Each year, I pull out my bird beak stations, and each year I love watching my first graders as they learn hands on how birds have different beaks that allow them to survive in the habitat they live in.
I love starting off this lesson by asking them to tell me what makes a bird a bird. We create an anchor chart that has a nest of great words including birds ... have 2 legs, have wings, have feathers, lay eggs, have beaks, fly, have two eyes.
I then share the book Beaks by Robin Brickman.
Beaks aren't just for eating...this book is great in showing other ways such as building, finding a mate, and digging to name a few!
I then take the first graders around from table to table to show them how they will be using their beaks to eat! I read the sheets to them, give them a check off list, but going in a circle from station to station is easy enough! I was able to get my supplies from the Dollar Store or from my classroom or home. There are seven stations in all! Here are just a few fun stations in action.
How fun to dig for worms! Wheat germ and gummy worms!
Time to crack open a sunflower seed!
Watch the woodpeckers as they dig for bugs! I use Mung beans because I had them, but rice or split peas work perfect, too! Grab the tweezers and a sponge and your all set!
My little hummingbirds love the nectar! Droppers, graduated cylinders and a little flower prop and we have a fast flying bird ready to eat!
When we are all done with the stations, because I only have an hour with my students, we finish up by having them create a bird that they saw in the book or they simulated in our stations. We add it to our anchor chart. If they get done nearly, I share with them a live eagle cam (yesterday we watched it eat a squirrel for lunch!) and compare it to a live bird cam from Cornell University!
My week begins on a Tuesday...yes not Monday...Tuesday. Why? Well we are on a day one through five schedule not day of the week schedule. So it is Tuesday and I wanted to share with you what my week looks like! Getting ready for the kiddos this weekend! I love using digital resources to help my littles show me what they know!
Kindergartners:
We are starting our first week of wrap ups on our five senses. To use all five senses we are using popcorn to do that! I will be starting with them at the carpet as I review our senses we already used. (I have the popper started!) All of a sudden we hear something! Then...smell something. By that time they figure out what we are making and we then go to the table that is a safe distance away from touching something hot.
While we wait for the popcorn to cool down we meet at the carpet area to use our popcorn slides as a review. They love being able to come to the board and move the pictures to show what sense we use when we see a magic word such as hot or salty.
When they are done, I send them back to their desks to get a cup of popcorn after I salt and butter it. We start with one sense at a time...with tasting being the last sense! As they use each sense I write down on our anchor chart the property words to describe each one.
I give them a popcorn shape to draw one or more ways they use their senses when it comes to popcorn! I play popcorn music as they work!
We finish up with a short story by Frank Asch called of course...Popcorn!
First Graders:
This week in first grade, we continue to work with vertebrate. We are learning about Amphibians! My favorite thing to do is find a song that we can learn or listen to that will help us retain information! The amphibian song is one of my favorites...but before we start that we talk about what makes us a mammal. I show them pictures of amphibians and I ask them to tell me what they see. Do the animals have fur or hair...give live birth...Then I show the fun song...
We then create the beginning of our anchor chart. What animals did we hear about in our song? We then move onto our non-fiction book, What is An Amphibian? from Epic Books...free for teachers! We then play a game...Is it an amphibian? If it is...they hop like a frog!
We follow it up with a writing and assessment sheet found in my Animal Classifications Pack that is continually getting updated as I add more ideas and activities!
When we get done we color a salamander pattern that I found on line!
2nd Grade:
We are using our FOSS Air and Weather Kit. I need to follow a road map that indicates which lesson I should be on at a given times so that our eight other Science Educators and I can cover the same "Big Ideas". At times, I can find ways to add some STEM activities that tie in what we are learning about such as last week's parachute lesson and a Jack and the Beanstalk connection...however this week is air pressure. Not quite as exciting for an hour long class. So, sometimes I just can't make my own extras I call upon the help of Ms. Frizzle! I found a perfect video...Goes On Air... and sheet from Scholastic along with our FOSS syringe lesson. This is okay for me because they can't watch videos in their rooms due to the strict road map they are on for virtually everything. I am glad that I have that flexibility! Here is the link for the video: Magic School Bus Goes On Air. Here is the Scholastic Classroom Activity Site: Scholastic Magic School Bus Activity Page.
3rd Grade:
Once again FOSS gets me...we are using our mock rocks to learn about crystals. I brought in a crystal for them to see...we read a crystal book from Epic Books called What Are Crystals...ok I just skimmed and paraphrased for them. That is the beauty of using the smart board to project stories. (As a science teacher with no transition time, I can even put on the read the book to me button at times, allowing me to set up supplies on tables).
