Cara Carroll

Science for Beginners…Setting The Stage for a Year of Science FUN!

How many of you feel like this when it comes to teaching science?

When I visit 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 we need to teach in the first place!
And then every teacher on Earth said…

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 for it.  And science and social studies…well….what’s that?!?!!
Instead of looking at our day in chunks of instruction, we really need to view it as one gigantic block of time.  Instead of saying, “I have 120 minutes for ELA“, let’s shift our mindset to thinking “I have eight hours to give my kids hands-on, engaging instruction & practice in Math, Literacy, & Science/Social Studies.   Instead of seeing those concepts as impossible to “fit in”, what if we used them as our starting points for instruction from which everything else is taught?!
I so strongly believe in cross-curricular instruction.  It just makes sense!  Not only is it easier for us as teachers to “fit it all in”, but it helps our kids to create more authentic connections and recall and apply information so much faster!  When we take this type of approach to teaching, we’re giving our kids an opportunity to increase their depth of knowledge and we’re working smarter…not harder.
This is exactly how Abby and I are planning our instruction.
Not only are we creating lessons and activities to fit into our science curriculum, but we’re incorporating math and literacy into our planning and showing you that it really is possible to “fit it all in”!!  Integrating instruction on a cross-curricular level.
Now that it’s August and time to go back to school, we’re thinking about those first few weeks in the classroom.  What can we do to set the stage for an exciting year in ALL subject areas while maintaining the integrity of establishing routines, procedures, and expectations?!
Abby and I just released our back to school science resource which includes four full weeks of cross curricular instruction…the perfect way to fit it ALL in while establishing routines & expectations AND set the stage for a year of SCIENCE FUN!!!!  
THE SCIENCE OF AUGUST

This method of planning helps us to integrate science into literacy AND math so that we’re hitting every subject, everyday.

For August, we’re keeping it simple because we know how crazy busy this first month of school can be.  We designed a month’s worth of daily content (lessons & activities), but kept the activities relatively simple and repetitive so that they would be easy to explain and implement and build familiarity and confidence within our kids.  We wanted to provide activities that help to establish expectations as well as excite and engage kids in science concepts.

Science for beginners!!!!  We wanted to help you set the stage while teaching the basics.
TONS of vocabulary, non-fiction books, posters, lessons, and activities!!!

We are so excited about going back to school and plan on starting this year with a BANG!!!!!

I can’t tell you how much cross-curricular teaching has done for my kids….and ME!!!  I know how excited I get to teach on a cross-curricular level and my attitude about what I’m teaching will inevitably reflect in the way my kids feel about what they’re learning.  It just makes sense all the way around!!!  
Science is definitely one of my favorite things to teach and OH SO manageable to “fit in” when we don’t compartmentalize our day.  Fitting it all in really is possible!!!!

If you’re interested in seeing more of our  cross-curricular science resources for January – May, you can check those out here…

And September – December will be released throughout the Fall.
And you can grab these science resources on sale if you act fast!!  Today is the LAST day of the Teachers Pay Teachers sitewide back to school sale.  Just use the promo code BESTYEAR at checkout to get an additional 10% off of the already discounted price!

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Comments

  1. Amber Davis says

    Hi Cara,
    I purchased the science of the year bundle and love it! I’m wondering if either you or Abby have created covers for each unit? I’m considering dividing units up into theme containers, rather than a monthly binder.
    Thank you both so much for such an amazing curriculum!

    Reply

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