Science I Cans...

This week in the science room... we are sharing our I can's with the staff. Here is what we are up to this week!

K= I can experiment with smell.

1=I can understand that amphibians are cold blooded animals that hathch from an egg and go through various stages of development. I can compare amphibians to mammals. 

2=I can reflect on what air resistence means by showing evidence. I can prove that air can be compressed and that compressed air can move things. 

3= I can explain the many properties of the mock rock. I can compare what I am doing to what geologists do to help identify real rocks and their properties. I can identify the circumference, diameter, and depth of my mock rock. 

4=I can use a compass and iron filings to detect a magentic field. I can create a compass using common items. 

5=I can test a variable using lifeboats to show the number of passengers a boat can hold and that it is affected by variables such as placement, water movement, and boat size. I can define capacity. 

We are also starting something pretty sweet...Nearpod a free app on the ipad. This program is a science to use and easy to assess the students' progress. I am using it with my 4th and 5th graders this week to check their understanding of magnets and variables. Each class has 7 ipads and if we pool the pads we can have a set for a whole class. Here is what it looks like...

You can create, test, use as a large group, small group, seat work (homework), or one on one. It sends you a report to check how each student is doing, as well as let's you see where the kids are struggling.
What a great tool to use! My only suggestion...use it as homework and not a live session. Otherwise, you have to wait for everyone to get to the next step before everyone can do it. I will work out the glitches...and keep trying to find ways to assess. Got any suggestions or apps you use?

Batty For YOU! Book Talk Time

This week in first grade...Bats are mammals, too! We have just covered what is a mammal and we are taking a little quiz to see what they know. Then, we will be reading Bat by Gail Gibbons. Who doesn't love Gail Gibbons?  I love this book so this is my feature book this week. Join Mrs. Jump's Class for Book Talk Tuesday.

Great non-fiction...just enough information for 1st graders to remember bat facts!

We will be using some of the activities in my new unit Bats: Bats Are Mammals, Too. I used the picture slides as a powerpoint to show the vocabulary words and then discuss what each word means. We then read the book, followed by the Bats can, have, are sentence starters fro the Bat Facts sheet. After the kiddos were done with the bat facts sheet, they could make a bat for our bat cave in the hall. They loved it. My teachers followed up with the other sheets and a follow up with Stellaluna.

I will be using the can, have, are sheet as I make a big one on the wall. We will follow up by understanding how bats are mammals, too. I am using the facts sheet as a group activity. Each person will fill out a sticky note to add to the sheet. As a group, each person will read their fact and then stick it on the sheet.  I will be passing on the Stellaluna to my classroom teachers to do the activity sheets. I gave them this great link from Storyline Online where you can find the reading of Stellaluna for free! This song is a cute beginning or end to compare birds and bats.

Five For Friday and a Freebie!

It's my first time linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching because I never know if I have five things to share. Today, however I have fun stuff in the works! Here are my five fabulous treasures rolled up into one free pack! Blimey...there is some free bootie to be had!

TREASURE #1

TREASURE #2

TREASURE #3

TREASURE #4

TREASURE # 5...The Pirate TREASURE...The FREEBIE LINK!

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! 

Bubbles...Bubbles...POP!

This week, our 2nd graders are working with bubbles to understand that air is there. We are starting out with this great Pop! A Book About Bubbles! Power Point...something great I found for free on TPT from Hollie Griffith. We then observed the skin of the bubble, bubble gum blowing, and how to hold a bubble to observe the colors and air inside. We proceeded to go outside to blow bubbles, but as we blew to think about our questions of the day: How can bubbles change direction? How can we make them change direction? How are bubbles act the same and different from each other? and What makes them pop?

Bubbles change directions because of the wind!

We see colors in the bubble and the skin on the outside.

We came back inside to write down our observations using sheets from my bubble pack. As they worked, they listened to the fun song from Doris Day. Soothing just like a bubble! We then shared our observations! Fun day in science!

Metric Measuring with the Little Old Lady Who Swallowed A Shell

Okay, so let's just say my students are struggling with the introduction of metric measurement. Okay, measurement in general. So, I was searching for a fun way to tie in a good book to measuring in science. Wallah, who doesn't love this little old lady? Funny thing is we just got a huge shell donation from a neighbor of our school and let's just say the shells are incredible. I made these stations in hopes that a little fun with a little old lady will help them make metric measurement connections. Here are the stations in action...

TPT Metric Measurement Stations

Build Your Wild Self

Book Talk Tuesday..

Mrs. Jump's Class. with I love, love, love these books. What great graphics and these books are helping me teach about mammals with my first graders. I will be using these books this next week as I introduce what makes a mammal a mammal and how animals of all kinds learn to survive and adapt. These books are great for common core such as CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of the text.

                           Check out the book for yourself!

Let's try a computer connection now! This site is a great link that allows students to Build Your Wild Self! from New York Zoos and Aquarium. Fun...Fun...Fun! One more fun thing...a freebie!

Animal Hair Freebie