG" title="How to Teach the Scientific Method" width="212" /></a></div>
As a middle school science teacher, I always love teaching the scientific method to my students. There are so many routes you can take with teaching it, and I’ve tried many of them. If you’re gearing up to teach the scientific method, then you might benefit from reading this post. (See what I did there?) You probably have many questions. When should I teach the scientific method? What all should I include in my unit? What order should I teach the topics of the scientific method? How do I go about teaching the scientific method? In this post I’ll share what’s worked for me. Plus, you’ll find some links to FREE resources to help get you started.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<u>When Should I Teach the Scientific Method?</u></h2>
<br />
I want my students to have a good handle on lab safety before getting started with the scientific method because it involves labs, tools, and sometimes harmful chemicals. The scientific method is important for studying science in general, so I teach it as early in the year as possible. It is my second unit (right after lab safety). I bring the scientific method up throughout the year, whenever we have labs. After winter break I have a week-long review to brush up on the more difficult aspects of the scientific method.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<u>What Should I Include in My Scientific Method Unit? In What Order Should I Teach the Topics?</u></h2>
<br />
Obviously, all groups of students are different. My seventh graders always come in with very, very little experience with the scientific method. Knowing that, I start with the basics and go over everything I think they need to know to successfully use the scientific method. I recommend giving your students a preassessment before the unit to gauge what topics you can skip and which you need to hammer into your students’ skulls. Here are the topics I always include in my scientific method unit and the general order in which I teach them:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The Steps of the Scientific Method</li>
<li>Independent and Dependent Variables</li>
<li>Scientific Questions</li>
<li>Hypotheses</li>
<li>Observations and Inferences</li>
<li>Research and Procedures</li>
<li>Constants/Controlled Variables</li>
<li>Analyzing Data/Graphs</li>
<li>Scientific Conclusions</li>
</ol>
<br />
<h2>
<u>How Do I Go About Teaching the Scientific Method?</u></h2>
<br />In my class, each of the nine topics listed above starts with interactive notebook notes in combination with a PowerPoint. <i>(See the video below of the interactive science notebook pages I use. They're all available in my store and you can get the INB pages in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scientific-Method-Interactive-Notebook-Pages-Bundled-PACKAGE-2606201?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=INBSCIMETHODapr21" target="_blank">Scientific Method Interactive Notebook Pages Bundle</a>.)</i> After introducing the topic via notes and a PowerPoint, the students get practice in the form of stations, activities, and/or worksheets. Lastly, I assess each topic with an exit ticket to determine if we need to keep working on the current topic or if we’re ready to move on to the next.<br />
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyiiW5gt3rOjc7LHTX73Q4iZZKhV9sFREFM42MQAfo_WJp8TQSOs5xNIU4UZcCv_o2Rvk8pDIBo249Wr7FBOA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />
The single most important scientific method resource I have is my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scientific-Method-Stations-A-Versatile-Activity-1393537?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SCIENTIFICMETHODSTATIONSscimethBLOG" target="_blank"><b><i>Scientific Method Stations</i></b></a>. I use them at least three times in the unit because they’re so versatile. They give students practice identifying variables, writing good hypotheses, designing procedures etc. I just post them around the room at the beginning of the unit and they stay there until the day of the unit test. I truly believe they are a great resource for the middle school science classroom. They are one of my most loved and best selling resources, so I decided to make a second set. I added my <b><i><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scientific-Method-Stations-V2-An-Activity-for-Hypotheses-Variables-and-More--10202642?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SCIMETstationsV2sept23" target="_blank">Scientific Method Stations V2</a></i></b> to my store in September 2023! <br />
<br />
<h2>
<u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>But Really, What Do You Do for Each Topic?</u></h2>
<br />
<ol>
<li><u>The Steps of the Scientific Method</u>: I go over what the scientific method is, what it’s used for, the order of the steps, and what each step might look like.</li>
<li><u>Independent and Dependent Variables</u>: I go over the definitions of independent and dependent variables and how to identify them in an experiment. Then we practice. And practice. And practice some more. Eventually it clicks and then my students HAVE GOT IT DOWN.</li>
<li><u>Scientific Questions</u>: Students learn about what a good scientific question needs to have. We review variables again while examining good and bad scientific questions. Group work and games can be fun with this. </li>
<li><u>Hypotheses</u>: Students learn what a hypothesis is and how to write a good hypothesis. Even my best students need to learn the If/then version of writing a hypothesis because they have only been taught the “I think blah blah blah will happen” version. Hypotheses typically need a lot of practice. <i><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Variables-Hypotheses-Practice-All-Star-Coloring-Worksheet-FREEBIE-3701369?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=FREEALLSTARSWKSTscimethBLOGPOST" target="_blank">Here is a free coloring worksheet to help your students write good hypotheses and identify independent and dependent variables.</a> </b></i></li>
<li><u>Observations and Inferences</u>: Students learn the definitions of qualitative and quantitative observations and how to use those to make inferences. <b><i><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Qualitative-and-Quantitative-Observations-Activity-1393612?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=QUALQUANTACTIVITYscimethBLOGPOST" target="_blank">Here is a free observation activity you can use in your class.</a></u></i></b></li>
<li><u>Research and Procedures</u>: Research is straightforward so we briefly discuss where to find accurate information. For procedure, we learn what it is, why it’s important, and what happens if a procedure is poorly written. </li>
<li><u>Constants/Controlled Variables</u>: This is hands down the hardest part of the scientific method for my students. We go over what constants are, why they are important, and how to identify them in experiments. Students need TONS of practice with this. <b><i><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Constants-Controlled-Variables-Exit-Ticket-A-Scientific-Method-Assessment-2112726?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=CONSTANTSETscimethBLOGPOST" target="_blank">Here is a free exit ticket to check if your students have mastered constants.</a></u></i></b> </li>
<li><u>Analyzing Data/Graphs</u>: I go over where independent and dependent variables go on graphs, what good graphs include, and types of graphs. Then we practice interpreting graphs. I try to include as much data analysis throughout the year as possible because my students always need practice with this. Here is a <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Analyzing-Data-Worksheet-Average-Global-Temperatures-in-the-21st-Century-5279285" target="_blank">free data analysis worksheet</a></u></b> and a <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Analyzing-Data-Interpreting-Graphs-Digital-Task-Cards-for-BOOM-Learning-5960548" target="_blank">free data analysis Boom Deck</a></u></b>.</li>
<li><u>Scientific Conclusions</u>: Students learn what should be included in a good conclusion and practice writing a good conclusion using a data table and graph from an experiment. </li>
</ol>
<br />
I hope this post gives you a good starting point for planning your scientific method unit. I love teaching the scientific method and have created many resources for my students. <b><i><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Elly-Thorsen/Category/Scientific-Method-187513?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=SCIENTIFICMETHODRESOURCESscimethBLOGPOST" target="_blank">You can find my scientific method resources here, including interactive notebook pages, activities, worksheets, and assessments.</a></u></i></b> If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to post a question below or <a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/p/contact-me_58.html" target="_blank">message me</a>. Thanks for reading and have a great school year!<br />
<br />
You can get another free scientific method resource just for signing up for my newsletter. <b><u><a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage">Sign up for my newsletter here.</a></u></b><br />
<br />
I added an option in my store to get all of my scientific method resources in one discounted bundle: <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scientific-Method-HUGE-Bundle-All-of-My-Scientific-Method-Resources-3994965?utm_source=myblog.com&utm_campaign=SCIMETHHUGEBUNDLEfromblog" target="_blank">Scientific Method HUGE Bundle</a></u></b>.<br />
<div><br /></div>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-6660056955134874022018-01-29T17:50:00.003-08:002018-01-29T17:50:42.272-08:00Sequins or Soccer?The other day I saw a pregnancy announcement on Facebook from a couple of schoolmates I have known since I was very little. In the picture were the smiling parents-to-be with a homemade sign saying “Sequins or Soccer?” At first I thought of how happy they must be and how nice their picture was. Clearly a lot of time was put into making that sign and getting the right pose and coordinating outfits. Later on, though, it hit me just how many people have gender expectations well before their child is even born. Why should a girl be represented with sequins and a boy with soccer? Why can’t they be swapped? Why can’t they be both?<br />
<br />
