Resources for the NGSS Classroom

For some of us our state adopted the NGSS a few years ago, some are just adopting them now and still others have yet to adopt them. In any situation I feel that the practices behind NGSS are beneficial for all classrooms. You can find the infographic below from the National Academies Press. It is available as an interactive widget or as a printable pdf document.


If you want more you can download a free version of the Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas.

"A Framework for K-12 Science Education outlines a broad set of expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12. These expectations will inform the development of new standards for K-12 science education and, subsequently, revisions to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development for educators. This book identifies three dimensions that convey the core ideas and practices around which science and engineering education in these grades should be built. These three dimensions are: crosscutting concepts that unify the study of science through their common application across science and engineering; scientific and engineering practices; and disciplinary core ideas in the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences and for engineering, technology, and the applications of science. The overarching goal is for all high school graduates to have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on science-related issues, be careful consumers of scientific and technical information, and enter the careers of their choice. "

This book is from the National Academies Press and they have over 8,000 other books and many of them are free if you download the pdf version.

10 Ways to Make Every Day Earth Day

Thank you to Battery Depot for sharing this image

Top 5 Posts of March

I'm a little late with this, but below are the Top 5 Posts of March.  I hope that you enjoyed reading them and if you haven't now is a great time to give them a read. :-)

1. Phases of the Moon Webquest
2. Lesson Planning - getting organized
3. Freebie for my Fashion Forward Teaching Friends
4. Big Bang Theory Punnett Square Worksheet
5. Organizing your day

What are looking for for your classroom?  Leave me a comment and I will work on a post just for you! 

Periodic Table Apps for the Chemistry Classroom

NOVA Elements 
I am going to start with my favorite app. Like many of the apps that I will mention here, you can get a lot of detailed information about the elements. This app will also include pictures and some background information about where the element in found and what it is used for. There are also some interactive activities where you can view and rotate molecules such as red dye and also construct your own atoms and elements. My favorite part about the app is the the NOVA program, Hunting the Elements, that the app links to. It’s a great video that goes through all of the elements on the periodic table and it’s one, in my experience, the kids are actually interested in.

iTunes  Windows store  web edition of NOVA Elements

K12 Periodic Table of the Elements

This app allows you to explore the elements through a variety of lenses. You are able to view the elements color coded by their categorizes or state of mater. From there can you can information about each element including: atomic number, electronegativity, ionization energy, radius, ionic radii, melting point, boiling point, lewis dot diagram, outermost orbital and average atomic mass. In addition to viewing the info about each elements, you can view the whole table through one of the prior listed lenses.

iTunes Store   Google Play   Amazon Appstore


iElements - Periodic Table of The Chemical Elements

This basic app gives you an overview of the periodic table with element symbols and atomic numbers. If you click on each of the elements a screen will come up where you can view a picture and get information such as category, group, period, block, average atomic mass and electron configuration. In general, it is a very basic app. 

iTunes Store


Mild EleMints: Free Periodic Table
This app allows you to customize your view of the periodic table and color code elements based on the properties you are interested in. As you zoom in on a specific element you get more detail on that element. The app has a section called Inspector that allows you to get a lot of different data including 118 Elements, with up-to-date names & symbols, Isotopes up to Platinum, classification, Period, Group, Block, Atomic Weight, Electronegativity, Empirical Atomic , radius; Calculated Atomic Radius, Covalent Radius, Van der Waals Radius, Triple Covalent , radius, Metallic Radius, Crystal Structure, Common Ions, Oxidation States, Shell Structure, Electron Configuration, Dynamic Physical State, Melting Point, Boiling Point, Density, Specific Heat, Ionization Energies and Binding Energies. There are many more things that that this app can do. You will find the ability to graph periodic trends, calculate molar mass, solve equations and more. 

iTunes Store


The Elements by Theodore Gray (paid app)

I would describe this app as an upgraded version of the iElements app mentioned above. It starts off with a periodic table with each element represented with a picture. Once you click on each element you get a section of information about the element, a larger picture and some background information about how the element was discovered and what it is used for. Many of the elements show addition pictures that you can rotate around. 

iTunes Store