Secondary Science – Back To School Giveaway!

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Back to school is here!  I have teamed up with some amazing secondary science friends to bring you a giveaway you won’t want to miss (see below)!  I always look forward to the new school year, but I have to admit that I am always anxious for what the new year will bring.  What will I be teaching?  How many students will I have?  How am I going to get my room together AND plan in the short amount of time I am given?  In an effort to ease my anxiety, my wife and I created several resources that have totally changed my mindset.  The 3 resources listed below have increased engagement in my class and have helped me create a daily routine with my students.

Science Interactive Notebook Bundle – contains over 200 student pages for use within your interactive notebooks

Science Warm-Up and Homework Bundle – 47 weeks (235 days) of warm-ups and 66 homework sheets

Science Task Card Bundle – perfect for rotations, stations, tutorials, interventions, review, and emergency substitute plans

***GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS***

To kick off this school year, we are giving away resources and individual store shopping sprees.  To join the giveaway you need to enter my rafflecopter below.  After you enter my rafflecopter, go to each blog at the bottom of this post and enter their individual rafflecopter giveaways as well.

For my individual rafflecopter, I am giving away the following prize to TWO winners: $25 worth of resources from my Teachers Pay Teachers store, The Science Duo!  There are multiple ways to enter and win:

  1. Write a blog comment below suggesting a topic you would like to read about on my blog this year.
  2. Visit The Science Duo on Facebook
  3. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

But that’s not it!  In addition to our individual giveaways, we put together one HUGE blog hop giveaway.  It’s just for secondary science teachers grades 6-12.  We are giving away FOUR $100 Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards!  Each blog post has a secret code word and a number.  My clue word is 7. WHICH.  The number tells you where the word falls in the secret sentence.  Collect the words from each blog, write them down in number order, and copy the secret sentence into our joint rafflecopter giveaway.  This rafflecopter form is the same on every blog, so you only need to enter once from any one of our blogs (scroll to bottom to visit other blogs).

This is an incredible opportunity, so please share this with your science friends.  Be sure to sign up for our blog newsletter for tips and strategies throughout the year.  Also, feel free to follow our TpT store and Facebook page to receive updates on sales and new science resources.  I wish you the best of luck and hope you have great start to the year!

Take care,

Scott

a Rafflecopter giveaway


106 Comments

  • This is my first year teaching science with the set up and equipment to do real labs. I’m working with 6th grade students, most of whom haven’t done labs before. I’d love to know more about how you manage labs. What size groups work best for you? Pairs? Teams of 4? How do you manage behavior? How do you get students to SLOW DOWN and follow the procedures carefully?

    • Hi Syd! Managing labs with 6th graders can be a challenge for sure. Teams of 2-4 depending on the lab has worked for us (2 for a more basic lab and 4 for more advanced). We stress over and over the importance of teamwork and being safe in the lab so that our students know when it is lab day there should be total focus. With 6th graders that takes time. Modeling labs and completing the first few steps together has worked well. Then as the students start to understand the process, you can back off and let them take over. Incentives for groups that are on task, being thorough in the experiment, being safe, using materials properly, cleaning up correctly, working cooperatively is always a good motivator. We award these prizes (this is just a few): sit in the teachers chair for a day, no homework for a week, pick your seat for the day, jolly ranchers (always a favorite), listen to music the last 5 minutes of class.

  • I’m looking to do more inquiry based labs with my students so I’d love to see more of that.

  • Getting back in the swing of things after taking a sabbatical. I feel like I’m a first year teacher all over again.

  • I love the science duo and the resources on tpt!

  • Love the the custom designed bundles! Thank you for everything that provide for teachers!

  • What strategies do you use to help students grasp natural selection? How do you get around their misconception with adaptations?

  • I’d like to see STEAM activities; so much is STEM-related, but our school incorporates art as well, hence STEAM!

  • Thank you! I would love more information about starting a school wide STEM program (we are just at the beginning stages!

  • I would like to read a blog about engaging disengaged students. Students who have been retained or failed standardized tests.

  • I really like your resources and follow your blog and FB pages! Keep up the awesome work!

