Halloween Chemistry: Oozing Goo

It's not too early to start making your Science Halloween plans!  Why is it that Halloween seems the perfect time for all kinds of fun Chemistry demonstrations?

My personal favorite is "Elephant Toothpaste" but around Halloween time, just call it "Oozing Goo" and it fits perfectly.









image: Shell Questacon Science Circus



Here are step-by-step instructions:

And here are some more fun demos as well:

Vocabulary Word Wall - 4th Grade Science - for NGSS

NGSS is spreading...creeping...seeping into the curricula of schools across the nation!  Are you ready?

Here's a product that I created specifically to use with the 4th-grade Next Generation Science Standards, but it could be used in 3rd grade, or 5th grade as well.  Some teachers like to use it as a "vocabulary word wall," while others print them small, laminate, and use as vocabulary cards (flashcards).


Teachers I talked to wanted useful science products that could be used as cards, or printed in a large size as posters.  They also wanted something that was more helpful that just "plain ol' words on a notecard".  So I agonized over the 4th-grade NGSS, choosing 60 words that I saw as most important to the standards, then once again sweat for hours over getting the definitions just right (the definition has to be accurate, AND be scientific, AND be relevant to a 4th-grade student); then more sweat, more agony, more hours in choosing the perfect picture for each card.  Here's an example of the final product--a vocabulary word wall card for ENERGY:




I'm not going to lie, I'm proud of these 60 cards.  As a scientist, and one who loves teaching science to others, it's insanely important to me to "get it right" with each of these cards.  Let me know what you think!

"USDA wants citizen-scientists to help fight Zika" (that could be you!)

Citizen-Scientists needed!  Here is quite an interesting article about the Zika virus, and how everyone, as an amateur scientist, can help out.

"No experience is necessary for what the U.S. Department of Agriculture envisions as a nationwide experiment in citizen science. Teenagers already have proved themselves up to the task in tryouts involving a small number of high school students and science teachers..."

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/16/usda-wants-citizen-scientists-to-help-fight-zika/

Don't Forget Your Lunch...or Snowshoes

Looking for out-of-the-box ideas for teaching science this winter?  In Oregon, they have taken it a step further and are using out-of-the-classroom ideas to inspire young minds!  This article explains how their "SNOW" program is an awesome idea for bringing students face-to-face with the science of winter, ice, and snowflakes.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/3942798-151/science-and-snowballs-in-outdoor-classroom-on-bachelor#

Acid/Base Chemistry Worksheets

When did "worksheet" become a bad word in the teaching world?  Apparently to stay with the times we need to be using "graphing organizers" and "interactive notebooks" and "task cards."  Well, in my humble opinion, any of those three could fall under the category of "worksheets," it's simply a matter of perspective.  It's not about what it's called, it's about how it's made.  This collection of three *gulp* worksheets is a creative, interactive and engaging way to teach Acid Base chemistry!  Suitable for high school.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Acid-Base-Chemistry-Worksheets-graphic-organizers-pH-calculations-1059212

More than just worksheets, this collection of three handouts includes graphic organizers, vocabulary builders, creative thinking prompts, and calculation practice. Perfect for homework!

Designed for High School Chemistry, but suitable for Physical Science as well. INCLUDES ALL KEYS

3 WORKSHEETS:
1. Defining acids and bases
2. Calculating pH, pOH, [H+] and [OH-]
3. Detailed 2-page acid/base graphic organizer

NGSS Task Cards - Force & Motion - 3rd Grade

When I asked another teacher, "What would be a good science product to create for elementary teachers?" her immediate response was a confident, "Task cards!"  I pretended like I knew what she was talking about, since I didn't want to seem the ignorant science teacher, but at home I began a frantic search of the World Wide Web to see what, indeed, these mysterious task cards might be.

It didn't take long for me to discover that they are fairly simple, and MEGA AWESOME.  Like flashcards on some performance-enhancing drug, task cards can be used for nearly a million purposes!  Warm-ups, "scoot" game, time-fillers, review cards, extra credit...there are so many possibilities!  How had I never heard of these before?  Was I living in an educational cave somewhere?

So I quickly began working on some cards, and here is the first set.  I wanted them to be a combination of quick questions and long ones, multiple choice and open-ended, so I finally decided to make the odd numbers multiple choice, and the even numbers writing/drawing questions.  For Force & Motion, having a combination of two different styles was perfect.  Students can answer multiple-choice questions such as, "Two students push on a box from opposite sides and it doesn't move.  This is an example of ________________," and they can also wrestle with such open-ended questions as, "Write 2-3 sentences describing how to move a book off a table without touching it."

Though I'm embarrassed it took so long to create a set of task cards, I can't say I'm not proud. :)

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/NGSS-Task-Cards-SCIENCE-Force-Motion-32-Cards-3rd-Grade-1505581