The Latest eBook for Science (and Other) Teachers

These are the simple truths:  Teachers are busy, busy, busy! Teachers spend WAY too much of their own money for materials for their classroom.  Teachers are always on the look-out for something new and innovative for their kids.

Well, the teacher/authors of TpT are here to help.  This is the latest of the FREE eBooks that you can download.  These eBooks (there is one for each subject area) will provide middle and high school teachers with instant resources that can be used immediately in the classroom.  Simply print and teach!!  

The Science eBook has 30 contributors, so that is 30 FREE resources for your classroom.  Each science teacher submitted two pages:  The first page tells you a little about the teacher, and the second page is a resource that we hope you can use ... and use ... and use!

You'll find pages from all of these amazing science teachers!

There are four eBooks, one for each subject area.  You can download them all at the following links:

• Science
• Math
• ELA
• Humanities

Thanks goes to these amazing ladies for their hard work in compiling these fantastic resources for our fellow teachers:  Brain Waves Instruction, Literary Sherri, Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy, and Lindsay Perro.

Remember, all of these eBooks are free downloads, and I have no doubt that you will find plenty that you can use in your classroom

Have fun teaching!

An InLinkz Link-up

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

Insects: A Dichotomous Classification Key Activity

Dichotomous Classification Keys:  KIDS LOVE 'EM!

There is just something about working through a classification key that is fun.  I love them, the students love them .... and the result is a classroom activity that is stimulating, educational, and ... well, it is just FUN!

In my 30+ years of teaching biology, I always look forward to my unit on classification and taxonomy. As a result,  I have developed quite a few teaching materials and lessons on this topic.  After posting these materials in my TpT store, I began to get more and more requests for additional activities that use a dichotomous classification key.  Well, here is the newest addition to this type of activity.

Click image to view product in my TpT store.

There are actually two activities in this product.  Students begin by using the included dichotomous key to the insects to identify 9 different insects. Second, students are given pictures of a representative organism from each of the five classes of the Phylum Arthropoda.  Students are asked to make good observations and develop their own dichotomous key for these arthropods. The dichotomous key and the two pages of pictures can be laminated and used year after year.  Student handouts include 2 pages for their written work. Analysis and follow up questions are also included to extend the activity.

I wrote this activity in response to requests from many upper elementary and middle school teachers.  Therefore, I feel this activity is most appropriate for grades 4-7.  However,  my experience teaching high school tells me that my first year biology students will love this as an introduction to classification.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed developing it.

Links to this and related products:

Insects: A Dichotomous Classification Activity
Dichotomous Key to a "Crazy" Animal Kingdom
Dichotomous Key to the Genus "Smiley"
FREE Dichotomous Key to Holiday Giving and Community Service
Classification and Taxonomy Task Cards

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!

Interactive Notebooks Make Teaching Viruses and Bacteria a Snap

Do you need a new/better routine for your classroom?

Are you looking for a way to review and reinforce the volume of biology information you must cover?

Looking for quality warm up activities or homework assignments?

I use warm ups or bell ringers every single day as a method of getting my students settled, on task, and ready to learn.  These activities are short, and take only a few minutes to complete.  Once students are used to the routine, they will enter the classroom and get right to work.  I like that the first few minutes of class are spent "getting down to business."

There is such great versatility in how you can use these interactive notebook pages.  As already stated, they are perfect for turning the first chaotic minutes of class into a time of meaningful learning and reinforcement.  I also use them for homework assignments, and they are perfect to leave in my sub folder in case I am absent.

If students are required to keep them in a notebook, they have a perfect study guide for the unit test and semester exams.

This is the 7th set of warm up activities posted to my TpT store.  (Check out the blog archive in the right side bar to see previous articles.)  This set covers "Viruses and Bacteria."  The set of 23 student pages covers all the topics found in a typical first year biology textbook.

The student pages are printed landscape style.  The pages look best if printed in color, but also look great if printed in black/white.  Each activity is one-half page in size.  Two identical warm-ups are printed per page in order to conserve paper.  Simply print the pages and cut them in half.

All teacher pages are set up in this style.  The student activity is on the left, and the answers are on the right side of the page.  Print these pages for your teacher notebook.

Click here to view in my TpT store.

You can download a FREE sampler pack from my store.  The pack includes 1-2 warm ups from each of my warm up sets..

Previous sets include:

Introduction to Science

Cell Structure and Function

Ecology

Genetics

DNA, RNA and Protein Synthesis

Evolution and Classification

Holiday Recipe eBook

Funny and Yummy!!

The secondary teacher/authors of TeachersPayTeachers.com have teamed up to bring you the most fabulous (FREE!!) eBook for the holiday season.  Each participant submitted a favorite recipe that is ravenously consumed by our families during the holiday season.

What's included?  46 scrumptious recipes ranging from appetizers, main dishes, salads, desserts, drinks, and even dog treats!   Click the images below to download the free eBook.  You will not be disappointed!

This super idea was the brain-child of Karol Steele (Mrs. S on TpT).  Many thanks to Karol for organizing, compiling, and publishing this fun eBook.