Building Resilience in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Grit

Grit—the perseverance and passion to achieve long-term goals—is a critical skill that helps students succeed, both in school and in life. But if you’ve been teaching for a while, you may have noticed that students today seem to give up more easily when things get tough. Building resilience in the classroom might be the ultimate teacher flex.

Recently, my students were working on a challenging project. They had to create scale model of geologic history by converting an existing model to a custom size. The moment students hit a roadblock— they got frustrated without a “correct” answer or they mistook billions for millions of years and had to start over again—they wanted to quit. Instead of puzzling through their challenges, students asked me for answers and, when it was clear they weren’t getting answers from me, they just quit. It became clear that many students don’t believe they are capable of solving complicated problems, and, instead of pushing through, they opt for an easier path. Moments like these highlight why teaching grit matters so much. Middle school is full of challenges, and by helping students develop grit, we can set them up to tackle obstacles with resilience and confidence.

Students don’t get that sense of accomplishment when they don’t accomplish anything. Grit is more than just a classroom skill—it’s a life skill that helps students achieve success well beyond their school years. Whether it’s pursuing a dream career, mastering a new skill, or navigating personal challenges, grit is what keeps people going when the path gets tough. It teaches perseverance, the ability to stay focused on long-term goals despite setbacks, and resilience, the strength to bounce back after failure. By helping students develop grit now, we’re equipping them with the mindset and habits they’ll need to overcome obstacles and thrive in the real world. But how do middle school teachers help students develop grit?

Practical Strategies for Teachers

If you’re interested in building resilience in the classroom, these strategies may help you.

  • Model Grit in Your Own Behavior – One way that teachers can help students develop their own grit is to model it in ourselves. Share your struggles and how you overcome them. Talk about times you faced challenges, such as struggling to learn a skill or manage a difficult situation, and how you worked through them. If something doesn’t go as planned in the classroom (e.g., technology issues or an activity not working as expected), demonstrate calm problem-solving and a “let’s figure it out” attitude.
  • Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities – When you point out a student’s mistake, focus on how to use the mistake to improve rather than focusing on how the mistake makes them not quite as good as they should be. Talk openly about your own mistakes and how you’re using them to improve. This normalizes failure as part of the process.
  • Celebrate persistence in your classroom culture. Some teachers use the “ask three before me” method of classroom management, and it’s a great way to remind students that they have the power within them to solve their own problems. Identify and praise times you catch students persisting, whether it’s something simple like missing a pencil or something more rigorous like completing an assignment.
  • Set High Expectations and Provide Support. One of the highest compliments I’ve ever received was from a student who, after he graduated, came back and told me how much he appreciated the high bar that I had set for him. “You didn’t just make science difficult,” he told me. “You gave us the tools and support to help us learn it.”
  • Teach Growth Mindset. Use language that reinforces effort over talent. “Nice try” is better than “Not exactly what I was looking for.” Introduce activities to help students reframe setbacks as learning opportunities. “How are you going to try differently next time?”
  • Project based learning may offer some support for students to practice grit. By assigning tasks that require problem solving and long term commitment, students practice using the muscles necessary for sustained effort.
  • Challenge-Based Tasks such as puzzles, brainteasers, or STEM challenges where the answer isn’t immediately obvious, encouraging persistence and creativity. Try escape rooms for students to practice content and well as persistence skills.
  • Collaborative Group Work involving group tasks where students must rely on teamwork to overcome challenges helps students to build both social and academic resilience.

By building resilience in the classroom, middle school science teachers are helping their students become more functional adults.

Freebies for Earth Science Teachers!

Teaching is hard, even with all of the materials provided to you. Even the best text book or canned curriculum needs filling out – bellringers, review activities, practice worksheets, assessments, cloze notes. In hindsight, I wish I had spent those Saturday mornings when I was a new(er) teacher with my kids, watching cartoons or playing soccer. But instead I was at my computer every Saturday, clicking away at an endless to-do list.  I spent SO much time creating resources.

I hope you are building pillow forts or pulling wagons with your kids every chance you get. And to help you out, I’m sending some of the earth science resources I created to you. I hope that these resources make your days a little easier and give you more time doing the things that matter to you. I also hope your students get engaged and curious and even learn a little science!

So go ahead. Click whichever ones you want – take them all if they’ll help you!