As a new mom to a boy, I’m extra conscious of toys and clothes created with a gender in mind. I’d eventually like to have a second child and I try to be frugal, so I’ve been purchasing mostly gender-neutral things. One of those things was a pack of extra warm baby socks that came in an assortment of pastel colors. One pair was pink. When my son met his extended family wearing those fuzzy pink socks, many of his relatives commented on them. None of them said anything negative, but had it been a girl wearing the same socks I wonder if anyone would have even noticed them. It’s such a minor thing. Socks don’t matter. But how boys and girls might be treated differently, especially when it comes to education, does.<br />
<br />
Seeing that pregnancy announcement and reflecting back on the sock incident was when I started to look at it all as a teacher. How have I treated my students differently because of their gender? Have I called on girls more often, expecting them to be more focused and attentive? Did I joke more with boys because they were supposed to be more easygoing and less uptight? Was I sterner with girls who were squirrely because they were expected to be demure? What about my seating arrangements? Have I placed girls next to talkative students more often, hoping their studious ways would rub off? Was I more likely to put boys in areas of the room with extra space so any excessive movement wouldn’t distract their classmates? Was I considering each student as an individual, or was I making gender generalizations?<br />
<br />
I know some of the answers to those questions were yes. At times I did treat my male and female students differently. I also know that when I get back in the classroom I’ll be more cognizant of how I treat my students. My treatment and decisions about my students will be based on their individual needs, personalities, and strengths rather than what sock color they’re expected to wear.Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-3782931144518395052017-10-22T14:46:00.000-07:002018-09-10T08:57:07.818-07:00Managing the Halloween Candy Problem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_Cj8f-9lKeKM-aHhn_cQ24wZWm2iKUDirIGhkbVu4C79KDu2K_2GDe7w8B2Yzmfv7uGeyJlWhy-ajVPTddnKVZ9vg7yeYLSNbDqY39vjeq8kBQI9FiLW0IiwP_cLLvU1adkmip84HGg/s1600/design+%252821%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_Cj8f-9lKeKM-aHhn_cQ24wZWm2iKUDirIGhkbVu4C79KDu2K_2GDe7w8B2Yzmfv7uGeyJlWhy-ajVPTddnKVZ9vg7yeYLSNbDqY39vjeq8kBQI9FiLW0IiwP_cLLvU1adkmip84HGg/s400/design+%252821%2529.png" width="266" /></a>One problem I always have around Halloween (and other major holidays involving candy) is students sneaking candy into the classroom. Since I have a science classroom, students know eating food and candy in class is a safety concern, especially on lab days. Not only that, but they drive me crazy with the sticky tables and wrappers they leave behind. It’s an annoying battle I waged every year until I found a solution.<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of the saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them.”? In a way that’s what I do. (Although I make sure not to plan any labs on or near Halloween so there aren’t any safety concerns.) My students are allowed to bring candy to class on and around Halloween IF they give me a piece of their candy before class. Once class begins they aren’t allowed to share their candy with anyone else. This reduces the off-task behavior associated with students begging each other for candy and under-the-table candy passes. I let students know that if I find any candy messes or catch candy sharing the candy privileges are off. The students take care of their candy sharing before learning time and, when it comes to the wrappers and messes, they cleanup after each other.<br />
<br />
With this little trick, the students are happy they get their candy and I’m happy I don’t have to monitor the students for something so silly. My classroom remains a positive learning environment where students want to be. I’m always amazed at how well this works. It reduces my stress, gets me some nice candy to snack on, and builds up my student reward candy stash.<br />
<br />
Another way I manage the holiday candy problem is to include it in a lesson. Around Halloween I always teach physical science to my seventh graders. In that unit we learn about heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures. Learning about mixtures is the perfect time to incorporate candy into a lesson, so I made a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Heterogeneous-and-Homogeneous-Mixtures-Candy-Sorting-Activity-3434563?utm_source=ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com&utm_campaign=HalloweencandyMIXBLOGPOST" target="_blank">candy sorting activity</a>. Students sort various candies into piles of heterogeneous mixtures and homogeneous mixtures. They discuss what makes a candy heterogeneous or homogeneous, and they debate when a candy is particularly difficult to classify. Using candy as part of the lesson increases their interest and understanding of mixtures. Depending on the timing and layout of my unit, I use the Candy Mixtures Activity as an introduction, a practice, or a review of the two types of mixtures.<br />
<br />
One more easy way I’ve included candy as part of a lesson is to teach qualitative and quantitative observations. Each student gets one piece of candy. They then use all of their senses to write as many observations as possible and classify their observations as qualitative or quantitative.<br />
<br />
Happy Halloween! I hope these tricks help you manage your students’ treats.<br />
<br />
If you’re interested in the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Heterogeneous-and-Homogeneous-Mixtures-Candy-Sorting-Activity-3434563?utm_source=ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com&utm_campaign=HalloweencandyMIXBLOGPOST" target="_blank"><b>Mixtures Activity</b></a>, take a look below. It comes with many ideas of how to use it successfully in your classroom and has both a Halloween version and a version you can use all year long.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Heterogeneous-and-Homogeneous-Mixtures-Candy-Sorting-Activity-3434563?utm_source=ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com&utm_campaign=HalloweencandyMIXBLOGPOST" target="_blank"><img alt="Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Mixtures Candy Activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADaMNO8z2f5C0i7vW4EA4VZcJWCUN9h7jL3N94qi7B5pRcKTdy8-4LDsxC71EHubW6cb7PEq3OMu_cJvQyN6p4hsVs6jgGyY25Ix17Nr8WiBC9oUSyZJGlGjrsRwrqbsv9cNBMCMrDEw/s400/halloweenFB.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-36093809823899892712017-05-06T12:33:00.001-07:002021-04-04T08:40:29.553-07:00How to Make and Use a Question Ring Booklet: A Fun Get to Know You Tool<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
During sixth grade my favorite teacher would periodically
invite a student to sit on the teacher’s stool at the front of the room for a
short interview. Peering up from her clipboard of interview questions, she
would ask something silly, like “What brand of toothpaste do you use?” or “Did
you have any dreams last night?” The class looked forward to the interviews,
which for us never happened often enough. Looking back now, I realized my
teacher did these interviews as a way for everyone to get to know each other,
build and maintain a positive classroom environment, and fill the occasional leftover
minutes of class time. <a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2015/02/memorable-teachers-and-how-they-made-me.html" target="_blank">(You can read more about that teacher’s fun strategies here.)</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
How can I use this activity in my classroom?</h2>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Recalling how much my classmates and I loved those
interviews, I was inspired to do something similar in my own classroom. Instead
of a clipboard with questions, I created a little booklet using a spiral
notebook of index cards. On each page, I wrote a random question and a number.
More and more questions were added every year. I use the booklet in two ways. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
The first way is a simple get to know each other activity
for the beginning of the school year. Each student answers one question. The questions and answers create a lot of
laughs and quickly get everyone comfortable with their weird teacher and new
classmates. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
The second way can be used throughout the year to fill the minute
or two of extra time at the end of some class periods. For this method, I get out the booklet of questions and ask my students to raise their hands if they want to
participate. Usually, almost all hands go up. (I wish I could get that kind of
participation with content related questions...) The student I call on tells me
a number between 1 and 120, which is the number of questions I currently have in
my book. Then I read the corresponding question from the book. After we listen
to the student’s answer, I call on to a different student. Sometimes multiple students
answer the same question, other times I have them choose a different number. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
What types of questions should I ask?</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I ask a variety of questions in my book. Some questions are
silly and others are more serious or basic. The students like the randomness
and not knowing just what kind of question they are going to be asked. I avoid
questions that might cause a student to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. I
also allow students to skip a question if they prefer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
When making your own question book, you can ask these types
of questions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelWn23eXaIbn_65dxZ2qkoWWRjS8Eq2ke0pK4l36jWTNSD9R97-J1Pqu_gNUO9kQ2aXcZxv7cUraRyc1fZEKWKl7_yNUrEluRTvBO-w0LGJ293bv6KKknCPQf1ULqT5Csvccab2oum2E/s1600/IMG_2107.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelWn23eXaIbn_65dxZ2qkoWWRjS8Eq2ke0pK4l36jWTNSD9R97-J1Pqu_gNUO9kQ2aXcZxv7cUraRyc1fZEKWKl7_yNUrEluRTvBO-w0LGJ293bv6KKknCPQf1ULqT5Csvccab2oum2E/s320/IMG_2107.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example card from my ring booklet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Favorites: What’s your favorite kind of candy? What’s your
favorite movie genre?</li>
<li>Would you rather: Would you rather be able to talk to
animals or time travel? Would you rather eat a stick of butter or drink a glass
of ketchup?</li>
<li>Have you ever: Have you ever gone swimming in the ocean?
