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The Genetics of Budgies for middle schoolers

Budgies are small parrots and are one of the most popular pet birds. Occasional breeding by their owners has built a impressive amateur database of budgie genetics and creates a great hook for middle school science teachers to engage students in the study of genetics.

budgie genetics

Traits such as feather color, wing color, and cheek color are easily observable traits that are inherited by simple dominance. Blue cheeks are dominant over violet. Grey wings are dominant over yellow, and green body feathers are dominant over blue.

In this new resource, students have the opportunity to design a male and female budgie using the three traits of cheek color, wing color, and body feathers and then find out what kind of offspring the two birds will have. Along the way, students practice genetics vocabulary to earn the right to change their budgie’s traits.

Check out this video below:

Did you notice that students have to answer 15 questions in total but that they are rewarded every 2 or 3 questions with an opportunity to pick a trait for either the mother bird or the father bird? Then, the traits of the baby bird are randomly chosen from the parents’ alleles – baby birds can’t be born with a dominant trait if both parents show the recessive trait, but they can be born with a recessive trait even if both parents show the dominant trait.

How does it work?

There are 3 parts to this activity:

First, students must answer 15 questions – mostly vocabulary questions – about genetics.

Then, students choose the characteristics of the parent budgies. They can choose the color of the bird’s cheeks, wings, and body feathers.

Finally, students decide if they want a male or female baby bird and name it. Once they name the bird, the egg opens and the baby’s features are revealed.

Why do I love self-checking resources

Using a self checking worksheet to teach genetics in middle school is a easy way to solve lots of problems:

Instant Feedback: With self-checking worksheets, you don’t have to wait for me to give you the thumbs up. You’ll know right away if you’re soaring like a superhero or need a little boost.
Learn from Mistakes: Self-checking worksheets help students see where they stumbled, so they can learn from those slip-ups and come back stronger. That helps build a growth mindset and grit.
Practice Makes Perfect: The more students practice, the more confident they become. Self-checking worksheets let students tackle problems at their own pace, building skills step by step.
Teamwork Friendly: Grab a buddy and dive into these worksheets together. Compare answers, discuss concepts, and watch your understanding bloom.
Boost Confidence: There’s nothing like acing a problem and seeing that correct answer pop up. It’s like a mini celebration that fuels your confidence to tackle even trickier challenges.
It’s Fun! Students are more engaged when they have instant feedback. When the pixel art becomes visible after getting a question or two correct, it’s a little dopamine hit for your kids!

Why I love this create-your-own bird resource

Students learn genetics. This particular resource is a new favorite of mine because it’s fun for kids but it also helps them understand the basics of genetics using simple dominance. Not only do they get the vocabulary practice, but they also get a chance to manipulate genes on a small scale to see how it affects the offspring.
It’s fun. After they’ve practiced the vocab, they can change the characteristics of each of the parent birds to try to get a baby with a particular set of traits.
Easy to differentiate. As an enrichment exercise, I have students create Punnett Squares demonstrating each of the traits in their offspring.

YES! I need this

Preventing Burnout: 12 Self-Care Strategies for Middle School Science Teachers

How to Put the Joy back in teaching and Prevent Burnout

For the last 10 weeks, it’s been dark when I get to work in the morning. After school, my life is consumed by prepping for dinner and then, by the time dinner is served, the sun is down again. It was really starting to feel like my whole life was work and sleep – and definitely too much of one and not enough of the other. And, of course, my students were feeling it too. We’re all slogging through the winter in what feels like the longest break-less stretch of the year. In the interest of preventing burnout, I started to look into some self-care strategies that I could implement to bring some joy back into teaching. Here are 12 ways I’m making work better for myself.

The little things are the big things. Focus on small victories.

The day that Liz said science was her favorite class. The day Ella told me she wanted to be a science teacher because I make it look fun. The day Ben (finally) got a passing grade on an assessment. Those are the little things that make my day brighter, and those are the things I want to focus on.

Re-read letters from past students.

I have a drawer of an old filing cabinet filled with letters and cards from students (and parents) that make me feel good. It’s an odd collection of holiday cards, notes from students, and emails from parents but rereading them reminds me of how much I (usually) love what I do.

