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Showing posts with label freebie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freebie. Show all posts

Heredity in the Garden!

I have been working on ways to incorporate NGSS science standards in the garden. School gardens are a great way to get students engaged in a whole new way. Whether it is container gardens or a raised bed, you can find great ways to get kids learning FOSS concepts....NGSS standards and more!

Here is what we did this week...we asked the questin "How are young plants and animals like, but not exactly like their parents? I told them to look at a partner as I  turned over cards that read...
1. What is your length of eyelashes? long or short
2. What kind of eyebrows do you have? bushy or thin
3. What are the shape of your lips? large, medium, or thin
4. Are your earlobes attached at the end or does it hang down?
5. Do you have freckles?
6. Do you have dimples?
7. Do you have a widow's peak?
8. What color are your eyes?
9. What color is your hair?
10. When you do I love you in sign language...is your pinkie the same size as your pointer?

They have so much fun sharing. Then, we talk about how you get those traits. That those attributes get passed down to us by our parents and grandparents and beyond? I then show them a picture of my sister and I. We have different dads, but have very similar features. I let them tell me how we are alike... then let them know we have the same mom, but not dad. I also share the following picture to let them figure out how animals are also similar, but not the same. We share our ideas.
 Then...I let them know that we are going to go out in the garden and see how one type of plant is similar to the same seed that was planted. We look at our pea plants...our pumpkin plants...then we look at the zucchini. They look very similar? Why? They are both part of the squash family. They are related. We try to figure out their differences to tell them apart. I love that the kids are figuring out how to look at leaf structures and tell the plants apart!
Our Pumpkin plants...

Our cucumber plants...

The sheet that we did together! They can understand heredity and traits!
Here is the freebie to go along with what we did this week!
Download Heredity Freebie Here


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Peas In the Garden and a Freebie

It is pea picking time in the school garden! We first planted our peas the first week of May here in Wisconsin! We love to make our connections in science with reading and social studies! Here at Thomas Jefferson each year, we use the book First Peas to the Table that connects the real life of Thomas Jefferson and his pea competition he had with his neighbors. He usually lost, but what a great way for our kiddos to make connections with history! Although the peas are picked in summer...and our planters don't reap the benefits...our summer learners get to and they are very willing to help honor the winners of our competition!


Here is are the winning classes plants...and a picture of a taste tester! Peas in a garden are just like sugar! Pods and all! I also included the sheet we use to share our observations with the planters of the peas so they have record of our observations! We do a tally of the peas we count before we pick! The winners this year had over 28 peas growing on the plant in one week's time!
28 peas that grew in one week...last week they were babies and flowers!
So what do you think of the peas?  Sugar? Yes...sugar!

First Peas To The Table Freebie!

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Fourth of July Freebie!

Today, is my first official day on vacation! I have already put new tires on my car today, unloaded my car of all of my supplies from the two weeks of summer engineering camp, changed the sheets, made muffins, and even some homemade strawberry jam! Now, we are headed up north to go fishing! Sitting on a boat, watching my two boys relaxing and hanging out is priceless! This weekend, however,  I got to go to a baseball tournament and enjoy some down time to create some fun units and relax in the sun at the same time!!!! Here are  my Monday Made Its..with.4th Grade Frolics!

Monday. made it #1...I made it to vacation!!!!!
WooHoo! Time to finally relax!
 
Monday Made it #2...I made my annual strawberry jam...a bit early because of all the rain...
Monday Made It! I made jam again this year for my college kiddos!  
Monday Made it #3...Guess what I made????

So is a summer fun freebie! Our favorite holiday is 4th of July! You can get together as a family in summer and just have fun...no need for gifts...major dinners....all that is for other holidays! This week, all of my kiddos are together and we are excited to make our annual 4th of July T-shirts! To celebrate my vacation...our favorite holiday...and just sharing some fun ideas that I have done with my kids when they were little...Here is the TPT link to the 4th of July FREEBIE!!
Enjoy your 4th of July weekend!

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Mars One

My 4th graders during their space unit are always intrigued with aliens and science fiction. So, this year, we are learning about Mars One. REAL( possibilities) of  Mars colonization starting in 2020 with an unmanned space trip that will take 7 months to travel!  Around 2026, if all goes well 4 Earthlings will travel to Mars to start a colony...never to return. Whether the Mars One plan is true or not, this is a great opportunity to get kids problem solving as well a great way to get kids excited about space travel and the opportunities they may have in the future.

