The Barefoot Teacher: science

Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! These differentiated turkey emergent readers are a perfect addition to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your kids this November. Plus, sneak some writing practice in at the end of each book!
Most people only think about turkeys as being a delicious part of their Thanksgiving meal. We can describe what they look like and how scrumptious they taste, but really don't know much else about them. Well, not anymore! By the end of this post, not only will you know more than you would ever want to know about the life of a turkey, but you'll also have seen an awesome differentiated emergent reader that you can use to teach your students more about them as well.

Did you know that a turkey hen lays 9-13 eggs in her clutch in a shallow hole in the ground that's only about 1/2" deep? These I Am a Turkey emergent readers not only tell all kinds of facts about the life cycle of a turkey, but are differentiated as well. Meet your students right where they're at with their reading abilities. 
Turkeys do not see well at night, which is why they fly to trees for sleeping. A mother hen, however, will stay on the ground for 28 days, sitting on her clutch to keep them warm and risking her own life to protect them from nighttime predators. It isn't until a poult (baby turkey) is 4 weeks old that it will be able to fly to safety above ground at night with its mother. 
Each level of the reader takes students through the basic development of a turkey from inside of an egg, to hatching, to young poult life, to adult life. 
At 6 weeks old, a poult will molt it's feathers for the first time. It will molt multiple times. Each time, larger feathers will grow until the poult is an adult. 
    
My favorite part of this informational emergent reader set is that the last page that sneaks in some writing practice! It asks students to write down some of the favorite facts they learned about turkeys.
Get these 'I Am a Turkey' readers HERE.
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Thanksgiving is just around the corner! These differentiated turkey emergent readers are a perfect addition to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your kids this November. Plus, sneak some writing practice in at the end of each book!

Thanks for letting me share these activities with you! I hope your littles love and enjoy them. I also hope they make your teacher life & prep just a tad bit easier!

-Til next time
    
With Halloween right around the corner, now is a perfect time for your Preschool, Kindergarten, or First grade kids to be learning about nocturnal animals! If you're looking for fall activities for kids, these Bats, Owls, & Spiders differentiated readers are a perfect additional to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your class this fall. Help your students develop confidence in their reading abilities while learning about bats at the same time. In addition, the last page of each reader incorporates writing practice as students recall facts that they learned in the reader.

With fall upon us and Halloween right around the corner, I'd like to show you some differentiated 'I Am a Bat' emergent readers. And then I have a FREE DOWNLOAD you can try out if you haven't already! 
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

While you really can use these readers at any time of year, I tend to do them around our Halloween and Nocturnal Animals units. I have many animal readers in this series, but I'm only going to highlight the bat readers today! 
With Halloween right around the corner, now is a perfect time for your Preschool, Kindergarten, or First grade kids to be learning about nocturnal animals! If you're looking for fall activities for kids, these Bats, Owls, & Spiders differentiated readers are a perfect additional to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your class this fall. Help your students develop confidence in their reading abilities while learning about bats at the same time. In addition, the last page of each reader incorporates writing practice as students recall facts that they learned in the reader.

So this is what the cover looks like. It's the same for all three levels of the reader. 
With Halloween right around the corner, now is a perfect time for your Preschool, Kindergarten, or First grade kids to be learning about nocturnal animals! If you're looking for fall activities for kids, these Bats, Owls, & Spiders differentiated readers are a perfect additional to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your class this fall. Help your students develop confidence in their reading abilities while learning about bats at the same time. In addition, the last page of each reader incorporates writing practice as students recall facts that they learned in the reader.

Here's what it looks like full size. Each page of the book comes two-to-a-page so that you can easily print the books using the collate and staple options on your copy machine. Then use a paper cutter to quickly slice between the books and just like magic, they're already assembled for you!
With Halloween right around the corner, now is a perfect time for your Preschool, Kindergarten, or First grade kids to be learning about nocturnal animals! If you're looking for fall activities for kids, these Bats, Owls, & Spiders differentiated readers are a perfect additional to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your class this fall. Help your students develop confidence in their reading abilities while learning about bats at the same time. In addition, the last page of each reader incorporates writing practice as students recall facts that they learned in the reader.

Meet your students right where they're at with three differentiated levels to choose from. Your kiddos can highlight any sight words, chunks, or blends that you are currently working on.

Learn some unique facts about bats that many people don't know!


Learn what they eat and how they sleep.

The last page is one of my favorites. It's included in all of the readers of this series. Students write down a list of the favorite things they learned while reading the book! It's a great way to incorporate writing practice. This picture is from a set of rabbit readers, and I just happened to have it handy to show you. This is how the bat books end as well.