Once we are done with an intro to crystals, we review what a geologist is and what they do. Geologists use different experiments and techniques to break apart rocks or look more closely at what they are made of. We share how our mock rocks are used to compare what geologists do to real rocks and then we look at our vials to see what ingredients I might have put in our "recipe". I stress the idea of a recipe so they know that rocks are more than one ingredient and minerals are only one ingredient...just like a recipe.
We discuss evaporation, which I taught last year. We then do the FOSS lesson, but we use our iPads to take pictures and not draw the vial. Once done with the writing, this helps me get them finished...I then let them come to the crystal table which has hand lenses set out as well as the identification chart. We need evidence as to why I put in the ingredient I did! How do you know...is the big question of the day!
We celebrate our learning by eating a bit of rock candy and writing in our crystal ball! Here is the sheet that we used! Enjoy the quick and easy freebie I use with crystals to check for understanding. I take a picture of this with my iPad, then air drop it to them. They put it into Explain Everything!
Fourth Grade:
We just finished up on our FOSS lessons with magnets. This week, we are reviewing with magnet stations! I set up eight stations that I made in my Magnet Pack using all of the supplies from my FOSS magnet kit, however I also use other supplies that I have for this unit to add some added magnets and magnet toys. Once they are done reviewing they assess their effort and then we review the answers. This helps them focus on getting a certain amount done in the time they have to finish the stations and it also helps my lower level learners understand and review what they might not know yet. Take a look at the stations in action!
I love these Magnet Stations Found HERE! They keep our FOSS magnet lesson more engaging and allow for more assessments!
Fifth Grade:
We are learning about life boats so what a perfect time for this History minor to teach a history lesson! I give each fifth grader a steerage ticket that I made as they walk in the room...of course to the Titanic Theme Song as an instrumental.
I let them pick from my hand to get their fate. First class has nice cushioned chairs and a glass of water. I get them their supplies all ready as well and they sit up front. My second class ticket holders sit at tables away from the front and get pencils, and the third class passengers sit on the floor in the back and share a few pencils between them. They love it!
I use the Book National Geographic Titanic to read to them on the smart board, which once again is from Epic Books! Once done, we discuss what a life boat is and what capacity means. We share what we know about boat size and capacity! I get them all together and we watch a quick video on what happened on the Titanic and the capacity of the life boats that were launched. It is a perfect connector!
I then share that we are making our own life boats using a controlled experiment model. I give them each a piece of aluminum foil the same size, the variable how they build and form the boat. We then test how many "penny passengers" fit in the life boat. What a great STEM lesson to tie it all together!
Next week, our FOSS life boat lesson and another STEM project found in my Titanic Pack!
As I plan ahead to next week, I am always thinking about what is on my road map. The plan that is in place for me and how much time do I have until spring break! I wonder if you are thinking those same things???
Most of my friends are busy planning their math lesson and their reading lesson. Some of my poor friends are locked into making sure that they are on the same page as their grade level partners. That is never easy...but how many of you are saying to yourselves what am I planning for Science next week?
Well...think about your reading lesson!
How can your reading lesson lend itself to a science connection?
To play off of Dr. Seuss Week...Horton Hatches an Egg was a perfect example of how I was able to engage my kindergartners to learn about oviparous animals. Let's just say it is a perfect way to take any book about eggs and make it work!!
Here is how I did it!
1. I grabbed some Easter Eggs and printed off my animal cards. I folded the oviparous animals and I took 6 eggs of the same color and put one picture into each egg. I did that for four colors. Giving me 24 eggs. One for every kindergartner.
2. I hid them in the room...easy access and then I had them gather at the carpet. I let them know that we were going to learn a very BIG word today. We practiced over and over. Then we went to the anchor chart where we made a list of animals that hatch from eggs.
3. I then read my Egg themed book! I then told them we were going to search for one egg to bring to a group. All orange was going to be one group...yellow another....and so on. We shared the rules: no running, no opening the egg until the baby was ready to hatch, and no getting an egg for anyone else...everyone needs to find their own egg and ONLY ONE!
4. I then let them find an egg. We gathered in color groups. I had a colored paper egg for them to go to so that they knew where to go! I then told them that I would come around to each next to tap them on the shoulder so that they could hatch their egg. The person tapped could then open it and share an animal with the group that hatches ...making it an oviparous animal!
5. When the team was done hatching all of the eggs we put the papers back in and put them in my egg basket. We all joined at the carpet.
6. We went back to the anchor chart to see what we could add and to look at any misconceptions. We then played the digital google interactive game on the smartboard! I will tell you that my littles love this! Drag and drop! The made the connections and we were able to review what they learned.
Grab Your Oviparous Animal Pack just in time for Spring! The lesson plan is already for you!
Did I get you? Hope I did! Are you looking for some hands-on science fun? Look no further than your local universities! There are some amazing opportunities to use theme based science trunks filled with an array of amazing educational material and props! From puppets...to specimen...puppets...to lesson ideas your local university might be a great place to start.