 Minerals Interactive Notebook

Weather Digital Escape Room Activity

Plate Tectonics Boom Cards

I’d love it if you’d leave a comment here to let me know which resources were helpful to you!

Differentiation in middle school science

In my middle school classes, I have a range of abilities from 4th grade through 11th. On top of that, I have fast workers and slow workers – some students are done with an assignment in 5 minutes and others are done in 55. My middle schoolers also have a wide range of interests – some love sports, music, video games, animals, you name it. Add a few English language learners to the mix and you can see my melting pot of scientists. It’s a constant battle to offer appropriately challenging activities to everyone in my class – most activities are geared for on-grade-level students so I have to modify up and down to meet everyone’s needs. Adding an “End Zone” to my classroom solved a few problems but not everything. Differentiation in middle school science is a delicate equilibrium. Differentiation is the practice of tailoring instruction to meet the individual needs of each student. In practice, it’s simply providing a variety of learning experiences and activities to help students reach their full potential. Differentiated instruction ensures that all students have access to the same material and can apply it to their own lives. It also encourages students to be creative and think outside of the box.

engaging review games for middle school science

Differentiation ideas in middle school

Tiers

One way to differentiate instruction is through the use of tiered assignments. This approach involves creating different versions of an assignment that are tailored to the varying levels of student understanding. For example, a teacher might provide a basic version of an assignment for struggling students, a more advanced version for gifted students, and a middle version for the majority of the class. This allows students to work at their own level, while still covering the same essential content. In a scaffolded assignment, students at different readiness levels receive different assignments. The assignments may differ in expectations and rubric, or they may differ in the amount of guidance or hints provided. Scaffolding is tricky – students become aware that their assignment is “different” and sometimes that leads to discomfort.

Flexible Grouping

Another strategy is to use flexible grouping. This involves grouping students based on their strengths, needs, and interests, rather than their ability levels. For example, a teacher might group students who are interested in engineering together, while another group of students who are interested in biology would be placed together. This allows students to work with their peers who share their interests and passions, which can increase motivation and engagement. Heterogeneous Grouping – Assignments can be differentiated by skill level or by interest simply by putting students into groups. Pairing a higher level student with a lower level student helps them both, although in different ways. Pairing a student who is very good at writing with a student who is strong in math helps them both. Forming heterogeneous groups according to interest provides the opportunity for everyone to learn. Homogeneous Grouping – In some situations, it makes sense to put the strong students together or to put all of the students who are good at art together. This especially works when assignments offer students choice – the good writers will create something written and the good artists will create something visual. It also works well when scaffolding – you can adjust the expectations and the amount of guidance according to the group dynamics.

Technology

Another way to differentiate instruction is through the use of technology. Many middle school science teachers use interactive simulations and videos to engage students in the learning process. For example, a teacher might use a virtual lab to demonstrate a scientific concept, or a video to introduce a new topic. These tools can be used to provide students with different levels of support, depending on their needs. For example, students who are struggling with a concept can use an interactive simulation to practice the concept, while students who are more advanced can use the video to explore the topic in more depth. There are many websites that allow for differentiated instruction and assessment. Here’s a link to a pretty well curated selection.

Formative Assessment

Another strategy is to use formative assessment. Formative assessment allows teachers to assess student understanding and progress in real-time, which allows them to adjust instruction accordingly. For example, a teacher might use a formative assessment to assess student understanding of a new concept, and then use that information to provide additional support or extension activities. This allows teachers to continually assess student understanding and make adjustments as needed.

Mini-Lessons

It’s not unusual to hear me say in my classroom “Everyone who got #3 wrong, join me at the table in the back,” or “I’m reteaching this concept in 5 minutes if you want to join me.” No judgement, just an opportunity to re-teach a skill to particular students who need it. This works best during an activity in which students are determining their own pace.