Let me show you two ways you can get this bats reader set.

You can get this differentiated reader by itself here:

 Or you can get it in a bundle with other readers:
With Halloween right around the corner, now is a perfect time for your Preschool, Kindergarten, or First grade kids to be learning about nocturnal animals! If you're looking for fall activities for kids, these Bats, Owls, & Spiders differentiated readers are a perfect additional to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your class this fall. Help your students develop confidence in their reading abilities while learning about bats at the same time. In addition, the last page of each reader incorporates writing practice as students recall facts that they learned in the reader.

Six readers, all about nocturnal animals, are included in this bundle.

Remember reading that book when you were a kid, about the old lady who swallowed a fly? Well, guess what? She swallows a lot more things now, including bats! My students LOVE when I pull this book out. I made some activities and centers to go along with this book.





 Now, let me show you a FREE DOWNLOAD you can get right now that will give you an opportunity to try those differentiated readers out!

This is the I Am an Alligator set. 
It's set up exactly like the bat readers, only your students will be learning about alligators instead! Oh my! 
Try this series FREE right here:

Don't forget to leave a rating. I enjoy reading your feedback and hearing what you think!

-Til next time
       
With Halloween right around the corner, now is a perfect time for your Preschool, Kindergarten, or First grade kids to be learning about nocturnal animals! If you're looking for fall activities for kids, these Bats, Owls, & Spiders differentiated readers are a perfect additional to the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your class this fall. Help your students develop confidence in their reading abilities while learning about bats at the same time. In addition, the last page of each reader incorporates writing practice as students recall facts that they learned in the reader.

These FREE non-fiction, differentiated readers will go right along with the other activities, crafts, and ideas you have planned for your class this spring. Help your Kindergarten or First Grade students develop confidence in their reading abilities while learning about alligators at the same time. In addition, the last page of each reader incorporates writing practice as students recall facts that they learned in the reader.

Are you looking for activities for an insect or firefly life cycle unit? If so, then here's a blog post for you! This "How to Survive as a Firefly" FREE book companion activity is a fun way for students to gather and organize facts that they learn about fireflies. It's a great way to incorporate science and non-fiction into your lesson plans. #fireflies #insects #bugs #kindergarten #booksforkids #camping #bookcompanion #bugactivities #activitiesforkids #flipbook
**Book images created by Erica Salcedo are used with permission from The Innovation Press**
**This post contains affiliate links.**

I was recently given a copy of the book 
How to Survive as a Firefly 

by Kristen Lootes and illustrated by Erica Salcedo. 

It was my first time seeing (or even having heard of) the book, so I was excited to read it.  Before even opening the book, I realized that I really don't know anything at all about fireflies...except that they are a ton of fun to catch in the summer at dusk! 

I found this book to be a delightful and incredibly funny informational book for kids ages 5-10. If you teach an insect unit, or about fireflies or the life cycle of fireflies, then this book is a must-have for you and your students. 

I made a FREE Firefly Life Cycle Flip Book for students to use as a fun way to gather and organize facts that they learn while reading! 

Ok, so let me tell you a little bit about the book. You can also download a PREVIEW of the book and take a look for yourself!

"How to Survive as a Firefly"  is written in a story format, having an adult firefly educate the newly hatched firefly eggs on what they will need to do throughout their life to survive. 

It covers everything in a very humorous, yet informationally accurate way. From life cycle info, to vocabulary terms, to parts of the body...it has it all! Even a glosser is included at the end of the book. 

Students can work on the companion resource before reading the book. This will give them time to gather any background information they have on fireflies, as well as wonder about them. 
Have them start out by coloring the flip book cover page.

Then they can cut out all of the pages and glue them together. It can dry while they initially read the book. After reading it, they can go back and look for information that they'd like to include in the flip book. The first page has students simply write out the four stages of a firefly's life cycle. They can add quick sketches of each stage too, if they'd like!

Then they can write down facts specific to each stage of the life cycle. Starting with the Egg stage:
Then on to the Larva stage:
And next the Pupa stage:
And finally, the adult stage:

The final page give students a chance to jot down some unique, or their favorite, facts that they learned about fireflies.

After it's finished, students can use it to review or reflect on. They can use it to study from (if there is any type of assessment over the information) or just take it home to share what they learned with family and friends! 

Enjoy How to Survive as a Firefly Life Cycle Flip Book absolutely FREE. Don't forget to leave a review of the resource. I very much appreciate your opinions and feedback on activities that I create!