Have you ever accidentally walked into a wall?</li>
<li>Opinion: Should students get paid for good grades? When
should kids get their own cellphone?</li>
<li>Random: What would you do if your lovely grandmother made
you a special meal and it tasted terrible? What musical instrument do you wish
you could play?</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
How can I make my own booklet?</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
If you want to try this in your own classroom, there are a
few ways you can make your own. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Use a clipboard with questions: This is the easiest,
quickest, and least expensive option. You can type the questions on the computer
and save the document. It’s easy to add questions throughout the year. One
drawback is it has the highest chance of getting lost or beat up with repeated
use so you might need to reprint occasionally. Plus, it just isn’t as fun.</li>
<li>Make a booklet using spiral bound index cards: It’s a bit
more expensive and time-consuming, but it looks nice and holds up well. You
will have to write the questions by hand unless you want to print them out and
glue them. One drawback is the limited space. If you keep adding questions,
eventually you’ll run out of room in your spiral book.</li>
<li>Hole punched index cards, cardstock, or laminated paper held
together with a metal book ring or string: This is definitely the most
time-consuming option but also the most versatile. You can write the questions
by hand or type them with a computer. You can customize it with colored paper
and fonts. You can rearrange, remove, and add as many questions as you’d like.
For some teachers, this might be a fun summer project. Here's a video of the one I made:</li></ul><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyCrEvc-VpbhkFHPUNN5mCzU1WNKVdEbulWoSQb8zlhDIcAVl9GU3_ckM9oMbIxrB59279spGnr-RuAhYh-1Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">
I like the idea, but I don’t have the time to write all of
my own questions. Where can I get a premade set of questions?</h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
In my Teachers Pay Teachers store you can make your own ring booklet with all 120 question cards I use in my own classroom. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Get-to-Know-You-Ring-Booklet-Questions-Activity-BIG-PACK-3146552?utm_source=blogger.com&utm_campaign=BIGPACKQUESTIONS" target="_blank">Take a look at it here.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Get-to-Know-You-Ring-Booklet-Questions-Activity-BIG-PACK-3146552?utm_source=blogger.com&utm_campaign=BIGPACKQUESTIONS" target="_blank"><img alt="Big Pack Ring Booklet" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rNl27XS-wKHKLv9gn8iPZCHZKVwUDdBy5cck1FazZ7mYJQJc9xM0xmZazACsAa_YgPQR3apAPol_NQpjGUwzoK6shmw70Rvd5a7jdFiLnI9xVqEldV7gUJlYCG6j0j4EK4n14rZbIBA/s320/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Asking those silly questions and hearing my students’
answers and laughter is something I look forward to. I don't bring out the
booklet too often, maybe once every other week, but it is always a fun time
for the entire class and helps maintain a positive classroom culture. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-66392931106756969402017-04-24T07:00:00.000-07:002019-01-26T12:02:40.538-08:0010 Things Teachers Should Never DoAll people make mistakes. Teachers are no different. Here are some teaching mistakes I've made and learned from or have seen other teachers make.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe11Vk1v8vCjkpI4FI0tfEIiUE9mjkL2s7TnayExllNjEiW7bomRdIq5Z7kwOCiIeu6Wb1PC4C2vaMVXjU0VTFY58ba0hAGWw0ymAUfqxsbocDrg15Sp6isQgg_jfIDisVf6Dt0e3Z2U/s1600/10thingsneverdo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe11Vk1v8vCjkpI4FI0tfEIiUE9mjkL2s7TnayExllNjEiW7bomRdIq5Z7kwOCiIeu6Wb1PC4C2vaMVXjU0VTFY58ba0hAGWw0ymAUfqxsbocDrg15Sp6isQgg_jfIDisVf6Dt0e3Z2U/s400/10thingsneverdo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li><u><i>Punish the whole class for the mistakes of a few:</i></u> It may seem like the entire class was acting
up, but that is rarely the case. Punishing the whole class will cause you to
lose the support of the students who were making good choices and likely won’t
eliminate future misbehavior.</li>
<li><u><i>Avoid getting help when it's needed:</i></u> Most teachers don’t have a
perfect classroom, and if they do it certainly didn't get there immediately and without
work. If you sense a problem area in your classroom and don’t know how to fix
it, ask for help. Have a conversation. Other teachers and administrators can
observe your class and offer suggestions for improvement. </li>
<li><u><i>Assign a project prior to creating the rubric:</i></u> Trust me on
this. Your students won’t learn what they should, and it’ll be a grading
nightmare.</li>
<li><u><i>Plan a lesson that isn’t aligned to the learning objective:</i></u> When
planning, always keep in mind what you want the students to understand or be
able to do by the end of the lesson. It can be easy to get lost in planning a
fun and engaging lesson, but if it’s not meeting the objective then your students
won’t benefit from it like they should.</li>
<li><u><i>Grade every assignment:</i></u> You’ll drive yourself crazy. Choose only
the most important assignments to grade. I learned to aim for two or three assignments
per week.</li>
<li><i><u>Delay or skip parent/guardian contact:</u></i> It can be intimidating
and uncomfortable to have certain conversations. Calling a student’s home about
misbehavior or an unfortunate event isn’t the most fun thing ever. However,
parents and guardians need to know what’s going on with their child. They are
usually a huge asset and can offer helpful insight and work with you to reduce
and eliminate problems. (And be sure to call about the good stuff, too.)</li>
<li><u><i>Not making time for themselves:</i></u> You’re a person with a life
outside of teaching. There will always be things you need to do as a teacher,
but you have to take care of yourself. Make time to do the things you love and
spend time with your friends and family.</li>
<li><u><i>Not having a backup plan:</i></u> Sometimes your lesson will run
short. Sometimes students will find concepts easy and speed on through. Class time is limited and precious, so always have some sort of backup
plan to enhance the lesson or build a positive learning environment.</li>
<li><i><u>Be inconsistent with rules and consequences:</u></i> Letting rules
slip and allowing students to get away with misbehavior is all too easy to do. It
only takes a few times of doing this to completely sabotage your classroom
management plan. You’ll save yourself from lots of frustration by enforcing the
class rules and consequences every time with every student. <a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-classroom-rules-and-how-i-enforce.html" target="_blank">(Need ideas for effective classroom rules and consequences?)</a></li>
<li><i><u>Not being open to learning new things:</u></i> Find new strategies.
Try new teaching methods. Read up on best practices. Observe other teachers and
learn from them. Strive to be the best teacher you can be for your students.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What are some other things teachers should never do? Add
your ideas in the comments section. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2017/04/10-things-best-teachers-do.html" target="_blank">Read the 10 Things the Best Teachers Do.</a><br />
<br />
Are you a middle school science teacher? <a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter!</a> You'll get a free science resource just for joining.</div>
Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-20162774209630281822017-04-18T08:55:00.000-07:002019-01-26T12:03:29.678-08:0010 Things the Best Teachers DoWhen I think about the qualities of the most effective teachers I know, either from my own education or from colleagues I've had the pleasure of working with, these are ten things they all have in common.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJIVGn9U-H1VbrPxhZsx9FVa9iqCf4-CcOtC_ngjmki83OXICM3H50b3X3mRXkbd0JFyd5U_ETfZvpWpLJW0gd2Kxjm-HSb0_4qlzbi-osMxpntXKnR7tK44Tc1-LmOTWteBqJ8J9-tA/s1600/10thingsbestteachersdo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJIVGn9U-H1VbrPxhZsx9FVa9iqCf4-CcOtC_ngjmki83OXICM3H50b3X3mRXkbd0JFyd5U_ETfZvpWpLJW0gd2Kxjm-HSb0_4qlzbi-osMxpntXKnR7tK44Tc1-LmOTWteBqJ8J9-tA/s320/10thingsbestteachersdo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>Be fair and consistent</li>
<li>Communicate regularly with parents and guardians</li>
<li>Have rules and enforce them</li>
<li>Differentiate to meet the needs of all students</li>
<li>Care</li>
<li>Make the most of every class period</li>
<li>Be willing to learn from others and try new teaching
strategies</li>
<li>Have a routine that students can count on</li>
<li>Connect learning to real life</li>
<li>Make time for themselves</li>
</ol>
<br />
What are some other things the best teachers do? Add your ideas to the comments section.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ellythorsenteaching.blogspot.com/2017/04/10-things-teachers-should-never-do.html" target="_blank">Read the 10 Things Teachers Should Never Do.</a><br />
<br />
Are you a middle school science teacher? <a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter!</a> You'll get a free science resource just for joining.Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-23974093208471726102017-01-10T13:09:00.000-08:002019-02-11T10:13:09.837-08:00Odd One Out: A Strategy to Get Students Thinking Critically in Any Subject<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKklzgYUCot1l_GCv9r0amKnJnI3U9Qj1CsVRKCRujQmjbppiw-KBO6WDNhLK9VvQyCJAsy8GPCYwShgIyt6mb8M4pY1tPwfmBgV3NQ_KepgWuGKS4AqLWeZK9bb_e-cS_LonmPeoTSP4/s1600/colors.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKklzgYUCot1l_GCv9r0amKnJnI3U9Qj1CsVRKCRujQmjbppiw-KBO6WDNhLK9VvQyCJAsy8GPCYwShgIyt6mb8M4pY1tPwfmBgV3NQ_KepgWuGKS4AqLWeZK9bb_e-cS_LonmPeoTSP4/s200/colors.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example Odd One Out Problem</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Have
you ever played the game Two Truths and a Lie? It is generally used as a simple
and fun icebreaker activity where each person gives three statements about him
or herself and others guess which one of the three is a lie. “Odd One Out” is a
lot like that except it can be used as a way for students to think critically
about a topic. I first learned about this strategy at a science team meeting
several years ago. I am not sure of its official name, but Odd One Out seems appropriate.
