Organic is a HUGE industry at the moment but is it better? There are a lot of opinions out there and unfortunately, most (if not all) are biased one way or another. Let’s try to break it down scientifically. At the bottom of the page, I’ve included an awesome podcast episode from Science Vs. I highly […]
Device-Based Scavenger Hunt Activities
This activity is the coolest thing I’ve created and your kids are going to love it, mine do. Here’s how you implement them. Print the QR codes and place them around the room Place your students into groups Let them loose! They move from Location to Location as they complete their tasks. Each Task is […]
Dealing with student misconceptions
Please note, all names have been changed. Dealing with students’ misconceptions Before they reach your classroom, students have spent their entire lives making guesses about why things happen, checking out these guesses in the real world, and refining their theories about how the world works. Generally, this process works. But sometimes, students can end up […]
What is an Invasive Species and Why Are They So Dangerous?
What is an invasive species? An invasive species is a non-native (not naturally found) species which has been added to an area. The addition to the area can be natural such as through migration due to habitat loss or range extension. It can also be a result of human activity such as intentionally moving animals into […]
Telling Time to Five Mintues – Task Cards and Engaging Review Activity
This 15 Telling Time to Five Minutes Task Card resource covers is geared towards grade 1-3 students (or higher grade students experiencing difficulty) who are learning about or reviewing telling time with analog clocks with five minute increments. It can be utilized in a clue gathering, puzzle solving, highly active and engaging activity for those […]
12 Amazing Engineering Projects for Kids
I came across this great post by planetsmarty.com and I wanted to share. For the original article please click here. 1. Build a toy parachute You can treat this project as an engineering challenge or follow an excellent toy parachute tutorial from Zakka Life. And check out this terrific round up of crafts that fly from […]
5 concise and interesting science videos to begin and create discussion in your classroom – Part 1
How to start every class. To begin a class I want my kids thinking science and what better way than to show a quick science (connected to the content or students lives in general) video, usually 3-4 minutes long which leads to a class discussion. These videos create a minds-on mentality, generate discussion and allow […]
How to assess the understanding of your entire class in 20 seconds or less
As teachers, we need to know whether our students have understood a lesson before we move on. One way is to have a quiz but that’s a lot of pressure on your kids and it doesn’t always tell you what they KNOW, just what they can reproduce in that particular situation. Plus it takes a […]
Space – Make It More Engaging For Your Students
It’s maybe not the most relevant for everyone but I’d wager its the most interesting for many students and the topic they look forward to most when I introduce the year ahead. Why, well Space is amazing! It’s huge and full of mysteries like Black Holes and potentially, aliens. In fact what I tell my students […]
Science Magic – Creating a pH Rainbow For Any Age
So I showed this demonstration to my four year old and he loved it. I then showed it to my grade 10 science class, they loved it (although I couldn’t trick them to think it was actually magic) and then I showed my colleagues who were equally sceptical about its true magical properties but we’re […]
21 GIFs That Explain Mathematical Concepts
Thanks to IFLS “Let’s face it; by and large math is not easy, but that’s what makes it so rewarding when you conquer a problem, and reach new heights of understanding.” Danica McKellar As we usher in the start of a new school year, it’s time to hit the ground running in your classes! Math […]
Looking for an Inquiry-Based culminating task?
Students are always working at a different pace from each other and as an educator, you want to make sure that you are providing an opportunity for those who move at a faster rate to explore and learn as they can. This is especially true if you want to provide your kids with a project […]
How and why to use debates in the classroom.
There’s very little that gets my kids more engaged and excited in the classroom as my Climate Change Debate. The debate focuses on the idea of human-man/natural climate change. Students have to argue whether we are responsible for the current situation we find ourselves in or whether it’s a natural process that we have little […]
Making Math Fun – Learn through Games and Simulations
For anyone who is interested in making math more fun and engaging for their students, I came across these three sites which can easily be incorporated into any classroom. If you teach math, they are definitely worth a look. Prodigy Game – Great adventure-based mathematics game CLIPS NLVM Algebra Manipulatives
Colour Blind Test
Please pay attention as there will be a test when you are done. The tricky thing about colour blindness is that many people don’t know they are colour blind until they get tested (40% of colour blind pupils currently leaving secondary school are unaware that they are colour blind – http://www.colour-blindness.com/general/prevalence/). Why would they? They naturally […]
Hey science teachers — make it fun
An inspiring Ted Talk by Tyler DeWitt that will get you thinking about your approach to teaching.