-Til next time

     
Are you looking for activities for an insect or firefly life cycle unit? If so, then here's a blog post for you! This "How to Survive as a Firefly" FREE book companion activity is a fun way for students to gather and organize facts that they learn about fireflies. It's a great way to incorporate science and non-fiction into your lesson plans. #fireflies #insects #bugs #kindergarten #booksforkids #camping #bookcompanion #bugactivities #activitiesforkids #flipbook

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This FREE Physical Science reading comprehension download will fit right in with the Force and Motion, STEM, or other science activities and learning units that you have planned for your Kindergarten or First Grade or elementary students! Whether you're learning about solid, liquid, gas formations or just need more to add to your lesson plans, this pack was made especially for kids!
Teaching physical science to Kindergarteners is not always an easy task. I often find myself on a hunt for ideas and resources that will help them understand these particular science concepts a little more easily. Today I want to show you how you can incorporate some sneaky reading practice right into your science units with some Physical Science themed Reading Comprehension Passages. Not only will students be working on their reading skills, but they will also have a chance to better grasp the science concepts being taught!  

 I'll show you what it entails, how I use it, and then I'll give you a FREE DOWNLOAD so that you can try it out! 
Help your littles develop confidence in their reading abilities while having fun and learning about physical science at the same time!

I made these reading passages (with corresponding comprehension questions) with Kindergarten students in mind using the Flesch-Kincaid reading comprehension leveling formula. The passages range from .1 - 1.0 levels. 
The kid-friendly font that is used in these passages makes reading the text even easier. 

There are 10 passages included that teach students about the following topics:
-heat, magnets, solids, liquids, gases, force, motion, energy, matter, & properties
When I use these passages with my students, I introduce them by first asking what they know about the topic. This allows me to pulls as much back-ground information as I can so that I can base my direction and discussion around their prior knowledge.  

I've found that some of my students tend to instantly shut down when seeing so many words together in one passage like this, so we break it down before reading so that they can see that they actually already know many of the words that they'll be reading.

First, we find out what the topic is about, and then highlight the topic word all throughout the passage with an orange crayon.
Then, we go back through the passage (not yet fully reading it) and highlight with yellow any high frequency words that we can find. 

Finally, we notice that there is a word underlined, which probably means it's pretty important! So we highlight that one pink so that we can pay close attention to it. 
After we've fully read the passage, we move on to the comprehension questions. 
Sometimes I read these questions to the students, sometimes we read them together. If a student is able, I allow them to read the questions to me. 
Many times, the students can recall the information needed to answer the question without going back to the passage. But if they don't know the answer, I guide them back to the passage and together we look to see if we can find the area that might give us the answer. Then we fill in a dot next to that question so that later, when I'm recording their data, I can remember that they needed help answering that question. 

Here is what I record their data on: 
Currently, I have five different Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension Packs. You can get them all in one bundle if you're interested, which allows you to save some money compared to purchasing them individually.  
Help your Kindergarten students develop confidence in their reading comprehension abilities while learning about spring at the same time! This free download will go right along with the other Spring activities and crafts you have planned for your class. The strategies used with these worksheets will feel more like playing you are playing games with your student than it will reading!
Now - let's get you that FREE DOWNLOAD! I'm going to give you the reading passage on heat, with its corresponding reading comprehension questions so that you can try it out with your students. Don't forget to leave a rating after downloading, it's important to me to hear what you think!
Help your Kindergarten students develop confidence in their reading comprehension abilities while learning about spring at the same time! This free download will go right along with the other Spring activities and crafts you have planned for your class. The strategies used with these worksheets will feel more like playing you are playing games with your student than it will reading! #physicalscience #physics #kindergarten #reading #readingcomprehension #firstgrade #literacy #readingactivities #activitiesforkids #freedownload
Click here to get it:
Physical Science Themed Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension FREE DOWNLOAD
Don't forget to leave a rating - I love feedback!

-Til next time
     
Help your Kindergarten students develop confidence in their reading comprehension abilities while learning about spring at the same time! This free download will go right along with the other Spring activities and crafts you have planned for your class. The strategies used with these worksheets will feel more like playing you are playing games with your student than it will reading! #physicalscience #physics #kindergarten #reading #readingcomprehension #firstgrade #literacy #readingactivities #activitiesforkids


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(Not familiar with the NGSS standards? Then take some time to read "Getting to Know the Next Generation Science Standards: Kindergarten" first.)

Today, we're going to take a look at resources that will help you meet the "Earth & Human Activity" standard....which I just simply call the "We Love Earth" unit. I'll show you all the different parts to my We Love Earth Interactive Notebook and a few other resources too.
I love celebrating Earth Day in Kindergarten with a variety of interactive activities that are geared just for them. Let me show you how to increase science engagement in your classroom, while having tons of fun at the same time! Did somebody say WORMS?!
Just like the other interactive notebooks we've already covered, this one too comes with a set of corresponding classroom posters to hang in your room. But for this We Love Earth unit, there are only 4 simple posters included:
The We Love Earth unit also comes with its own interactive notebook cover.
The cover pages for each core idea will help your students keep their notebook well organized.

