Using CER Science Image Prompts as Bell Ringers Have you been wanting to incorporate CER science activities into your curriculum but you aren’t sure where to begin? Using CER science image prompts, as bell ringers, has become indispensable in my classroom to spark curiosity and kick start critical thinking. I use an assortment of life, physical…
Review Made Fun: Science Classroom Gamification Can classroom gamification rev up the engagement and attention spans in your science class? “Can we play the review game?” This is the question I have heard for over 25 years of teaching middle school science. Many years ago I got bored reviewing for tests so I created a spelling…
Planning Lab Activities for Middle School Science Class Are you struggling with planning lab activities while teaching middle school science? How do you introduce the lab, execute it, clean up and draw conclusions in one class period? I use a method that I call “backwards lesson planning” as I am planning lab activities for my…
6 Types of Science Bellringers to Start Your Class The first three to five minutes of your class are the most critical. Science bellringers, warm ups, or starters, are highly effective in terms of bringing the students to order. These activities help gather the student’s focus and get them organized. The first few minutes of…
13 Ways Using Photography Helps You Teach Science How can you increase comprehension and retention in science class? A picture is worth a thousand words! Students are already immersed in a world of photographs and quick videos. It is literally how they communicate now. Why not speak their language? There are many ways to utilize photography in…
Science Projects-10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Assigning One Are you eager to do a science project with your middle school students, but you’re worried about (1)how much time it takes, (2)the classroom noise level, (3)the lack of accountability and (4)if it’s even worthwhile? Here are 10 questions to ask yourself before you assign a…
A List of Super Websites for Science Teachers Are you looking for a great websites to use while teaching middle school science? Are you overwhelmed with trying to decide which ones are actually useful? I have used a lot of science websites since I started using digital science notebooks, plus I asked a lot of…
How Teachers Can Use Trello for Organizing Lesson Plans! Are you looking for a way to organize all of your great lesson plans, unit lessons, resources, links and labs without using big binders or folders? It’s time that you start to use Trello! It’s a FREE app or website that will solve all your organization…
Boost Your Student’s Critical Thinking with CER in Science Class CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) is a critical thinking framework that encourages students to analyze evidence and draw conclusions that are thorough and appropriate. I have pushed my students for years to think “out of the box“ while trying to pull data together. However, they have…
A Lesson Planner Just For Science Teachers My science teacher planner keeps your classroom organized and makes keeping inventory so much easier. It will also make lesson planning and pacing faster! Would you like to be a more organized science teacher? Have you been looking for a science teacher planner? Are you frustrated by how generic…
