All posts by Brad Grey

Prefixes and Suffixes with 9 Quizzes

Improve Academic Vocabulary

Use these prefixes and suffixes to help your students with vocabulary. One of the biggest struggles for students in Biology and Science is vocabulary.

To help your students learn the foundations of the “big words” used in Biology, introduce them to these 90 prefixes and suffixes.

Get Access Below To:

  • Master List of Words
  • All Quizzes with the Modified Version
  • Quizlets for Each Set

I give the students 10 words each week. Depending on the class, I either assign them to learn on their own with a weekly quiz or we go over a few terms each day after the bell ringer and then quiz weekly.

After we get through all 90 words, I give them a quiz with 10 words chosen randomly from the first 45 words and another quiz the following week with 10 randomly chosen the remaining 45 words.

 

 

 

 

 

Mealworm Inquiry Lab

 Mealworm Inquiry Lab

This week my students have been working on the Mealworm Inquiry Lab. In this lab, students apply everything they have learned about experimental design by creating their own experiment using mealworms (Superworms actually).

 

Superworms can be purchased at the local pet store and are great for this activity. The Superworms do not jump on the kids and they move slow enough to easily control.

They also have an interesting life cycle that the students learn about in their research.  In this inquiry lab, students make observations, conduct research, develop a question, identify variables, create a hypothesis, create procedures,  create choice chambers for their experiment, collect data, analyse data and draw a conclusion based on their results.

GET YOUR COPY HERE

Here are some example of their set up:

Note: About 40% of the students in this class have an IEP. The experiments were not perfectly controlled but this lab offers so much opportunity to address their weakness through questioning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have the students create a lab report when they are finished using my lab report rubric and guide

If you like this activity, you will love our Full Biology Curriculum. Check it out here.

Biology Curriculum

 

Hypothesis Practice- Get your Students to Practice Hypothesis Writing

Hypothesis Practice

This week my students practiced writing a hypothesis. To practice writing a hypothesis have  your students complete this engaging activity that gives the them a chance to practice their hypothesis writing.  This activity requires a 2 liter bottle, water and tape (masking or painting). Prepare the bottle by drilling three holes vertically in a straight line  about and inch apart. The holes should be  slightly smaller than a pencil eraser. I have used scissors and twisted them until the a hole was made but a drill is much easier if you have it.  Once the holes are drilled place some tape over the holes and fill it with water.

3 hole bottle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your bottle is now ready for the class.  Prior to getting started  with the hypothesis practice have the students create a chart that looks like the one below making sure they save room to write inside the chart. If students are using an interactive notebook have them place this chart on the right side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the left side of the their interactive notebook students will record their initial observations and their sketch. When students are done  with the entire activity it will look like this.

Student digital example

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To begin this activity, walk around the room to each student so they can closely observe the bottle and record their observations. This is where  you can emphasize details in their observation records. After walking around ask the class for a volunteer who isn’t afraid of water. Bring the student to the front of the class and sit them in a desk and give them a paper towel to put on top of their head (optional).  The purpose for involving a student is for dramatic effect and student engagement and it works very well! In addition.I also ask students after we are done if it influenced what they thought might happen and then use that as an opportunity to discuss bias. They shouldn’t actually get more than a drop or two of water on them if all goes well.  While holding the bottle over the volunteers head ask the class to record their hypothesis about what will happen when the tape is pulled past the first hole. Ask students to write the hypothesis. Have the students share their hypothesis with the class. Next, pull the tape past the first hole while holding it over your volunteers head. If everything is done correctly, no water will come out of the first hole. Students record their observations and record why they think it happened the way it did or any questions they may have.  Move on and repeat this for the next two holes. Have the students make a hypothesis before each  a new hole is exposed. Water will come out of the next two holes so I strategically have a trash can to catch the water and avoid getting it on the volunteer. Though this activity is simple, students love it.

I overheard one of my IEP students talking to the Co-teacher and he said: “This is actually pretty fun!”

Explanation of the Observations

Hole 1

When the tape is pulled past the first hole you should observe that little to no water comes out of the bottle depending on how full it is. The more full it is the less water will come out.

Why? When you fill the bottle and close the cap, the top of the bottle becomes closed off from the atmosphere. When you remove the tape past the first hole, some water may flow out and decrease the pressure of the air that remains in the bottle. Once the pressure is decreased enough (usually only a few small drops of water) the water is held in because the pressure difference from the air inside of the bottle is less that outside of the bottle.

Hole 2

When the tape is pulled past the second hole, the water will flow out of the second hole. If you observe closely you will notice air is flowing into the first hole allowing the pressure inside of the bottle to increase and water to flow out of the second hole.

Hole 3

When the tape is pulled past all three holes, the air still flows into the first hole (top) allowing water to flow out of both the second and third hole.  The water in the third hole will stream farther than the second hole due to the increase pressure from the additional water.

Try it out. Comment below on how it goes!

 

Independent and Dependent Variable Worksheet

Independent and Dependent Variable Worksheet

Many students struggle when learning about the independent and dependent variable. When teaching them the independent and dependent variable I try to simplify the two terms to be as simple as possible but still allow students to apply the definitions to an actual scientific experiment or scenario.

The independent variable can be defined as the variable that is manipulated. It is what the experimenter is adding to the experimental group. To simplify the independent variable for students I use the single word (changed) for the definition.

The dependent variable can be defined as the responding variable. The depend variable  can be simplified for students by mentioning that the dependent variable is the variable that is measured or counted.

To help my students get plenty of practice with this concept I have created a simple independent and dependent variable worksheet that gives them  some practice applying the independent and dependent variable to actual experiments.

This worksheet is one of many the my email subscribers regularly get delivered right to their inbox. Sign up here  to get more free worksheet and printable and so you do not miss out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV and DV Scenarios-PDF

Classroom Management

Classroom Management

One of my most successful tools in managing my class is the student intervention form.

This form is great on so many levels.  The form requires me to conference with students whenever they are not following the classroom procedure.

It allows the student(s) to know that if expectations are not met they will conference with the teacher (step out of the room or to the back of the room).

The form requires a signature as well. When students see the form the usual response is “What is this?” That is when I explain what happens next and they can see it on the form!

They know I am documenting evidence of their behavior because they are apart of the processes. The best part of this classroom management practice (other than the fact that it works), is that when you get to the end and send the referral to the office, administration is going to see what has already been done with the students signature all over it.

With this type of documentation your administrator is more likely to take real action. Though there are distinct levels on this form, I have skipped over steps depending on the level of the infraction. There are no rules for using it but I do know that when the students see it, it make the situation very real for them even if it is a minor infraction. It gets results when managing a classroom.

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