Thanks For Hopping Over Here: Science is "Toad"ally Fun!

This week was tadpole week for the kindergartners. Let's just say, I showed the first through fifth graders, too! They are always mesmerized by real animals! When we are done with them this week, my third graders will be using the water to do pond study and habitats! They are taking a trip to a local pond where a real live scientist will be working with them on not only habitats, but food chains and animals found in the pond.

How can you make your learners "HOPPY"? Here are three easy steps to doing just that!

1. Use interactive Google activities. My littles love to go up to the smartboard and move the pieces around. Their behavior has also improved as I call on "good listeners" first.

2. Bring in live specimen when you can. That could mean crickets to teach insects, goldfish to teach about fish, or worms that you find in a garden. They are quick learning tools to get kids excited as well as learn how to care for animals in and out of their habitat!

3. Find engaging resources that help teach the BIG ideas of science. I use this pack to teach:
 habitats, life cycles, food chain as well as language arts and math! When they are all finished we even throw in a STEM project! It is perfect for this time of year!

Frog STEM Grab and Go

Now...a SECRET...

Thanks for hopping over here to the Science School Yard! It's Teacher Appreciation Week and I have a"Toad"ally awesome news...Tuesday, May 9 through Wednesday, May 10th Teachers Pay Teachers is giving an extra 8% off everything in my store...and everything in my store is going to be 20% off already!!!! That means 28% off everything if  you use the magic code...ready...

It's ThankYou17

I also want to thank you by giving away a $10 TPT gift card. All you have to do is follow my blog or sign up for my newsletter as well as leave a comment below sharing one thing that I could do to help you make science easier or a product that you would LOVE to see in my store. I will post the winner here on my blog Wednesday Morning!

I appreciate you! Thank you for stopping by and letting me be a part of your School Yard!

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Frog and Toad...Friends

Well, it is our second week of amphibians in our class and the "lily pad" tables worked like a charm. I wanted to keep that idea in mind as I planned for this week's lessons. We will be setting up the classroom tables with QR code stations, an art station, and a life cycle sheet. Here is the new QR code pack...Frog and Toad QR Code Task Cards Pack. Check out the kiddos in action!

Here are some fun Frog and Toad videos to play if, too! Check out the link...Watch, Know, Learn...Toads and Frogs

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Currently October...Trick or Treat?

 Once again, it is a new month and Farley over at Oh, Boy 4th Grade is having us connect with Currently! I love to see what everyone is doing and Oh, Boy maybe even some good tricks and treats!

Listening to silence...Golden!

Loving the fall leaves and knowing they will soon be gone. Cold weather is on the way.

Thinking about how hard it is for some students academically and wishing I had some new tricks up my sleeve when there are over 7 LD students in my science room with no assistance in one class. Any tips for vocabulary retention?

Wanting Teachscape to go away...does any other state besides WI do this to their teachers? Hours of evidence that we are good teachers placed on a computer system that has many flaws is really taking away from my time spent planning, correcting, creating. Makes me sad:( 

Needing to have my whole family together...SOON! I sure miss having them all under one roof. I hope I don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to see my college kiddo.

Here are some amphibian connections I use...

Also check out this fun song and video...

Double Life Of An Amphibian

Treat for you this month! Amphibian Freebie!

Amphibian Freebie This Month

Hoppin over to the pond (carpet) to draw amphibians as they also hopped from lily pad to lily pad writing down facts!

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Hop On Over

I am enjoying my time off...vacation rocks. Here was the first line of business yesterday...

Sock Searching Took Over an Hour

Then...the wash...

Finally, my son's science fair project...velocity of a baseball...Look at that form!

Today, looked a bit different. I woke up and my goal was to finish some new products I needed for our last quarter. Frogs!

I am looking forward to using this with our first grade teachers and students. Check it out at 

The Life Cycle of a Frog Thematic Unit on TPT. We have ordered painted ladies...so on to the butterfly unit. 

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Toads, Frogs, Polliwogs...

First graders have been working on learning about different groups of animals. We learned about amphibians last week. They love the song we sing and choose to sing it over and over. I had them working on a life cycle sheet to help them understand the metamorphosis and change. Here is our chart and art activity and even the book we used.

Great book to use!

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