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Matter and Change Task Cards



Provide great review and reinforcement using these "Matter and Change" task cards!

I freely admit that I am relatively new to the development and use of task cards for my high school classes.  But in the last year, I have become a convert and a die-hard fan.  I have used many review and reinforcement techniques when teaching my students and preparing them for a final assessment, but for some reason, my students have really taken to the use of these task cards.  My favorite method of use is to set up stations in the lab and have the students rotate through the stations.  My kids like this method, mostly because of the physical nature of the activity.  They have to sit in a desk all day long, so my students are very happy when I allow them to be up and moving about the room.

Another reason I think this technique is so successful is that each card has only one task or question.  For students who quickly become overwhelmed by TMI (too much information), the task cards are manageable and very goal oriented.

This particular set of task cards covers the topic of "Matter and Change" and are currently being used by the physical science and chemistry classes at my school.  The cards cover the following:


There is a varying range of difficulty in the set of 64 cards. For our physical science classes, we pulled out and used the easier task cards, and for our chemistry classes, we included the more difficult cards.  By picking and choosing, we are able to create the perfect and most appropriate review for any given class of students.










Preparation time is a minimum.  The task cards are printed 4 to a page. Simply print, cut the cards apart, laminate the cards, and you are ready to go.  I like knowing that I will be able to use the same cards year after year.


We are now nearing the end of our first grading period and we have a 9-week exam coming up.  I love having multiple sets of task cards on all the different topics for review purposes.  I keep them stored in plastic boxes and have the students select the set they feel they need to review the most.  I also provide before and after school tutoring sessions.  Task cards are fabulous for tutoring!




Click on any of the photos/pictures above to see the listing for these task cards in my TeachersPayTeachers.com store.

Task cards on other topics can be viewed by clicking this link.

I hope you are having a great school year!

Need Help with Organization? Try "The Ultimate Science Teacher Binder!"



An organized teacher is a happy teacher!

I have learned so many things in my 30 years of teaching, but probably the most important lesson has been in the area of organization.  A school day for a teacher is a harried and frenzied day under the best of circumstances.  From the moment we enter the school house door, we are bombarded with questions, requests, emails, phone call messages, announcements over the PA system, upset children, happy children, sick children, overly excited children, meetings, more meetings, IEP's, notes from parents, and let's not forget the GAZILLION papers that cross our desk in the course of just one day!!  Oh yeah, we also have to teach the students something, don't we?  So let's not forget the lesson planning, the xeroxing of materials, the studying we must do to be prepared, the incorporation of Common Core standards into the lesson, the designing and setup of the lab activity, the re-teaching, the differentiation of the lesson to meet the needs of each individual student ........ and many in the public community think we are overpaid!!

It is a wonder we survive the day!! Early on in my teaching career I realized that if I was not highly organized each and every day, I would never survive in this profession. I had two things going for me already..... I LOVE kids, and I LOVE biology and chemistry.  But, as a kid right out of college, I did struggle a bit with organization.  Now fast forward thirty years later .... Every single aspect of my day is super organized and planned.  Now when the unexpected happens during the day (which happens every single day, right?) it is not a total disruption.  If I am organized then the disruptions are just minor ripples in the day that do not turn into catastrophes.

I continue to learn more organizational techniques each day, and am constantly looking for ways to make my school day run more efficiently.  I have attempted to pass along my experience and organizational techniques along to you in my "Ultimate Binder for Science Teachers."

The "Ultimate Binder for Science Teachers" is packed full of forms, tables, organizers, and calendars to help you get organized and stay organized.  There are over 100 pages included in this product.  The pages look best when printed in color, but look fantastic if printed in black and white.  Use these pages to start your teacher binder, or you can add these pages to your already existing binder.

All forms are completely editable!!  You can print them out and write on them, or you can type on them before printing.  I have included the Word documents so that you can edit them to meet your specific needs.














I use a binder like this every day.  I love a little fun/color on each page for my own entertainment.  Pages are colorful, attractive and include science-themed clipart.

The binder will last you your entire teaching career.  Reprint pages each year to include new students, new plans, etc.

Benefits Include:

  • No need to spend money buying a new teacher binder from the office supply store each year.
  • Use this binder year after year.
  • Simply reprint the pages you need for the next year.
  • Only print out the pages you need.
  • Print in color or in black/white.
  • Completely editable:  Make it the perfect binder for YOU!
  • Includes Word documents:  Write on them or type on them.
  • Calendars will be updated each year.  You download the updates for free.
  • Each form is accompanied by a “Read Me!” document that explains how you can best use the form.

What is included in this Science Teacher Binder?

I have divided all of the pages in this product into the following categories.  Under each heading is a list of forms and pages that are included.

Forms Related to Science Teaching:

•  Lab Inventory Form – 2 versions
•  I Need to Order these Lab Supplies for Next Year!
•  Purchase Order Form
•  My Favorite Labs – 2 versions
•  Lab Safety Contract
•  Lab Station Assignments
•  Lab Fee Payment
•  Lab Manual Payment

Calendars:
•  My Year At A Glance
•  My Month At A Glance
•  My Week At A Glance – 2 versions
•  Monthly Calendars With Important Dates in Science History

Grading and Lesson Planning:
•  Unit Plan Organizer
•  Lesson Planning Grids – 3 Versions
•  Grade Recording Sheets

Meetings:
•  Professional Learning Community (PLC) Minutes – 3 versions
•  Faculty Meeting Notes
•  Science Department Meetings

Getting Organized:
•  Textbooks
•  Student Rosters
•  Locker Assignments – 2 versions
•  Parent Contact Logs
•  Student Information Form
•  Final Failure List
•  Exam Exemption List
•  College Recommendation Forms
•  Interactive Seating Charts – 2 versions.  You can move and edit the seats to look just like your classroom set up.
•  My To-Do List

Substitute Lesson Planning:
•  Three-page document for you to leave for your substitute teacher.  Includes a page for general daily information, a page for specific daily assignments, and a recording page for the sub to leave notes for your return.
•  Comes in three different versions:  Plain black and white, Color male science teacher clipart, and Color female science teacher clipart.

Cute and Fun!
•  Sets of Teacher Note Cards for writing thank you notes, notes of encouragement, jobs well done, etc.  All cards have clip art with a science theme.
•  Hall Passes (Science Themed)

Cover Pages and Section Dividers:
•  There are 10 science themed cover pages for you to choose from for the front of your notebook.
•  There is a section divider for each of the above categories.

Each form in the binder is accompanied by a "Read Me!" file for that form.  In the "read me" file I have described how I use the form in my classroom, and how it might best serve you.


Here is a freebie for you!  One of the forms that I use all the time is the "Lab Inventory Form."  We are required to turn in our lab inventory every single year.  This has become an easy task for me.  I invested time in completing a very complete and organized list of lab supplies.  Now all I have to do is add the new items I buy each year, and delete the items that get used up or broken each year.  You can grab my lab inventory form from my TpT store for free.

Thanks for visiting my blog, and I hope you have a very successful and ORGANIZED school year!