Odd One Out problems consist of a circle divided into four equal parts. Each
quarter lists a word or phrase from a related topic. One quarter’s topic does
not quite fit with the others though.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><u><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">How
to Make and Solve an Odd One Out Problem</span></u></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">To
make an Odd One Out problem, choose four words or ideas from a related topic
and arrange them in the four quarters of a circle. One of those parts should be
just a little different than the others. Take the topic of colors, as seen in
the example above. All four parts contain a color, but one doesn’t quite fit.
Know which one?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Once
you identify the odd one out, circle or shade that quarter. Then explain your
answer. An explanation might sound like this, “Red, yellow, and blue are
primary colors. Orange is the odd one out because it is a secondary color,
meaning it is the result of two primary colors mixing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;">When
I assign Odd One Out problems to students, I require them to write a sentence explaining
why their chosen quarter does not fit. Their explanation is the most important
part of the problem because it shows whether or not they truly understand the
topic. Also, in some cases, an Odd One Out problem can have more than one
correct answer causing the explanation to become even more valuable. This can
promote student discussion and build even stronger critical thinking skills.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<h2>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b><u>Odd
One Out Problems with Multiple Correct Answers</u></b></span></span></h2>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;">Consider
this example with actors. What answer would you choose? <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE72t_IVPtRGoWjmP7flC_pdJ6TSxw8BWLavpTAt-We5vm3SrR5dGILtx96G3eNdHuMRiE2VjJbC1xfgJEIQfT_ySHz0W6Pq8T6l6FdpM-U-9-Vc5s6mr0vJiINskzBs_ow-SMXuynSMM/s1600/actors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE72t_IVPtRGoWjmP7flC_pdJ6TSxw8BWLavpTAt-We5vm3SrR5dGILtx96G3eNdHuMRiE2VjJbC1xfgJEIQfT_ySHz0W6Pq8T6l6FdpM-U-9-Vc5s6mr0vJiINskzBs_ow-SMXuynSMM/s320/actors.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who is the odd one out? Is there more than one correct answer?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">You
probably picked Jennifer Lawrence because she is the only female listed. But
can there be another correct answer? If you know a little more about these
actors, you might realize all but one of them are American. Therefore, the Australian
Chris Hemsworth could also be a correct answer. In fact, there are a number of correct answers to this problem. Knowing more about a topic can
lead to a greater variety and depth of answers. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><u>Answers
that Are Not Really Answers</u></span></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Sometimes,
you might have students whose explanations cannot be considered correct. For example,
in the above problem about actors, you might have a student with an answer like
this, “Clint Eastwood is the odd one out because he’s the only one whose name
begins with a vowel.” Yes, technically this is correct. However, it has nothing
to do with the topic of these actors. To avoid getting answers like this, remind
students that their answers have to do with the topic at hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><u>Use
Odd One Out Problems in All Subject Areas</u></span></span></h2>
One
of the awesome things about Odd One Out problems is how versatile they are. They
can be relatively easy to solve or provide quite a challenge. Students can
use their understanding of a topic to make their own problems to test their classmates.
They can be used for a ton of different ages, ability levels, and subject areas. Look at the examples below from each of the
core subjects for ideas to start using Odd One Out problems in your classroom.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGn-8X46IX0gHA11K2dRR3YMFK7FE395EovuHmt2QQ9RYJlWuNgrNgD2ZxjjMvnkCYzsvfwWo76Qozcmf3Vb-T70hBNtvc9OkRxIAvEYGX4jO524fEK0ldSqynofkrn-x7BdOcihktjU/s1600/science.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGn-8X46IX0gHA11K2dRR3YMFK7FE395EovuHmt2QQ9RYJlWuNgrNgD2ZxjjMvnkCYzsvfwWo76Qozcmf3Vb-T70hBNtvc9OkRxIAvEYGX4jO524fEK0ldSqynofkrn-x7BdOcihktjU/s400/science.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<h2>
<u><span style="color: purple;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Example
of a Completed Odd One Out Problem Set</span></span></span></u></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elements-Compounds-and-Mixtures-Odd-One-Out-Worksheet-2947683" target="_blank"><i>Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures worksheet</i></a> below is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store along with a
number of other <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Elly-Thorsen/Category/Odd-One-Out-Worksheets-274252" target="_blank">science related Odd One Out worksheets</a>. You'll even find a <b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Odd-One-Out-Worksheet-Create-Your-Own-Critical-Thinking-Assignment-4372561" target="_blank">blank, fully editable Odd One Out Worksheet</a></b> that you can use to make your own creations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elements-Compounds-and-Mixtures-Odd-One-Out-Worksheet-2947683" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrN6hUA2X4WV8V1BC_CSuUnRL0TDYf4ZLqSGAdR7mFm5rZdF0kX7W-Qik_l-6oP3WMD_XT5YEC7V9Z0OhL4ezAtWgdHi1vRyShZfQRsHM3cHbPTkABV19N7gjI9caa8pVk_CKr8kpyYI/s400/elcomixODDoneoutwkstexample.png" width="308" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elements-Compounds-and-Mixtures-Odd-One-Out-Worksheet-2947683" target="_blank">Example Odd One Out Problem Set</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Are you a middle school science teacher? <a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter!</a> You'll get a free science resource just for joining.Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-90590062164116696082016-10-26T11:52:00.000-07:002016-10-26T11:52:06.268-07:0011 Tips to Reduce Grading Time (and Make Grading Less Painful)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHKKYOhmZxFw2pPiud7O3wMwi5mHAHMDrvCICL_h7GYl3uM4p8jW42zvfar9XWT5tw2JbwnfkgLuFMuQ91rQv6EA96bkx8PIOFOcXJpOYnPp3W3Yh6GaIHEQWq71lcFdgECMBveSwU8s/s1600/grading+tips+pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHKKYOhmZxFw2pPiud7O3wMwi5mHAHMDrvCICL_h7GYl3uM4p8jW42zvfar9XWT5tw2JbwnfkgLuFMuQ91rQv6EA96bkx8PIOFOcXJpOYnPp3W3Yh6GaIHEQWq71lcFdgECMBveSwU8s/s400/grading+tips+pic.png" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was around this time of year during my first year of
teaching when I got completely overwhelmed with my grading load. My main
problem: I felt like I needed to grade EVERYTHING. Until speaking with other
teachers about how much time I spent grading, I did not realize grading
everything was unnecessary and impossible to sustain. Right then I decided to
change my grading habits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first year I was teaching English to sixth, seventh, and
eighth graders. Since every class had two spelling homework assignments and a
spelling test every week, the easiest way to reduce grading was to cut out redundant,
practice assignments. My first grading change was to only grade one spelling homework
assignment per week. I was still grading a ton of assignments, but just that
one little change substantially reduced the time I devoted to grading. Since
that first year, I have learned many more tricks to reduce grading time. Here
are some of those tricks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>This one is probably the most obvious: <u><span style="color: blue;">limit what you
grade</span></u>. Whenever possible, I limit myself to two or three assignments per
week. I feel like this is enough to give students, parents, and teachers a
clear and accurate picture of the students’ understanding of each topic and overall
effort. I can see their understanding with each assessment grade and see their
general effort levels reflected in whether or not they finish their homework
completely and on time.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Prioritize the most important assignments or parts of
assignments</span></u>. Choose what will give you the best picture of student
understanding and grade that. If you have a lengthy assignment, pick only a few
sections to spend time on and give a completion grade for the rest.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Occasionally give completion grades</span></u>. When totally
swamped with teaching duties, this can save your sanity. If students complete
all of an assignment, I give them 100%. If they only do half, they get
50%. I limit this to homework assignments
and try not to do it too often because it doesn’t reflect student understanding.
However, when I have more pressing teaching duties that will have a greater
impact on my students’ learning I think this is acceptable.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Have a no name policy you can handle</span></u>. I used to post
no name papers on the bulletin board (most remained unclaimed) and did detective
work to figure out which paper belonged to which student. That took a lot of
time and was not something I felt should be the teacher’s responsibility. After
a couple of years of this, I decided my seventh-grade students should be
responsible enough to do something as simple as writing their name on their assignment.
