About 10 years ago, I attended a 2-day professional development over the summer for implementing math spiral review.
The PD was high-quality, but there was one problem. I wasn’t teaching math that year and desperately needed to be planning for science.
While participating in the session, my synapses started firing. I was going to try spiral review… in science.
Each week, I made up my spiral review questions as I went along, often during my first period class.
Something magical happened. Students retained the information. They knew the vocabulary. They were science stars!
Just 5 minutes a day made all the difference.
Since then, I’ve made science spiral reviews for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade science. No more making it up as we go along!
Here are our TOP TEACHER TIPS!
-Ari
Top Teacher Tips from Evan
In this video, Evan explains how he uses Science Spiral Review in his 5th grade classroom.
Students need multiple exposures to concepts throughout the school year to ensure mastery of learning targets or objectives.
Spiral reviews have been a game changer for my classroom as it assists with vocabulary and keeps content fresh all year long without taking too much time in your daily lessons. It allows us to pre-assess concepts before they are taught and see what information from a previous grade level standard you need to address before beginning a new unit.
When we came to concepts that were finally taught, it was refreshing when students would reflect upon a question from a spiral review related to what we were learning in class.
Routine & Organization
Making spiral reviews a routine every time your students walk through the door to begin the class period establishes a sense of consistency, so your students have something to start the class off with a purpose.
One organizational tip I used for spiral reviews is having students keep their spiral reviews within a folder they grabbed on their way to their seats. The students would take the spiral review out of their folder and begin the day’s question.
When a new week began, students placed the most recent spiral review on top of previous weeks, making it easy to locate.
Lapping and Coding
As students worked through their spiral review, I would lap the room to see how students were doing with the questions on the spot. I used a coding system as I was lapping the classroom.
First, I would place check marks next to the problem if they showed strategies and got the answer correct. If a student needed to show more evidence or strategies with their problem, I would write a question mark so they could explain their correct answer.
If a student did not get the answer correct, I would draw a circle on their paper as a way for them to look at the question again. Finally, I would draw a star on their paper if I saw some incredible strategies or things others would benefit from sharing.
My students thrived whenever they saw feedback given on the spot and tried to find ways to achieve a star icon on their paper.
Class Discussion
All of this occurs within the first five minutes of class. I used a timer to get them going and keep them accountable. At the end of the 5 minutes, I would read aloud the question or have volunteers read out the question. We would discuss strategies and common errors a student might make, and address misconceptions on the spot. Students with a star would come up to the board or describe aloud what they did so other students could gain a different insight into how they solved the problem.
Once we went over the problem, we placed the spiral review away in the folder on the left side, and it would be ready for the next day.
No Prep Science Spiral Reviews
You can make the spiral reviews on your own, OR you can use teacher-tested, year-long spiral reviews ready to print or assign in Google Classroom.
Here are the available time-saving spiral reviews.
Happy Teachers
THIS! I wish I had purchased this earlier in the school year. The questioning, the format, and the background knowledge it activates with some questions: It is awesome! It does not matter what scope & sequence you follow. I printed enough for each student in class, bound it all in a folder, and established it as a routine.
I love this resource, it is engaging and just the right level of challenge for the students. It's just what is needed for a spiral review of all the skills needed to be successful in science.
I loved this product for a review in science to start off the school year! It is very good and informative. I like the fact that the readings are not too long, but include important details along with pictures as well as a quick activity or assessment for students to complete. I would highly recommend this to compliment your 5th grade science curriculum.
Access the Free Resource Library
This is an exclusive library of 40+ science printables, labs, activities, and games for grades 3-6. Sign up and check your email for immediate access.
