Process Skills & The Scientific Method....

I stumbled upon an oldie but goodie so I made it a freebie! When I first started teaching 6th Grade Science QUITE a few years ago, I created a power point of Science Process Skills & the Scientific Method....mainly to print out and hang on my walls...LOL!

This year, however, I am incorporating them more into my centers [YES, I will post about centers soon!] So I just wanted to share. Here is a preview:

If you want to use it just click it, download it, personalize it if you want....it's FREE & SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

CAUTION!

Ok...here is a freebie. I created some caution posters a few years ago because I couldn't find any that I liked. I hope you like them! I plan to update these and add a few more. I will post them near my "Lab" center. Here's a little taste....

Go ahead and check them out....they are SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED, after all!

Welcoming Students...

I know this is the time of the year when teachers, new and seasoned, begin to look for inspiration for their welcome power points. I'm going to share mine with hopes it can help someone somewhere. Even though I have an Activboard in my room, I will still use this power point... I absolutely LOVE IT! Yes, I know I can import it...maybe I will. But for now, this is it. Sometimes this Science Diva likes not having to reinvent the wheel. :)

Here it is....click it, download it, use it if you like. The font in the yellow titles is called Forgotten World [downloaded from www.dafont.com]. The main picture on the title slide...the one with the Thistlegirl scientist...is a picture of the banner I have hanging over my door...it is not editable. I did tweak this power point for this year somewhat...I added a newer team building activity [SAVE FRED & SF FLOW MAP] [THANK YOU SUSAN TEACHER from PROTEACHER] to the end...but I still have a few minor things to change. None-the-less it is SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED! :) Have fun!

REWARDS!

Please note that the following post is just my opinion only!

I am a firm believer in rewarding my students....behaviorally & academically. I love rewarding students who always follow rules and procedures, students who FINALLY do something correct for the first time then make a habit out of it, students who make A+s, and students who finally make a D after having made Fs for so long. I guess you can say that I reward achievements: individually and whole class. I love to celebrate, period! 

This year, I have a few incentives in mind. here is a breakdown:

Academically for individual students I plan to use the cards I posted a few days ago [Drops of Science Success]. Every student will receive a card. Every test, quiz, and interactive Science notebook check will earn them punches. A = 3, B = 2, and C =1. For every 10-12 punches, they will choose a prize. Prizes will range from small items like cool pens/pencils, erasers, and school supply-type items to bigger items if they "bank" their punches. The bigger items will be for things like earbuds, snack shop tickets, etc. 

Academically for classes I plan to use class thermometers as seen here: [not my room...found on the net....THANK YOU Mrs. Potter...click on the pic and it will take you to her blog!].

The way this works is I will add up a class' test scores [percentages] then shade up to the correct mark on the thermometer. I will do this for each class. At every 5,000 points reached, that particular class earns a reward [popcorn, nachos, cupcakes, etc... food ALWAYS works!]. This way, each class earns a reward for reaching the goal. The kicker is the first class to reach each 5,000 point increment wins an added bonus [drinks or something else that goes with the reward]. This allows each student to contribute even if it is a small percentage! I am hoping to encourage study buddies!

You can download my version of the thermometers here. If you want to edit them, download this one...it's free!

Also academically, I have a few other things up my sleeve. I created Facebook Like stamps/stickers to immediately reward students for various reasons.

Also I created stickers and stamps to reward students who have awesome ISN response pages. My friend Toni came up with and shared with me a H.O.T. ticket to reward higher order thinking and sharing of ideas. They will receive this randomly and redeem it for a prize. Mine looks like this:

As far as behavior is concerned, we are a PBiS school, so I have to follow our PBiS plan. Our plan rewards students with a Cougar Cash Card. If they receive no conduct marks in class, they receive my stamp on their card for that period. I do, however, reward good behavior with little things...sugar free candy, healthy snacks. etc...

Well, this is just some of what I am doing in my room this year as far as rewards are concerned. I'm sure I will post my reflections on how they are working out as the year progresses.

Go ahead and use these ideas if you like! They are, after all, SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

The Teacher's Toolbox....

Thanks to this pin on Pinterest, two good friends/coworkers and I, along with many, many summer-pinning teachers, took a rather dull, garage-oriented tool organizer and created a FABULOUS toolbox to use in our classrooms!  I know I am safe in estimating MANY teachers because when I went to purchase my tool box from Home Depot, there were NONE on the shelves! A floor guy had to pull some down from the tip top shelf for me to buy 2. When one of my friends went to buy hers, there was only one left!  The remaining boxes that were there when I bought mine were sold within DAYS! Glad I bought two....another friend couldn't find any...anywhere in our town! Here is what I bought:

So, we got together yesterday and had a little "decorate our toolboxes" party. We had a GREAT time! I contemplated painting mine but didn't want the hassle. The gray actually looks good with the colors I chose! Here is how mine came out:

Here is all three of ours together:

Didn't they come out great?!?

A great BIG SHOUT OUT goes to the first one of us FABULOUS teachers that created this and pinned it for us all! If you read my blog please know that I really appreciate your idea and THANK YOU for giving me a cool project to make with my girls! This is truly SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED! Heck....I think I might make another one for my student teacher...if I can find some! How awesome would that be?!?

UPS, USPS, & FedEx...Oh My!

