One thing I love to teach in 3rd Grade is Narrative Writing. Third Grade is the time when students can really engage with creative writing, the writing process and narrative writing. I especially love to teach students about finding ideas. So often our students have ideas locked inside their minds and they need the proper key in order to unlock all these great ideas. One of my favorite ways to unlock their great ideas is by using their favorite books and novels! It’s so funny how kids can go from completely stuck to full of ideas in the blink of an eye and this writing lesson totally helps with the question, “I don’t know what to write about!”

Text: Narrative Writing in Third Grade, Finding Writing Ideas
Image: Text is displayed over sharpened pencils.

Where Can Ideas Come From?

Image: “Ralph Tells A Story” by Abby Hanlon is displayed on a student desk.

So let’s talk about these ‘keys’ for a minute. As I said before, students often have ideas locked inside their minds and they need the proper key in order to unlock these great ideas. Where can Ideas come from? Kids are often stuck and need help finding ideas. I love using books to inspire ideas. I especially love the picture book “Ralph Tells a Story” for this. 

Ralph is a boy who really struggles to find an idea of what to write about. Over the course of the story, Ralph discovers that there are stories all around him! He could write about an inchworm in his backyard, the class goldfish, the markers in his desk….the stories are endless! My reluctant writers love this book because it’s funny and gives solutions for how to unlock their ideas. 

There are some other amazing books about finding ideas for writing..

• “What Do You Do with an Idea” by Kobi Yamada

• “Idea Jar” by Adam Lehrhaupt

• “Any Questions” by Marie-Louise Gay

Do you know of any other amazing books about ideas for writing? Send me a message, I’d love to add them to my list!

Use Books Students Love to Find Ideas

When teaching my students about narrative writing my absolute favorite thing to do is have students use books they already love to find ideas. I want to teach my students to draw on the books they are reading to inspire a new story during personal writing time. I like to tell my students that “Authors are inspired by what other authors have written”. So I want to teach my students to be inspired by the books around them. 

So the first step that I take while teaching this lesson is to brainstorm. We brainstorm stories we already know and love. Then we think of new adventures and ideas for these characters.

• Scaredy Squirrel - Let’s write a new adventure where Scaredy heads into space!

• The Magic Tree House - Jack and Annie visit our classroom!

• Who Would Win Books - We could write Butterfly vs. Bumblebee or Raccoon vs. Chihuahua 

Once students start thinking about books they are already reading, it gets easier for them to think of new ideas for the characters or book style! 

Model How to Create a New Story

Don’t forget to verbally model your through the process while you brainstorm. Students need to see how the writing process works. Creative writing first starts with creative thinking. Narrative writing begins with an internal dialogue with yourself. So don’t forget to model each step of the writing process during the writing lesson. This helps to prepare them for when they brainstorm their own story.

Wow!  We sure love Scaredy Squirrel! He’s so funny and he gets into so many silly adventures.  I wonder what else he could possibly get into?  Hmmm.  We’ve seen him be terrified to head to the beach.  I wonder how he’d feel about going to space!  What kind of things would he be scared of? How would he plan to head into zero gravity? What would he bring with him?

Write the Story 

After brainstorming ideas, I model how to create a new story. Then students will plan their story and then begin to write. After writing, I always give my students time to edit and then write their good copy. Sometimes I even let my students type their good copies on the computer.

In my Book Inspiration Writing Lesson package, I have a planning page, writing pages, and a checklist to help with their editing. There is even a digital template included in this package so students can type their good copies into a well-laid-out template.

Spend less time planning!

Looking for a FAST way to plan this writing lesson? In just a few clicks you can grab all of the pieces you need: a lesson plan, planning pages, rough and good copy student sheets, and assessment! Just print… that’s it.

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Share The New Story

One thing that I’ve learned over my years of teaching is that it’s important to give students a chance to share their work. This gives them a sense of ownership of their work and it also instills pride for their hard work.

I like to mix up the way my students share their work. Sometimes I’ll create a class library of these new books. Students can read each other’s stories! (As a bonus, this may also give them new ideas for their next piece of narrative writing.) 

Other times I’ll host an Author’s Chair, where students have a special place to share excerpts from their stories with their classmates. I’ve even had my students publish their stories digitally on a secured classroom blog so parents can read the stories at home. Parents love to check out their children’s creative writing.

As you can probably tell, I love teaching the writing process to my 3rd Grade students. There is something special about teaching them about creative writing and narrative writing. Do you have any fun ways to teach the writing process to your students? Do you have any “go-to” third grade writing lessons?

First, kids learn letters. Second, they learn words. Then, they use phrases. Afterward, they use sentences. At some point, they learn transition words. Do you see what I did there? Transition words are important to help with the flow of writing. We, as adults, often use these words without even thinking about it. But we need to explicitly teach transition words to our students. So I thought I’d put together a list of some fun ways to teach transition words in third grade.

Text: 5 Ways to Teach Transition Words in Third Grade
Image: Two pencils are displayed on a red background

How Do You Teach Transition Words in Third Grade?

