Happy (middle of the week) Wednesday, everyone!
Today we started a brand new unit covering Earth’s History! I love beginning new units because it’s like a fresh start! We have been doing a lot of high-intensity activities lately and with Explore testing it was necessary to let the kids have a mental break, but still keep them engaged in new content. Here’s what we did today:
Here’s our class prezi: http://prezi.com/29ixetxqifst/earths-history-changes-their-effects/
We watched an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpXR-z47G8o) focusing on the Rock Cycle. It was a fun introduction to our new content without overwhelming the students.
The video worksheet we used can be found here: Bill Nye Rock Cycle Video Questions
The video worksheet key can be found here: Bill Nye Rock Cycle Video Questions KEY
Afterwards, students paired up and discussed their answers before sharing out with the class to ensure everyone had the correct answer.
Next, we started a collaborative reading and students independently answered the questions that followed. A Learning Support Station (LSS / key) was available for students to check their answers as needed, however the rules were: 1) Student cannot take their worksheets up to the LSS and 2) Students cannot take the LSS to their desk.
That worksheet can be found here: The Rock Cycle – Reading & Questions Practice
The worksheet key (LSS) can be found here: The Rock Cycle – Reading & Questions Practice KEY
Tomorrow we’ll begin looking at plate tectonics and land features that from as a result of those movements!
Have a happy day!
Meredith is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been teaching middle grades science for over a decade. She enjoys all science curricula but life sciences are her passion. She loves creativity and organization and feels at her best in the classroom when she can infuse these aspects into her lessons to help set up her students for success.