Just a few fun and batty finds in the Bat Trunk!
Living here in Wisconsin I didn't realize that the UW-Stevens Point has some amazing environmental science trunks for teachers to check out to utilize in their classrooms...until this year!
When I received the trunk, I couldn't wait to dive in to see what my first grade bat lesson might be able to add to make it even more hands-on. My students love the "real" brown bat that they can get a closer look at. Is it a mammal? It has fur, it feeds its babies milk, it breathed air...but most importantly we can see it up close and personal!
The books that are included have found our way to a station in our room for students to enjoy them in the bat cave!
I even decided to use the lesson idea books to create a pack to include as my little gift for letting us borrow the kit for free! YES...my teacher friends these kids found at universities around the country are most often free to use if you are an educator!
Not only does our own UWSP have a bat trunk, but you can also check out the bear trunk, bird monitoring kit, energy trunk (that one is mine in May), Watershed (aiming for that when we do FOSS Water with 3rd grade), Fishing For Fun Backpack, and a ton of fun forestry kits that I can't wait to check out when our 5th graders go to our local school forest overnight!
I also included in the trunk a free bat pack for teachers here in Wisconsin can use. Not able to utilize this fun BAT themed trunk...no worries pick up your Science-Based Bat Unit here!
What can you do to go back to college to help teach science without even having to take a course? Check out your local universities by calling or searching in their library catalog for trunks for kids for educators. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Each year, we start our first graders off by learning about animals with a vertebrate. I make a fun pack last year that I am using for my assessment. You can find it here: Animal Classifications Pack.
This year, I wanted to add a way for my students to walk around the room (now that I have a REAL classroom!!!!) to locate information that would help them remember what makes a mammal a mammal.
Every year I read the book Is A Cammal A Mammal?. This book gives a multitude of mammal expamples and it is in the Cat In The Hat's Learning Library. When we are finished, this year we reviewed with a smartboard review followed up by a quick circle the mammal activity! It got the students making the connections that they needed to make and it added a bit of an assessment. I will bu using those sheets to call up each student individually next week as they work on BAT Stations! Stay tuned!
With our littles, I love to add music, art, writing, reading, and science! What a great way to find time to add science into your day! Check out the What Does The Fox Say Stations in Action!
My firsties are moving from station to station on a Fox Hunt! They are looking for the missing word to fill in the blank.
They work alone or with partners...I even underline the magic word for them to match the number on the station to the number on the sheet!
What does the Fox say? I use the 5 characteristics that we learned about for their writing activity connection and the real fox helps them out!
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When they are all through, they work on a simple art activity!
What does this fox say? I learned about what makes a mammal a mammal!
Each year, in our FOSS Insects Unit, we raise butterflies in our science classroom. It is always an amazingly wonderful experience for the students to watch the Painted Lady Larva transform from larva...to pupa...and then to an adult butterfly!
This lesson helps students learn about life cycles as they observe a metamorphosis, bringing them closer to nature and the common standards that we must cover during a given school year. We tie picture books with writing activities...add in some science inquiry...and maybe a little math graphing. Whoa-la...we have integration!
At a recent conference, many of the teachers received a life cycle of a mosquito and life cycle of a worm freebie. I heard several winners say, "what am I going to do with that?"
Let's Take A Look...
Big Ideas:
Organisms reproduce, develop, have predictable life cycles, and pass on traits to their offspring
Organisms and their environment are interconnected
Changes (whether caused by nature or by humans) may effect the other parts of a system.
Essential Questions:
How can we use models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles, but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death?
How can we analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variations of these traits exist in groups of similar organisms?
How does one's environment influence these traits?
How do an animals traits help them survive, find a mate, and reproduce?
Thinking About Outcomes:
By bringing in worms or mosquito larvae can students learn about the needs of living things?
By starting a worm bin and learning about composting, or by looking outside for examples of stagnant water, can students learn about an animals' environment and how they survive?
Can students learn to observe, measure, chart, graph, and record with drawings, writing, and interpreting data though a life cycles lessons?
Can students learn about interdependence between animals and plants through worms and mosquitoes? (any animal for that matter)
Can students learn about the hazards facing us or an animal?
Whether it be NGSS or TEKS...state standards or your district's standards, life cycles are the core ideas of each and every standards based curriculum at one point in K-5.
One of the latest classes that I took this summer to help me develop as a science educator was using the book Inquire Within. Inquiry based science is student-centered in approach. Set out the plastic life cycle pieces and see where the inquiry takes you. Let students lead the discussion. Bring in samples and show them what you have. Start with an I wonder...see where the process takes you!