I think we can all agree that transition words are important. But we’ve all seen writing where students just repeat the same transition words over and over. How many times have we read an essay that has “And then…..And then…..And then…..” It’s up to us to explicitly teach transition words to our students. Otherwise, we’re doomed to read “And then….” essays for the rest of the school year. There are a variety of strategies that we can employ to help students learn their transition words. 

1. Write a Class Story Together

One way that I love to teach transition words is through modeled class stories. I will set up my flip chart with some transitional phrases. It might look something like this:

Once upon a time, there was a __________ and a _________.

First they _________________

Next they ________________.

Afterwards, they ________________. 

Finally, they ___________________. 

It was a _________ day.

Students love filling in the blanks together. In the end you might end up with a story like this:

Once upon a time, there was a frog and a duck. First they had a swimming competition. Next they went for lunch at McDonalds. Afterwards, they had a jumping competition. Finally, they went to bed because they were tired. It was a long and busy day.

Students like to create class stories together and share their ideas. After doing a story as a whole class, you could put students into groups and have them create their own stories, using the same template. Or you could have students create stories individually. Personally, I like doing it as a large group and then as small groups, because this fosters cooperation and communication skills.

2. Use Your Fingers

When students start thinking about the order of events in their story, I get students to use their fingers as they say each event. This helps them identify the order or first, second, third….and so on. Now, it’s OK if they use the “first, second, third…” as transition words, but you’ll also want to teach them other words to expand their vocabulary and make their writing flow better.

3. Create a Simple How-To Book

This is a super effective transition word resource that teaches students to use 3-4 transition words to write a simple instructional ‘how to’ story. As a class, we create a book titled “How to Do Almost Anything in Four Easy Steps!”. This helps to get students in the mindset of writing their ideas in the correct order and teaches the importance of basic transition words. I find that this is a great lesson for the beginning of the year. 

In this package, you’ll find sequence word cards to display in your classroom, planning paper, a self-assessment tool, the class book title page, and a variety of story papers for students to write on. 

4. Video the Outcome

To take this above resource one step further, you can have students create a step by step guide of how to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich, and then video the outcome. One of my teacher-friends does this with her class each year. First, she shows this video of a Dad recreating his children’s instructions for making a sandwich. It’s quite funny!

 After watching this video, the students have to write down instructions for how to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich. What the students don’t know is that my friend takes their instructions and creates a video of herself following the instructions. At one point, she even put peanut butter on her face because the student wrote “Put peanut butter on face.” 

Yes, this is a messy and silly idea. However, after this lesson, her students were extra careful when sequencing their writing. 

5. Traffic Light Transitions

I stumbled across the video below all about Traffic Light Transitions. It would be so easy to turn this into an anchor chart for the classroom. Students can help you brainstorm different transition words or phrases that belong in each section. 

Teaching transition words doesn’t have to be complicated. Even simple methods like these will help students to grasp the concept. And remember, the more students practice, the more adept they become at using transition words in their writing. 

BONUS IDEA: Practice transition words in journals

I am a huge fan of journal writing in third grade, it’s one of my favorite ways to build relationships and formatively assess writing. Once we have learned transition words, and students have access to a bank of transition words, personal journals are a great place to practice using them on a regular basis. Retelling events from our week naturally lends itself to using transition words, so it’s awesome practice. You can snag some of my favorite journal prompts below!

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Text: 5 Ways to teach transition words in third grade
Image: School supplies are displayed on a piece of paper.

I’ve spent most of my teaching career in grade three. I have a soft spot for grade three students. There’s something about the way that they are not-quite preteens, but no longer little kids that is the perfect sweet spot for learning. Teaching grade 3 science lessons are a lot of fun, we explore atoms and molecules, look at landforms around us, get outside with biodiversity, and even grow our own plants to see life cycles in person!

Text: Science Lesson for Grade Three
Image: A student examines a beaker with a magnifying glass.

Not teaching in BC? You might be looking for NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) aligned lessons and ideas for 3rd grade. That’s over in this post: 3rd Grade Science Topics

how do you teach science in grade 3?

When it comes to teaching science lessons in grade 3, I’ve always taken the hands-on approach. I love how invested third graders are in project-based learning, and how willing they are to try an inquiry-based investigation. Grade 3 science is perfect for lessons like these! 

But don’t be mistaken, I don’t hand students a project-based learning activity and walk away. There is so much scaffolding that goes into hands-on projects. I start every single science unit with teacher-led learning to give students at least a little background information on our new topic.  We learn new vocabulary, read informational texts to build a knowledge base, and then set off on student-led learning. I find that this approach makes our project-based and inquiry-based learning way more successful.

what are the topics in grade 3 science?

In BC, our science curriculum is mainly guided by the BC big ideas.  The BC Big ideas for Grade 3 science are:

• Living things are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems

• All matter is made of particles

• Thermal energy can be produced and transferred

• Wind, water, and ice change the shape of the land

When teaching these as topics, I teach these ideas in 5 distinct topics:  Landforms, Matter, Thermal Energy, Biodiversity, Plants. To read an in-depth post on each topic be sure to click through!