Consequently, I communicated this to my students and made it my class policy to
throw out no names. Whatever no name policy you decide to implement, make sure
it works for you and doesn’t add more time and effort than it deserves.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Limit late assignments</span></u>. I used to take late
assignments all quarter long (at a 25% grade reduction). This resulted in a
deluge of assignments from students who waited until right before grades were
due. It generated a ton of work for me when I needed to be wrapping things up.
I had to remember how I graded each assignment, which was time consuming in and
of itself. Cue a new late assignment policy: assignments are accepted no later
than two weeks overdue. This policy makes it so I can still easily remember how
I graded something and also keeps my grading duties at a reasonable level, even
when the gradebook is almost due.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Don’t let the assignments pile up</span></u>. This can happen quickly
and become overwhelming. Try grading in little spurts throughout the week so
you never end up with more than a week’s worth of accumulated assignments.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Have student helpers</span></u>. Most students enjoy helping the
teacher with little tasks. I often have students organize my ungraded papers so
they are all neatly stacked, facing up, and paper-clipped by assignment and class
period. The time saved really adds up.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Let students grade their own assignments or swap papers
with a classmate</span></u>. This gives students quick feedback on how they are doing
with a topic and where they can improve. You can discuss answers as a class and
clear up problem areas as soon as they present themselves. When grading this
way, I usually don’t add the grades to the gradebook because the students already
know exactly how they did and it’s too easy for students to cheat.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Always use a rubric when applicable</span></u>. This sounds so important
and obvious. But, let me tell you, there have been times when I was so
overwhelmed with teaching that I didn’t have a rubric when I assigned the
project. This is a huge no-no. Without a rubric, the students don’t have clear
expectations. You will end up with all sorts of projects and no fair,
consistent way to grade them. It becomes a time-consuming mess to grade. Trust
me—always use a rubric.</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Design exit tickets with ease of grading in mind</span></u>. Since
all of my exit tickets go in the gradebook, almost all of them are short—between
four and five questions long—and are mainly multiple choice. If it is important
to see the depth of student understanding, I might add one question that
requires students to answer in sentences. By sticking to this general format, I
am able to whip through grading exit tickets. (If you teach middle school
science you might be interested in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Science-Exit-Ticket-Exit-Slip-Super-PACKAGE-1945615" target="_blank">Exit Ticket Package</a>, which contains a
bunch of exit tickets designed this way.)</li>
<li><u><span style="color: blue;">Make peer reviewing part of projects</span></u>. During big
projects, take a little class time for peer reviewing. When students evaluate their
classmates’ work, they learn from each other and learn to think critically. The
peer review can be something as simple as providing one thing they liked about
a project and one way to improve it. You could take it further by printing
extra rubrics and having students grade each other that way. If you include some form of peer reviewing once
or twice before students turn in their projects, you will receive higher
quality work which requires less grading time from you.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Implementing even just a few of these strategies will greatly
reduce your grading time. Of course it’s impossible to
completely eliminate grading so, if all else fails, make the time you have to spend grading
as painless as possible. Use fun pens and stickers. Listen to music and light a
nice smelling candle. Have a yummy snack and a special drink (or two). Wear
comfy clothes and put your dog on your lap. Recruit a friend to help. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you do to save time spent grading? How do you make
grading a more pleasant experience? Comment below to share your ideas.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-86229622459101344092016-08-25T15:31:00.002-07:002016-08-25T20:03:37.781-07:00Using a Reward System in Middle School<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgDemGGRNqE_xpITiVcwCxoULlBpfx-6lwDZ0dT1w2zqlS9CjYZQyxJkFDMcu_Z6_cxZ9jetc4_8zgPIhcFVSVo_cs1nza6SVZi8tNNNHmfFxElMl76mUxCqolu9h76ua6wsYpnA6_TA/s1600/secondarysmorgpositiveculture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgDemGGRNqE_xpITiVcwCxoULlBpfx-6lwDZ0dT1w2zqlS9CjYZQyxJkFDMcu_Z6_cxZ9jetc4_8zgPIhcFVSVo_cs1nza6SVZi8tNNNHmfFxElMl76mUxCqolu9h76ua6wsYpnA6_TA/s320/secondarysmorgpositiveculture.jpg" width="320" /></a>When I began teaching seventh grade science as a Teach for
America Corps Member, one thing that set my class apart from others was my use
of a reward system in a middle school setting. Prior to joining Teach for
America, I had earned two degrees in education plus I already had two years of
teaching behind me. By the time I joined TFA, I had my own ideas about
classroom management and had begun to implement those ideas. However, one of
the main reasons I joined TFA was to learn about different styles of teaching
so I could become a better educator for my students. I kept my mind open to new ideas. One thing
TFA exposed me to during our five-week summer institute was the use of a reward
system at a secondary level. At first I thought it seemed silly and
impractical. Middle and high school students excited about earning little toys?
Spending tons of my own limited income providing those goodies for hundreds of
students? Huh? After dismissing the idea, I found myself thinking about it and
considering how I could make it more practical for my own classroom. When I began teaching seventh grade science
students a month and a half later, I had a reward system in place as a way to
decrease misbehavior, increase student engagement and achievement, and create a
fun and positive classroom environment. And what do you know? It worked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>What did I want in a reward system?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted my system related to academic achievement. I wanted
students to be individually rewarded to increase their investment. More
importantly from a behavior standpoint, I wanted them to work together for
class rewards because peers can often influence behavior in ways a teacher cannot.
I did NOT want to spend oodles of money making it work. My reward system
developed when all of these ideas rolled together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
<u><i>What does the reward system look like as a whole?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is a quick synopsis of my reward system. First of all,
<i><u>it has two parts—an individual reward and a group reward—and both parts involve
earning class points</u></i>. Students earn tickets individually that they enter in daily
prize drawings. The number of drawings a class gets depends on how many points
a class earns for good behavior. In addition to daily drawings that reward individual
students, class points add up for whole group rewards. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">Earning Class Points for the Individual and Group Rewards</span></h2>
<h3>
<u><br /></u></h3>
<h3>
<u><i>How do students earn class points?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Students work together as a class to earn points. They do
this by following directions, doing things quickly, participating, being on
task, doing exceptionally well on lab days or during lively activities, having
a class average of over 80% on a test or quiz (five points each time), and
getting good reports from substitutes (fifteen points per day). When the class
earns a point, I let them know right away. Letting them know when and why they
earn a point is important because it rewards them instantly for their good
behavior and encourages them to keep it up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><u><i>Do you ever take away points?</i></u></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No. The students earned the points they received. Many
times, most of the misbehavior comes from only a few students. Taking away
points punishes the whole class making well-behaved students less invested in
earning points because they feel those points can just be taken away by the
poor choices of others. The only time I’ve ever taken away points was when a
sub wrote a very poor report about a class and the majority of the students
didn’t get the assigned sub work done. (The
students who did get their work done were rewarded for their actions.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>How do you keep track of class points? </i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a mason jar with a lid labeled for every class. Each
point is represented by a fuzzy thing (actually called pom-poms, but “little fuzzy
things” was the name we adopted for them). During class, I put the little fuzzy
thing the students earn into the lid. (I want to keep them separate for the
individual reward that day.) At the end of class, I count how many points we
got for the day to determine how many prize drawings we need to do for the
individual reward. Then I add the little fuzzy things collected in the lid that
day to the jar to accumulate over time (for the group reward). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">Individual Reward Information</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>How do students get tickets for the individual reward?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Students earn tickets for getting 80% or above on
assessments. An assessment includes tests, quizzes, and exit tickets. I always
have at least one assessment each week so students have plenty of chances to
earn tickets. Whenever a student performs well on an assessment, I attach one
ticket onto their paper. When students get their papers back they detach the
ticket, write their name on it, and enter it into the drawing where they have a
chance win a prize of their choice. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Assessment-Reward-Tickets-for-Individual-Prize-Drawings-2752639" target="_blank">Check out a set of reward tickets here.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLrMxPg0qTCAnYDvt94ff85FBo5qDFPho7kbuM1vGH3pRZ3TvX_8BqwXMJKW_k0IfU2X2xX9L-eUp4nbvshK_cEmSGUs2GvzEF_vdyHpsE0cZzq6aGlUSgJNM1EPrETgI8fW6RZARUvM/s1600/drawingticketPREVIEWpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLrMxPg0qTCAnYDvt94ff85FBo5qDFPho7kbuM1vGH3pRZ3TvX_8BqwXMJKW_k0IfU2X2xX9L-eUp4nbvshK_cEmSGUs2GvzEF_vdyHpsE0cZzq6aGlUSgJNM1EPrETgI8fW6RZARUvM/s320/drawingticketPREVIEWpic.jpg" width="240" /></a><u><i>How many class points does it take to get one drawing? </i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every five class points triggers one drawing. For example,
if a class earns a total of ten points they will get two drawings. If a class
gets nine points, they will only get one drawing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>How many drawings are typically in one day?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That depends on a few different factors, the biggest one
being overall class behavior. In a 90-minute block schedule, I usually do
between two to four drawings. In a shorter 45-minute class, the students earn
one or two drawings. I’ve had some disastrous classes (haven’t we all?) where
students didn’t earn even one drawing. I’ve also had spectacular days (yea!) where
a class earned six. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>How and when do students submit tickets for the drawing?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I have any worksheets or assessments to return to
students, I pass them out while students complete their Do Now at the beginning
of class. Any student who receives a ticket at that time can add it to the
class’s bag. I usually send around a student who finished his or her Do Now
early to collect the tickets in the bag.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>Where do you keep the submitted tickets for the drawing?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a gallon-size Ziploc bag labeled for each of my seven
classes. When it comes time to do a drawing I empty the class tickets into a
bucket so students can select a winning ticket without seeing the name written
on it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>When do you do the drawing? Who does the drawing?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like to do the drawing at the end of every class period.
