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

Electronic Exit Tickets

Many of us use exit tickets in our classes.  Exit tickets can give us valuable information about students understanding of the topic and how we can adjust our instruction to help students.  While paper based exit tickets are a simple and easy way, they can be time consuming to correct.  Electronic exit tickets can be a great alternative.  There are a number of different ways you can go about this and here are few of my favorites.



1. Google Forms
I would say that Google Forms is the simplest way to collect exit ticket data, but depending on how link will give you more information on creating a Google Form quiz.
you use it, it may not be any easier to grade than a paper exit ticket (although easier to collect).  If you construct a quiz that consists of multiple choice, checkbook ro drop-down questions Google Forms can automatically grade it.  This

2. Poll Everywhere
Poll Everywhere is a great tool if you are looking for something simple.  You can create multiple choice questions, true/false and short answer questions.  What's unique about Poll Everywhere that your students can answer via text if they don't have internet access.  You can even put your polls right into your slideshow so polling students is even easier.  If you decide to project the results you will see them update in real time.



3. Socrative
Socrative is fun way to collect feedback (as well as do a review).  They have four different options to choose from and one of them is called exit ticket.  For this purpose, I would suggest that one.  If you are looking to use it for other purposes, the space race is a fun one and quick questions are good when you want to do an assessment on the fly.
You can learn more about using Socrative by checking out this post and this post.


4. Plickers
If you love the idea of student response systems, but your students don't have individual devices to use plckers is for you! To use Plickers in your classroom you only need one device (apple or here.
android). Students each get a card (that you can print) that looks like a QR code. Depending on the orientation that students hold the card they are presenting a different answer. All it takes is a quick pan across the room with your device and you'll get all of the students responses.  Read my full blog post about plickers

This post is cross-posted on my technology blog The Tech Savvy Science Teacher

Free Online Lab Safety Course

If you are in a school like I was in you, you know that you are not being provided with the lab safety training that is required.  I did some research to find something and I came across the Flinn Online Laboratory Safety Course.  There are two courses: one for middle school and one for high school.  I took both of them (even though there is a lot of overlap) and learned so much!

You might be thinking, "I'm not a Chemistry teacher so this doesn't really apply to me!"  I have found that non-chemistry teachers almost need this more because they have less experience with chemicals and don't always deal with them safely when they do use them.

I'm sure there are no school schools who have perfect lab safety procedures and everyone can learn something from this course.  I also think it's a good refresher for teachers.  I don't recall being taught lab safety techniques when I was in college (either in my science class or my science methods classes).  Hopefully things have changed, but in case they haven't this is a must watch for all science teacher.

Comment below with what training you have had on lab safety.  I'm interested to hear what happen in other schools. 

Opportunity to Pilot a Biology Lesson (stipend offered)

The Life Sciences Learning Center has developed a series of Big Data and Health Science lessons. These lessons are designed to help students understand what “big data” is, and how “big data” might be used in health research studies.

We are seeking grade 9-12 teachers who are willing to pilot test one or more of the Big Data and Health Science lessons with their students. Below are brief summaries of the lessons:

A Case of Osteoporosis

Use models, information cards, and a poster to explore associations among osteoporosis, bone density, and bone fracture risk. 1 class period

A Small Research Study

Does taking calcium supplements increase bone density and reduce the risk for osteoporosis? Analyze data from a small research study that collected bone density test data (T-Scores) from women who took or did not take calcium supplements. Calculate means and create box and whiskers plots to summarize the data. 3 class periods

Large Research Studies

Does data from large research studies support the claim that taking calcium supplements increases bone density? Analyze data from a large-scale health study involving data from hundreds of women. Then, select well-designed small research studies to include a meta-analysis study. Interpret the results of a meta-analysis study. 2 class periods

Big Data: A Different Kind of Science

How is big data science different from traditional scientific research? Use information from five stories to answer questions about big data in health science. 1 class period

Collecting Big Data

What are some possible sources of information for big data sets? Brainstorm the kinds of information available from sources such as health records, computer files, apps on digital devices, online purchases, credit card bills, and wearable health and wellness devices. 1 class period

Mining Big Data: Osteoporosis

How do factors such as UV light, exercise, caffeinated beverages, or sleep affect teens’ risks for developing osteoporosis later in life? “Mine” variables in a big data set that could be used to test hypotheses. Propose additional variables that might be potentially useful. 1 class period

Big Data and Human Health

What are some examples of ways that big data could be used to improve medical care related to prevention, treatment, and cures for human health problems? “Surf the web” to finding interesting ways that big data is being used to solve human health problems or to improve healthcare. 1 class period


Pilot test teachers will be asked to:

· Make copies of the student handouts for the lesson

· Use the lesson

· Complete an evaluation survey

· Provide detailed, written feedback with suggestions for improving the lesson

· Send us several samples of student work


A stipend of $75 per lesson will be provided for teachers who return the evaluation survey and written feedback by June 30, 2017.

Here is a link to the pilot testing application: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/big_data_pilot

Please complete the online application by March 4 to indicate which lesson(s) you would be willing to pilot test. Pilot test teachers will be selected by March 7.

CDC Science Ambassador Fellowship

When I find opportunities for science teacher I like to share them with you.  This opportunity is with the CDC.  Applications are open for the 2017 CDC Science Ambassador Fellowship!

The CDC Science Ambassador Fellowship is for teachers and educational leaders interested in bringing public health into middle and high school classrooms. It includes a 5-day summer course (July 10-14, 2017) at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, GA and a 1-year distance-based professional development opportunity. Applications are due February 15, 2017.

Peer leaders play an integral role in the fellowship. Not only do peer leaders have the opportunity to lead Science Ambassador teachers in lesson plan development, they attend more advanced sessions, lead case studies, present their work during a Teacher Talk (similar to a TED talk), and act as a liaison between CDC staff and Science Ambassador teachers.

For more information, please watch their video and visit their website.  You can also e-mail them at scienceambassador@cdc.gov if you have any questions.

Identifying Chemistry Lab Equipment Activity

It's a snow day for me, so I'm uploading some new products.  My products are available on Teachers Pay Teachers and TES.

For this activity, you will set up a selection of lab equipment around your classroom and then students will walk around the room identifying what it is and what it does as well as drawing a quick sketch of what it looks like.  This is great to do at the beginning of the year to introduce students to lab equipment or at the end of the year as a review to ensure that they know what all of the tools are that they used during this past year. 

How do you expose students to the lab equipment they will be using in the classroom?