Traveling Scientist and Scientific Method Freebie

                                                  

Hi friends! I am so excited to share with you my Traveling Scientist pack. This is an idea I have used in my classroom for the last 3 years and the kids LOVE it. My third grade teaching buddies us it now too with great success!

So here is the deal. You decorate a composition notebook and a canvas bag. Add a parent note and any other items you feel like should be included (I like to add a child sized lab coat like this one, safety googles, and a book of easy science experiments.)


Tell the students that they get to be traveling scientists for one week. Explain that they will conduct one or more science experiments at home with their parents (grandparents, siblings, etc...) As they complete the experiment(s) they should be recording their findings using the scientific method steps you use in class. Then they record their findings inside the included notebook and I encourage my friends to be creative with their page. They are told to add pictures, stickers, color or whatever they feel like to make it their own. When they bring the bag back on Thursday, they present to the class. In the past I have had everything from students reading what they wrote in the journal, to having parents come to help recreate the experiment in class. I only ask that the presentation be 15 minutes at the most. Most can present in under 5.

You would not believe how excited the kids are for their turn and how excited they are about listening to their classmates presentations!

Here is a preview of the pack. Inside you will find front and back covers for the notebook. An editable page for the inside cover where students can cross out their name after they've had their turn, a parent letter and step by step directions on assembling the bag. There is also a printable logo you can use to create an iron-on transfer for your tote bag. Many of the pages are editable within Powerpoint in case you'd like to use your own words.

 
If you would like a free copy, enter the giveaway below. I will randomly pick 2 winners on Wednesday evening! 


Alright, now for the freebie! I have been using this Scientific Method Chant for years and it is a fun way for the kids to remember the steps. Here is a poster for you class.... if you print it out onto photo paper, you will be pleased. Seriously, it makes the posters so much prettier (yes, I said prettier)

Click here to get your copy 

of the poster and foldable

Any who, also included in this freebie is a scientific method foldable and directions for creating them in class with your own students. I use this same format for every experiment we conduct in class.

Here is a picture of one I modeled in class at the beginning of the year.

You can create the same foldable with notebook or computer paper if you'd prefer. I just like the look of the words typed on the cover! 

**edited to link up with Freebie Friday!



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Loving Science and Interactive Notebooks

I am loving science so far this year! The kids really enjoy it and I feel like it is one part of our day were we can still have some fun (is that a dirty word in education?) Anyway, for the last 2 years I have used an interactive notebook for math and science. This year I am going to do a reader's/writer's notebook as well! I have gotten better each year at using the notebooks and finding ways for the kids to really interact with the material.
At the beginning of the year we go over science safety, scientific tools and the scientific method. I didn't have anything I really loved for scientific tools, so I created a unit! I used it on Friday with my class and they LOVED it. We had some great predictions about what different tools were called or what they did. My class especially loved making the toolbox to include in their notebook. Check it out in my TpT store if you are interested.

                                                       an example of the kit being used

                           I included 2 different versions. One where the picture, word, and definition were already matched up so students could just cut and glue their cards to add to their kits, and the other version where everything is mixed up so they have to figure out which pieces go together.  I also included several ideas of how to use the pack as a whole class or as a station!

Do you use interactive notebooks? I would love to hear about them! I plan to post a lot this year about how we are using them in third grade... I know it always helps me to see other examples so I hope I can do that for other teachers as well. Have a great weekend,

Update: Click here to see how my friend Krista from Stellar Studnets used this product in her classroom!

Kickin' it in Ohio

Hello friends! For the next few weeks my family and I will be in Ohio visiting all the grandparents, aunts, uncles and old friends! I love this time and I am so blessed to have a job that allows me the flexibility to stay connected even though we live so far away normally. However, this is putting a serious kink in my blog stalking reading, creating, and posting :( We are about to hop in the car and head to our next stop... before we go I wanted to show you what I have been working on.

First, I posted this Owl themed classroom decor pack to my TpT store. If you are interested in it, I have it on sale for $5. This is my first time to create anything like this, so if you have suggestions for improvements, or would like me to add something, please let me know!! All the labels, nameplates, and binder inserts are editable :)

The other thing I am working on right now is a traveling scientist unit!! I adore this activity and my third graders LOVED it. I can't wait to use it with my kinders. The idea is you pick one student a week to be the "traveling scientist" and they conduct an experiment of their choosing at home with their family. All experiments can be completed with materials you find commonly in your home. They record their experiment following the scientific process and then share with the class. Students all record in the same scientific notebook and are encouraged to decorate their page with photos or stickers, etc.. The kids absolutely love looking back through our book and they get such joy out of sharing pictures of themselves being a scientist at home! Here is a little sneak peak of what the packet will look like, I hope to have it finished in the next day or so!!

Until we meet again, take care,