Remember your WHY.

We all teach for the same reason – to make a difference in the lives of children. No one goes into this profession because it looks glamorous, easy, or well paid. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of teaching – the paperwork, IEP meetings, grading the piles of lab reports. But there’s no joy in that. Even after decades of teaching, I still love the conversations I have with 12 year olds. They fascinate me, challenge me, and delight me. When I’m feeling a little out of sorts, I find a student or two and sit with them for a few minutes. Ask them what’s up, how’s life. Tell them a story about something in your life. It rejuvenates me every time.

Let yourself, and your students, be silly.

My 30 second dance parties from the pandemic virtual learning days were infamous. Whether we were hybrid or on zoom, everyone had to get up and dance for 30 seconds to some 80s rock song I blared. Some kids were more shy than others, but that didn’t stop me – I danced as wildly as I could and we all had a great laugh. Have a rock-paper-scissors tournament (it takes less than 5 minutes) and crown a winner. Last week, we had a 5 minute round of balloon volleyball – winning team got to pick their own seats for the day. We lost a negligible amount of instructional time, but we gained a lot of fun.

Add competition.

Have students compete with each other or with different classes for whatever goal you want them to achieve – 100% homework completion, highest test average, fewest beakers broken during lab. Have them compete with you – who scores the highest in Kahoot, can they finish the bellringer before you take attendance, can they guess the vocab term before you write it on the board? Let students pick reward if they win – my students always pick no homework, but bigger competitions deserve bigger prizes – they get to pie you, you must drink hot sauce, you have to sing a song.

Gamify your lessons. Make it fun for you and for them.

Kahoot, escape rooms, Blooket, Quizlet live, I have Who has. Just play a game. Whether it’s 5 minutes or the whole class period, give some time for play within the content. They won’t even know they’re learning but they’ll have a great time and so will you.

Take a break – with or without students.

We had 9 days of cloudy weather. On the 10th day, the sun came out for about 45 minutes and, despite the cold, my class went for a walk outside. Just 10 minutes to circle the building, but we all came back refreshed. It’s also a great idea for your own mental health to get out of the building on your lunch or prep! I don’t like to go far – I need time at my desk to keep up with prepping and grading – but it’s important to take a break. Whether it’s a walk, a drive to run an errand, or even sitting on a bench, it’s much easier to focus when you’ve had time to unfocus. If you’re really swamped, take your laptop to the school library or to a bench outside if it’s nice out. A change is as good as a break, they say.

Ask for help – from admin, coworkers, parents, friends.

When it’s bad (and it’s often bad), make sure you have a support system to get you through. As a coworker to cover your hall duty today and then cover his or hers tomorrow. Ask admin for support with challenging students. Send an email to parents asking for tissues, glue sticks, whatever your class needs. Tell your friends you need an evening out. No teacher is an island.

Build relationships with students.

Talk to your students. Find common ground and have actual conversations. Let them know that you believe in them and that you’re here for them. Everyone wins when students and teachers genuinely like each other.

Use music you love during transitions.

I played a lot of Taylor Swift these last few months, but my students also recognize Boston, Luke Bryan, and Queen. Sometimes I choose a song with a science theme, and other times I pick a song that makes me happy. Play songs between class periods or as students are collecting materials for lab or doing the bellringer.

Catch up days – for you and for them.

Before every unit test, I build in a catch up day. I usually provide an outline of things students must do – make up missed work, complete review sheets, etc – and some choices of things they may do – enrichment activities or games. Lots of opportunity here for extra help and for relationship building.

Say no.

It really is ok if you don’t chaperone the spring dance. It’s ok if you don’t stay late on a Friday to provide extra help for the student who took a vacation last week. It’s ok if you don’t check emails over the weekend. It’s ok if you close your door when you’re eating your lunch. Although there sometimes is a culture that expects teacher availability 24/7, you don’t have to support that culture.