Teaching Local Landforms

I’ve always been a big believer that science lessons can (and should!) be made as relevant to your students as possible. When we study landforms I try my best to connect each landform to ones in our local community or ones that may be familiar to my students. Mountains? I’ll choose the one we can see from our classroom. River? The local summer swimming spot. Lake? The one we visit during our last field trip of the year. The more I can connect our landforms unit to our local community the better. This post has my absolute favorite landforms projects and activities.

States of Matter Activities

The three states of matter is a topic that our curriculum (here in BC) circles back to again and again… and with the right activities and lessons, it’s just so much fun! In Grade 3, we look at how all matter is made up of atoms, and what the atoms look like in a solid, liquid, and gas. We’ll build the particles out of classroom materials, act it out with our bodies, and get hands-on with experiments that show all three states. This post lays out how I introduce what matter is (and isn’t!) and some simple activities to get you started.

How is Thermal Energy Transferred? Science for Kids

We learn about Thermal Energy after Matter so that students already have a good understanding of atoms and how particles move. I have always chosen to study thermal energy in the winter so that we can use hot cocoa to see conduction in action (as our hands warm-up) and try out various materials as insulators against the cold. There are so many fun thermal energy activities to try in your classroom!

Biodiversity Science Lessons

In our biodiversity unit students discover that biodiversity is literally ALL around us. This is a great unit for getting outside of the classroom. Kids love this unit because it looks so closely at plants and animals… and anything to do with animals is always a hit in grade 3. After we look at just how diverse our own local ecosystems are, I send students off to explore local biodiversity and choose a single plant or animal to research in greater detail.

Inquiry Based Science: How do Plants Grow?

I have found my plants unit to be the most successful as the final unit of the year. By this point in the year, students are capable of planting and tending to a small bean plant completely independently. They can also observe and document plant growth with little assistance from a teacher. I’ve usually conducted this unit as inquiry-based learning, and it’s always such a hit. These inquiry-based plant experiments are such great science lessons for grade 3.

States of Matter is the one concept that repeats over and over in our science curriculum up here in British Columbia.  Understanding particles really is so fundamental to so much of chemistry, physics… and science in general!  So, I understand the repetition! Take a peek at the states of matter activities and lessons that have been the most successful in second and third grade!

Text: States of Matter for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grades
Image: A series of colorful beakers are displayed on a white surface.

What is matter and what is it made of?

“What is Matter” anchor chart.

When we start introducing the concept of ‘matter’ to students, we start with a simple anchor chart, like this one.  Almost everything around us is made of matter.  You are made of matter!  I am made of matter!  This desk is made of matter. Anything we can touch and hold is made of matter (We do talk about how thoughts, and feelings are not made of matter).   Matter is made of teeny tiny particles called atoms. 

There are 3 states of matter

Next, we talk about how matter exists in three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Solids keep their shape.  Liquids take the shape of their container.  And gasses expand to fill the whole space (or container). There are a couple of hands-on ways we explore these three. 

First, I’ll write these 3 definitions on the board or on three separate papers. Before we even create an anchor chart, we will start sorting tangible items in our room.  This is a ‘get up and move activity.  Together, we’ll grab objects and start sorting them into categories.  (HINT: blow up a few balloons ahead of time so you have a ‘gas’ or two to sort!)

If I don’t want to use physical objects, we’ve also done a card-based sorting game.  This one is fun because it’s easy to make a copy so small groups of students each have their own deck to sort.  It’s also easy to use as an exit ticket at the end of a science class.  I’ll just hold up a card and ask them to tell me if it’s a solid, liquid, or gas! 

This card-based sorting game comes from my Matter for Little Learners science unit. It was super easy to print out a few decks of sorting cards and play the game in small groups around the classroom.

The particles in a solid, liquid, or gas are different

All matter is made of teeny, tiny particles called atoms and the atoms in a solid, liquid, and gas are different from each other. There are a few ways I teach this process in second and third grades:

See the particles with a simple activity…

A simple activity template to show the particles in a solid, liquid and a gas.

Using a simple template (you can also just draw and photocopy a template like this) we show what the particles look like in each state of matter.  Solids have particles tightly packed together.  Liquids are more spread out with room to move.  Gases are very spread out and move past each other quickly.  This is an easy thing to create with whatever you have on hand. In the past, I’ve used cheerios glued to a simple template, bingo dabbers on cardstock paper, sequins glued on paper, etc.  There is no ‘right’ material to use as the atom!

Act out the particles…

In this version, each student becomes an ‘atom’. (This may work best outside) Use string or yellow traffic cones to create a circle on the floor barely big enough to fit all of your students standing up.  Ask all students to stand inside.  Pack them in tightly so they are barely able to move. “You are now a solid!  Atoms in a solid are tightly packed but cannot move past each other.  They can wiggle a little from side to side, but that’s it!”    

Now, make the circle a little bigger. This time the students might be able to walk slowly past each other to change spots.  “You are now a liquid!  Atoms in a liquid have some room to move carefully past each other.”