  • I appreciate Science Duo and all of their resources for teachers. I would like to see ways to help students see the science in their everyday life, outside, at home and how very important the basic knowledge of science principles can help them in ordinary tasks.

  • Hi there! Would love to see things that are Google Classroom friendly!

    Thanks!

  • I would love to see different formative assessments geared toward IB

  • I love your blog header ….. so cool! Thanks for teaming up with us on this blog-venture. Good luck!

  • A topic that I would love to hear more about is NGSS too. I have some knowledge of it but I really would love to know how it differs from my current teaching practices. Another topic might be to incorporate more accountable talk effectively in the classroom but orally and written. Thanks.

  • “Taking Over Someone Else’s Class Mid Year”

    • Thanks for the comment! We have known several teachers that have done that. It is definitely not easy.

  • Thanks for the chance to win! I would love to read information on bringing more inquiry based activities and labs into my lessons.

  • I love your middle school resources, I have to admit a lot of my wishlist is from your site.

  • Thanks for offering this! I’ve used your resources many times and they continue to be some of my students favorites.

  • I would like to read about basic chemistry and genetics activities for 6th graders! Thanks!

  • I am interested in science clubs that really motivate students. Currently our science club is a “way to get out of 8th period study hall”. So sad..perhaps robotics?! Thanks.

    • We did robotics last year at our school and we were 2 of the 8 sponsors for the club. We learned just as much as the kids…hah! It was a ton of work starting the club and the bots are not cheap, but the kids absolutely loved it. There were mini competitions throughout the year and a major competition at the end of the year. We used the Lego Mindstorms program and bots.

  • I would love to hear about ideas for the around the room circuits. I use them already but I bet there is an easier way, I tend to over-complicate!

    • Thanks for the comment. We will take a look at that! The circuits are a favorite of our students. It can be a little chaotic at times, but we love the conversations students have while working through the activity.

  • I would like to read about a day in your science classes. Such as rules and procedures. Anything about time management or balancing multiple classes would be good.

    • Thanks for the comment, Shanita! We will definitely put that on our list. 🙂

  • Would love to see something about how to do more with less or how to acquire more equipment for labs. We have limited resources at our school. Thank you I use your materials and think they are great

  • I’m looking to ratchet up the rigor in my 5th grade Science classes.

  • I am interested in more lab stations, especially on the individual body systems.

  • I would love to see some hands on middle school life science labs that are easy to implement and use items that are reusable. 🙂

  • I love your products, especially the STAAR Review Booklets! Awesome resources!

    • That seems to be a hot topic! Thanks for commenting. We will definitely add that to the list.

  • Hi! Hope everyone has a great year. Any help with Pre-AP and AP Biology would be awesome.

  • Hope you have a great year. Any help or ideas for Pre-AP or AP Biology?

    • Hey Michelle! We don’t have anything in our store for for Pre-AP or AP Biology since we are middle school teachers. Sure do love biology though!!! Have you checked out Amy Brown Science, Biology Roots, Science with Mrs. Lau, or Tangstar Science? They are all high school experts and I believe they have biology resources. 🙂

  • Our school district is moving towards NGSS in California. I would like to see how I can incorporate your resources with the NGSS for integrated model for 7th grade.

  • I would love to see some digital resources to use with smart boards or digital ISNs

  • I’m liking to improve the rigor in my eighth grade classes. Really want to make them real scientists! I enjoy using your resources too!

  • Interactive Science Notebooks—–and beyond—what can we “do” with them after they are constructed. I also noticed several posts about project based learning—-I would love to get your perspective on them.

  • I really like your product. Very happy with it. I would like to see more labs.

  • Love your resources on TpT! I, too, would love to see some IB/MYP resources, Have a great year all!!!

  • Anything for high school pre-ap biology or chemistry would be great.

  • I’d really like to see a blog post about managing science centers and labs.

  • I would love to read about how you have incorporated Interactive Notebooks in your classroom.

  • Love your resources I would love to know more on how students use their own data in the classroom.

  • I would like to know more about science stations. I used to do stations when I taught elementary school years ago, but I have never tried to use them in middle school.

  • I would love to get more idea on incorporating more STEM into my curriculum.