Student Choice
A great way to differentiate instruction in an earth science unit is to provide a variety of resources and activities that are tailored to each student’s learning style. For example, an auditory learner might benefit from listening to podcasts or videos about the unit’s material, while a visual learner might benefit from diagrams and visual aids. A choice board is usually a 9 box grid with 9 different activities, all that teach or measure the same skill but approach it with a different modality. For example, a choice board may include a creative writing task, an expository writing task, a video task, a Q&A task, a creative arts task, a research task, and possibly even a musical or food-related task. Choice boards are great when assessing knowledge is more important than skills. For example, you want students to tell you the important characteristics of the desert rather than demonstrate that they can use a topic sentence correctly.
It’s also important to provide a variety of activities and resources that allow students to explore the material in new ways. For example, a student might be asked to complete a research project or create a poster or model that explains a certain concept. This allows the student to dig deeper into the material and get an even better understanding of the earth science unit.
Self Paced Instruction
Allowing students to work at their own pace helps build responsibility and work ethic. At the beginning of a practice session, provide students with a checklist or flow chart of what they need to do. A simple example: “Complete questions #1-5 then check your work. If you get 100%, move on to questions 6-10. If you get any questions wrong, come see me.” Stations or Task Cards -Stations can combine many of the above techniques. In a station activity, students rotate between different physical locations in the classroom. Perhaps at one station they watch a video, then the read an article, then they complete a worksheet, then they do a hands on experiment, then they listen to a mini lesson from you. The best station activities are ones that allow students to rotate through the stations in any order, allowing you to group students and scaffold according to need. Flash Cards -Quizlet, Quizziz, and Boom cards are great ways that students can use to practice skills or content at their own pace.  
Varying Modalities
Deliver instruction using varying modalities. Use lots of visuals, videos, and graphics but also use music and opportunities for students to draw or act. If you don’t want to use a choice board to let them choose their own modality, then switch up the modality you’re using so that every student has a chance to be most comfortable with your teaching style. Use your Room. The physical arrangement and decorations/displays in your classroom can help every child access knowledge. Arrange desks and place students in the place that works best for them. Use anchor charts and displays that appeal to different learning styles.
Game Based Learning

My favorite differentiation technique is to use games in the classroom. Students love them, and a well designed game will reach every child at their ability level. 

You can play games in your middle school science classroom individually, in small groups, or with the whole class.

Individual games a student can play to practice science skills:

Small group games middle school science students can play:

Whole class games you can play in middle school science:

  • Jeopardy (there are lots of jeopardy-like templates on line- just Google it!)
  • Bingo
  • I Have Who Has
  • Pictionary, Charades
Breakouts or escape rooms

There is no limit to the amount of ways you can use a breakout or a virtual escape room in your classroom. I’ve used them to introduce new content, as review lessons, as day-before-a-break-and-I-don’t-want-to-start-something-new, getting to know you activities, and end of year activities. They’re great in person with locked boxes and puzzles, and they’re also great virtually with a completely digital product.

Flipped Classroom

Flipped learning is a method of instruction that assigns students the activity of viewing a lecture or copying notes at home and then practicing with the teacher in the classroom. In a flipped classroom, the active learning takes place in school and the passive learning takes place at home. Students are exposed to new material on their own and have the opportunity to ask question, review concepts, and practice skills with their teacher the next day.

Assessment
When it comes to assessment, it’s important to remember that differentiated instruction is about more than just providing different levels of tests. Differentiated assessment can involve providing students with a variety of different ways to show their understanding of the material, such as creating a project, writing a paper, or creating a presentation. This allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in a way that is more meaningful to them.
 
 
 
Differentiating instruction in middle school science can be a challenging task, as it requires teachers to take into account the diverse needs and abilities of their students. Differentiating instruction in middle school science requires teachers to take into account the diverse needs and abilities of their students. By using a variety of strategies, such as tiered assignments, flexible grouping, technology, and formative assessment, teachers can create an inclusive and effective learning environment for all students. These strategies allow students to work at their own level, while still covering the same essential content, and help to increase motivation and engagement in the learning process. However, by using a variety of strategies, teachers can create an inclusive and effective learning environment for all students.

New Winter Themed resources for Middle School Science

Welcome to winter! Whether you’re (like me) already on your third snowfall of the season or (like our southern friends) finally breaking out the sweaters, the hygge lifestyle takes over all of us this time of year.

Some ways to bring the cozy into your classroom include updating your classroom decor – I added a few hundred student-made snowflakes to the back of my room before the winter break. Softer lighting and more comfortable seating options are another way that some teachers are embracing the season. My niece is particularly thrilled with her teacher’s hot cocoa reward incentive, and my own students loved the fifteen minute winter nature walk we took looking for signs of animal or plant life on the campus.

Embracing the cozy with your students can be as simple as using seasonal resources without sacrificing content. Try these new winter themed resources for your middle school classroom and see if your students are more engaged!