Now, make the circle MUCH larger.  The students should have space to jog/run.  Ideally, this would be done on a field or in a gymnasium.  “You are now a gas! Atoms in a gas move freely at high speeds and take up all of the space they are given.”

Let me do your planning

Looking for a whole unit?  I have you covered whether you are just introducing little learners to the concept of matter or getting a little more in-depth with students in third or fourth grades.  Units are full of nonfiction reading, activities, and complete lesson plans. Let me take one piece of lesson planning off of your plate! 

1. Matter for Little Learners

2. States of Matter for Third and Fourth Grades

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Text: States of Matter Science Ideas for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grades

Image: Three students participate in science activities.

Teaching all about landforms is a big part of our grade three science curriculum here in British Columbia.  It’s one of my favorite units because it’s a topic that lends itself well to outdoor and interactive learning.  I try to ensure that teaching landforms is as hands-on as possible: we head outside to explore our own local landforms and we make as many student-led projects as possible!  A few things happen in my classroom to make a landforms science unit successful at the second and third-grade level… take a peek!

Text: Science Lessons About Landforms for 3rd and 4th Grades Image: Text is displayed over an ocean landscape.

Keep It Local

A ‘local landforms’ anchor chart.

Teaching about landforms doesn’t have to be theoretical… there are landforms all around us! I’ve found that teaching about our own LOCAL landforms is the best way to hook students in and keep them invested in the unit as a whole.  (We did this in our biodiversity, water cycle, and plants units as well).  We try to make as many connections as possible to places and locations that are familiar to them. Even better if we can visit some of these places during our unit!

Pre-Teach Vocab

I know… I know… I’m starting to sound repetitive on this one,  but my ‘secret sauce’ to successful science is to pre-teach new vocabulary before we really dive in to a new unit.  That means starting with a few lessons on landform vocabulary.  I’ll set up vocabulary words around the classroom and we will do a ‘vocabulary hunt’ where students can search for definitions.  We might also set up a vocabulary ‘memory game’ where the vocabulary words and definitions are placed face down on the carpet and are flipped face up one at a time, just like the traditional ‘memory’ card game. These activities help new words to become familiar enough before we really dig into our science lessons. 

Get Outside and Get Observing

You will be able to find at least one landform example on your school grounds… so find it, sketch it, and label it!  Our school was ON an island, with a view of a mountain… two landforms in one! 

Nothing to observe? The outdoors is the perfect place to create a sketch of what a landform might look like on blank paper.  Sketch an island!  Draw a picture of a the place where a river meets a lake (this is called a delta).  If possible, I like to teach most of this unit from outside of the classroom.  

Explore Local Landforms In Depth

Our ‘Local Landforms’ flipbook project.

More local landforms? Shocking!  But I really do believe in making local connections to the curriculum wherever possible. We ended our landforms unit with a flipbook project that asked students to think about all of the local versions of as many landforms as we could think of.  A local lake, a local waterfall, a local valley, a local desert, a local cave, a local ocean, etc.  It was neat to watch them make connections to places they had all been or heard about. We also used our classroom devices to research places to help fill gaps for students who hadn’t had firsthand experience with each place and to add facts and details about each location. I, personally, had never been to a local waterfall, so this research component was helpful for me as well!

Let me plan your landforms unit!

Looking for a whole unit?  The complete landforms science unit features nonfiction reading passages, vocabulary, teacher-led lessons, FUN activities, project-based learning, and detailed lesson plans all along the way.  Let me take this off your plate!

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Have you started an end of the year countdown yet? The last weeks before summer break can be a bit (okay, a lot) chaotic in the classroom, but they are also the perfect opportunity to get ahead for back to school.  I would much rather get organized in May/June than feel overwhelmed and behind in August/September… no matter how tired I am at the end of the year.  Maybe it’s my enneagram 1 personality, but being properly organized helps me to feel ready for a break.  And I am ready for summer break this year.  These organization ideas for the end of the year will help to set next year off on the right foot!

Text: How to get organized before summer break.
Image: A notebook, pencil, paperclips, and pencil sharpener are displayed on a white surface.

There are a handful of things that I always try to do before leaving school for the summer.  Take a peek into my Year End Checklist:

End of the Year Must-Do Checklist

1. Recycle, donate, or toss student and teacher supplies that don’t work. It’s a great time of year to declutter and make sure everything is working and/or has lids! This includes supplies that just don’t work in your classroom.  Do you find yourself never reaching for that class set of pastels? Time to send them somewhere else!

2. Organize supplies and materials. Some years the class can be left set up, other years it has to be packed into boxes. Either way I try to make sure the supplies are organized and packed in a way that makes back-to-school unpacking easy!

3. Prepare blank name tags and labels. I may not know the names of students in my class, but I can make sure that name tags, cubby tags, and desk tags are laminated, organized, and ready to go.

4. Re-label any storage bins (like the ones I have EVERYWHERE in my room) or cupboards.  By the end of the year, the labels around my room are often peeling or discolored.  Before I go I take a moment to re-label anything that needs it and move anything that could use a new space next year. 

5. Organize student books.  I go through all of my books to repair any damages, recycle any that are beyond repair, and organize books back into levels or genres.  It’s great to start with an organized library. 