Engaging Middle School Minds with Valentine’s Day Science

Valentine’s Day is a great time to engage your middle school science students! Here are four ways to celebrate the holiday:

Chemistry of Love

Middle schoolers will be absolutely riveted studying the chemistry behind emotions and love. Discuss neurotransmitters, hormones, and the science of attraction. Include ways that animals attract mates and you’ve got them hooked!

Dissection

For the more hands on approach, ask your butcher for a cow or pig heart and show your students the chambers and valves of the heart. I promise you – they’ll be talking about that for years!

If that’s too gruesome for your kids, dissect a flower – tulips or lilies work best. Show students the path of the sperm to the egg and discuss how seeds grow.

Reproductive Strategies

Extend your learning in to the plant kingdom with propagation techniques. Have students plant spider plant babies, make cuttings of a pothos plant, or .propagate succulent pads.

Venus and Eros

valentine's day in middle school science

Have students compare oviparous vs viviparous reproduction and trace it to evolution. Have them compare placental and marsupial mammalian development. Identify species that mate for life.

This Valentine’s Day, Venus will be visible in the morning for those of us in the northern hemisphere. As the planet named for the goddess of love and beauty, your students might be excited to come to school a little early for some planet gazing. Eros, named for the Greek god of love, is the first asteroid ever discovered (in 1898). It is also the first asteroid that was orbited by a spacecraft – the NEAR Shoemaker orbited in 2000 and then landed in 2001.

It’s time to infuse joy, curiosity, and a dash of romance into your science lessons. Seize the opportunity to spark enthusiasm in your students and make this Valentine’s Day a celebration of both science and the heart! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Black History Month: Celebrating Contributions of African-American Scientists

February is set aside every year as a time to celebrate Black History Month, and science class shouldn’t be left out of the fun! Celebrating Black History Month serves to acknowledge, honor, and highlight the significant contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history. In addition to giving students an opportunity to recognize the achievements of African Americans, Black History Month also allows students to have a more comprehensive understanding of history by including diverse perspectives. There are many African American scientists that we can be inspired by in middle school science. Here are some ways you can celebrate Black History Month in your classroom.

Why celebrate Black History Monty in science?

Middle school is in the middle – not quite elementary and not quite high school. Therefore, we can bring the best parts of elementary school and the best parts of high school together! One of those best parts is the ability to celebrate other subjects in our own subjects. Black History Month is a great opportunity to do some cross curricular work and celebrate history in science because there are many African Americans who have had significant impacts on science.

Consider these:

Mae Jameson was the first African American woman to travel into space in 1992 on Space Shuttle Endeavor.
Henrietta Lacks‘ cells, without her knowledge or consent, became the first cell line and a crucial tool in medical research into vaccines and cancer treatments.
Neil deGrasse Tyson popularizes science and astronomy in his television shows, podcasts, and books.
George Washington Carver studied crop rotation and soil conservation, not to mention developed peanut butter.
Benjamin Banneker accurately predicted solar and lunar eclipses.
Katherine Johnson‘s calculations analyzing trajectories were pivotal in the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Alice Ball developed a groundbreaking treatment for leprosy.
Charles Drew developed the techniques for preserving blood plasma in blood banks.

Of course, this list barely scratches the surface, but I think it’s clear that your students deserve to know what contributions African American people have made and continue to make.

Middle schoolers need role models, and high achieving scientists are great role models for our students any month of the year.

Three ways to celebrate Black History Month in middle school science

Research – Assign each student a different African American scientist to research. Then, have them create presentations or posters to share what they’ve learned with the rest of the class. Try this Black History scientists research template!
Timelines – Have students create timelines highlighting key achievements of various African American scientists throughout history. Different groups of students can create timelines of different fields of study such as medicine, engineering, or chemistry.
Interviews – Have students research an African American scientist and take on the role of the scientist in an interview with another student.

2 freebies for middle school teachers

As we head into the second half of the school year filled with excitement and challenges, I’m excited by the connections we’ve made with each other! When you email me letting me know how you’re using my resources or with suggestions for blog topics, I feel like maybe teaching isn’t so isolating after all! The passion for teaching, the tireless dedication to our students’ growth – it’s a bond that unites us.