And just like all of the other core ideas covered, here is the vocabulary reinforcer for We Love Earth:
The Pocket full of Vocab matches the poster set (shown above), and also has additional words such as  love, care, and celebrate.  Have students pull the cards out of the pocket and review the meanings of the terms or how they apply to the topic of loving our Earth. They can quiz themselves, quiz a neighbor, and even write short definitions on the back to help them remember.

The Worm Challenge for this unit challenge students to consider what can be done with food that is waste. Rotten vegetables, scraps, uneaten leftovers...how can they help our Earth?

If you're up to it, a classroom compost would be an awesome addition to your discussions. 
Not sure where to get started? 
A Few Short Cuts will take you step by step to get you going. It's easier than you think...


...and the kids will LOVE digging up some worms! If you don't have an area at school that they can worm-search, then have them look around at home for some. They can put them in a clean 20 oz. bottle, or some other container with a secure lid, and bring them in. 

The next two pages of the interactive notebook encourage your littles to get up close and personal with caring for the Earth.
What can THEY do to make a difference? Have them come up with some ideas, and then write & draw them out. Then challenge them to keep track of ways that they put the 3 R's into practice.

Humans aren't the only living things that impact the Earth...animals and plants do too. In fact, they impact us as well! 'Living on Earth' gives you an opportunity to talk about how animals change their environment. The example given, is the groundhog, who digs holes in the ground to make his home. An example of how the Earth impacts us is when tree roots break the sidewalks we've created.

The next three pages shown in the above picture give students a chance to brainstorm and illustrate different objects in their day to day lives that they can reduce, reuse, and recycle. 

As I've mentioned in each of the different interactive notebook post, I've noticed that kids LOVE to prove how smart they are. So I created this page that not only reinforces your class discussions during this unit, but also give the kids a chance to feel smart, review with their friends, and practice what they've learned.
Students simply pull out one of the many questions and either answer the questions or do what it says.

If your looking for a great 3R's song for your students to listen to or learn, Chelsea Woolhouse has put together a great video with Jack Johnson's 3Rs song:

If you're looking for additional activities to use during your Earth unit, I have a few more to show you, that are not part of the interactive notebook.

 Here is a Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension resource that includes various reading passages with corresponding comprehension question sheets.
I love celebrating Earth Day in Kindergarten with a variety of interactive activities that are geared just for them. Let me show you how to increase science engagement in your classroom, while having tons of fun at the same time! Did somebody say WORMS?!
You can help your little sweethearts develop a confidence in their reading skills while having fun at the same time! The kid-friendly font that is used in these passages makes reading the text even easier. 
I love celebrating Earth Day in Kindergarten with a variety of interactive activities that are geared just for them. Let me show you how to increase science engagement in your classroom, while having tons of fun at the same time! Did somebody say WORMS?!
It's a perfect pack to send home for parents who are asking what they can do at home to help their little readers. All of the passages included have between a .1-1.0 reading comprehension level based on the Flesch-Kincaid reading comprehension level formula.

These FREE Earth-Themed Pathway Mazes are fun for early finishers or indoor recess.
I love celebrating Earth Day in Kindergarten with a variety of interactive activities that are geared just for them. Let me show you how to increase science engagement in your classroom, while having tons of fun at the same time! Did somebody say WORMS?!
These block-free mazes ensure that all students are able to successfully complete them! For more advanced mazers, have them draw in their own blocks...maybe some litter to clutter the path.

Learn about different types of biomes with this Our Earth Biomes Emergent Reader.
I love celebrating Earth Day in Kindergarten with a variety of interactive activities that are geared just for them. Let me show you how to increase science engagement in your classroom, while having tons of fun at the same time! Did somebody say WORMS?!
This "Our Earth" reader practices reading the sight word "our" while teaching your littles about the various types of biomes in our wonderful world. Each page has the repetitive pattern: "Our Earth has..." and covers deserts, oceans, forests, prairies, mountains, ponds, and more! 

Well, that's it for Earth & Human Activity. Next, we'll cover some helpful resources that will help you cover the Engineering Design standards.

-Til next time


I love celebrating Earth Day in Kindergarten with a variety of interactive activities that are geared just for them. Let me show you how to increase science engagement in your classroom, while having tons of fun at the same time! Did somebody say WORMS?!

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