6. Deep clean my teacher-desk.  By the end of the year, my desk is a M-E-S-S.  I don't always know where half of the papers came from, but I know it’s a great time to purge as much as I can 

7. Photocopy lessons for the first week (or month!) back.  I like to have at least a weeks’ worth of back-to-school math, writing, reading, and get-to-know-you activities prepped and ready to go before I walk out the door.  That way, when the chaos of September rolls around, I am at least semi-prepped with a weeks’ worth of lessons to grab and go! You can see some of my favorite no-prep lessons for the first week back here.

If at all possible, I include my students in completing these tasks.  Most of these items are necessary because of how hard the classroom has been used by 22-28 students during the year, so I feel like it’s right to have them help with the re-set process for the next year. (And it counts as a life skills lesson… right?)   Is there anything I missed on my list? What is on your must-do list for getting done before summer break? Let me know in the comments below or chime in on instagram!

Teaching about how thermal energy is transferred in elementary science is so much fun because it’s a great unit to get totally hands-on. We build, we try, we experiment, and we really explore the different ways that heat is transferred. Here are some of my best ideas, experiments, tips, and tricks for teaching about thermal energy specifically for kids!

When do you teach thermal energy in the classroom? 

I really don’t think it matters when you are teaching thermal energy, each season has its own benefits when you’re teaching about how heat is transferred.  I’ve always taught it during the winter when we can dive in to the concepts of conductors and insulators (because brrrrr, it’s cold outside). This way, we can warm up with a conducting mug of hot cocoa.

However, the spring/summer also works, because feeling the warmth of the sun allows kids to make great connections about how the sun is radiating heat.  Plus, a warm sun helps some fun projects, like this solar oven, really work!

The only timeline I follow is that I make sure I’ve covered ‘matter’ first in my curriculum. So many of our discussions about thermal energy and heat transfer refer to ‘particles’ and I want the kids in my science classroom to have a good understanding of matter, and how particles move in different states of matter.  I don’t want them to be confused when I mention that “the atoms bump into each other”, because we’ve already covered ‘what is an atom’ in previous lessons!

Where do you start with thermal energy?

I start every single science unit with a handful of teacher-led lessons.  Before we head into the experiments, inquiry, and student-led learning portions I always spend a class or two teaching vocabulary and new concepts.  I find that front-loading this knowledge gives students the confidence to explore and ask questions later on. 

In this time, we usually do some non-fiction reading about our new science topic (either reading passages at my students’ level, or books from the library) and then head to vocabulary practice.  I’ll set up a Science Word Wall with our new vocabulary and we’ll play some hands-on games until students are familiar with the vocab for our unit.  In thermal energy, I want them to be comfortable with words like convection, conduction, radiation, energy, conductor, insulator, and atom before we even begin.  

Get hands-on with experiments

Learn about the ways thermal energy is transferred in as many hands-on ways as possible. While teacher-led learning is fine, hands-on experiences is what will make the learning ‘stick’.  So when I’m teaching thermal energy I try my best to have as many hands-on science activities as possible.  

To teach conduction, we’ll have tea (or hot cocoa!) together.  If you are allowed to share beverages with your students, this is a great chance to make science class extra special!  Pour each student a warm mug of tea and allow them to hold the warm, but not too hot, mug in their hands.  They will feel the heat transfer rom the mug into their cool hands. This is conduction! 

To teach radiation I like to get outside on a warm and sunny day to feel the sun radiate and warm up our bodies.  Too cold for this?  Try gathering around a space heater!  (The heat from a candle is also radiation... but feel the heat from this one with caution around little hands!) 

I love experiments that need very few supplies.  In my first few years of teaching, I had access to very few additional materials at my school. My budget was unbelievably small (teacher life!) So my desire is always to find activities that can be done in classrooms for almost no money.  Ice Ice Baby is one of my favorites.  If you can freeze a class set of ice cubes, you are set! This experiment asks students to MELT an ice cube in their bare hands to experience heat transfer from their warm palms into the frozen ice cube. The full set of instructions for this fun and simple experiment can be found in my Thermal Energy Science Unit.

Ice Ice Baby Experiment With Easy Supplies

Solar Oven Experiment

Have a bit more time and a few more supplies?  These instructions guide you through how to use heat energy to make s’mores in a classroom solar oven!

Let us plan your thermal energy unit!

Looking for a whole unit? The complete thermal energy science unit features nonfiction reading passages, vocabulary, teacher-led lessons, 3 hands-on experiments, a quiz, and detailed lesson plans all along the way.  No planning needed, just print and that’s it!

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There's something about being outdoors that is good for the soul. Thankfully, I live on the west coast of Canada so there are easily a half-dozen beaches within a ten-minute drive from my house, and they are stunning. Every time I go, there is something new to explore and discover. Biodiversity is a key part of our grade 3 science curriculum here in British Columbia and, between you and me, it's one of my favorite units to teach. There is just so much to unpack and the science lessons lend themselves so beautifully to student-centered learning. Take a peek at my ideas, activities, and tips for teaching biodiversity (the diversity of life) in elementary science.