  • Hi,

    I would love to see more about how you use the task cards in your classroom, and at which grade levels

  • Our school has been pushing close reading and I was wondering if you are using it in your classroom and if you are how are you incorporating it?

    • Hi Jennifer! We are not currently using close reading in our school. We will ask around for you to see if any of our teacher friends are and how they use it.

  • I would like to see a blog about increasing rigor in my lessons and helping my students change to a growth instead of fixed mindset

  • I’d love to hear more about how you facilitate science research projects!

  • I would love to find more STEM or STEAM based projects/labs centered in life science (7th grade). The few I have are a blast but, most are for elementary, physical sciences, and earth science. Love your blog!

  • I would love to see more on STEM and pacing of the lessons.

  • I teach 6th grade Science. This year I have larger classes than normal of 23-25. What size groups do you recommend for labs? I don’t always have a paraprofessional to help with crowd control. I love having an interactive classroom but sometimes it is difficult.

    • Hey Lindsay! We try to keep our lab groups to no more than 3-4 per group. I currently have 7 groups of tables (each table can seat 4 students). Anything more than 4 is hard to manage and you run the risk of some students not participating.

  • I love the things I have gotten from you and think the students will too.

  • I’m excited to try some new inquiry based labs. This is only my second year teaching middle school science, so I need some new “tools” in my “tool box!”

  • I would love to see some more physics stuff. This is my first full year teaching and I haven’t had a physics class in 10 years.

  • I would be interested in learning more about using interactive notebooks and how to grade them.

  • Any and all 8th grade science NGSS material tips and resources pretty please. Love to have different fun activities and ways to incorporate things in addition to all my Kesler science stuff.

  • This year, I would love to read about creating and using digital interactive notebooks, as I am venturing down that path this year in my classroom!!!

  • I am going to use interactive notebooks this year, so I would like more information about those.

  • I would like to see how you teach electromagnetic spectrum to middle schoolers. Mine just don’t seem interested at all!

  • Looking forward to looking through all your amazing resources! Once I finish signing up for all these amazing giveaways. I am starting my second year using interactive notebooks. Love all the resources your have to help me continue to implement these notebook ideas, successfully!

  • I see a few others had the same question in mind….incorporating literacy or close reading into the science class. With 7th graders there are so many topics that they could benefit from having an article with questions, not just science specific, they could do for homework to help support the content we do in class. Trying to semi-flip my classroom this year and do an lot more things via Google.

  • I would like to read about how you, and others, incorporate engineering standards into current units. One of my goals this year is to have standards support each other in units, not to have separate engineering units. Thanks!

  • Hey Scott and Natalie! I am crushing on your task cards and warm-ups… they looks so easy to implement but with a high return for student learning.

  • Thanks for joining in on the giveaway! You have some awesome stuff. Hope you have a great year ahead. 🙂

  • Thanks for the chance to win! I’d love to hear about how you utilize limited financial resources to create meaningful lab experiences for your students!

  • I would love more chemistry resources. You have some awesome stuff.

  • Thank you for all the great advice and resources! I would like advice on how you incorporate inquiry and engineering design. Thank you!

  • I teach English Language Learners and would love to see blog posts/resources on integrating ELA skills into the science content.

  • I would like to know how you use your science notebooks with major projects or engineering processes.

  • I would love to see blog posts about engaging ways to integrate the “new” middle school Next Generation Science Standards.

  • I would love to see more about incorporating STEM activities into various topics throughout the year 🙂

  • I would like more ideas for using an interactive science notebook with my 8th grade science classes.

    • Thanks for commenting, Anna! This has been a very popular request. We will add it to the list of future blog posts.

      • Hi! Just a thought, I’m not sure all states cover the same things in 8th grade. I’m specifically looking for cheap, easy labs for waves, forces and motion, plate tectonics, earth layers, and earths biological history. 🙂 I love your resources and Kesler science. You save me a ton of time!

  • This is my first time at your site. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and your resources. I’m particularly interested in your task cards and station rotations.

    • Hey Stacey! Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for commenting and the kind words. 🙂

  • I struggle with ELL and how to deal with vocabulary issues on top of the new information. Any advice is appreciated.

  • I would love to read more about STEM science activities. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂

Comments are closed.