NSTA Convention

My lovely daughter (left) is a great
helper and my biggest fan!

My First Time as an Exhibitor!

Wow.  Wow.  Wow.  Thank you so much to all of the amazing teachers that stopped at our booth at the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) Convention in Nashville! This was my very first time to attend NSTA as an exhibitor, and I was completely blown away by the experience!  I met so many wonderful people from all over the country and even from Italy, Mexico, Australia, and Puerto Rico!  All were excited about teaching science, and looking for new ideas for their classrooms.  

My cohorts and partners in crime (errr, fellow science teachers) were Erica Colon of Nitty Gritty Science and Tracey Graham of Smart Chick Teaching Resources.  All three of us are sellers on TeachersPayTeachers.com (Amy Brown Science) and we were delighted to be able to spread the good word about TpT.  

This journey started almost a year ago, and the three of us spent many a day texting, emailing, messaging, and chatting on Google chat to prepare for our first convention.  Erica and Tracey were an absolute joy to work with, and I am happy to have made friends with them through TpT.

What was the biggest highlight of this exhibiting experience?  There are two!

1 - Getting to see Bill Nye!  

And 2 - Meeting the people who have been using my lessons!!

There were many, many testimonials from teachers of how my materials had worked in their classrooms. A few were such fans that they wanted pictures to take back and show their friends at school!  It was touching and heartwarming and humbling.  I couldn't be happier to know that the materials and lessons I have developed in my 31 years of teaching are helping teachers in other school districts.

The NSTA exhibit hall is an amazing place, and you never know who will be strolling the aisles!

Congratulations to the following people who were winners in my giveaway drawing.  TpT gift certificates were won by Emily D, Rhonda W, Kimberly O, Kathryn D, and Mandy H.  The following people won CD's packed with teaching materials:  Beth V, Kristin K, Amanda H, Michaela Y, Anitra H, Becky S, and Nancy D.  You guys will be hearing from me soon!  Congratulations!

So..... would I like to do this again?   YAAASSSSS!  Los Angeles 2017, here we come!

Zoo Wild!

"Zoo Wild" is a free game found on Google Play.  I love the way it teaches conservation to budding young scientists (ages 3 - 10) and fosters a love of nature and the environment.  This project has been a labor of love for Clint Clark and his entire family. Below, Clint describes the game and how its development has impacted his family.

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When my son was born, my wife and I desired to be parents that empowered our children, built empathy and encouraged creativity. This has sent us on quite a wild adventure which has led to our latest creation Zoo Wild, a free mobile game on Google Play.

As parents, we are put off by the amount of ads and purchases in kids mobile games and vowed not just to make a free game, but one without ads and purchases. Not just that, but we desired to have learning embedded amongst all the wild fun. If you teach any kids between ages 3-10 or have children of your own, install it and join in on our adventure.

We desired to set our animal game apart from the other million or so that have been made.

• First, we opted for realistic depictions of the species. Not smiley, big-eyed animals.
• Second, we focus on learning facts about the species including their classifications, diets, the world regions in which they live, and most importantly their conservation status –- how endangered they are.

• Third, we decided to create five different “mini-games” as opposed to one play style to keep kids engaged that build a variety of skills. There are opportunities to learn and apply their knowledge.
• Fourth, we found a tremendous lady to provide narration for the game so pre-readers can still play and learn.
• Fifth, we wanted to include more species than just the familiar favorites that are included in every zoo, animal book, bedspread and backpack.

We have taught our children a great deal about endangered species and conservation and we’ve found it is a tremendous empathy builder. The idea that an animal might die and not exist anymore, really hits kids. We share how conservation efforts are made and together we’ve learned about deforestation, pollution, global warming, poaching. All before they went to kindergarten.

In addition to the mobile game, my wife has built hundreds of resources around each species that are available on TPT.  (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Zoo-Wild). We also had some fun and Kickstarted an animal conservation card game, Zoo Webs.

All the while, we’ve included our kids through the entire process so they can learn they can make a difference for animals and our environment. Our kids choose all of the species, critique the art, look up the facts and decide where to donate the profit. They eagerly await choosing the next animal.

We hope our game can help some kiddos learn about different species, about conservation and perhaps activate a passion for the next generation of zookeepers, wildlife biologists and environmental activists! 

Nature Works Everywhere: Virtual Field Trip to Coastal Peru

Witness the Amazing Biodiversity of a Coastal Ecosystem

The next LIVE virtual field trip is just around the corner!  You are not going to want to miss this exciting trip into the most productive marine ecosystem in the world.

