Fossils are Fun!

Last week was my school's science week. We had assemblies everyday and on Friday we had science experiment rotations. My grade level partner and I made silly putty with all of the kids. Wow! The good news was that we mastered this process by the end...which was a good thing because the first rotation was...fun...?!?! :-)

Anyway, my brain is still on science! Here are some resources I have come across recently. First, here is a demonstration on fossil formation. I like this because it uses images, words, and audio. This is especially good for independent/group work.

Here is a cute video/song about paleontologists/fossils. This could definitely be another favorite in my class.

Finally, here is Ricky the Rapping Rock. This is great fluency practice too!

On an unrelated note...when participating in a video-taped egg-drop experiment in front of the entire student body, make sure you remember to put the egg in the contraption before it is dropped.

With that---I'm out. Have a great week!

"Gotta Keep Reading..."

I came across this video on another blog that I follow and thought it was excellent for a couple of reasons. First, it used a popular song (which is, in fact, on my Ipod and helps me work out!) and the lyrics were changed to deal with reading. Second, I can imagine the planning that went into this. The students and faculty had to work together to make this possible. Everyone looked like they were having fun.

It is always a challenge to motivate reluctant readers. I truly believe that involving them in the creation and production of songs/videos could really motivate them. In fact, based on the enthusiasm I have seen in my kids when learning word study songs, I can almost guarantee that the same engagement and enthusiasm will be replicated if we were to learn or create songs about reading! Hmmm...more to come...

Science "Rocks"

Ok, I know my title is totally corny...but it does fit with the theme of this blog post! Last week, I came across a new favorite website dealing with The Rock Cycle. The object of the game is to rescue Taterman, who is lost in the Rock Cycle. To do this, you must answer questions and dodge the villians along the way. It is highly engaging and interactive and my kids LOVED it. It's called "Where in the Rock Cycle is Taterman?" Check it out if you teach about The Rock Cycle...or if you having a burning desire to "step" into the life of a 21st century learner. I can assure you that I did not learn this way when I was in 3rd grade!

Have a great week!

Back to the daily grind...

Well, spring break is over and boy did it fly by! I traveled to California to visit my sister/husband and friend and had a perfect vacation! Luckily, we brought the beautiful weather back to PA.

This week (actually, the next two weeks) we will be administering the PSSA's; always a nerve-racking time of year. However, I am confident that my kids are ready, so enough talk about that.

This week, I am starting the Earth Materials Science Unit. I really love teaching science. Partly because my kids are naturally interested in it, but also because it opens the door to hands-on activitites, simulations and explorations. This week my kids will have to simulate the different rock groups (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic). I plan to give them a few web resources/videos and books and have then decide how they want to simulate how each rock forms. Constructivism at its best...hopefully it doesn't fail. :-) Here is a video to introduce the topic. I haven't used this one yet, but hopefully my kids will like it!

Happy Spring everyone! The weather is much deserved!