It only takes about two minutes, so I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing class time
(especially since we accomplish so much in class when the students are
motivated to be well behaved by the reward system). If time is running short,
we carry over the drawings and do them at the beginning of the next class. In
the past, I’ve tried doing the drawings only once a week on the last day before
the weekend, but I’ve found the students aren’t quite as motivated if they have
to wait that long. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Students love being involved in this system, so unless we
are running really short on time a student will do the drawing. I choose a
student at random and invite that student to the front of the room where I am
holding the bucket of tickets. Without looking, the student chooses a ticket
and reads the name of the winner to the class. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>What prizes do students earn in the drawing?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I try to have something to appeal to every student. I have
bathroom passes and homework passes. Before school starts, I stock up on the
amazing deals that can be found at Office Depot and Staples. There I find
folders, pencils, pens, notebooks, and erasers for as little as a penny each. During
the summer I go to garage sales for inexpensive books or fun little items I
think my students will like. My mom loves to make jewelry, so she provides
earrings and bracelets. Many parents love to donate for the reward system, so I
always request the most popular items of all: food, drinks, and gum. They go to
Sam’s Club to get good deals in bulk. I ask them to keep each item’s cost less
than 50 cents. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>Where do you keep the prizes for the individual reward?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I keep the prizes in a glass display case with a lock. One
of the walls in my science classroom is made entirely of these lockable glass
cases and it makes for the perfect way to both show the prizes and keep them secure.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>What do you do with the huge number of tickets that are
collected but not drawn?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I dump the tickets into the recycle bin each quarter. I do
this because some students earn a lot of tickets during that time and others
only receive a few. I want every student to have a chance to win and when
certain students have a stockpile of tickets it makes that difficult. I also dump
the tickets each quarter because some students made poor choices and deserve to
start over with a clean slate. The rationale I give to my students is the bag
can’t hold that many tickets and students should have a chance to start over
and make good decisions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">Whole Group Reward Information</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>How many class points does it take to get a whole class
reward?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One hundred and fifty points seems to work best. On average
it gives a whole class reward about once a month. One hundred comes around too
often and two hundred drags on causing the students to become apathetic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<u><i>What whole class rewards do you use?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I provide a list and let the students vote. No matter how many choices I give the
students, only two have ever been chosen. Classes always vote for either free time
with electronics (I give between ten and fifteen minutes) or permission to
bring and eat snacks during class. <o:p></o:p></div>
<h3>
<o:p> <u><br /></u></o:p><u><i>When do you count the class points for the whole group
reward?</i></u></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t keep a running tally of the number of points.
Instead I have a student in study hall count each class’s points at the end of
the week. I announce the total on Monday when we go through the weekly
schedule. If at that time a class has reached the 150 points needed to trigger
a whole class reward, we vote for what the reward will be and when it will
happen. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p>*********************************************************************************</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In summary, this reward system has two parts. The first part
is an individual reward. The class earns points to trigger drawings at the end
of each class period. The drawing prizes go to individual students who earned a
ticket from getting 80% or above on an assessment. The second part of the
reward system also involves getting class points, but the whole group works
together to earn 150 points and trigger a whole class reward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This system has helped me build and maintain a positive
classroom environment in my seventh grade science classes. Students are excited
to come to class and learn. They are motivated to do well on their assessments
and be good students in class. Plus, it’s a lot of fun for me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-6592180458195333282016-07-31T16:21:00.000-07:002016-07-31T16:24:17.066-07:00Back to School Site-Wide Sale on Teachers Pay Teachers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px;">Great news! Teachers Pay Teachers is having a two day sale starting tomorrow. Get ready for back to school and stock-up for the year ahead. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Elly-Thorsen" target="_blank">Everything in my store will be 20% off.</a> Most other stores will have sales going on as well. Remember to use the code "BestYear" when you checkout so you can get even more savings.</span>Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-14532290785579401732016-07-09T16:44:00.001-07:002016-07-09T16:44:14.663-07:00Away for a Little WhileHello! My family and I are going on a canoe trip in Canada for the next week and a half, so I will be away from all technology. If you send a message or ask a question on the blog I will respond when I get back. Enjoy your July and thanks for reading!Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-68288781495248276622016-05-11T21:09:00.000-07:002019-01-26T11:50:46.909-08:00Successfully Using Stations in the Middle School ClassroomI’ll admit, when I first began using stations the main
reason was so I didn’t have to make copies for 200 students. The copy
machines at my school were frequently broken, out of toner, and often
inaccessible due to high need from other teachers and the lack of regular and
predictable planning periods. If I wanted to make copies, I either had to get
to school around seven or stay well after the final bell rang. Even then I might not be able to print what I
needed for my students because the paper might be locked away to save the
district some money. Stations were a perfect solution to my copy machine
dilemmas. However, once I began using stations I found many more reasons to keep using them in my seventh grade science classes. Perhaps most importantly, students
love stations and are motivated simply because they can be out of their seats
and be more in charge of their learning (more on that later). Stations are
super easy to differentiate and can be used to meet the needs of all of your students.
Also, they are easy to use and quick to set up. If you’ve never heard of
stations, ever considered using stations, or if you currently use stations and
they aren’t quite as effective as you’d like, keep reading.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2tunhyphenhyphenXbFpgz1sAk05KEsG9D1Qq4H7ml5Co_DzcEVEpjlhcelT6SDyI7kMFNrBQoFKbwec_UWk4erk7h4sEdfKKo8AiulhmPWEeGax3s818zI8P3Tv9AdvbPNOVmlqGH2eGo61UVFrA/s1600/stations+edited+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2tunhyphenhyphenXbFpgz1sAk05KEsG9D1Qq4H7ml5Co_DzcEVEpjlhcelT6SDyI7kMFNrBQoFKbwec_UWk4erk7h4sEdfKKo8AiulhmPWEeGax3s818zI8P3Tv9AdvbPNOVmlqGH2eGo61UVFrA/s320/stations+edited+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students practice identifying variables and writing hypotheses<br />
with these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scientific-Method-Stations-A-Versatile-Activity-1393537" target="_blank">Scientific Method Stations</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>What are stations?</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stations are a way for students to practice lesson content
while moving around the classroom instead of being seated at desks. (That might
sound scary when considering certain classes—believe me, I’ve been there.
However, I’ve used stations with even my most rambunctious, out of control
classes of 35+ seventh grade students. It can be done successfully.) Stations
can be questions or short tasks posted on the perimeter of the room. In my
science classes I typically used questions that could be answered with students’ notes, textbooks, knowledge, or skills. I included a
variety of question levels—some easy and straightforward and others rigorous
and challenging. I have also set up measurement stations with tasks to complete
such as finding the volume of an object using the water displacement method or predicting
the mass of an object and then using a balance to see how close their
predictions were. When I noticed students had a hard time finding information
in textbooks, I had stations where students had to find a specific piece of
information using glossaries, tables of contents, or indexes. I’ve even cut up
a worksheet and posted it around the room as stations. Answering the questions
on a worksheet can be tedious, but when that same worksheet is in station form
it becomes more engaging and meaningful. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When students are up and around the room doing stations they’ll need to record their
answers. This can be done on notebook paper that they hand in when they’re
finished or in their interactive notebooks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<h2>
<b><u>How do I set up stations in my classroom?</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Start off by writing the questions or tasks you want your
students to answer. Use fairly large font so they are easy to read from a
distance of several feet. Then print them out and cut them up. If you want, you
can laminate them so they are in good condition by the time the last class of
students goes through them. I personally
did not laminate them, so I always had some rips or pencil marks on the papers
by the end of the day. Instead of laminating I just used extra tape to prevent
the majority of damage. <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you have your stations printed, cut out, and maybe
laminated you can tape them around the room on walls, windows, or tables.
