Lesson Instructions Rationale, Timing, and Background:These lessons work for the start of the year toward skill acquisition for the performance goals of the Next Generation Science Standards, and the associated CCSS math standards. We begin our Journey with Leonardo da Vinci, our very own STEAM engine, who personified the cross-pollination of the mind, embodying the […]
Science
Cup Tower Challenge
Lesson Instructions Beanie Lizard Challenge-Kindergarten – 5th Grade Standards and BenchmarksNGSS Practices1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)3. Planning and carrying out investigations4. Analyzing and interpreting data6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)NM Science Stnd. &BenchmarksStrnd I, Stnd. 1, K-4 Benchmark 1Use scientific methods to observe, collect, record, […]
STEAM INTEGRATION: Exploring Ramps
This is an introductory and exploratory play-based lesson on ramps for preschoolers. It is also a review of prewriting shapes; circle, vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines.
The Layers of the Earth
Lesson Instructions Day 1: (Duration: 60 minutes) 1. Read a book about the Earth’s Layers. I use Planet Earth/Inside Out by Gail Gibbons (1998). 2. Look up a picture of the Earth’s layers (here’s a good URL: http://www.universetoday.com/61200/earths-layers/) or use a poster that shows the Earth’s layers. Introduce or review the different layers of the […]
Observations in the Garden
Lesson Instructions This lesson encourages children to explore an outdoor garden space. Children will use a clipboard, pencil, and the form to find different things in the garden. They will need to have a basic understanding of living and non-living things and plant parts. Magnifying glasses help students deepen their level of engagement. Children will […]
The Nature of Science: Cube Activities
Lesson Instructions I work with 7th grade Life Science Students. This lesson uses 2 different cubes to teach them not only the steps of the scientific method but also the nature of science-gathering and analyzing data and drawing conclusions from that data. I have chosen to not show my students the bottom of the second […]
Team Juggling
Lesson Instructions This lesson/unit can be a single lesson, multi-lesson, full unit, and/or a “Challenge” competition. Teacher choice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij-3VO5AiUQ Materials: 5 balls/objects in variety of shapes and sizes. I use beanbag, 8 inch foam (covered) ball, stuffed ball (like stuffed animal), beach balll, knobby ball, and/or e-z grab ball. Sometimes (for fun!) I also used […]
Harry Potter and the Recessive Allele
This is a lesson I’ve used for years to introduce my students to punnett squares and terminology used when studying genetics. The power point is interactive Before I begin the power point I go over the vocabulary on the student sheet…
Everything Filled
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).