Biodiversity: Lesson ideas, projects and freebies that teach all about our great big world.
Image: a globe is pictured falling into a pool of water.

keep the biodiversity local

We always study our local biodiversity. While teaching about biodiversity in Africa may seem exciting, (yay for lions and tigers and zebras!) there is so much biodiversity in our own backyard. Teaching about the local diversity of life helps to give my students an appreciation for the plant and animal life that exists right where we are!

Let us plan your biodiversity unit!

Looking for a whole unit? This complete biodiversity science unit features nonfiction reading passages, vocabulary, teacher-led lessons, project-based learning, a guided inquiry project, small group projects, and detailed teacher instructions all along the way.  No planning needed, just print and that’s it!

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get outside

I like to teach our biodiversity science lessons when the weather is most likely to be nice (although, on the wet west coast, nothing is guaranteed), so that we can head outside to try and observe biodiversity in our own schoolyard.  

A number of times throughout the unit we will take a walk on our school grounds or in the neighborhoods surrounding our school. If your school policies allow this, a neighborhood walk is a free and fun field trip! We will head out with cameras or sketchbooks to make notes of the many different plants and animals that we observe on our way.  My students are often so surprised at the wide variety of bugs/insects/plants/birds that they can find in just a short 20-30 minute walk.

If you are able to bring a couple of smartphones (I had parent or high school volunteers come for this), the app Picture Ths is great for identifying local plants. If this isn’t possible, the app also works from a picture! Students can snap photos of local plants near their homes, and you can identify them using the app at school from submitted photos.

follow student passions

Towards the end of our study of biodiversity, we move to student-led learning. After students are familiar with ecosystems, food chains, living and non-living things, and the components of our local ecosystem, it’s time for a little project-based learning.  I let each student pick which part of our study of biodiversity interests them and RUN with it.  I once had a student do a project on a species of local moss... not my first pick but it made him very excited to research!

Students zero in on one specific plant or animal and do more in-depth research.  They place their subject into an ecosystem, learn about its place in the food chain, discover its diet, and explore any predator and prey relationships that it is a part of. The student becomes THE classroom expert on this plant or animal.

Image: An animal flipbook project on brown bears is displayed on a table. A flipbook rubric is behind the brown bear project.

We use my digital and printable animal research templates to complete these projects.  It ends up being so fun to watch students dive deep into something they care about.  At the end of the unit, we work together to come up with a way to share their learning.  Some years we do formal presentations.  Other years, we set up a ‘gallery walk’ where other classrooms can learn a bit about each animal.  My personal favorite was the year we filmed each student presenting their animal like they were the host of a Discovery show, and compiled all of the presentations into a class movie! 

“This fits in great with the BC Grade 3 Science curriculum. My 3s are enjoying the activities and I like that there are reading passages with questions for them to answer. So far we are half way through the unit and everyone is excited when it is time for Science! Thanks!” - Denise M. (A real-life teacher using the Biodiversity Science Unit in her classroom!)

There is just something about kids in grade two. They are so inquisitive and full of wonder.  Kids this age go bananas for science experiments, and they are always ready to “take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!” (Ms. Frizzle, anyone?)  With a little bit of structure, science projects and guided inquiry can make the best learning experiences.  I find that science lessons for grade two are SO much fun, and hands-on lessons are the best ones!  Take a look at some of my absolute favorite science activities for grade 2.  

Text: Science Lessons for Grade Two
Image: Four students complete a volcano science experiment

WHAT ARE THE TOPICS IN GRADE 2 SCIENCE?

In BC, our science curriculum is mainly guided by the BC big ideas.  The BC Big ideas for Grade 2 science are:

• Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment

• Materials can be changed through physical and chemical processes.

• Forces influence the motion of an object.

• Water is essential to all living things, and it cycles through the environment.

When teaching these as topics, I teach these ideas in 4 different units:  Life Cycles of Living Things, Chemical & Physical Changes, Force and Motion, and The Water Cycle! To read an in-depth post on each topic be sure to click through.

Everything You Need to Teach Grade 2 Science

A complete unit for every single grade 2 science outcome in BC.

Force and Motion, The Water Cycle, Life Cycles, and Chemical & Physical Changes

Lesson plans, vocabulary, projects, experiments, activities, and more!

Click and print. Planning is really that easy.

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Teach the scientific method

We always start with the scientific method in grade two.  I think that it provides a great framework for almost everything we learn in science. When students understand the steps of the scientific method, they are ready to participate in our science experiments with greater understanding and independence.

Teaching The Water Cycle

Water Cycle Lessons For Grade 2

The water cycle is one of the best units to integrate into a greater study of our planet and how we are consuming natural resources.  I love using water cycle picture books to help students gain a greater understanding of why water is such a valuable natural resource, and why it is important to conserve it.  The water cycle is also such a great unit to integrate a few project-based learning activities and start students on small inquiry-based learning projects.  In this unit, we work together to explore the question Why is water important?

Life Cycles of Animals and Plants

Engaging ways to teach all about the life cycles of living things in lower elementary. A butterfly life cycle is pictured.

