JoinKeeping Students Engaged Before a Break
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2017-01-31
I finished a unit in middle school science two days ahead of our winter holiday break. We went on to the next unit, but my students didn’t seem focused, and I think I’ll have to review or repeat the activities when we come back. My colleagues advised that next time I should do holiday-themed activities, but this is my first year and I need suggestions. — L., CA
The days before a long break can be challenging. Some students may leave early for the break, and, as you noticed, others mentally leave in anticipation. I agree that jumping in to a new unit may be frustrating. But time is too valuable to spend on a study hall, a busywork activity, or an unrelated video (and students get bored with these, too).
I like ideas that recognize the season but add a science focus. For example, I noticed that my middle schoolers assumed that all evergreens were “pine” trees, so before our winter break we used references to identify a variety of specimens donated by a local nursery, and looked for patterns to identify characteristics for naming them (e.g., pines needles are in packages, spruces are sharp). And the lab smelled wonderful!
Other science/seasonal ideas:
- The art and physics of snowflakes
- Reason for the seasons (we can’t review this enough!)
- Winter storm patterns
- The heart—Up close and personal
- The truth about bats
- Bones of the skeletal system
- Science of movement (skiing, skating, surfing, soccer, basketball, dance)
- The science of cooking (but don’t eat in the lab)
These “extra” days are also good for vocabulary games, discussions of current events, design contests (e.g, paper airplanes, towers, egg drops), organizing notebooks, or review activities.
I finished a unit in middle school science two days ahead of our winter holiday break. We went on to the next unit, but my students didn’t seem focused, and I think I’ll have to review or repeat the activities when we come back.
When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides a wealth of real-world examples to show you what’s different about practice-centered teaching and learning at all grade levels.
When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides a wealth of real-world examples to show you what’s different about practice-centered teaching and learning at all grade levels.
Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices
When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides a wealth of real-world examples to show you what’s different about practice-centered teaching and learning at all grade levels.
When it’s time for a game change, you need a guide to the new rules. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices strand of A Framework for K–12 Science Education (Framework) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Written in clear, nontechnical language, this book provides a wealth of real-world examples to show you what’s different about practice-centered teaching and learning at all grade levels.
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Now your students can transform their mobile phones and tablets into tools for learning about everything from weather to water quality. Big Data, Small Devices shows you how. This book is designed for Earth and environmental science teachers who want to help students tap into, organize, and deploy large data sets via their devices to investigate the world around them.