Merry Christmas!

More Formative Assessment Ideas...

An Assessment Foldable: 

On this foldable are sections for Agree/Disagree, True/False, multiple choice letters of A,B,C,D and numbers 1,2,3,4.  There is also a section for a "stoplight."  One last section is for a student name plate.

For multiple choice answers of  1,2,3 or 4:

For responding as Agree or Disagree:

For multiple choice answers of A, B, C or D:

Stoplight:  Red = I'm stuck.

Yellow = I need to slow down and review.

Green = I'm good to go! 

For responding to True/False questions:

Color Cards: 

I used a craft punch to create decorative circles and various colors.  Next, I laminated the circles, cut them out and placed on a binder ring.  Each color can indicate multiple things.  For instance, pink could equal True while orange could represent False.  Simply have the students to display the color on their desk or in the air for a quick assessment.  The colors red, yellow and green can be used like the stoplight.  As students read and article or work on answering questions, they can display certain colors to signify their understand or if they need help with something.

Exit Slip Collection Board:

I took business sized envelopes, sealed them and then cut the ends off to create pockets.  I then numbered each pocket and glued them to a piece of poster board.  Now each student can match their assigned number and place their exit slip into the pocket on their way out the door!  

The Stoplight: 

Students are given a small sticky/post-it note.  I take the 1x1 size and cut it into thirds.  Students then write their personal ID number on it and place it on the color that best represents their individual level of understanding.

Stoplight:  Red = I'm stuck.
Yellow = I need to slow down and review.
Green = I'm good to go! 

"Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary"

Please join me in a day of silence for teacher bloggers on

Sunday, December 16, 2012,

by only posting the picture below on your blog 

and titling your post as "Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary" 

"Angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are 

gone."

~Author Unknown

"The light of a distant star continues to reach the Earth long after 

the star itself is gone."

~Author Unknown

"Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal."

~Author Unknown

Student Self-Assessment

1. Each student is given their own personal ID number.  I have students to write their numbers in their science notebooks.  They will keep the same number for the entire school year.  
2. Give each student a sticker and have them write their number on the sticker.  
3. To assess levels of understanding for a particular topic, have students place their sticker above the line that corresponds to their level of understanding.  
4. In the end, you will have visual analysis of the level of understanding for the entire class.  
5. You can then make decisions on reteaching the topic or being able to move on.  

Energy Sources: Renewable vs Nonrenewable

The Plan:

Energy is a new topic in my teaching curriculum this year.  As a matter of fact, I have never had to teach this topic!  So coming up with a plan that was engaging and learning the information well enough for me to teach became somewhat daunting.  But with the help of a great curriculum coach and a fabulous lead science teacher, we came up a good plan.

1. Our class studied information about renewable vs nonrenewable energy sources.  
2. We created a basic foldable which included definitions and examples. 
3. Our next step was to research various sources of energy.  I found a fabulous website that had printable information sheets.  So I printed them on colored paper and had them laminated so I could use them for years to come.  
4. Because there were so many sources to cover, I decided to use cooperative group strategies to get the goal covered.  
5. I ended up with about 10 groups for the 10 sources.  Each group had to research their energy source, create an informative mini-poster and present their information to the class.  
6. Now I am fully aware that middle school kids have difficulty paying attention to one lesson per day.  So I knew that 10 lessons would be ridiculous.  So after all the presentations were complete, I taped the posters all around the room and had the students to complete a silent gallery walk.  This way, any information they students missed during the presentations could be gained by reading the posters.  

Resources: 

The NEED Project~ http://www.need.org/

• This is an amazing resource!  The information booklets provided so much more than any textbook ever could.  All of the information can be downloaded by levels such as primary, elementary, intermediate and secondary. There are many lesson plans and activities too! 

YouTube video on energy~ http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=8rrgpGo1Fw8

• SchoolHouse Rock!  Science video on Energy!  Loved this when I was a kid.  

Paint Sample Cards...

Here is another way to use paint sample cards in your classroom:

I took some of the larger cards and cut them in half.  At the end of learning about the periodic table, I handed each student a card and instructed them to write as many facts as they could in about 2-3 minutes.  I then had each student randomly tape their card to a piece of chart paper. Now we have a poster that we can use as a review for our state testing.  This is also a great formative assessment tool!  The teacher could look over the information posted on the cards and if there was an important concept not written about then she/he could do a little reteaching.

Mightybell

I have found a great new website and I can't wait to use it!  It's called Mightybell.  In my opinion it is a cross between Facebook and Pinterest.  I hope to use it to promote collaborative lesson planning for science.

My Mightybell space:  https://mightybell.com/spaces/16682

Start your own:  mightybell.com