With that spirit in mind, I’m thrilled to offer you two remarkable resources that have been a game-changer in my own classroom – a Decimal Place Value Activity and an Animal Research Report Template, both crafted with the personal touch of a fellow educator. And the best part? They’re yours for free!

This clever resource combines practicing calculations using decimal place value with a little bit of choice. Students answer a “Would you rather” type of question to decide which calculation they need to complete.

Download your copy of the Decimal Place Value activity here.

I’m always trying to incorporate more LAL skills into science. Using scientific language and practicing research skills is such an important part of the NGSS, so this freebie will come in handy for all of us! Use it as a template for students to research and report on an animal. Download your copy of the Animal Research Report Template here!

Please download these resources or share this blog post with your favorite teacher friends! I hope you’re feeling energized and excited to begin the second half of the year!

3 freebies for middle school teachers

You’re going to want to share this post with your favorite math and LAL/reading teachers who will thank you for giving them access to these 3 fantastic freebies for middle school teachers!

This is an adorable worksheet that gives students practice with division but combines it with a fun puzzle. As students solve the problems, they get to pick eliminate suspects to solve the puzzle. Super fun! Click here to download your copy of the long division problem solving worksheet!

You’re going to love these task cards! Use them for individual work or let students work in pairs to practice these order of operations activities! Click here to download a set of order of operations task cards!

This worksheet is really clever! It helps them identify the character traits of the people in the story and is adaptable to any novel your students are reading! Click here to download the character trait vocabulary worksheet!

I hope these freebies help make your day a little easier, and I hope you’ll share this post with all of your LAL and math teacher friends so they can get in on the good stuff!

2 Free Science Resources for Middle School Teachers

Middle school science teachers have a lot on their plates. There’s never enough time. Not only do we have to create content that addresses the standards and helps students understand a huge volume of material, we also have to make it engaging for students. Don’t forget we also have to modify the activities we do and resources we use to accommodate for diverse learning styles. I’m thrilled to share these 2 resources with you and your students.

This first activity I’m proud to share with you is a booklet that you can print for your students to learn about the scientific method. It helps students by describing each of the steps with great examples to help them understand. Click here to download your scientific method booklet!

This second activity is one I can’t wait to use in my classroom. I don’t know if it’s because of the pandemic or because elementary schools don’t spend a lot of time using lab equipment, but I’m often surprised at how often students confuse test tube with beaker with graduated cylinder. This is a great matching activity that helps students identify common science tools. I love it because it’s available in printable and in digital versions. Click here to download your lab equipment matching worksheet!

In the spirit of fostering a love for science, we hope these freebies and special offers add a dash of excitement to your teaching journey. Feel free to share this treasure trove with your fellow educators, because together, we’re creating a community of lifelong learners!

Meteorite Resources for Middle School

Of all of the topics I teach in my 7th and 8th grade science classes, my favorite has to be space. I think it’s the kids’ favorite too. They love learning about the cosmos and are especially fascinated with meteorites. In today’s blog post, let’s talk about a universe of engaging materials, interactive lessons, and lesson plans about meteorites that will leave your students starry-eyed and excited to learn more about the wonders of our cosmic neighborhood.

For starters, I like to engage students with this one day independent activity that gives them a little peak into the ways that meteors impact the earth. In the Meteor Crater Virtual Tour, students use guided clues to learn about the geology and history of Meteor Crater. Take your students on a field trip without leaving your classroom!

The Scientific Literacy Activity on Killer Asteroids is another independent activity students can complete to learn about asteroids and asteroid impacts.

This interactive Google Slide Show explores what killed the dinosaurs and helps students understand the difference between comets, asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites.

Once students have a good foundation of knowledge about meteors and impacts, they’ll love this hands on activity. Test various projectiles to determine the effect of mass, diameter, and height (velocity) on the size of the crater that is produced. Using a controlled experiment, students will then attempt to create simple and complex craters using what they’ve learned.

This comets workbook is a great resource for students to dig a little deeper into the topic. There are 17 pages of close reading, worksheets, and a hands on activity (making a model of a comet).