25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently
Teachers should always be trying to improve their teaching technique. By staying current, teachers will more effectively reach their students and provide the best educational opportunities possible. This posting was originally posted by teachthought.com and can be found HERE: If you ask a student what makes him or her successful in school, you probably won’t […]
Grudgeball – A review game for everyone
I came across this game from one of my peers and think it’s really awesome. In fact I have been using this regularly this year as a fun and creative way to review before a test. So far I have used it prior to my grade 10 chemistry and biology test using the practice questions […]
Teaching the Phases of the Moon
I came across this activity for teaching the phases of the Moon and thought it was amazing. Here’s a look at the finished product and also some details so that you can implement this activity in your classroom – CLICK HERE. Want some more classroom activities? Teaching the Phases of the Moon Grudgeball […]
Animated Explanations
I’d like to pass along a really great site I came across today. It’s still growing but I think the potential is there and it’s already got some fantastic animations and videos including a heart animation which does a good job showing how blood flows inside the heart. http://www.explania.com/en Fergy
Why Do We Need To Learn This? We Are Never Going To Use It.
We’ve all heard it. Students are baffled by why they need to learn algebra, the periodic table or why light bends when it enters water. “Who cares” one rather eloquent student put it during my latest grade 10 optics lesson “when will I ever need to calculate the index of refraction”. Why do we need […]
Refraction Demonstration – Scooter Style
When I teach refraction in my optics unit I find the students have a really hard time understanding why the waves change direction. I explain that it’s because one side starts moving slower relative to the other causing it turn, similar to what occurs when a car has its two right wheels on the shoulder. […]
Educators Reference Section
I know going through Teachers College and even into my own teaching career, I’ve always wanted a convenient place to access reputable teaching materials and references. I remember thinking that it would be great to have a book full of demonstrations, activities and lessons that I could use to jump start my teaching career. Many […]
The Home-School Connection
This article was published by Scholastic.com. As a parent, you are the major provider of your child’s education from birth through adolescence. You guide the development of her character and mental health and help form the foundation from which she’ll develop lifelong attitudes and interests. And because your home is the primary environment in which […]
Technology for Teachers
Came across this great site which overviews a variety of technologies teachers can utilize in the classroom.
Science In The News
I really like to get my students connecting what we are learning in class with the real world. This creates engagement and further answers the question I addressed prior of “Why are we learning this? We will never use it in real life”. One way that I do this is by getting them to review different […]
Creative Video Assignment
This is my most effective assessment item and it can be converted with little effort to suit any subject or grade level. I have used this project for grade 9-12 science classes as well as a grade 10 mathematics class. For an example of what can be produced, please view the video below. For a more detailed […]
Misconceptions: How They Hinder Student Success And How To Overcome Them As An Educator
Misconceptions are one of the most difficult things we as educators face. “It is only reasonable that students would not accept a new idea without first feeling that their existing views are unsatisfactory in some way” (NARST). Due to many factors including time restraints, lack of creativity and laziness, many teachers simply tell their students […]
Exploring Current Scientific Ethical Issues In Society
“Modern practice shows that new conceptions arrived at over time or through guided inquiry and student discourse are in fact stable and do in fact come to replace old conceptions” (Mason, 2006). Engagement through application is my moto and therefore, as an educator I feel that it’s vitally important to expose my students to content-related […]
Human Digestion Demonstration – The Bread In The Bag
Human Digestion Demonstration – The Bread In The Bag. In the first post, I talked about a demonstration I use with my science class to show what digestion looks (and feels) like in the mouth. Click here to read Part 1. In this post, I will be talking about a digestion demonstration I use to […]
Human Digestion Demonstration – Mushy Crackers
Do you really want to show your students what digestion looks like? Do you want really interesting digestion demonstrations? These hands-on digestion demonstrations are extremely simple to do and show clearly what happens to food between the time it enters your mouth until it passes into your small intestine. The student reactions are great and […]