When I work in different schools and talk to teachers in between sessions at conferences, I always hear something along the lines of, "there's just note enough time for (science & social studies!!!!)" Teachers. I feel you. I really do. There's barely enough time in our day to teach the skills & objectives you need to teach in the first place! So often, we as teachers look at our curriculum and see everything through compartmentalized lenses. If we're teaching literacy skills, it must be done during our ELA block. If we're teaching math, it can't go beyond that 90 minute time frame we have carved out … [Read more...] about Fitting It All In with Science
Science
Ending The Year with Science
As the end-of-the-year quickly approaches, we often find ourselves looking for exciting ways to engage our kids, keep their interest, and teach them all the way until the last day. Okay, okay....the last week(ish), LOL. So often Science and Social Studies take a backseat to the daily demands of math and literacy, but there are SO many ways to incorporate science on a cross-curricular level. Why not end the year with a BANG and incorporate hands-on science activities that include a literacy and math component as well?! Abby and I created a year's worth of The Science Of...resources to meet the needs of science, but also incorporate … [Read more...] about Ending The Year with Science
Earth Day
Earth Day is quickly approaching and while I know that many of you may already have the day planned out, I wanted to offer a few more ideas and suggestions that you might be able to incorporate into your instruction. Instead of simply focusing on Earth Day for one day, I like to incorporate cross curricular Earth Day activities throughout the week leading up to Earth Day. I think it's important to expand on the topic and give lots of time for disuccsion and opportunities for new learning. There is SO much to know about Earth Day! One day is never enough. I also love giving my kids opportunities to build their schema before Earth Day … [Read more...] about Earth Day
All About Insects – Part 2 (Bees and Ants)
***This post contains affiliate links via Amazon*** A couple of days ago we chatted all about how I plan for a thematic unit with a focus on insects. Today we're diving into a couple of insects I focus on during this unit of learning...bees and ants! Our kids are naturally curious about bugs. Each year I was in the classroom a recurring theme of interest kept occurring. My kids were SO inquisitve about bees and ants. I do think a big part of this was due to the fact that these two particular insects were always swarming about during recess and other outdoor activities, but nonetheless they wanted to know all they could about these … [Read more...] about All About Insects – Part 2 (Bees and Ants)
All About Insects – Part 1
One of my favorite thematic units to teach is INSECTS! Does anyone else feel the same?! Now, many of you may be scoffing at the word "thematic", but don't let that word fool you. I don't mean thematic in the sense of arts and crafts and fluff and stuff. I mean thematic in the sense of cross-curricular learning. Now that we have that out of the way, let's chat about insects. This is the perfect time of the year to learn about these little creatures. As the weather changes and gives way to the emergence of bugs EVERYWHERE, our cross-curricular learning comes to life! SCIENCE OF INSECTS To make our cross-curricular unit of … [Read more...] about All About Insects – Part 1
Let’s Talk About Oviparous Animals
If you're anything like me, as a teacher you love teaching thematically. SO much content can be covered on a cross-curricular level...so many connections can be made... when taking this approach to instruction. And because most public schools don't support teaching about Easter, this is a great time of the year for teaching all about oviparous and viviparous animals! Today I wanted to share with you a few activities and read alouds I love incorporating in my plans this time of the year. No thematic unit of learning is complete without a good set of read alouds! These are a few of my favorite oviparous animal books to keep in the … [Read more...] about Let’s Talk About Oviparous Animals
Spider Week
Last week we chatted all about BAT WEEK, so I figured it was only fitting to follow-up with some ideas for Spider Week! As I've said before, teaching foundational concepts and skills using these two creatures as the thematic vehicle for instruction is so very fitting for this time of the year. Especially on campuses where any talk of Halloween is forbidden. Bats and spiders are a little "spooky"...which fits right in with Halloween...but not scary (depending on your phobias ;) I'm always asked about how I'm able to incorporate thematic teaching this time of the year while being sensitive to the understanding that Halloween just isn't … [Read more...] about Spider Week
Bat Week
Ahhh. It's October. This time of the year lends itself to SO many themes we can use to teach different skills and concepts. Candy, the skeletal system, pumpkins, and Fall. And SO many more! Two of my most favorite thematic units of study this time of the year are bats and spiders. I typically start the month of October using these two themes the first couple of weeks. Today I wanted to take a minute to share with you what the first couple of weeks of October might look like in my classroom. Today we'll start with bats! Tune-in tomorrow for Spider Week activities and ideas! I always start out bat week using a schema … [Read more...] about Bat Week
End of Year Science
As the end-of-the-year quickly approaches, we often find ourselves looking for exciting ways to engage our kids, keep their interest, and teach them all the way until the last day. Okay, okay....the last week(ish), LOL. So often Science and Social Studies take a backseat to the daily demands of math and literacy, but there are SO many ways to incorporate science on a cross-curricular level. Why not end the year with a BANG and incorporate hands-on science activities that include a literacy and math component as well?! Abby and I created a year's worth of The Science Of...resources to meet the needs of science, … [Read more...] about End of Year Science
Learning About Oviparous Animals
If you're anything like me, as a teacher you love teaching thematically. SO much content can be covered on a cross-curricular level...so many connections can be made... when taking this approach to instruction. And because most public schools don't support teaching about Easter, this is a great time of the year for teaching all about oviparous and viviparous animals! Today I wanted to share with you a few activities and read alouds I love incorporating in my plans this time of the year. No thematic unit of learning is complete without a good set of read alouds! These are a few of my favorite oviparous animal books … [Read more...] about Learning About Oviparous Animals
All About the Weather – Ideas & Freebies!