Virtual field trips provide the perfect way to travel with your students to exotic destinations without having to leave the classroom.  Brought to you for free by The Nature Conservancy and Nature Works Everywhere, these virtual experiences combine science, history, culture and geography into a integrated unit of study that truly packs a punch.  The resources being provided to classroom teachers by Nature Works Everywhere are truly incredible.  Use this link to view videos with accompanying lesson plans, as well as the five previous virtual field trips.

Now for the essential information about the upcoming field trip:

Title:  How Nature Works in Coastal Peru - The Amazing Biodiversity of a Coastal Ecosystem

Date:  Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Time:  12:00 noon Eastern Time

Length of virtual event:  45 minutes

How do I sign up?  Use this link to register now for the live virtual event.

What if I can't watch on March 16?  Register anyway to receive the YouTube viewing link.  This will allow you to watch anytime after the live event has concluded.  The virtual field trip will also be posted at a later date on the Nature Works Everywhere web site as well as on Vimeo.  Once these versions are ready, you will be sent the links in a newsletter.

How much does it cost?  FREE!  Participation in the live event and all of the high-quality downloadable lesson plans, worksheets, and activities are absolutely free!

Tell me more about the upcoming field trip!  Your host will be fisheries scientist, Matias Caillaux, from The Nature Conservancy.  He will lead you on an exploration of the Humboldt Current Ecosystem off the coast of Peru.  The Humboldt current is a cold ocean current that flows north along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chili to northern Peru.  It is one of the major upwelling systems in the world, supporting an incredible abundance of marine life.

The Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem is the most productive marine ecosystem in the world, as well as the largest upwelling system.  Because of its high rate of primary and secondary productivity, approximately 18-20% of the world's fish catch comes from the Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem.  This forms the basis of a unique and abundant ecosystem of fish, sea birds, penguins and marine mammals.

Students will learn about biodiversity, explore ancient island carvings, examine the region's fishing industry, and discover what is being done to conserve this valuable and vulnerable ecosystem.

In additional to the virtual field trip, take advantage of the free downloadable teaching materials, videos, and interactive web sites to prepare your students.  These materials will enhance the field trip experience and provide excellent resources for your students.  Two interactive web sites include:

Click image to view this interactive web site.

Click image to view this interactive web site.

Free downloads for your classroom include:

• Fishing For A Future:  Teacher Lesson Plan
• Student Handout on Fisheries Management
• Student Handout on the Humboldt Current
• Student Handout for Anchoret Socratic Seminar

Click image to view this interactive web site.

In these activities, students will explore sustainable fishing through a specific case study in Peru.  The lessons include interactive story maps that explore the Humboldt Current, El Nino, and artisanal fishing.  Students can complete a fisheries management activity using data and a socratic seminar that explores the challenges of open access fishing areas.

As a science teacher, I love that these exceptional field trips, videos, and teaching handouts are made available to us for free.  Thanks to The Nature Conservancy and NatureWorks Everywhere for providing us with these outstanding opportunities!  

Supplement Your Lessons on Plant Structure and Function

What does it take to teach about plants in your biology class?

It takes determination, fortitude, and as many top-notch materials as you can find!  One of my Dad's favorite sayings was, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."    This saying runs through my head each year when I begin to teach my units on plants to my high school biology students. I'm pretty sure that if I asked my students at the end of the year which topic was their least favorite..... they would all say plants! As biology teachers, we have to cover this material.  Our very existence depends upon these lovely living organisms.  I have found that my students love growing plants, and labs involving living specimens, germination of seeds, growing plants under various conditions helps to raise the interest level among my students just a bit.

For those of you who have been waiting, I have just put the final polish on the warm ups and bell ringers that I use with my students.  This set contains 28 student pages and covers everything they need to know about plant structure and function.  Here are some highlights in pictures:

In more detail, these warm up pages will cover the following concepts:

