Secondary Smorgasbord #3 Out of the Deep Freeze: Revisit My Planet Earth Awards

Secondary Smorgasbord 
January Blog Hop 

(Month #3) 

Once again it is time for the Secondary Bloghop event.  The theme for this month is "Out of the Deep Freeze" and is about an idea whose time has come (could be something we are currently working on), or a product that doesn't get the attention we'd like it to get and should get because, darn it, it's really good! 

I'd like to tell you about one of my products that I would like to see get more attention.  It is called "The Mother Nature Awards for the Planet Earth."

Over the years of teaching I have come to realize that some topics are very difficult for my students.  I find that the students learn and perform much better if I teach in spurts.  I teach a new concept for 15-20 minutes, and then I give my students a "brain-break".  

A "brain-break" is a 2 or 3 minute break away from the topic currently being taught.  It is a couple of minutes where the student can relax, and it relieves the tension of a very complex lesson.  I am still a teacher who wants every minute to count.  So during a "brain-break" I usually throw out a bit of science trivia.  These are just fun and interesting facts that teach the student about the amazing natural world we live in.  Over the last few months my "brain-breaks" have consisted of the Mother Nature Awards for Planet Earth.

Here is an example:

These are PowerPoint slides.  I insert one of these slides into a PowerPoint on cellular respiration or photosynthesis or enzyme-catalyzed reactions.  My students have come to expect these little surprises and they get excited when one of these pops up into my otherwise overly technical lecture.  This is fun, it teaches a bit about the wonders of nature, and best of all, it gives the student just a minute to relax and get focused again before I launch back into the real topic of the day.

After a slide has been viewed, I print it, laminate it, and place it on the wall in my classroom.  I have been very pleasantly surprised at how often students stop by the wall to look at the Mother Nature Awards.

I have put together a group of 20 of these awards and placed them in my store on TeachersPayTeachers.com.  There are two product listings, one for Grades 2-5 and a separate listing for grades 6-12.

The listing for grades 2-5 comes with a set of activity worksheets (42 pages) for the students to complete as the PowerPoint slide is being viewed.  The finished worksheets can be put together to make a great Mother Nature Award book.

The listing for grades 6-12 comes with a worksheet for students to conduct their own research to develop a PowerPoint slide for a Mother Nature Award of their own choosing.  This makes a nice homework assignment for a grade, or for a great extra credit opportunity.

Don't forget that Earth Day is coming up soon.  The Mother Nature Awards are a perfect Earth Day activity.

Did you miss the first two months of this fun blogging event?  Those posts can be viewed by clicking these links:
Month 1: A Buffet of Resources
Month 2: Favorite Holiday Traditions

Be sure to check out all of the other participants in our monthly blog hop. Thanks to Darlene Anne Curran (The ELA Buffet) and Pamela Kranz (Desktop Learning Adventures) for hosting our monthly blog hop event!

Have fun teaching!

An InLinkz Link-up

How to Use a Dichotomous Key Activity for Classification (Insects and Arthropods)

If you are looking for a dichotomous key activity for classification and taxonomy, this insect and arthropod lesson is a fun way to help students practice using a key and then create one of their own. This activity is designed for upper elementary, middle school, and early high school students who are learning how classification keys work in a science classroom.

See the full Dichotomous Classification Key for Insects and Arthropods resource on TpT.

A Dichotomous Key Activity for Classification and Taxonomy

Science students really do enjoy working through a dichotomous key. There is something satisfying about making observations, choosing between two options, and narrowing down the correct answer. That is exactly why dichotomous key activities work so well during a classification and taxonomy unit.

This resource gives students two connected activities. In the first part, they use a student friendly dichotomous key to classify insects. In the second part, they use their observations to create their own dichotomous key for several arthropods. That combination makes this more than just a worksheet. Students first learn the process and then apply it on their own.

This activity works especially well as an introduction to classification because students do not need a heavy load of new vocabulary before they begin. Instead, they can focus on careful observation, logical thinking, and the structure of a classification key.