Happy first day of Spring to you!!! To be completely honest, I'm not sure Texas even had a winter. Well, not much of one anyway. A few chilly days, but nothing to write home about. I'm definitely NOT complaining....I'm cold when the temps dip below 80 degrees...but it's crazy to think it's already SPRING!!!! And you know what that means?! Summer break is only 48 short days away...but who's counting?! #andalltheteacherssaidAMEN Now let's get on with the reason we're here! WEATHER. Y'all. Have I told you before that this is one of my most favorite thematic units to teach?!?! I love … [Read more...] about All About the Weather – Ideas & Freebies!
Groundhogs & Their Burrows
The kids have loved learning about burrows and how groundhogs dig tunnels. Did you know they dig up to 700 lbs. of dirt when digging their burrows?! WHOA! We talked about burrows and other places animals calls home…dens, lairs, nests, caves, etc. Then I had the kids pretend like they were groundhogs and do a little descriptive writing. First they had to draw their little burrows. CRACKING up that this one has a TV & a bed! HA! Then they had to write a few sentences describing their burrow as if they were a groundhog. Finally, they made a little groundhog. I LOVE this little art piece. It takes all of about 5 seconds to put … [Read more...] about Groundhogs & Their Burrows
Inventors Light Bulb Freebie
I’ve gotten several comments and lots of emails regarding the fun little light bulb template I used for my kids’ invention writing. Click the pic below to download. If you have any questions, let me know!! … [Read more...] about Inventors Light Bulb Freebie
Inventors & Inventions
This past week we started wrapping up our study on Inventors & Inventions in Science/Social Studies. I guess I underestimated the interest my kids would have in the subject because they were SO into it!! We started by learning about a few very important inventors…Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and The Wright Brothers. We made a little anchor chart for the kids to refer to throughout our little unit of study. After we learned about each inventor, I had the kids add to their “Inventors and their Inventions” notebook. {click the pic to download} I forgot to take pics, but after we studied Alexander Graham Bell, we made tin can … [Read more...] about Inventors & Inventions
Reindeer Games
I feel like the 3 weeks in between Thanksgiving and Christmas break are so RUSHED! Not that I’m complaining…I LOVE breaks :)…but there’s always so much I want to fit in in such a short amount of time! Last week we started learning about reindeer. Before we continue on with more reindeer fun this week, I wanted to start with some non-fiction reading and fact gathering, so that’s just what we did! We started out by reading this non-fiction book about reindeer… I love reading non-fiction books because my kids just eat it up! They’re SO engaged when it comes to learning new facts. Plus, it gives me a chance to teach them about the table of … [Read more...] about Reindeer Games
Pumpkin Day!
Pumpkin Day! What a fun end to a week filled of learning about pumpkins! Luckily, I’m blessed to teach at a school where the parents are really involved and eager to help, and that made our Pumpkin Day run SO smoothly!! I had 4 parent volunteers come in and each parent brought in a pumpkin, spoons, carving knives, a bowl, and paper towels. We covered the tables with orange butcher paper and each parent took a group of 4 kids {which is why I got to walk around and take pics of our fun day!} Each of the kids was given a Pumpkin Math & Science Booklet to complete and the parents did an AWESOME job of working … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Day!
Pumpkin Fun For Everyone!
Such a FUN week!!! I absolutely LOVE this time of year!!! We had a pumpkin themed week and we learned SO much!! We started the week out with a pumpkin shaped KWL that the kids helped me fill out. They are SO into non-fiction and loved helping me fill out the “What we Learned” part of the pumpkin :) {No pics…BOO!!} We were working on sequencing this week, so I put a little sequencing activity in the pocket chart & they had to sequence the life cycle of a pumpkin. They loved it! I found the real life pumpkin photos HERE & they matched them to sentences that I typed up on the computer. After they matched the pics to the words … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Fun For Everyone!
I See The Moon & The Moon Sees Me!
We’ve been learning a little about the moon and the kids are loving it! One of our objectives is to observe changes over a period of time, so we thought this would be the perfect opportunity for the kids to observe the changes in the appearance of the moon! We made this a class project and the kids are just TOO excited! Each night, a different kiddo gets to take home the class “Moon Bag”. {I used yellow fabric & stitch witchery for the moon, a fabric marker for the lettering, and glittery puff paint to outline the moon and make the stars :)} Inside the bag is a book about the moon {from the library}, our class moon log, white crayons, … [Read more...] about I See The Moon & The Moon Sees Me!
What’s The Weather?!
We’ve been studying the weather the last few weeks in Science and it’s been FUN to say the least! I love hearing the kids talk about the clouds when we’re outside… “Look Mrs. Carroll! That’s a stratus cloud!!” They’ve become such awesome little weather watchers, SO very interested in anything and everything weather!! Here are a few little things we did for this fun little unit! We watched a really neat video about the different types of weather and read some pretty cool non-fiction books, too! We made a little word web to show what we learned… We added weather poems to our poetry journals {no pics, but you can download them below.} We … [Read more...] about What’s The Weather?!
Spidey Writing
We started out our spider themed week reading a few non-fiction books and filling out a KWL. Not gonna lie…I learned A LOT of things about spiders this week! It was amazing to hear my kids recalling facts of everything they had learned, too! They were SO into it! I set up a labeling activity for the kids to visit during transition time or when they were finished with their other station activities. They also labeled a spider template I found on abcteach.com. This little labeling activity includes a lot more words to use for labeling…not sure what happened to them?! At the end of the week, we talked … [Read more...] about Spidey Writing