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Teaching the Science Behind Changing Seasons

Giuliana was a bright seventh grader when we met. She loved science and was curious about everything. I remember wishing her a Happy Solstice early on a December morning and she made a comment about how it was going to get warmer now. I agreed, but added, “Of course it’s going to get colder first since this is the first day of winter.” Giuliana looked at me confused. She tilted her head and said, “But we’re getting closer to the sun now, right?”

“No,” I told her. “We’re not.”

“But isn’t that why we have seasons?”

That’s when I realized that we can’t teach students until we first un-teach some of the misunderstandings they’ve picked up along the way. And a classic misunderstanding that many students believe is that seasons are caused by the changing proximity of the Earth to the sun.

Today’s blog post explains how I teach students the real reason for the seasons.

Why do we have seasons?

The Earth experiences seasons because of its axial tilt and its orbit around the sun. The distance from the sun does not significantly change throughout the year to cause seasons. Instead, it is the tilt of the Earth’s axis—about 23.5 degrees—that plays the crucial role. This tilt causes different parts of the Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight at different times of the year, resulting in the familiar pattern of seasons.

During the Earth’s orbit, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, it experiences summer. This means that sunlight hits this hemisphere more directly, causing warmer temperatures and longer days. Simultaneously, the Southern Hemisphere, tilted away from the sun, receives less direct sunlight, leading to winter with cooler temperatures and shorter days. This phenomenon reverses six months later when the Earth is on the opposite side of its orbit.

why do we have seasons

In spring and autumn, neither hemisphere is tilted directly towards or away from the sun. Instead, both hemispheres receive relatively equal amounts of sunlight. These transitional seasons are characterized by moderate temperatures and roughly equal lengths of day and night. Spring brings gradual warming and new plant growth, while autumn features cooling temperatures and the shedding of leaves from deciduous trees.

How to help students understand seasons

The best way to demonstrate what causes seasons is to use a globe and a flashlight to demonstrate how the tilt of the Earth’s axis affects the distribution of sunlight. This visual aid helps students understand how different areas receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year.  Do this activity as a demonstration or in small groups and have students compare the amount of light reaching the northern and southern hemispheres throughout one revolution.

One of the best ways to demonstrate the change of the seasons is to graph the amount of daylight at a location throughout the year. Students could research this information or you could provide it to them. One way to do this is to provide students with a link to a spreadsheet that already has the information embedded. how to teach the seasons in middle school

Then, as they calculate the amount of daylight, the graph is automatically created for them.

how to teach seasons in middle school

Enrich this activity by asking different groups of students to complete the activity for locations at different latitudes.

 

By explaining that it is the Earth’s axial tilt and its orbit around the sun that cause the seasons, we can help students gain a clearer and more accurate understanding of this fundamental phenomenon.

Through interactive models, graphing daylight hours, and engaging activities, we can make learning the science behind what causes seasons both comprehensible and enjoyable for our students. Whether it’s using a globe and flashlight to demonstrate sunlight distribution or having students create graphs of daylight hours, these hands-on experiences reinforce the concept that it’s the tilt of the Earth’s axis that leads to the seasonal changes we observe.

To further support this learning, consider incorporating seasonal activities into your lessons, such as the color-by-number PDF activity or the interactive slides for virtual learning. These tools provide additional practice and self-checking opportunities, ensuring students grasp key terms like equinox and solstice while seeing the practical application of their knowledge.

Review and reinforce seasons, solstices and equinoxes with this simple to use color by number PDF activity – great for early finishers or enrichment or sub plans. Students read 9 multiple choice questions (see preview for sample questions) and choose the correct answer. Then, they color in the picture using the correct colors.

This is a great self-checking activity to review how the revolution of the earth causes the seasons with terms such as equinox and solstice. For each question they get correct, part of the puzzle is revealed. Once all the questions are answered correctly, students will see the whole puzzle.

9 Interactive slides that allow students to drag and drop correct answers instead of OR in addition to taking notes. While teaching virtually, this allows students to pay attention without struggling to keep up with copying notes yet they still have the interactive notes to use later as a study tool.

Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale

black friday cyber monday sale

 

From November 25-December 2, 2024 only, EVERY purchase at the JustAddH2OSchool store will receive a coupon good for $3 in free merchandise!

black friday cyber monday sale

How to get your free merchandise:

  1. Shop at https://justaddh2oschool.com/shop/ any time between November 25 and December 2 and make any purchase.
  2. After you checkout, open your email and get the code for $3 in free merchandise!
  3. Head back to https://justaddh2oschool.com/shop/ to claim your free stuff!