• Introduction to plant anatomy: Main organs of the plant, specialized organs of the plant.
• Types of plant cells: Parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma.
• Tissue systems of a plant:  Dermal tissues, vascular tissues, and ground tissues.
• Vascular tissues:  Xylem, vessel elements, tracheids, phloem, sieve tube elements, companion cells.
• Meristematic tissues, apical meristems, lateral meristems, primary and secondary growth.
• Roots:  Functions of roots, taproot system, fibrous root system, meristematic region, region of elongation, region of maturation, epidermis, cortex, endodermis, pericycle, root hairs, root cap, adventitious roots, differences in monocot and dicot roots.
• Stems:  Functions of stems, nodes, internodes, buds, bud scales, terminal and lateral buds, epidermis, vascular bundles, pith, cortex, differences in monocot and dicot stems, cork, cork cambium, heartwood, sapwood, bark, vascular cambium, tubers, bulbs, corms, and rhizomes.
• Translocation and transpiration.
• Leaves:  Functions of the leaf, petiole, blade, veins, differences in monocot and dicot leaves, epidermis, cuticle, palisade cells, spongy cells, mesophyll, stomata, guard cells, gas exchange in leaves, simple and compound leaves, types of specialized leaves.
• Thinking critically:  One page of critical thinking and problem solving questions about plants.
• 6 pages of review:  Short answer, Modified True False, Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blank, Review the vocabulary, and What’s the relationship?

Use this link to view these materials in my TpT store.  Thanks!

Amp Up Your Unit on Plants!

Ginkgo

It's time for your unit on plants.  Excited or dreading it?

As I sat down to begin the writing of this post, my initial thought was to lead with, "I just love teaching plants!" And then it occurred to me that I begin almost all of my blog posts on biology topics in the same way.  But the truth is.... I am excited to begin teaching almost any topic in biology. I love them all!  I am sure that I have a least favorite unit to teach, but I would have to give that some thought to determine which unit it is. That is probably a topic for another blog post.....

So back to plants.  Having taught school for over 30 years, I have taught thousands of students and have interacted with many, many teachers during this time.  What I know is this:  Students don't like studying about plants (too boring!) and teachers don't like teaching about plants (students don't like it!) As a result, I have noticed that many middle and high school life science and biology teachers will either:

1. Leave plants out of the curriculum entirely, or ...
2. Skip through it too quickly, leaving out the depth that this unit deserves.

I find plants fascinating.  And because I do, I look for ways to make it interesting for my students.  Not the topic of this blog post, but have you ever tried the C-Fern labs from Carolina Biological?  My students literally shout with excitement when they see (using a microscope) the sperm cells swimming to the egg and the frantic mob of sperm that surrounds the egg.

Students love lab work and it definitely helps makes the class more interesting and exciting, but we all know that the "down and dirty" classroom days are needed to teach the information to our students.  I developed this set of 34 warm up / bell ringer / interactive notebook pages to use with my students while teaching about plant evolution and classification.  I am really excited about this set, and I feel that it is one of the best sets that I have written.

• If you complete these pages with your students, I guarantee that your students will come away with a solid foundation and knowledge base about the evolution and classification of plants.

Click image to view product in my TpT store.

• These pages are NO PREP for the teacher!!  I have done all of the prep work for you. You can spend more time concentrating on your teaching.

• Don't use these pages the same way everyday.  Use some as warm ups, and others as homework assignments.  Some will make great quizzes.  I like to add a page or two of these as a lab station while carrying out our plant experiments.  While lecturing, I will break up the lecture time by having my students complete one of the pages for review and reinforcement.

What topics are covered?  These 34 warm up pages cover the topics commonly found in an introductory unit on plants.  Highlights include: Characteristics of plants, the plant life cycle, alternation of generations, the evolution of plants, the transition of plants to land, classification of plants, nonvascular and vascular plants, the bryophytes, the liverwort life cycle, the moss life cycle, the fern life cycle, the seed plants, gymnosperms and angiosperms.

What topics are not covered?  Plant structure and function, plant responses, and plant reproduction are covered in different sets.  Links to these sets are seen below.

Plant Structure and Function

Plant Reproduction

Thanks for stopping by, and have fun teaching!

5 Free Science Sub Plans to Leave in Your Emergency Sub Folder

Every teacher has been there. A sick child, a flat tire on the way to school, or an unexpected phone call can quickly turn an ordinary morning into a scramble to get a substitute.

One of the best things you can do to reduce stress is to prepare an emergency sub folder ahead of time. When the unexpected happens, you will know that your students still have meaningful science work to complete while you are away.

To help you prepare, I am sharing five free science sub plans that you can download and leave in your substitute folder. These lessons are easy to implement, require little preparation, and keep students engaged in meaningful science learning. These science sub plans are perfect for emergency situations when you need quick, meaningful lessons for your substitute teacher.

Even better, many of these resources include both printable and digital versions, making them perfect for traditional classrooms, 1:1 environments, or Google Classroom.

