Monday Freebie - Nature of Science Bookmarks

In SCIENCE FOR ALL AMERICANS, F. James Rutherford and Andrew Ahlgren explore what constitutes scientific literacy.  They describe the scientifically literate person as one who "knows that science, mathematics, and technology are interdependent enterprises with strengths and limitations; who understands key concepts and principles of science; who recognizes both the diversity and unity of the natural world; and who uses scientific knowledge and scientific ways of thinking for personal and social purposes."

Chapter 1: The Nature of Science, focuses on the scientific world view, scientific methods of inquiry, and the nature of the scientific enterprise and their importance to developing scientific literacy. I also recommend reading Understanding Science 101, an in-depth, multi-part course that explains what science is, how it works, and how it is intertwined with our lives and with society more broadly.

The ideas presented in these sources and others have been condensed and listed on these bookmarks.

 Download Nature of Science Bookmarks.

I hope you get a chance to use these cards in your home or classroom. Please let me know if you try them and how they work! 

Monday Science Freebie - Dichotomous Keys

This week I'm sharing a packet of materials on using and making dichotomous keys. You'll find a page of informational text, directions for using a key, directions for making a key, and two different student worksheets.

Here's a sneak peak at the contents.

Download Dichotomous Keys.

I hope you get a chance to use these in your home or classroom. Please let me know if you try these and how you like them!

**Updated January 2019. Please note that in the updated version the Blue-footed Booby has been replaced with another animal.

Monday Freebies - Vocabulary Booklets

I've been working on interactive notebooks with my students over the last few semesters. In thinking about how they might be used in the classroom, we spend quite a bit of time talking about strategies for vocabulary.

I thought it might be fun to create some strip booklets for students to use in math or science, either over the course of the year or for each major unit of instruction. Each booklet includes pages identified by letter of the alphabet. Most letters are given a single page, but the pages for Q/R, U/V, W/X, and Y/Z are shared. On each page there is a space for the word, a picture, and definition.
Here's what they look like.

 Download Science Vocabulary Booklets.

Download Math Vocabulary Booklets.

I hope you get a chance to use these in your home or classroom. Please let me know if you try them and how they work!

BTW, if you're looking for strategy ideas for teaching academic vocabulary, here are a few resources I like.

• Learn NC - Effective Strategies for Teaching Science Vocabulary
• Vocabulary Strategies Using Interactive Notebooks (science)
• Marilyn Burns On the Language of Math
• The Art and Science of Teaching: Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction

Science Freebie - Phases of Matter Sort

We're working on some basic skills in my science class this week and are focused on the topic of matter. Here's a simple sort for your students.

Download Phases of Matter Sort.

I hope you get a chance to use this in your home or classroom. Please let me know if you try this and how it goes!