Planning a field trip I am so excited to be able to offer you a guest interview all about field trips, their importance for students, and tips for planning a field trip in a less stressful way! James Dake is the Education Director at Grass River Natural Area and has over a decade of experience […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
Different Kinds of Children’s Outdoor Activities and Games for Teaching Science [Ep. 22]Children’s outdoor activities and games Lesson planning for outdoor activities is challenging if you haven’t seen it in action before. Trying to imagine how to implement children’s outdoor activities and games without some sort of modeling or prior support seems incredibly daunting. However, I’m here to help you with descriptions and examples for different kinds […]
Podcast
Teaching with Phenology: How to Plan Your Science Standards Around the Seasons [Ep. 11]Teaching with Phenology Organizing science standards with phenology in mind can truly benefit your students’ overall learning. Not only does it encourage the use of all the senses, lends itself well to a variety of different science activities, and provides a scaffolded approach to understanding of content, it most importantly gives your students authentic phenomenon […]
Podcast
10 Best Nature Apps to Use in the Elementary Classroom [Ep. 10]Best nature apps We’ve made it to the 10th episode of this podcast! Statistics show that more than 80% of podcasts don’t make it to this point, so to celebrate, I’ve put together a list of the 10 best nature apps that I use for teaching elementary students. 🥳 All of these apps have free […]
Podcast
Animal Characteristic Breakdown: Reaching Your Curricular Goals By Teaching with Animals [ep. 7]Animal characteristic breakdown Children love animals and are interested in their unique traits. By embracing this interest and teaching with animal characteristic activities in your classroom, you can reach your curricular goals in a student-driven way. In this episode, I introduce a Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for each grade level K-5 that can be […]
Podcast
10 Science Activities for Elementary Students That Aren’t Experiments [Ep. 1]Science activities for elementary students Science activities for elementary students are often thought to be limited to experiments. As children that grew up in the era of the scientific method, as teachers, we think: question —> hypothesis —> experiment —> data —> conclusion But the reality is – scientists explore, learn, and explain new discoveries […]
Podcast
Teaching with Books: Thinking Outside the Box with Steve Frisbee [Ep. 3]Teaching with books I am so excited to have the first guest episode be all about teaching with books. This is a passion of mine shared by my friend Steve Frisbee, the Camp Director at Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, Michigan. In this episode we talk about Steve’s experiences teaching with books and how he […]
ELA
Picture Books
Teaching with Books: How to Integrate Science and Literacy for Elementary ClassroomsIf you’re reading this, you’re probably already convinced that teaching science in elementary school is important. But maybe you feel like there’s not enough time in your schedule thanks to the demands for more math, reading, and writing instruction. Subject integration could be your new best friend! I’m talking about covering science concepts by teaching […]
Science
A Raising Butterflies Kit for the Classroom: A Conservation ConversationIf you’ve thought about adding a raising butterflies kit to your list of activities this year, you’ll want to read this article first! While these kits have great reviews and many teachers praise their benefits in the classroom, there’s a bigger picture to consider. I had the opportunity to interview Jenn Kirts and Michelle Fournier […]
Science
Beyond Hearts and Cupids: A Guide to Alternative Valentine’s Day Parties for Elementary TeachersPlanning a fun and engaging classroom celebration poses a unique challenge for elementary teachers, unless you decide to plan an alternative Valentine’s Day experience for your students. In this guide, we’ll transform your Valentine’s Day party into an educational experience, exploring engaging activities and creative crafts that align with your science curriculum. Let’s redefine classroom […]