Finding space in my classroom was always easy because my room was ginormous. I
also had countertops bordering the walls of three-quarters of my classroom. The
space you leave between stations obviously depends on how many stations you
have, but whenever possible try to leave at least a yard between them. This helps the
students stay focused on their task instead of socializing with nearby
groups. It also helps the teacher spot
misbehavior earlier and sprout fewer gray hairs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>When should I use stations?</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were two purposes for using stations in my classroom:
practice or review. If I was using the stations as a way to reinforce the
material we learned, I scheduled them after taking notes and doing a whole
class practice. Basically, I wanted my students to have the fundamentals down and
the ability to be decently independent before beginning stations. If
students needed to review material, I typically used stations as a review activity
the day or two before a test. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve also had luck using stations before big breaks like
Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, or summer vacation. Whenever
students are especially squirrelly, stations are usually a good choice because
students can move around the room and still engage in the material they need to
learn and understand instead of wasting learning time. (Stations have kept me sane on more than one
occasion before a break.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>What behavioral expectations should be established before beginning stations?</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before beginning stations, you MUST go over your behavior
expectations. Otherwise, the students have a 95% chance of turning feral within three minutes. Here are the station
expectations I went over <i><u>every time</u></i> we did stations.<span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Students will have no more than three students to a station
at any time. If there is already a group at that station, then they must go to
another station.</li>
<li>Students do not have to go in order. They may skip around to
any station as long as they write their answers in the correct location on
their own papers. </li>
<li>As long as students are on task and working, students may
pick the student(s) they want to work with. Students may also work
individually.</li>
<li>Students will receive only one warning for off task
behavior. If they are off task a second time, they will have to complete the
assignment individually in their seat using a worksheet form of the stations.</li>
<li>Students may only visit the answer sheet twice during the
stations.</li>
<li>When students finish the stations they need to check all of
their answers and return to their seats.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
<b><u><br /></u></b></h2>
<h2>
<b><u>How do I monitor behavior during stations, and what do I do
about misbehavior?</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you aren’t directly supporting a group of students, walk
around the room and monitor behavior. Keep an eye and ear out for horseplay.
Whenever students misbehave or don’t follow a station expectation give them a
warning. If students have a second problem, direct the offending students back
to their seats and give them a worksheet form of the stations to complete individually.
Remind students they cannot get out of their seats for the remaining station
time, otherwise you might find them messing with their friends and wandering around the room “working on the
stations.” Depending on whether your stations consist of questions or tasks,
your students might not be able to do every station on their worksheet. In that
case instruct them to skip the station or complete it individually later on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Biggest advice here: don’t let small misbehaviors get out of
hand. Immediately give the warning/consequence and briefly explain to the
student what they did wrong and why it’s a problem. Here is an example of how
that might sound: “Billybobjoe, you were visiting another group again. When you do
this it is distracting to other students and you can’t learn. Because you
didn’t follow the station expectations, now you will finish the stations at
your desk by yourself on this worksheet.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>How can I use stations to meet the needs of all of my
students? </u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stations are excellent for differentiation purposes.
Students can choose what works for them. For example, I let my students
determine if they wanted to work independently, with a partner, or in a group of
three. They also determined the order in which they completed the stations. They
could skip around or go in numerical order while working at their own pace. Posting an answer
sheet gave my students support by allowing them to check their work or get help with
a problem they were struggling with. While my students were working, I was free to
meet with a small group of students who needed extra support. Sometimes I determined ahead of time who should be in that day's support group and other times I left it up to the students to come to me for assistance.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNrkfT8aX_S6HbqF_WutVXcuLmFp3WTagW2LuKscnRuHpgVcx5-VN7kdJW_tmmEQiuYfQqlt8r_vKy720zHpJtlPlGr0Q59zBb_uE1xLnkQ7SPLlxy8Dbd11s8ryK7bMc6JS0UAgSrJ8/s1600/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNrkfT8aX_S6HbqF_WutVXcuLmFp3WTagW2LuKscnRuHpgVcx5-VN7kdJW_tmmEQiuYfQqlt8r_vKy720zHpJtlPlGr0Q59zBb_uE1xLnkQ7SPLlxy8Dbd11s8ryK7bMc6JS0UAgSrJ8/s320/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Consider posting answer sheets (like I did with the<br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-Stations-Activity-2053015" target="_blank">Changes in States of Matter Stations</a>) so students can<br />
check their work and get assistance if needed.</td></tr>
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Another way to differentiate is by arranging the stations from easiest to hardest. For
the most part, students are pretty good at determining their levels of understanding.
Whenever I arranged the stations this way, I explained it to my students and
let them choose where they needed to be. Providing the right context and
reasoning is important for this. Don’t just say: left is easy, center is
medium, and right is hard. Then you’d have a flock of students on the left with
no one really benefiting. Explain that the stations on the left side are for
students who feel they are having difficulty with the content and need to build
up their knowledge and skills first. The stations in the center are a medium level of
difficulty for students who feel they have a fairly good understanding of the
content and are ready for reinforcement practice. The stations on the right
side of the room are for students who feel they understand the material very
well and need a challenge. When I explained it this way, my students didn’t feel bad
if they were on the left side. As for the right side, many were eager for a challenge and would start by looking at the questions to see if they were ready or needed to go more towards the center. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When arranging by level of difficulty, give your students a
number of stations to complete. If there are 30 stations, maybe have them choose
any 10. Having students complete all of the stations can defeat the purpose of
arranging them this way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h2>
<b><u>What do I do when students finish the stations at different
times?</u></b></h2>
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There are several solutions to this. You can set a timer and
have students complete as many stations as they can in 20 minutes. If there are a small number of stations or if
the questions/tasks are relatively quick to get through, you can start a five-minute
timer after the first five students finish; then announce that everyone needs
to be done in less than five minutes. You can have students begin their
homework or an individual class assignment at their seats. They can read a book. I’ve
tried all of these methods in my class and switched it up depending on the student
or lesson needs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>What stations do you use in your own classroom?</u></b></h2>
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I'm so glad you asked. :) In my Teachers Pay Teachers store you can find many of
the stations I have used in my seventh grade science classroom. Currently, these
are the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Elly-Thorsen/Category/Stations-327363"><b>stations in my store</b></a>:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scientific-Method-Stations-A-Versatile-Activity-1393537" target="_blank"><b>Scientific Method Stations:</b></a> These can be used in a variety
of ways. Most often my students used these stations to identify independent and
dependent variables and write hypotheses. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Changes-in-States-of-Matter-Stations-Activity-2053015" target="_blank"><b>Changes in States of Matter Stations:</b></a> These stations give
students practice with the key points of melting, freezing, vaporization,
condensation, and sublimation. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Genetics-and-Heredity-Stations-Activity-3011757" target="_blank">Genetics and Heredity Stations:</a></b> These stations give students practice with a variety of genetics topics. They are great to see what students know or to review key concepts.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Human-Body-Organ-System-Stations-1414836" target="_blank"><b>Human Body Organ System Stations:</b></a> Students practice the
important characteristics of the skeletal system, circulatory system,
respiratory system, muscular system, digestive system, and nervous system.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Properties-of-Matter-Review-Physical-Science-Stations-Activity-1537812" target="_blank"><b>Properties of Matter/Physical Science Review Stations:</b></a> I use
these stations to review physical science concepts before the unit test. They
go over atoms, states of matter, changes in states, physical and chemical
changes, law of conservation of mass/matter, homogeneous and heterogeneous
mixtures, elements, and compounds. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Measurement-in-Science-Stations-Tools-and-Metric-Units-3793178" target="_blank">Measurement in Science Stations:</a></b> These stations are all about the tools and units used to measure metric length, volume, mass, and density.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Density-Stations-A-Science-Measurement-Activity-3823325" target="_blank">Density Stations:</a></b> My students always need extra practice with density before things really sink in. These stations help them understand.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Volume-Stations-A-Science-Measurement-Activity-3845818" target="_blank">Volume Stations:</a></b> These stations focus on finding the volume of solids and liquids and measuring correctly.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mass-and-Weight-Stations-A-Science-Measurement-Activity-3828365" target="_blank">Mass and Weight Stations:</a> Students get practice with the difference between mass and weight with these stations. </li>
</ul>
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If you haven’t already, try using stations in your
classroom. With the correct implementation, they can really benefit your
students. Plus, you don’t have to make a bazillion copies ;)<br />
<br />
Are you a middle school science teacher? You might be interested in my newsletter. <a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage">Sign up for my newsletter here.</a> Just for signing up you'll receive an exclusive freebie that you can't get anywhere else.</div>
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Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8096995488441010899.post-82161957055703720032016-04-13T21:44:00.000-07:002019-08-07T12:22:22.335-07:00Ways to Grow as a Teacher in a Secondary Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXijkqJEgq1Ya_haSklu_AB-8tz3Vv0MHf2ucirS7ojdagR2Y2pfITp7wijFnD2GcMIlWu3VgU230IqDwRD_gkGGrbOeqn2BJYqyPKc4407WYWV_-jM8_asu4I4w-UUUeq5WTKj27BYQ/s1600/design+%252867%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXijkqJEgq1Ya_haSklu_AB-8tz3Vv0MHf2ucirS7ojdagR2Y2pfITp7wijFnD2GcMIlWu3VgU230IqDwRD_gkGGrbOeqn2BJYqyPKc4407WYWV_-jM8_asu4I4w-UUUeq5WTKj27BYQ/s320/design+%252867%2529.png" width="213" /></a></div>
In my classroom, I’m always looking for ways to improve. To
grow as a teacher, I reflect on my lessons and consider what went well, what
could have been better, and different methods to try in the future. In addition
to self-reflection, I welcome feedback from others—administrators, mentors,
other teachers, and my students. I’ve even participated in Great Teachers,
Great Feedback, which is a virtual coaching service. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve been observed countless times during my teaching career.