Three of the lessons listed below can be used in any science class, which makes them especially useful if you teach multiple subjects such as life science, physical science, or general science.

Download them now, print them, and place them in your emergency sub folder so you are always prepared.

1. Graphing and Data Analysis Practice

Graphing and data analysis are essential science skills that students need to practice regularly. This free activity gives students a set of data that they must graph, followed by questions that guide them through interpreting the results.

Students practice identifying patterns, analyzing trends, and drawing conclusions from scientific data.

This lesson works well as a substitute activity because students can work independently while still practicing important scientific reasoning skills.

If you are interested in teaching graphing skills more deeply, you may also enjoy reading my post about teaching graphing in the science classroom.

Download the free graphing activity here: Free Graphing Activity

2. Characteristics of Life PowerPoint and Worksheet

This lesson introduces students to the characteristics shared by all living organisms. The activity includes a PowerPoint presentation along with a three page student worksheet.

As the presentation is shown, students complete the worksheet by identifying and explaining the key characteristics of living things. The questions are designed to encourage discussion and deeper thinking.

Although this lesson is often used near the beginning of a biology course, it also works well as a review activity later in the year. This activity reinforces the important science skills of making observations, drawing conclusions, and comparing and contrasting.

Download the free Characteristics of Life lesson here.

3. Compare and Contrast Study Skills Graphic Organizer

This simple graphic organizer is one of my favorite tools for helping students develop study and critical thinking skills.

Students compare and contrast two scientific concepts they have been studying. This activity encourages them to organize their thoughts and identify similarities and differences between related ideas.

This graphic organizer can be used for any topic, any grade level, any type of science class, and at any time of the year.

Examples students might compare include:

• photosynthesis and cellular respiration
• mitosis and meiosis
• vascular and nonvascular plants
• prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

You can learn more about using this organizer in the classroom in this blog post.

Download the free graphic organizer here.

4. DNA Informational Text with Graphic Organizers

In this activity, students read the famous one page paper published by James Watson and Francis Crick describing the structure of DNA.

The lesson includes the original article along with graphic organizers that help students analyze the text and identify key ideas.

Even if you are not currently teaching a genetics unit, this activity still works well because it allows students to practice reading scientific informational text, which is an important skill in science education.

You can learn more about using informational text in science classes here.

Download the free DNA informational text lesson here.

5. Genetics Monohybrid Cross Practice

This worksheet gives students practice solving monohybrid genetics problems using Punnett squares.

Students analyze several genetic crosses and determine possible offspring genotypes and phenotypes.

This lesson works especially well in life science and biology classes, and it is also a helpful review activity before tests or end of course exams.

You can read more about teaching monohybrid genetics here.

Download the free monohybrid genetics worksheet here.

Preparing Your Emergency Science Sub Folder

Unexpected absences happen to every teacher. Taking a few minutes now to prepare an emergency sub folder can save a lot of stress later.

A well prepared substitute folder should include:

• Several ready to use lesson activities
• Clear instructions for the substitute teacher
• Copies of student worksheets or access to digital assignments
• Simple activities students can complete independently

When you have these materials ready to go, you can handle unexpected situations with confidence knowing that your students will still be engaged in meaningful science learning.

As the saying goes:

The prepared teacher is the calm teacher.

More Ready to Use Science Lessons (Paid Resources)

If you find these free lessons helpful, you may also enjoy some of the complete science activities available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

These are full classroom resources designed for daily instruction and include detailed teacher guides, student worksheets, and digital versions for Google Classroom. The following are paid resources but are perfect for science sub folders.

You can explore more science activities here:

Graphing Practice Problem Worksheets

Lab Equipment Color By Number Activity

Scientific Notation Color By Number Activity

Science Process Skills: Compare and Contrast

Planning your biology course? Download my free 189-page Biology Curriculum Teacher Guide to see exactly how I organize an entire school year.

14 Ways to Use Task Cards in High School Biology

Instruction?

Reinforcement?

Retention?

No Problem!!

Task cards have quickly earned a prominent spot in my high school science classes.  I was slow to the party, thinking that task cards were a tool used by elementary teachers.  They couldn't possibly be of any use in my high school classes, right?  I could not be more wrong!

I think the thing I love best about task cards is that my students never complain about them, and in fact, even ask for them.  Teenagers will do anything to avoid school work, but my students have fully accepted the fact that the task cards have helped them study for tests and have improved their grades.

