Marcia's Teaching Ideas Newsletter

Marcia's Science Teaching Tips

Newsletter #1

February 2011

Greetings!

Hello from Marcia's Science Teaching Ideas! I'm trying something new! I'd like to email you a monthly newsletter with good science teaching tips!

I started teaching in 1970 and retired three years ago. But you can't take the TEACHER out of me, I guess, so I'm still sharing what I know to be good teaching activities and techniques. I remember how hard it is to find good things to use in the classroom.

I am currently holed up in my office waiting out the SNOWMAGEDDON that is hitting us here in Missouri. I'm currently working on finishing all the little things I have yet to complete, but I'm also actively working on the TEACHING GEOLOGIC HISTORY PACKET, for those of you who are asking! Should be done by this coming summer!

In This Issue

Building Interest for the Day's Work

Strengthening Thinking Skills

Freebies from Marcia

Building Interest for the Day's Work

Tired of winter? Tired of doing the same-oh bellwork every day?

BUT required to some sort of bellwork every day?

OR just looking for something different that will let you take roll and get your students busy as soon as that bell rings?

Try some of these ideas!

Play a short but engaging video and require 5 interesting facts. Check out YouTube or TeacherTube for good ideas. Pick something that pertains to your current Unit.
Have some sort of sorting game set out on each table in envelopes. Put a short message on the outside such as Open and Do as soon as the Bell Rings! Could just be your vocabulary and definition cards for them to practice matching!
Have them respond to a photo or stimulating quotation on their bellwork page.
Write a phrase that pertains to your Unit on the board or screen and have students find as many different words as they can in the Unit Phrase. BONUS points to science terms they find!
Make up your own large (5" x 5" maybe?) SCRABBLE TILES with sticky tape on the back, set them in the chalk tray and have each small group come up in turn and add to the scrabble formation. BUT require them to use vocabulary words from the current unit. Just make sure you've got the correct tiles available! Or go to Hasbro Toys to get some fun alternatives.

Strengthening Thinking Skills

I've always thought one of a science teacher's main jobs is to teach future citizens. Teach your students to be independent thinkers so they can make rational decisions when a vote on a critical issue appears in their community, such as a ban burn or what should we do now that the landfill is full?

Here's one suggestion:

Use a good Bloom chart to check your test questions before you give a test. Strive for questions that touch on one of the thinking skills. Use active verbs in your questions pulled from this chart. Be sure to use some from each level.

The older your students are, the more questions should be from the higher levels.

Freebies from Marcia

FREEBIES you could use in your classroom today!

Feel free to forward this Newsletter to other teachers!

I've always believed we are better teachers when we share what we know and learn from each other! If there's anything you'd like to see more of, email me!

Happy Teaching!

Marcia Krech

Marcia's Science Teaching Ideas

**********************************************

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"

From a KY Teacher:

I have been teaching
science for 8 years now

and I have always used

your website! Now that

I am teaching 8th grade Earth Science I have

really depended on it

to help me make it fun

for the kids. Thank you

for everything you do!

******************

From a FL Teacher:

Thanks for your great website--in my first year teaching middle schoolers!

******************

From an AL Teacher:

I really enjoy your site and all the helpful resources. Thanks so much!!!

******************

From a CA Teacher:

Thanks for all the

wonderful materials

you make available for

free and for purchase.

I love the Plate Tectonics materials! My 10th & 11th graders are having a

great time assembling

the foldables---and I love how educational they are! They match California's
Earth Science standards wonderfully!

Quick Links

STI on Twitter

STI on Facebook

STI's Blog

STI Website

Google Docs

Have you discovered
Google Docs yet?
This is a wonderful tool
used mostly by offices to
get work done by multiple people which can be viewed by multiple people.
******************

CONFUSED?

Here's what Google Docs
can do for you:
Upload a template and
take your students to the computer lab. They will
all be able to call up the same document template
on their screen. Have them save it with a slightly different name. Then
go to town!
******************
Check out these Google docs uploaded by teachers:

Tri-Fold Brochure
Lab Report

Link for Submitting
Your Own Template

Note: If you've received

this email directly from me, you don't need to sign up again! This is mainly for teachers who had this newsletter forwarded to
them by another teacher.

A Good Argument for Hands-On Learning!

An earth science

teacher was lecturing on latitude and longitude.

The teacher asked, "Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude and 45 degrees,

15 minutes east longitude?"

After a confused silence,
a voice volunteered,
"I guess you'd be eating alone."