The code will only work for you, so, sorry, you can’t share it with your friends. And your $3 coupon expires on New Years Eve, 2024, so you better hurry!

black friday cyber monday sale

New Thanksgiving Science Resources for Middle School

thanksgiving sale

At JustAddH2O, we’re thankful for YOU and so we celebrate every November tradition is here! Get ready for our Thankful for YOU Thanksgiving sale!

All Thanksgiving resources are on sale for 25% off from October 31st to November 30th, 2024!

 

Atomic Structure self-checking Thanksgiving worksheet
This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review protons, neutrons and electrons. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, more of the Thanksgiving dinner table is set.

Phase Change and States of Matter Thanksgiving Digital or Printable Worksheet
Activity allows student choice by providing 6 sets of 3 questions which increase in difficulty. Students must choose 2 questions from each set. Digital activity prompts students with a Thanksgiving themed “skip” card after they’ve correctly answered 2 questions in a set. As each question is answered, students receive immediate feedback – the box automatically changes to purple if the answer is correct, and the score at the top of the page is automatically updated.

Engage your students with interesting informational text about Thanksgiving. Used as a jigsaw activity, groups of students each read a short article about the science of Thanksgiving and answer Discussion Questions. Then, each person in the group shares what they learned. Articles included in this resource: White Meat or Dark? Cranberries Does Turkey Make you Sleepy? Sweet Potatoes and Yams Changing Leaves This resource can be printed and used as worksheets or can be used as a Google Slide Show on which students can type their answers.

the science of thanksgiving lab stations
Students rotate through 7 hands on lab stations to learn about the science of Thanksgiving. Suitable for 1-2 class periods for middle school science students working in groups.

thanksgiving solar system
This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review solar system vocabulary with a Thanksgiving theme. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, another part of a Thanksgiving joke is revealed. (“Why did the turkey go to Mars? Because the leftovers are out of this world.”)

This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review the states of matter and phase changes with a Thanksgiving theme. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, another part of a Thanksgiving joke (“Which side of the turkey has the most feathers? The outside.”)

This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review the vocabulary of plate tectonics with a Thanksgiving theme. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, another part of a Thanksgiving image.

organelles thanksgiving
This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review the parts of a cell with a Thanksgiving theme. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, another part of the Thanksgiving riddle is revealed (“How do turkeys travel? On the gravy train.”)

Water Cycle Self Checking Worksheet for Middle School for Thanksgiving
This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review the vocabulary of the water cycle with a Thanksgiving theme. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, another part of the Thanksgiving riddle is revealed (“What did the turkey say to the computer? Google Google.”)

food web
If your students know the vocabulary associated with food chains, they will be rewarded with a magic picture of a turkey!

This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review absolute age calculations. Students need to answer 15 questions to reveal the Thanksgiving themed image. For each question they get correct, pixels of an image are revealed. Once all the questions are answered correctly, students will see the whole image.

Balancing Equations with Poker Chips

The challenge of balancing equations

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to convey the concept of balancing chemical equations to your students, you’re not alone. Balancing equations is a fundamental skill in chemistry, but it can be a challenging one for middle school students to grasp. Enter poker chips—a simple, colorful, and effective tool that can transform your lessons and make balancing equations a breeze.

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to convey the concept of balancing chemical equations to your students, you’re not alone. Balancing equations is a fundamental skill in chemistry, but it can be a challenging one for middle school students to grasp. Here’s what happened to me.

Last summer, I was tutoring two rising 9th graders in chemistry. They had very little background knowledge and, with lots of visuals and manipulatives, had just mastered counting atoms. Given 8H2SO4, for example, they could tell me how many atoms there were of hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen.

Lots of practice later, I thought they were ready to try to balance an equation.

I wrote H2 + O2 -> H2O on the board and we counted how many hydrogens were in the reactants and how many were in the product. “That’s called balanced,” I told them. “That means that we didn’t break the law of conservation of mass. But look at the oxygens.” They were able to see that there was only 1 oxygen in the products but 2 in the reactants, but were unable to see how to fix the problem.

