Why you should be using spiral reviews in science (yes, science!)
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
3 Top Tips for Teaching Refraction of Light
The 5th grade science TEKS ask students to differentiate between the reflection and refraction of light. Before addressing the differences between reflection and refraction, there
7 Ideas for Renewable and Nonrenewable Natural Resources
Let’s take a look at renewable and nonrenewable resources as well as how we use certain properties of natural resources to make products. Skip ahead
5 Ideas for Fossil Fuels
Throughout grade school and college, I never actually learned about fossil fuels. When I saw that was part of the 5th grade curriculum, I knew
Simplifying STEM in Upper Elementary
Starting a STEM program, or teaching STEM for the first time can be overwhelming! There are so many factors to consider and pieces to organize.
Beyond Sink or Float: 10 Ideas for Teaching Relative Density
Relative density can be an amazing unit for students K-6… we just need to add some hands-on investigations to take “sink or float” to the
PHENOMENAL Food Webs: Teaching the 5th grade NGSS food webs standard with a focus on keystone species
Teaching with phenomena is a key element of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In 5th grade, students need to use models to show that
The 3 BEST Phenomena for Teaching the Spheres of Earth
When it comes to teaching your students about the spheres of Earth, it’s all about the interactions between spheres (biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere). This
6 (not) Electrifying Tips for Teaching Circuits and Electricity
I’ve worked with a lot of 4th and 5th graders making a lot of circuits, so I have some advice for teachers new to teaching
5 Ideas for Physical & Chemical Change: Experiments & Demonstrations They’ll Love
These ideas aren’t your average science experiments! We’re going to dig deeper with conservation of matter, CER, and a phenomenon-based science unit. There are MANY
Changing States of Matter: Evaporation, Condensation, Freezing, and Melting
When you’re new to teaching, you sometimes miss opportunities that you later discover. When I was teaching 5th graders about evaporation, freezing, condensation, and melting,
3 Top Tips for Science Stations Success
New to using stations and centers? Not sure if science stations are right for your students? Worry that groups are too large? Wondering what to