My first year teaching I was observed by my mentor multiple times each month
and my program director several times a year. A couple of years later when I
was a part of Teach for America I had advisers in and out of my room on a
regular basis in addition to visits from the principal and vice principals.
While I’ve never enjoyed being observed (who does, right?), I looked forward to
hearing their thoughts and ideas. Whether the feedback was good or bad, I
wanted to hear all about it. I grew into a strong teacher quickly because I was
so eager to learn from others. I’ve always been naturally reflective, but the
comments from administrators, advisers, mentors, and fellow teachers showed me
where to place my concentration. <o:p></o:p></div>
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No matter how often you’re observed and receive feedback,
you won’t grow as a teacher unless you are willing to listen to advice and try
out new ideas. Don’t shut down when an observer shares a criticism. Ask questions about turning things around
instead. True, not all of the advice you’ll
receive will be helpful. For example, one of my observers always told me to
rank my students from highest performers to lowest performers and create an
elaborate seating chart based off of that ranking system. It was such a time
consuming process with seven classes of around 30 students each. However, I
tried it anyway. For several weeks, I used this new seating chart system. When no benefits of the new seating chart
showed themselves I went back to my old arrangements. Out of all of the advice
I received and tried over the years, this was the only one that stands out as impractical.
While the idea didn’t work out, it did get me thinking about other options for
seating charts and table arrangements. Not every idea will be beneficial, but most
of them are worth considering. I’ve discovered a lot of wonderful teaching
methods this way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Self-reflection and routine observations aren’t the only things
that shaped me into the teacher I am today.
Some of the best feedback came from the people who were in my classroom
every day: my students. Simply watching your students can tell you so much about the
efficacy of your lessons and teaching methods.
I think most teachers can tell when their students are bored. There are
many hard to miss signs there—slouching, open mouths, excessive doodling,
drooling, sleeping, acting out... You can tell when your students are engaged,
eager to learn, and excited. A quick assessment can tell you how much each
student understood the content. There are many informal ways to learn from
your students.</div>
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Besides observing students’ behavior and assessing their
work, you can do something as simple as asking questions. Ask your students how
you’re doing. Ask what they liked and didn’t like about a lesson. Ask them what
was clear and what was confusing. Ask them what helps and what doesn’t. Many
students will be hesitant to answer, especially at first. Not many teachers ask
their students’ opinions on lessons and teaching practices. If you can get them
talking, you might be surprised at their insight. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGx9gNDKlvWCW6b-WLpnvfKHrvpIEYUavsGk2RqPCTFclPFXC7vrU8htdk5OONAR4276o-5kPiH-JX40hDJklBuvEsTB1mCvNSJ3hyphenhyphenN9YXFY1muJCblYWEuRJOK9eAiCB6KU52jlusFo/s1600/design+%252873%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGx9gNDKlvWCW6b-WLpnvfKHrvpIEYUavsGk2RqPCTFclPFXC7vrU8htdk5OONAR4276o-5kPiH-JX40hDJklBuvEsTB1mCvNSJ3hyphenhyphenN9YXFY1muJCblYWEuRJOK9eAiCB6KU52jlusFo/s320/design+%252873%2529.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One version of my teacher report card</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Several times a year I have my students give me a more formal
assessment. Most students are more candid about their thoughts when they don’t
have to express themselves in front of a classroom full of students and their
teacher. To give the formal assessment, I have my students grade me at the end
of each quarter. Basically, whenever my students get report cards I get one
too. Or, in particularly challenging
classes, I have students complete a formal assessment ASAP to help identify the
problem and get students back on track to learning as much as they can in the
short amount of time they have in my class. <o:p></o:p><br />
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When my students “Grade the Teacher” they fill out the
answers to questions on a piece of paper. It’s fairly quick: between five to
ten minutes. You can ask questions about whatever you think would be useful
like classroom management, lesson pacing, types of homework, how students feel
in your class, clearness of expectations, etc.
I often change up the questions each quarter. I always include a portion
about what letter grade I deserve and why. I usually include a question about
what unit they learned the most from and why. If you’re considering letting
your students grade you like this, I recommend you read through the advice
below.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>Explain to the students that you are giving them the feedback
form because you want to know how to improve your teaching. Encourage details
and examples because those will give you a better idea of how to improve.</li>
<li>Tell students to focus on your teaching, the lessons, and
the classroom environment. Not your clothing choices or appearance or other
irrelevant things! When students first started grading me, I got comments about
how I’m stylish and have beautiful eyes.
Flattering, yes. A little creepy, also yes. Helpful, no.</li>
<li>Clarify that students should be completely honest but not
hurtful. Giving examples of what is and isn’t acceptable is helpful. Example:
Mr. Dude sometimes seems mad and yells and it makes students feel
uncomfortable. Non-example: Mr. Dude is a mean teacher and everyone hates him. </li>
<li>If you want, you can have students complete their
evaluations anonymously. This might help them be more comfortable being honest.
Personally, I like to have students put their names on the evaluations so I can
follow up with them if I have any questions or need clarification.</li>
<li>Consider having a question about the student’s level of
effort in class. I’ve found this helps the students consider their role in how
class goes on a daily basis, and this causes them to be more fair and reasonable
in their evaluation of me.</li>
<li>This part is hard: Try not to take criticisms personally.
Not every student will give you glowing reviews. That’s okay! Remember, you gave
them this evaluation to improve and their ideas can often help you with that
goal.</li>
<li>You can use the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-the-Teacher-Teacher-Evaluation-Reflection-Tool-1391782" target="_blank">Grade the Teacher</a> feedback form I created with
your students. I use some version of this with my students every quarter. It’s in English and Spanish so all the voices
in my classroom are heard.</li>
</ul>
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If you’re serious about improving as a teacher you should reflect on your lessons, invite people into your classroom to observe you, try new teaching methods, and get feedback from your students. <br />
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Want to get feedback from your students? <b><u><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-the-Teacher-Teacher-Evaluation-Reflection-Tool-1391782?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=GRADETEACHERblogpost" target="_blank">Try my "Grade the Teacher" reflection tool.</a></u></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-the-Teacher-Teacher-Evaluation-Reflection-Tool-1391782?utm_source=myblog&utm_campaign=GRADETEACHERblogpost" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;"><img alt=" Grade the Teacher: teacher evaluation tool" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsD1en4DDBiXywBj_TPf4K4rWUmWyHob96_2amWM7tJr4moxcDd4PD73KnAdByQzqW9_jSMx_E6C8w3n7CdSUbRf6uEjxeCKznU9jkrMhaiPxIh6SchSG-5_OxE4PWipmCI8M4Rwwn9hE/s320/gradeteacherCOVERnew.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Get a "Grade the Teacher" form for your own classroom!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Are you a middle school science teacher? You might be interested in my newsletter. <b><u><a href="https://mailchi.mp/e26100aca25b/ellythorsennewslettersignuppage" target="_blank">Sign up for my newsletter here.</a></u></b> Just for signing up you'll receive an exclusive freebie that you can't get anywhere else.Elly Thorsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13692999064193056388noreply@blogger.com0