For students that are especially interested in meteorites, the book The Story of Meteorites is a great resource. It explains the difference between meteors, meteoroids and meteorites and explores the different types of meteorites. It’s a great resource for beginning collectors or just curious kids.

For more advanced students, this hands on lab activity can be used to differentiate meteorites from meteor-wrongs. Physical properties that distinguish earth rocks from meteorites are the presence of a fusion crust, regmaglypts, iron oxide, and density. Chemically, meteorites contain nickel while earth rocks rarely do. In this hands on activity, students will be guided to examine each of the chemical and physical properties to draw conclusions about the origin of each rock sample.

And there you have it, fellow cosmic educators! Your journey into the captivating world of asteroids, meteorites, and comets is just beginning. By incorporating these engaging resources into your 7th and 8th-grade science classes, you’re not only making science fun but also nurturing a love for space exploration in your students. So, what’s the next step? Dive into the Meteor Crater Virtual Tour for a virtual field trip that brings the wonders of Meteor Crater right into your classroom. Watch your students light up with excitement as they unravel the mysteries of impact craters and the geology behind them. Don’t stop there! Take your students on a thrilling exploration of killer asteroids through the Scientific Literacy Activity. This independent task will empower them with knowledge about asteroids and their potential impact on Earth. But wait, there’s more! The interactive Google Slide Show is your ticket to unraveling the mysteries of what led to the demise of the dinosaurs. Help your students distinguish between comets, asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites in an engaging and visually stimulating way.

Ready to get hands-on? The projectile experiment is the perfect activity to reinforce their understanding of the impact of mass, diameter, and velocity on crater size. Watch as your students become scientists, conducting controlled experiments and creating craters of all shapes and sizes. For those eager learners who want to delve deeper, the Comets Workbook is a treasure trove of close reading, worksheets, and hands-on activities, allowing students to explore the topic at their own pace.

Last but not least, cater to the meteorite enthusiasts with “The Story of Meteorites.” This book is a fantastic resource for budding collectors or any curious minds keen on understanding the differences between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites.

Happy exploring, amazing science teachers!

Holiday Science

As the holiday season approaches, science teachers often find themselves facing a unique challenge – how to maintain students’ focus and enthusiasm amidst the distractions of festive cheer. The allure of twinkling lights, the anticipation of winter break, and the general excitement that comes with the holiday spirit can make it challenging to keep young minds engaged in scientific exploration. Fear not, fellow educators, for the solution lies in transforming this festive frenzy into a source of inspiration. In this blog post, we’ll explore a collection of creative and captivating holiday science activities designed to not only capture students’ attention during the holiday season but also foster a love for learning that transcends the tinsel and tunes. Let’s turn this holiday challenge into an opportunity for hands-on, minds-on science education!

holiday science

6 fun holiday science activities:

Fake snow – try this combination of chilled glue and shaving cream!
How does temperature affect the rate of dissolving candy canes <– FREEBIE!
The chemistry of cookies video – Just a really cool entertaining look at cookies
Winter Science Jigsaw activity – learn about things like reindeer adaptations and evergreen trees
Winter Science Escape Room – find clues about things like reindeer adaptations and evergreen trees and solve puzzles
How Do Seasons Form? – How does the amount of daylight change from season to season?
Winter Science Lab Stations (Borax ornaments, Rock candy, freezing point depression, cookie cutter slime, maple syrup snow candy, ornament chromatography, snowball catapult)

Drop a comment below and let us know how you’re surviving the last few days before break!

Scavenger Hunts for Middle School Science

What is a scavenger hunt?

A scavenger hunt is an activity in which participants are given a list of items to find, tasks to complete, or clues to solve within a specific area or set of boundaries. The goal of the scavenger hunt is for participants to locate and collect the items, complete the tasks, or solve the clues within a designated time frame. In my middle school science classroom to frontload science content by giving students clues and an opportunity to find out about the topic in advance. Here’s how.