Teaching about plants and animals is always a hit in grade two because kids love animals.  And growing things.  And hands-on learning.  Actually, I don’t think I’ve found a science unit that my students don’t love… but learning about plants and animals is definitely one of their favorites. Getting to grow bean plants in the classroom is always one of the best parts of second (or third!) grade.  We head outside for so much of this unit because it’s so easy to actually observe life cycles in action!

Force and Motion Activities for Kids

Force and Motion lesson ideas

When you think about teaching force and motion in grade two, you should definitely be thinking ‘STEM Challenge’ because this topic is perfect for that.  Once we have front-loaded with some vocabulary (so students are stumped when they encounter it later) we learn about force and motion by getting out there and having fun!  These force and motion videos and activities are the perfect grade two science lessons.

Physical and Chemical Changes

We learn about chemical and physical changes in grade two, which can be such a tricky one!  Essentially, students are trying to answer the question, “Can this change be reversed?”  Thankfully, hands-on science experiments come to the rescue!  After a few teacher-led lessons, this unit is almost completely hands-on.  I set up 5-7 science stations around the room and students conduct science experiments to determine if a chemical or physical change has occurred.  It is SO much fun!

I’d love to know if you’ve tried any of these science lessons in your grade two classroom? What would you add? Leave a comment below or connect with me on Instagram. 

Integrating multiple subjects together is one of my favorite ways to teach.  I look at almost any social studies or science unit and try to think about how I can weave my other subjects into it as well.  It’s engaging for students and so convenient for me (hitting multiple learning outcomes at once… yes please!) Teaching the water cycle is one of my favorite science units because it naturally lends itself to so much cross-curricular integration.  These water cycle activities are engaging for students and just so interesting to teach.  

Teaching all about the water cycle in 2nd and 3rd grades.
Picture: A child stands in the rain under a rainbow umbrella.

Teach About Water with Picture Books

Before we even start looking at the science of water, I want my students to understand why we are studying water in the first place.  From a guided-inquiry perspective, we are looking at the question Why is water important? I like to put this question on a bulletin board or make an anchor chart that we will refer to.

My favorite picture book to use as we explore this question is “One Well: The Story of Water on Earth” by Rochelle Strauss”. One Well is a beautifully illustrated non-fiction book that walks us through the different ways that water is used, consumed, and threatened on our planet.  From the jacket:

“One Well” by Rochelle Strauss and
”Hope Springs” by Eric Walters are displayed on a table.

“Imagine for a moment that all the water on Earth came from just one well. This isn’t as strange as it sounds.  All water on Earth is connected, so there really is just one source - one global well - from which we all draw our water.  All living things depend on Earth’s One Well.  Life would be impossible without it.  But the water in the Earth’s well is threatened by our growing population and increased demands.  What can we do to protect it? One Well answers this important question while telling the eye-opening story of water on Earth.”

For older students, Hope Springs, by Eric Walters, is a great picture book about limited access to water.  Hope Springs is a story about Boniface, an orphan in Kenya during a season of drought. The book shines a light on the reality that many people in the world live in fear that there is not enough water for them to survive. Although the book deals with heavier content, the story is ultimately one of hope and kindness.  It’s a great book to tie the water cycle, and water conservation, into a greater global context. 

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Water on Earth Reading Passages and Comprehension

Don’t have a picture book that works? These differentiated reading passages all about water on earth a great way to introduce where water can be found on earth (and show students just how scarce freshwater is!)

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“A Day Without Water” lapbook project is displayed on a table.

Imagine a Day Without Water

It’s so easy to take for granted the easy access we have to water, and how often we use it!  Think about all of the times you have used water before you arrived at school.  Did you brush your teeth? Wash your face? Grab a drink? Have a shower? Rinse your plate? Turn on the sprinklers on your lawn? This lapbook project asks students to stop and imagine that, for just one day, all of their taps ran completely dry!  What would their day look like? What would be different? 

After this writing project is complete, I like to use this as an opportunity to help students connect to others who may experience limited access to water on a daily basis.  This is a great chance to talk about ways that, as a class, you may be able to help.  (Can you fundraise together? Write cards? Collect supplies?)

Teach the Stages of the Water Cycle

This one might seem obvious, but when we are teaching the water cycle, we like to get hands-on with activities and classroom displays that help students to understand the stages of the water cycle.  

This bulletin board uses the vocabulary cards from the Water Cycle unit to display the stages of the water cycle in a way that is clear for students to understand and provides a great reference for them to come back to as the science unit goes on. I also have also had students cut/glue the stages of the water cycle onto a fun worksheet (or complete it in a digital, Google Slides version) so that they are very familiar with the stages and the vocabulary!  

This water cycle in a bag science experiment is such a fun and hands-on way to learn about the stages of the water cycle.  I love how it uses cheap everyday materials that you probably already have in your classroom.

Make a Plan to Conserve Water

Water Cycle inquiry flipbook project.

Once students understand the water cycle and have explored our inquiry question why is water important, we like to end the unit with a small guided inquiry activity.  This project puts students in the driver’s seat and asks them to ask the big questions about conserving water.  Students get to choose their own focus and create a flipbook to address the problem that they see!

