Organisms in ecosystems interact in many different ways and understanding these relationships is the focus of Next Generation Science Standards MS-LS2-1 (Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem) and MS-LS2-2 (Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organismsContinue reading “Symbiosis Resources for Middle Schoolers”
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Earth Day Activities for Middle Schoolers
Earth Day has been celebrated for 51 years and I always make a point of including it in my middle school curriculum. Here are some Earth Day activities for your middle schoolers: Plant a tree. If your school property has room, buy a few seedlings from a local nursery and have students plant them. (BetterContinue reading “Earth Day Activities for Middle Schoolers”
10 ways to celebrate National Park Week in your middle school classroom
It’s National Park Week! Celebrate the United States National Parks every day, but especially from April 17-25 during National Park Week. Here are 10 great ways you can celebrate National Park Week in your middle school classroom: If your school is near a National Park, volunteer. There are opportunities for middle school children (with writtenContinue reading “10 ways to celebrate National Park Week in your middle school classroom”
The Ice Cream Lab
Today was the day for everyone’s favorite lab of the year – the ice cream lab! What is the Ice Cream Lab? The ice cream lab is a fantastic, fun, super-engaging way to teach freezing point depression and phase change. Give students a large ziploc bag, a small ziploc bag, a bunch of ice, someContinue reading “The Ice Cream Lab”
Amazing Animal of the Week – Cicadas 2021
2021 may be the year of the cicadas. A huge population of cicadas have been living underground since 2004 and are scheduled to emerge within the next few weeks! Cicadas 2021! What are cicadas? Cicadas are a group of 3000 different known insect species around the world. The oldest cicada fossils are nearly 300 millionContinue reading “Amazing Animal of the Week – Cicadas 2021”
Stoichiometry Basics for Middle School
In middle school, a fundamental understanding of the basics of stoichiometry can help lay the foundation for chemistry in later years. When I teach stoichiometry basics in my middle school classroom, I start with very basic chemical formulas and incremental increase the complexity as students achieve and demonstrate mastery at each level. I use taskContinue reading “Stoichiometry Basics for Middle School”
Women in Science – Rachel Carson
March is Women in History Month, and Rachel Carson was certainly an impactful woman in history as well as in science. Her book Silent Spring brought awareness of environmental issues to the masses and laid the groundwork for the modern environmental movement. Silent Spring was written in 1962. It warned people of the dangers of chemical pesticides,Continue reading “Women in Science – Rachel Carson”
Can you help new teachers?
Do you remember your first year in the classroom? Were you bogged down with grading, overwhelmed by prepping labs, struggling to reach those two difficult kids, confused by all the paperwork? Can you help new teachers? I’d love to feature your best advice for new teachers in an upcoming blog. What was difficult for you?Continue reading “Can you help new teachers?”
Equinox Myths
The reason for the seasons Do you teach seasons? It’s not normally part of my curriculum, but I always spend a day un-teaching equinox myths. There’s a lot of misunderstanding out there. Here are the things my students claim are true, until I straighten them out. Equinox Myths: You can balance an egg on theContinue reading “Equinox Myths”
Amazing Animal of the Week – Gila Monsters
This week’s amazing animal of the week is the Gila Monster. Gila Monsters are black and orange lizards which grow up to almost 2 feet in length and are one of the heaviest reptiles found in the Grand Canyon, weighing in at over 5 pounds. Their skin is covered in round, bead like scales andContinue reading “Amazing Animal of the Week – Gila Monsters”