I drew pictures – circles for hydrogen and squares for oxygen. That didn’t help. Finally, as a last resort, I handed out poker chips.

balancing equations with poker chips

To say that solved all my problems is, of course, overly simplistic. But it was an absolute lightbulb moment for these two boys. Suddenly, they were working independently, balancing equations like superstars.

Why poker chips?

I suppose I could have used colored paperclips or marbles. But using a manipulative like a poker chip helped transform an abstract concept into a tangible activity that students can easily grasp. The different colors of the poker chips can represent different atoms, allowing students to physically manipulate and count them, which enhances their understanding of the conservation of mass. This visual and tactile approach caters to various learning styles, particularly for those who benefit from kinesthetic and visual learning methods. Additionally, using poker chips adds an element of fun and engagement to the lesson, which can boost students’ enthusiasm and participation.

Setting Up

When you’re ready to try this with your own students, you’ll need a bunch of poker chips in different colors. Depending on the equations you want your students to balance, you’ll need 10-20 chips of each color.

I also provided my students with large poster paper and markers. You could substitute with an individual white board, or even use washable markers directly on your desks to write the equations.

Have a copy of a balancing equations worksheet available for each student.

Modification: For beginning students or students who are visual learners, I draw a line under the “invisible 1” coefficient for each compound in the equation so that students know where they can write numbers.

How it works

First, have students use markers to write the unbalanced equation on their paper, white board, or desk.

balancing equations with poker chips

Then, ask students to assign a different color poker chip to each element. Place piles of poker chips under each element in the equation to represent the atoms that are present and count to see if the equation is balanced.

balancing equations with poker chips

If the equation is unbalanced, change the coefficient of the element that is unbalanced and adjust the poker chips to compensate.

balancing equations with poker chips

Count again to see if the equation is balanced.

balancing equations with poker chips

Repeat until you have balanced the equation!

Don’t forget to write the correct coefficients in your worksheet.

I do, We do, You do

A great way to teach balancing equations with poker chips is to use the I do, We do, You do method. First, demonstrate the skill yourself. Use poker chips to represent the different atoms in your equation. Identify which atoms are balanced and which are not balanced. Model brainstorming how to balance the equation, then change coefficients as you add chips to the equation. Finally, model counting the atoms in the reactants and in the products to demonstrate checking your work.

After you demonstrate at least one or two times, hand out materials and complete one or two equations with your students. There probably will be a few students who are ready to run on their own, and there probably will be a few students who need a little more hand holding. Adjust as needed until everyone is ready to practice on his or her own.

 

Balancing Equations Self Checking Worksheet for Halloween

Balancing Equations Color By Number PDF

santa balancing equations

 

 

 

New Halloween Activities for Middle School

Hello, fellow science teachers! With Halloween just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to add a little spooky flair to your science lessons. Integrating Halloween-themed activities into your middle school science curriculum can captivate your students’ imaginations and make learning even more fun. From eerie experiments to ghoulish games, there are countless ways to bring the spirit of the season into your classroom while reinforcing important scientific concepts.

We’re adding a bunch of Halloween themed worksheets to the store this week, and offering 25% off every Halloween Resource from now until October 31, 2024!

Food Webs and Food Chains self-checking Halloween worksheet Food Webs and Food Chains self-checking Halloween worksheet

This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review the vocabulary associated with food chains and food webs. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, more of the image of the haunted house is revealed.
The Moon Self Checking Worksheet with Halloween Theme

This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review the phases of the moon and eclipses. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each question they get correct, another slice of a Halloween image becomes visible.

 The Moon Self Checking Worksheet with Halloween Theme
Phase Change and States of Matter Halloween Digital or Printable Worksheet Phase Change and States of Matter Halloween Digital or Printable Worksheet

Activity provides 6 sets of 3 questions which increase in difficulty. Students must choose 2 questions from each set. Digital activity prompts students with a Halloween themed “skip” card after they’ve correctly answered 2 questions in a set. As each question is answered, students receive immediate feedback – the box automatically changes to purple if the answer is correct, and the score at the top of the page is automatically updated.
Atomic Structure Halloween Digital or Printable Choose 2 Worksheets

No prep review activity for students to reinforce protons, neutrons and electrons as well as drawing Bohr models of atoms.

Activity allows student choice by providing 6 sets of 3 questions which increase in difficulty. Students must choose 2 questions from each set. Digital activity prompts students with a Halloween themed “skip” card after they’ve correctly answered 2 questions in a set.