Today, we started our quest by asking what personality traits one would need to be one of 4 people to travel to Mars to never return to Earth. We then followed up with the question, what questions would you have if you were to be one of the four? What would you need to know or learn before you go?

We then went to the  Mars One Site and watched the video and looked at the links to explain some of their questions. Then...after saving a ton of recyclables... we planned as a team of 4 our Mars One trip and what our colony would look like if we designed it. We took into account what we would need such as food, water, shelter, medicine, entertainment... Here is a sheet we used to organize our thoughts before we build next week...
Mars One Freebie
Here are some of their Mars One creations...
Mars One Research and creations!
Mars One Sight For Background Information

Students each take a role in working as a team...just like they would have to do on Mars if it were colonized! We created a list of positive traits you would need to go to Mars and never come back!

Some questions posed..."How would you get air?" "How would you get food?" "How would you communicate with Earth?"
It was a great engineering project and a real science connection!

Live Long and Prosper!
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Outdoor Science Antics

This week, right after testing three out of my six grades that I teach... we are participating in stations. My second graders did potato stations...we planted potatoes and still have even more to plant! My third graders worked on echolocation stations...did we have fun playing Marco Polo style echolocation games as well as learning about animals that use echolocation through reading and watching some quick videos, but two of  my favorite activities this week are planting our pumpkins that the kinder "gardeners" planted from seed. Now their babies are growing up and need more space. Take a look my little pumpkins in the patch!
Working as a team, digging, and gently placing their plants in the hole, then making a hill to support the stem. I demonstrated and they did it all by themselves! One of my little pumpkins said, "It was the best day of her life!" One little pumpkin said, "Now, we are really kinder gardeners!"

I love the pride in their own pumpkin patch! This is why we grow a garden! We grow more than plants!
The great thing about stations is that I allow my students to self pace, as well as set a grade goal for how many stations that they can complete. It is very exciting to watch them work harder when their "grade" is at stake. We set it up as a scale of 4, 3, 2, 1 and covert it so they understand if they have advanced, proficient, basic, or minimal. It really does motivate them and the 4's get to the front of the line regardless of line order!

Here is an example of their ant station. We hit the mother lode! An ant colony with eggs, larva, and adults. We lifted the rock and wow whee did we watch them scurry to take the eggs and larva to safety! We then went back in to use the freebie I am including! Ant Antics Freebie is part of my  Insects In And Out of The Classroom Pack on TPT.

See the yellow clump...all eggs. Wish you could see them hustling. It was amazing to watch! What great observations that students were able to be part of!
Enjoy your antics whether you are out of school or finishing up the year!

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Wordless Wednesday...The Magic of Magnets freebie

Teaching isn't always magical. Each lesson doesn't always spark our little kiddos and get them in awe of learning, but...this week...this week...I saw magic...awe...excitement!!!! All due to a magnet. My little kinders are learning push and pull so I decided to add magnetism to the mix.

I showed them two magnets that pull toward each other or attracted. We did hand motions and the whole bit. The first time they saw the power of magnetism they were in sheer awe. Then, I showed how magnets repel or push away. Again squeals of excitement. It was the magic of magnets. After repeating and explaining what the magnets were doing with scientific explanation, I gave them some magnet balls and let them "play".  I walked around to see the thrill of learning and was explained countless times how they push and pull or attract and repel.

Here is a Magnet Freebie For Kinders for you!
We don't do that too much in our busy, focused day...but I love science was said a bunch of times and the hugs I got when they left made a tear come to my eye.

                                                   Magic!


What science activity do you do that gets kids excited?I am linking up with Sugar and Spice. Check out Miss DeCarbo's Site for other great pics and blogs.  So, stop on over and check out some other great pictures that say it all!


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AHOY, Matey's...Freebies RRRRRR FUN!

Today is 'International Talk Like a Pirate Day'! To celebrate, I created a fun Pirate Science Stations freebie for you. Some of my blogger friends are also giving you a chance to find lots of pirate booty! Stop on by Mrs. Jump's Class to find some great freebies!
Each blog will have some different treasures for you to find! Here is what my freebie looks like...
Find My Freebie Here! X marks the spot for a treasure!



Don't forget to pillage some other bloggers buccaneer's posts for more great teaching treasures! 







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