Water Cycle Vocabulary Mini Game
Tag: Science
“The Black Box Experiment” – The First Day of School Activity
The first day of school will be here before we know it and I can’t wait! The first day of school can be tricky and if you don’t take care, you could have a rocky start. With that in mind, I’ve learned a few things to do on that first day that will get the students thinking! One of my favorite is the Black Box Experiment.
When I did my student teaching some years ago, my mentor and I planned our first day out completely. One thing he did was the black box experiment. When I began my 2nd year teaching, I did this experiment with my 2nd graders. I filled a regular pencil boxes (the same you can get at the store for about $1, even cheaper right before school starts) with everyday school items. Mostly just some things I found around the classroom. Then I closed it and wrapped it in black bulletin board paper.
On the first day of school during science time, I pulled out the boxes. I had made about 3 to 5 boxes (enough for each table). I didn’t tell the students what was in it. They had to use their senses to figure out what was in the box. It was a great experience for them and for me as well.
When I did it with my mentor, we simply had the students write about it. When I did it with my 2nd graders, I created a worksheet where they could draw what they thought was in the box and write down their reasons. At the end of the day, I used their drawings and posted them on my bulletin board.
The answers the students gave were funny while others were spot on (I think everyone knows the sound of a coin). You can gain some insight into their thinking as well as get a sample of their writing and drawing. I remember one student thought there were cards in the boxes. Another thought there was a toy elephant inside!
Through the school year, I made references to that experiment, especially for my struggling students (making the analogy that even though we don’t know something, eventually we will figure it out aka open the box). At the end of the year, we opened the boxes and the students were surprised at what it was. Some were happy while others were disappointed. Next time, I plan to put small 2nd grade promotion certificates and small prizes inside the boxes! If you’d like to try this experiment in your classroom, you can purchase this set in my TPT Store. It gives you more details and plans out the entire lesson from start to finish.
Have a happy first day of school! Don’t forget to check out other great first day activities!
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Using StudyJams in the Classroom
If there’s one website you need to know about, it’s StudyJams. This website created by Scholastic, includes videos about Math and Science topics for 2nd grade and up. I use these quite often. Not only for myself, but for my students. It’s great for review!
StudyJams includes 2 topics. The math topics include Numbers, Addition & Subtraction, Multiplication & Division, Fractions, Decimals & Percents, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data Analysis, Probability, and Problem Solving.
StudyJams’ science topics include Plants, Animals, the Human Body, Ecosystems, Landforms, Rocks, & Minerals, Weather & Climate, Solar System, Matter, Force & Motion, Energy & Light, and Scientific Inquiry.
Each topic includes subtopics and all you have to do is click on the topic. Some topics are videos and some are just slideshows. For the videos, “the crew” discuss real life problems related to each topic.
Each topic also includes key words that you can click on and see the definition. Most topics also have a “Test Yourself” which has a few questions about the topic. I use thus quite often to test my students’ knowledge. Some even have Karaoke songs. I haven’t tried that, but I did a few students who loved to sing some of the songs!
For some of the math topics, there a step by step guide to solve math problems. This really helped my struggling student. They would watch the videos more than once. This also helped my struggling students who have access to computer or tablet at home. They could watch videos to help them with their homework.
This StudyJams is so useful, I find myself using it almost every day, especially for the science topics. It great for the students too. They come in handy during testing time too as my students are tested in Science as well as math and reading. Best of all, this website is free! No log in, sign-ups, or trials. StudyJams is FREE!!
Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think: Study Jams