 Atomic Structure Halloween Digital or Printable Choose 2 Worksheets
halloween periodic table pixel art Locating Elements on the Periodic Table Pixel art Worksheet with Halloween theme

This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review how to find elements on the periodic table. Students need to answer 20 questions. For each question they get correct, more of the pixel art image is revealed.
Weather Self Checking Worksheet with Halloween Potion Theme

This is a great no prep self-checking activity to review weather and weather tool vocabulary. Students need to answer 10 questions. For each pair of questions they get correct, they are offered a choice of which ingredient to add to their potion. After 10 questions, their ingredients combine to make a potion.

ALL HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL are  25% OFF FROM AUGUST 31 TO OCTOBER 31 2024! So, grab your cauldron and let’s brew up some science magic!

Finally, check out these Halloween themed deep space objects you can see this month!

Use autumn leaves to teach about decomposition

A lot of what we teach in middle school science – carbon cycle, soil formation, recycling of matter, nitrogen cycle – relates to decomposition. Autumn present the perfect opportunity. Use your autumn leaves to teach about decomposition and get your students hooked with the real world applications.

Autumn leaves

Decomposition in autumn leaves is a vital process that recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem. As leaves fall to the ground, they create a rich layer of organic material known as leaf litter. Microorganisms, fungi, and invertebrates such as earthworms and insects break down this organic matter, releasing essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium back into the soil. This decomposition process not only enriches the soil, promoting plant growth in the spring, but also supports a diverse array of soil organisms that contribute to a healthy and balanced ecosystem. Understanding the role of decomposition in autumn leaves highlights the intricate cycles of nature and the importance of every season in maintaining ecological harmony.

Decomposition lesson plans using autumn leaves

It helps to start the unit with a brief unit explaining how things decompose and how that fits into the ecosystem.

My students have no idea what compost is. We’re a suburban upper middle class school district. Perhaps they have a tomato plant or two in their garden, but compost is foreign to them. So I start the year with some facts about compost.

Turns out every one of those statements is true. (TBH I was a little surprised about the masking tape.)

Here are some ways you can use autumn leaves to teach about decomposition:

  1. using autumn leaves to teach about decompositionBring in some autumn leaves or take students on a walk if you have an appropriate area accessible to your school. Point out the various degrees of decomposition visible. Some leaves are still intact and others are falling apart. Lead students to question how that happens and how broken down leaves affect the ecosystem. Get down on the ground with magnifying glasses and see if you can find anything living in the leaf litter. Look for snails, slugs, worms, and centipedes as well as insects.
  2. Use microscopes to examine decomposing leaves and identify the microorganisms and fungi responsible for breaking down the organic matter. Have students draw or photograph what they see and research the organisms’ roles in decomposition.
  3. Take the exploration above and extend it by comparing what you see in a section of leaf litter to what you can see in a section of well-maintained lawn. Teach students about the benefits of biodiversity.
  4. Collect different types of leaves and place them in separate containers with soil. Add moisture and observe which leaves decompose the fastest. Discuss factors that might affect the rate of decomposition, such as leaf thickness and moisture levels.
  5. Conduct an experiment with various compostable objects and non-compostable into zipper bags. Put them away for a few weeks and then check them out to see how they change. Every middle schooler loves to watch things decompose.
  6. Use a fish tank or other clear container to bury various objects in soil for a few weeks to months. Try to include something organic like a carrot or apple core and something petroleum based like a plastic spoon. Try soft objects like stuffed toys and hard objects like laminated playing cards. Let students make predictions then wait a few weeks or months and then uncover the buried objects. Don’t forget to take before and after pictures!
  7. Create a mini-ecosystem in a terrarium in your classroom using autumn leaves, soil, and small decomposers like earthworms and pill bugs. Observe and document the decomposition process over time.
  8. If you have access to an outdoor classroom, start a classroom compost bin with autumn leaves, food scraps, and other organic materials. Visit it often to monitor the composting process, noting how the leaves break down and contribute to the formation of nutrient-rich compost.

 

If you’re interested in seeing more about this unit, check it out in my TpT store here! Learn how to start a compost pile on my blog by clicking here.   Autumn provides a unique and tangible opportunity to teach middle school students about decomposition and its critical role in the ecosystem. If you use autumn leaves to teach about decomposition, you can create engaging and educational lessons that connect directly to key scientific concepts such as the carbon cycle, soil formation, and the recycling of matter.