We are always seeking to motivate students what better way than to use life cycles tools and real animals to get them excited and enhance learning for all different learning styles. Life cycles may be our students first experience with biology! By having students identify different species students are able to see the process that living things take and learn to appreciate different animals. In the spring, we study insects. You can take a look at my Insect pack HERE. I mean all different insects and their life cycles...crickets...darkling beetles...ladybugs...butterflies...bees...I even get pond water with tadpole eggs to compare different animals. (Lenard the Frog was just released this week after taking him home and watching him through his changes!) From there my friends...bring out some seeds and grow! Another spring board to watching a life cycle, but this time plants!
For those of you checking out my blog this pack is free here! Enjoy!
Teaching kindergartners STEM can be so much fun! There are so many great picture books out there and simple STEM activities that can facilitate learning...why not give it a try! Here are some easy steps to follow:
1.Use a great picture book! I use Myon which our district has purchased a license for so that I can project my books and talk and walk. The students were learning their alphabets and they were on the letter Z. Why not read a book about the zoo and have them build a special place for an animal. Set up constraints. For example you can only use blocks, cardboard, tubes, and popsicle sticks. The enclosure must be like their natural habitat and fit on the piece of cardboard that you have each been given.
2. Use simple materials that are easy to gather and lay out! I use Jenga, popsicle sticks, cardboard, and wooden blocks a lot! There are easy to lay out and the kids find so many different ways to use them! The materials are endless. However, I like to see what I can recycle or reuse from our student breakfast program, or school recycling such as toilet paper rolls and milk cartons! The Dollar Store is great for inexpensive items as well!
Here the students are using blocks, cardboard and tubes! Easy...Peazy...Lemon Squeezy!
3. Ask a simple inquiry based question for them to solve!Here are a few questions to consider...What do you think zoo keepers must think about when keeping an animal at the zoo? What is a habitat that a monkey might live in? How can a zoo create that environment for each animal? It is your job to create the perfect environment for a/n_____________. Before you start draw where this animal would live. Next to it, draw how you can create that habitat using just...
All it takes is a great book...simple materials...and great inquiry based questions. Leaving it up to the students to create...explore...and learn!
STEM-tastic learning by kindergartners when you give them a little time to be creative!
This last year was filled with a lot of great changes in my classroom. I took my FOSS lessons and made sure that I could add a STEM lesson for each kit that I use. I am happy to say that my students are interacting and engineering each month kindergarten through 5th grade. It isn't always easy when you have to stick to a road map, but here are some great ways to find a spot for STEM:
1. Using a great picture book, you can have students connect to the story by interacting in a building activity that coordinates with what they just heard. For example, we are learning about Solids and Liquids in our 2nd grade FOSS unit. I took the book Up Goes The Skyscrapers by Gail Gibbons. We used solids to create the tallest tower. We then wrote about it and reflecting on what worked and what could be modified. Then we tried again!
2. Another great idea is using an anchor chart to help you set the stage for learning. Use what you have to teach science and then pose a problem to the students so that they have to create a solution. Here is an example... I have to teach the FOSS Water unit. We created an anchor chart that has us try to figure out why water is so important in our lives. I posed the problem..."What would happen if there was a major catastrophe that would cause the water to be unsafe...like an oil spill? How could it effect the environment? What could be environmental engineers and figure out what we could do to clean up a spill." That started a great engineering lesson and an oil spill clean up. It was a great way to also start our water unit.
Oil spill clean up supplies and environmental engineering challenge...Can you clean up an oil spill? How does this affect our water supply?
Another great idea that was sparked by our Animal Adaptation unit was to create our own animal using the book What If You Had Animal Teeth? or What If You Had Animal Hair? by Sandra Markle. Both great introductions to how animal parts help them survive and defend themselves. It followed with an anchor chart of how animals have different hair and teeth and how it helps them. We then created an animal that protected their food... a piece of candy. A great internet game to connect is Build Your Wild Self ( I showed it on our smartboard and they drew what adaptation they wanted on their own drawing as I built my wild self. I discussed why picking that adaptation might help me. This helped them then create their 3-D model).
Great books to integrate reading, writing, and STEM!
Here is their wild selves after picking ideas off the smartboard interactive as a large group.
Here are the 3-D models. This is a great writing connection as well as an engineering project for any kindergarten and first grade classroom!
3. Another great way to integrate STEM into your classroom is incorporate it right around a holiday! I love integrating STEM during a change of seasons as well. STEM Winter Stations and STEM Valentine Stations are in the future and my students can't wait! Here are the STEM packs I made this last month to get ready for winter and Valentine's Day. I am already getting set for ST. Patrick's Day and Easter! Stay tuned!
STEM Winter Stations 2 is a great way to have some winter indoor fun! Find a great book, create an anchor chart, and then set up a supply station or have the supplies already set for the kiddos and you are set! Science made simple!
Have a STEMtastic New Year! And remember there are always ways to add science and engineering into your school day!