How Students Use the Dichotomous Key

In the first part of the activity, students learn how to use a dichotomous key to classify organisms. This gives students a clear, step by step way to practice classification and build confidence using scientific tools.

Because the key is simple and student friendly, this is a great activity for teaching the structure of a dichotomous key before students move on to more advanced scientific keys. It is especially helpful for grades 4 through 7, but it also works well in high school biology as an easy first experience with classification keys.

Students Also Create Their Own Dichotomous Key

In the second part of the activity, students observe the five classes of arthropods and develop their own dichotomous key. Students record their answers and complete analysis questions to reinforce classification concepts.

This is one of my favorite parts of the lesson because students move beyond simply following a key and begin thinking about how a key is built. They have to notice traits, compare organisms, and decide how to organize their observations into logical choices. That makes this a strong critical thinking activity as well as a classification lesson.

Designed for Classroom Practice and Skill Building

This resource is designed for classroom practice and skill building. It is not meant to serve as a professional insect identification guide. Instead, it gives students a manageable set of organisms and a student friendly structure so they can learn how dichotomous keys work during a classification unit.

That is what makes this activity so useful. Students can learn the process without getting overwhelmed. If you need a simple, engaging way to introduce dichotomous keys before moving into more advanced classification work, this activity fits beautifully.

Printable and Digital Options for Easy Classroom Use

Both printable and digital versions are included, so this resource works well in traditional classrooms, 1:1 schools, and distance learning settings. Students can complete the activity on paper, in Google Slides, or in a self grading Google Forms version.

If you want a classroom ready activity that helps students learn how to use a dichotomous key and then create one of their own, you can find it here: Dichotomous Classification Key for Insects and Arthropods.

More Classification and Taxonomy Activities

If you are teaching a full classification unit, these related blog posts may also help:

• Dichotomous Classification Keys: Science Students Love Them
• Teaching Classification and Taxonomy Can Be Fun
• Classification and Taxonomy Reviewing Activities
• Science Fun This Thanksgiving

You may also want to explore these related classification products in my TpT store:

• Dichotomous Key to a "Crazy" Animal Kingdom
• Dichotomous Key to the Genus "Smiley"
• Classification and Taxonomy Task Cards

This insect and arthropod dichotomous key activity is a fun way to introduce classification, strengthen observation skills, and help students build confidence with scientific thinking.

Giant Bundle of Interactive Notebook Pages and Warm-Ups

The feedback I have been receiving on my biology and life science interactive notebook pages has just been phenomenal!  Thank you so much!  I have received numerous requests to bundle all the sets together.  So for those of you who have been waiting, the "Bundled Set Part 1" is ready!

This bundled set covers an entire semester of topics taught in a typical high school biology class.  There are over 300 student pages, and teacher answer keys are included very every student page.

Yes, there will eventually be a"Bundle Part 2", but it is not likely to be seen until the summer of 2015.

So without further ado, here is a preview of the first bundled set of warm-ups, bell ringers, and interactive notebook pages.  Click on any image below to view this product on TeachersPayTeachers.com.

Science Stuff: Top 5 Blog Posts of 2014

At the end of each year, I enjoy reading articles or watching TV shows about the the "most, best, greatest" things that happened in the year.  In doing so this year, it occurred to me that I should check my blog stats to determine "The Best of Science Stuff for 2014."

I looked at each blog post and picked out the top five that had the highest number of hits.  Already this is flawed..... A post written in January 2014 had a lot more time to receive hits than a post written in December of 2014.  Nonetheless, I stuck with the original plan and went with the five getting the most hits.

Of the five, three of them were no surprise.  They covered topics that are highly popular right now.  But I was a bit surprised by the other 2.

I am very pleased with all five of these posts.  I believe that each and every one of them offers tips, suggestions, and valuable information for the science classroom teacher.  I may be living in a world of denial, but it is my hope that some of my ramblings have been helpful to other teachers.

Below is the countdown to the top five.  Each is hyperlinked to the original blog post.  Click on the image to read the full article.  

So without further ado.....

And finally.....  The #1 post of 2014

Wishing you a very Happy New Year, and a successful second half of your school year!