Well....it's about that time of year again! Time to really step up my game and get ready for the new school year. Despite all the planning that has been taking place here, there, & everywhere, I still have LOADS to do to get ready. Last year I listed everything on here and scratched off as I went. I think my list is just a little too long this time around. Let's just say I don't want to overwhelm myself....LOL! You'll understand why by the end of this post.

At the end of last school year I was bestowed.... bequeathed.... given the adjoining room! Now, my classroom was new to me last year...I had been in a corner room for the 5 years previous and we all know "Nobody puts baby in a corner." LOL! So this past school year was HEAVEN I tell you! Not because the room was bigger but  because it was "NEW" and oriented differently. But now, I don't know what to call it! What's better than HEAVEN? I guess my new bigger room will be! There is a partitioned wall between  both rooms so I have plans to open it up and EXPAND! Below is a schematic of how I want to arrange it. [You can make your own floor plan of your room at www.floorplanner.com...it's actually 3D & free!]

Anyway, what you can't see is all the centers I have planned [which WILL be a post all it's own...soon...I PROMISE!] So here is where the relevancy of the USPS, UPS, & FedEx come in.... I am patiently awaiting  the many things I ordered to decorate and beautify this MASSIVE room! I will definitely post pictures once I  get in there and have it all done. But boy, isn't waiting the hardest part????? LOL!

Ok....go ahead and check out www.floorplanner.com. You know you want to especially since it's SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

Drops of Science Success...

I really want to boost learning...well really my students' DESIRE to learn...so I created in Vistaprint [with a little help and inspiration from Pinterest...again!] a "Drops of Science Success" reward punch card. This card will reward students that make a C or higher on unit tests, quizzes, or ISN checks. 3 punches for each A, 2 punches for each B, and 1 punch for each C. What makes this a reward is for every 12 punches they earn, they get to choose from a list of reward options....which I really need to finalize! :) I do know that home-made gourmet cupcakes WILL be on that list! I wonder if my daughter will leave me her secret recipe when she goes off to Disney for a semester?!? Hmmmm....

Anyway...WHY reward a C you ask? Well....everybody has to start somewhere! I want students who have been so used to making Ds or Fs to WANT to earn a C....and we all know what results from that! Hopefully they will thirst for that B or even that A and try to do as best if not better than their best to earn those grades. My fingers are crossed!

Well....go ahead and use this idea if you like. I posted a picture of card I made above and by no means do I hold any kind of claim on it. I also created one called "Road to Science Success" that has a highway in the background [Yes...Vistaprint, too!]. Anyway you look at them, you know they are SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

ISN...Interactive Science Notebooks!

Well....my good friend and coworker Toni Polkey and I have really been working a lot this summer coming up with what we hope is a FABULOUS system for using the ISN...Interactive Science Notebook for me and ISSN....Interactive Social Studies Notebook for her. After scouring the internet....reading blogs, pinning ideas, and streamlining the various power points, flip charts, and SMART resources we found....we finally have a system that, when we both implement it in each of our classes, is sure to bring some organizational serenity to our 150+ 6th graders...and us, too!


We really had a time with deciphering the whole RIGHT BRIAN/LEFT BRAIN theory. Some teachers use the notebooks OPPOSITE of what the theory says. So, after researching Roger Sperry and other psychological explanations we decided to go with what was outlined here: 

How Right-Brain vs. Left-Brain Thinking Impacts Learning. 

Our notebooks will focus on the LEFT side being the teacher or LEARNING side and the RIGHT side being the student or REFLECTION side. Of course, the REFLECTION side will be all student created...I really can't wait to see what they do! Toni and I are both SUPER DUPER excited about doing this! 

This POWER POINT outlines how they will use it in my Science class. 

Go ahead and check it out....after all it is SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!


PS....Toni and I realized that she is more LEFT BRAIN and I am more RIGHT BRAIN...Guess we make up a WHOLE BRAIN when we THINK together! :)

On a Quest....

....for border!!! I have this fabulous, no-longer-in-production science border from Carson Dellosa that I absolutely love, need more of, and can not find ANYWHERE!!! The picture below is kind of blurry but you get the picture [LOL!]...cute science tools with the famous Carson Dellosa face on each one... all on a black background.

 I NEED more of it and I am so sad that I can not buy it anymore. So if you come across any, PLEASE let me know where! Heck, I would even buy it from you if you have some in good condition!!! :)))

Guess I will have to find another design. Any ideas that are Science Diva Certified?

HELLO OUT THERE!

Well....hasn't it been a LOOOOONG  time?!?!? Seems that since my last post I have been just too darn busy. With end of the school year stuff, my "new" way of eating and exercising [I'VE LOST 50 POUNDS SO FAR!!!!], and just pure laziness taking over, I guess I've put this blog on the back burner for far too long!

The end of the school year brought about much unnecessary stress as we have all learned to deal with over the years. From state testing & our awards program [which entails A LOT of time...especially if you are like me and make a slide show of the past year for all your little darlings!] to last day of school stuff that really should be done by a secretary! These all wreaked havoc on my life....havoc you hear! But, I pulled through with a great big DIVA SMILE on my face. TGFS! Thank God for summer! :)

Well I have been brainstorming with a co-worker and now I have LOTS of exciting new things planned for next year: centers [OMG...that will be a post all its own!], Interactive notebooks, and a student teacher! So be on the look out for more posts in the coming months...I'm sure you will say "Yep, that's SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!"