For those who might be unfamiliar with task cards, here is a quick description.  A task card is usually 1/4th the size of a sheet of paper, and usually printed on thicker paper.  I laminate them so that I can use them year after year.  Each card contains only one task or question.  For students who are easily overwhelmed by too much material or difficult concepts, task cards are a wonderful solution.  The student has a card in their hand with only one task or question.  They must complete the one task before moving on to the next.  It allows the student to focus and concentrate on only one thing at a time, rather than being presented with a long worksheet jam-packed with questions or problems.

So without further ado, here are 14 ways you can use task cards in your high school science classes to improve instruction, reinforce concepts and increase retention of the material you are teaching:

1.  Lab Stations:  This is my personal favorite.  Students of all ages get tired of sitting in a desk all day.  My students really enjoy being out of their seats and moving about the room.  I place 2 to 3 task cards at each lab station and have the students rotate through the stations.  This saves paper and printing since only one set of task cards is needed for the class.

2.  Competitive Game Formats:  Use the cards in a game format.  Divide the class into teams.  Place the task cards face down in a basket.  A team selects a card at random and must complete the task for a point.  It is a fun way to review for unit tests and high schoolers love the competitive format.

3.  Use task cards during instruction:  When teaching difficult concepts, stop periodically and check for understanding.    Ask the students to "pull out cards 16 - 20" and complete the tasks to see if they understand the material you have been teaching.  It gives the students a chance to relax just a bit and it provides an additional opportunity for them to absorb the mountain of details in a science class.

4.  Warm Ups and Bell Ringers:   

I use this one a lot!    As students enter the room, have them complete 4-5 task cards on concepts covered the previous day.  I have them write their answers on a sheet of notebook paper and collect them for a quick daily grade.  This strategy gets them to work the minute they enter your classroom, and helps them to get focused on the learning for the day.

5.  Exit Slips:  This strategy requires students to  write responses to questions you ask at the end of the class period.  It allows the students to reflect on what they have learned during the lesson and allows you to check for mastery of concepts.

 6.    Use task cards as part of your lab activities:  As students are carrying out and completing lab work, place a task card or two at their lab station and require that they include the answers to the task cards as part of their lab report.

7.  Homework Assignments:  At the end of your lesson, have students copy a few task card questions into their lecture notes to be completed for homework.  Checking student answers is a great way to start class the next day.

8.  Differentiate, differentiate, differentiate!!  How often do we teachers hear those words?  Well, task cards are the easiest way I have found to help learners of different ability levels.  By making customized sets of cards, you can give a student exactly what they need to be successful. Students can complete the cards you have given them and never know that other students have different sets of cards.

9.  Task cards are perfect for early finishers:  Task cards are not just for review and reinforcement.  They are perfect for enrichment!  When students finish their regular work early, you can give them enrichment task cards to deepen their understanding of the concepts being taught.

10.  Small group review sessions:   My students will often come in before school, after school or during a study hall period to use the task cards to review for an upcoming unit test.

11.  End of course testing:  Does your state require that students pass an end of course test at the end of the school year?  Mine does!   When reviewing for my end of course tests, I place different sets of task cards in plastic boxes and arrange them about the room,  Students select a set of cards and review through them in small groups.  When finished with one set, they select another .

12.  Tutoring:  My school offers peer tutoring and teacher tutoring after school.  Teachers and students alike will borrow my sets of task cards to use during after school tutoring.

13.  Hallway Extra Credit Display:  Post a few task cards on the wall outside of your classroom door.  Completion of the task cards can earn the student a few extra credit points.

14.  Bingo! Make a Bingo board out of task cards.  Students must complete 5 tasks in a row, column or diagonal to win.

Because task cards can be used in so many ways, they have earned a permanent place in my teaching arsenal.  They are fun and engaging, and provide excellent opportunities for students of all ability levels to master the subject matter.



Here are just a few of the task card sets available in my TpT store:

•  Cellular Respiration Task Cards
•  Photosynthesis Task Cards
•  Lab Clean Up Task Cards
•  Classification and Taxonomy Task Cards
•  Matter and Change Task Cards
•  Metric System Task Cards
•  Let's Read Science! Common Core Science Task Cards
•  Microscope Task Cards
•  Scientific Method Task Cards
•  Population Ecology Task Cards
•  Introduction to Ecology Task Cards
•  Viruses and Bacteria Task Cards


Or you can just click this link to view all of them!