The Science Penguin

One of my favorite ways to address this standard all year long while also inspiring students is through read-alouds and a robust classroom library. It’s important to make sure representation is diverse and many interesting careers and historical stories are mentioned. This list features affiliate links. Category 1: Matter and Energy 5.5 The student knows ... Read more

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 ... Read more

CER stands for claim, evidence, and reasoning. It is a scaffolded way for students to prove their understanding of scientific concepts in a written format. It helps to develop critical thinking and writing skills concurrently, which are both important in the classroom and the real world. You can think of it as a framework in ... Read more

Have you ever wished that you could have Science Penguin resources ready to go… in Spanish? Well, now you can! I have heard from literally hundreds of Spanish Bilingual Educators that want Science Penguin resources available in Spanish. Because this is a new project with multiple moving parts, talented translators, and I have 8 years ... Read more

All about scientists, free download, attributes of scientists, scientific method, interactive activities to learn about science.

Why I Love Science Stations Units. New to Science Stations. Find out why kids and teachers love them.

Many upper elementary science teachers start the year teaching their students about science process skills and scientific practices like: working safely in the lab using science tools asking questions planning and carrying out investigations analyzing and interpreting data constructing explanations with claims, evidence, and reasoning Here are some resources and ideas that can help make ... Read more

Interactive activities to teach all about penguins! Tie in a fascinating subject like penguins to your science standards with this unit.

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 energy in animals’ food was once energy from the Sun. NGSS 5-PS3-1 Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to ... Read more

Setting Up Your Science Notebook Many teachers have expressed concern about doing notebooks “the right way.” I’m here to tell you there is no right or wrong way! It’s about what works for you and your classes. If you’re new to notebooks, ready to make some changes, or just want to streamline your science notebook ... Read more