Benefits of scavenger hunts in middle school science

There’s a lot of content to deliver in middle school science, and I’ve tried it all. I lecture, flip the classroom, peer teach, use discussions, have demonstrations and labs – you name it. When it comes to delivering content in my 7th and 8th grade classrooms, I want three things:

Ease. The activity has to be easy for me to implement. I don’t want to have to collect materials and laminate papers. I don’t want extensive set ups and break downs, especially in a rotating block schedule where consecutive classes might not be on the same activity each day.
Science. The activity has to deliver content. I don’t want fluff. Cute is fine, but I’m here for the science. My students need to know the information.
Engage. While I don’t expect everything to be a game, students have to enjoy the activity. There has to be a sense of importance and ownership to it.

Our new scavenger hunt product line combines these three elements.

Ease – They are simple to use – just a smidge over “plug and play” – the only thing you have to do is print, hang clues, and give instructions. (Fair warning: I had to repeat the directions a few times……but that shouldn’t be a shock!)
Science – Scavenger hunts deliver science by the bucketload. Even with zero prior knowledge, students emerged from the activity with a solid foundation of the topic.
Engage – When I use scavenger hunts in my 7th and 8th grade classes, students are highly motivated to complete the activity. This is certainly not a game and students wouldn’t call the activity “fun,” but they were engaged throughout the activity.

How does a scavenger hunt work?

The activity focuses on 2 parts – the student handout and the clue cards (numbered 1 to 10) which get hung around the room.

The student handout has spaces for the 10 answers to the 10 questions. Within the 10 answers, some letters are highlighted. If all of the answers are correct, the highlighted letters will spell out the answer to a riddle (I love “dad” jokes – the cornier the better!).

The clue cards each contain a question and a clue. The trick is that the clue is not related to the question but is a clue to a different question.

To complete the activity, the student starts at any clue card. Let’s imagine that the student is starting at card #1. On Card #1 is Question #1. For the Layers of the Earth scavenger hunt, Q1 is “The lithosphere is divided into __ plates.” Students then need to find the answer to that question by reading the other clues around the room. To make it simpler, the modified version of the activity tells students that the answer to Q1 is on card 7.

Students then go to card 7 and read “Earth’s lithosphere is divided into big solid pieces that fit together. These plates don’t just sit still. Sometimes they crash into each other, pull apart, or slide past each other. The plates that the lithosphere is broken into are called tectonic plates and there are many of them.”

So the students would write “tectonic” on their answer sheets next to Q1 and then continue to answer the other questions.

In the layers of the earth activity, highlighted letters of the answers spell out the answer to a riddle. The riddle is at the top of the page – “What side of a turkey has the most feathers?” and the answer is “The outside.” (Yes, I did this activity during Thanksgiving week.)

The great part about this is that students have to search for the answers. This means they’re constantly re-reading, circling back, and reading again. This helps reinforce the concepts and gives them a break from traditional stand-and-deliver types of lessons.

How do you create a scavenger hunt?

Choose a topic. To create a scavenger hunt, first decide on a body of knowledge that is non-linear and can be explained in a few short paragraphs. Check out the scavenger hunts we have listed in the JustAddH2OSchool store for ideas!
If you want the answer to be a riddle or a joke, figure out what letters you need for your answer.
Write 10 short paragraphs about the topic. Each paragraph should highlight a different aspect of the topic. For example, each paragraph of our layers of the earth scavenger hunt is about a different layer or a different aspect of a layer of the earth.
Write 1 question for each paragraph. Here’s the tricky part. The answers to each question have to contain the letters for the answer to your joke. In our layers of the earth scavenger hunt, the answer to the joke was “The outside” so the answers to each of the stations needed those letters.
Write a question and a paragraph on each card. Arrange it so that the answers to each question are on different cards to promote walking around and searching for answers.
Write the answer sheet for your students. Include highlighted boxes so they know which letter is part of the answer to the riddle!

Do you want to try a free scavenger hunt?

If you’ve been a follower of the JustAddH2OSchool store and blog for a while, you know that we don’t launch a product line without giving away freebies! Try out this new scavenger hunt product line with this freebie – a scavenger hunt about renewable and nonrenewable energy sources! Click here to download your copy now and comment below with your feedback!