Have any more activities to go with our water cycle unit?  I’d love to hear about them!  Leave a comment below or connect with me on Instagram. 

A Complete Water Cycle Unit is Here!

Looking for a whole unit? This complete water cycle unit features project-based learning, a guided inquiry project, directed lessons, small group projects, vocabulary games, and detailed teacher instructions all along the way.

No planning is needed, just print and that’s it!

grab the whole unit!

Hooray!  If you’re here, you have successfully planned your first Genius Hour, your Genius Hour time is running smoothly, and you are ready to think about presentations! Your students have answered an essential question and are the proud owners of new knowledge.  Now… what are they going to do with it? One of my favorite stages of Genius Hour is the final presentation. Not every classroom conducting Genius Hour requires a final presentation, but in my room, it’s an important way to share our knowledge with the whole group.  Read all about our Genius Hour presentations, and how I set students up for success. 

Text: Genius Hour: Sharing Projects and Presenting Ideas
Image: Six lightbulbs in a row, the second one is illuminated yellow.

This is part three of a three part series on Genius Hour. Don’t forget to check out Part One: How To Get Started With Genius Hour in Lower Elementary, and Part Two: Classroom Management During Genius Hour.

Why do a formal Genius Hour presentation anyways?

The whole point of Genius Hour is to learn about a topic that each student is passionate about.  However, I like to encourage students that new knowledge should be shared.  This is a great way to share their new knowledge with a wider audience.  These ‘formal presentations’ can take a variety of forms, they don’t necessarily have to be a ‘stand and deliver’ traditional presentation.  A student who learned a new skill (to play the guitar, to paint using a new technique) might demonstrate this to the class, another might press play on a video that they created during Genius Hour time, and a third may choose to do a traditional spoken presentation. The point is giving students a chance to share their learning!

Prepare students ahead of time

Giving students time to prepare their presentations is key.  I include this as a part of our Genius Hour time.  If you’ve read Genius Hour: Class Management with Quick Check-Ins, you’ve seen my 3-stage method for Genius Hour. After students have completed their projects, they move on to preparing and practicing their presentations. This stage is so important because it helps to build confidence so that they are ready to share with a real audience come presentation day. 

I also make sure that the actual presentation day is not a surprise.  Using a large anchor chart paper, I set out possible presentation days well in advance. I  spread presentations out over 3-5 days so that students aren’t overwhelmed listening to so many presentations back-to-back.  Then, I let students choose their own presentation day to give them some ownership over this process. 

Invite a Real Audience

If possible, invite a real audience to come and listen to your class give their Genius Hour presentations.  I like to place the presentations at the very beginning, or very end of the school day to give parents the greatest chance of attending, but I know this isn’t possible for many families.  Having a buddy or peer class attend can also give your presentations a real audience! 

Add a Q&A Session

Before presentations begin, I give each student a small paper where they can write down 2-3 questions about each presentation. (This is included in the Genius Hour pack). After a presentation, the presenter hosts a quick Q&A session with the audience. I find that these Q&A’s are invaluable for a couple of reasons.  First, this task helps to keep my audience of students a little more focused during presentations.  Second, it is helpful for my own assessment.  If the student studied polar bears, they should be able to answer “what does a polar bear eat?” If they learned to play a simple song on the guitar, the question “how do you strum a C chord” shouldn’t trip them up either. 

A Complete Genius Hour Plan is Here!

I’ve taken everything I’ve learned from years of Genius Hour and created a complete digital and printable guide to starting up this engaging project in your second, third, or fourth grade classroom. It has teaching guides, a week-by-week timeline, a sample day plan, project ideas, parent letters, student planning pages, rubrics, and more!

grab the whole planning pack

Have you started Genius Hour in your classroom yet? I’d love to know how it’s going or if there’s anything I can do to help!  Leave a comment below or connect with me on Instagram. 

What does it mean to have courage? And how do we teach lessons about courage to our students in our classrooms or Sunday school?  Do we tell them to bravely face each problem without fear? Do we tell our Sunday school students that courage means fear is gone altogether? Does courage mean that we aren't scared of anything?

Teaching little people about courage can be a tough concept to tackle, especially when little fears can seem like such a big deal. Or when we just don't know what tomorrow, or next week, or next month will hold.  But that's the thing, courage isn't the absence of fears or things to be afraid of.  Courage is a choice to do the right thing even if we are afraid.  Say that one out loud.  Write it down somewhere that you can see every day.  (I put it on a post-it note beside my bed!) 

Bible Stories that Help to Teach Courage

There are so many great Bible stories to help show our students examples of real men and women who had to make the choice to do the right thing even if they were afraid.  Here are a few of my favorites…

• David and Goliath

• Esther

• Daniel in the Den of Lions

Where Does Courage Come From?

Our students need to understand that this courage to do what is right doesn't come from themselves, it comes from God!  We can be brave and have courage because courage comes from Him.  We can choose to make the next right choice because our strength and courage is not our own. 

Are you looking to teach your elementary student more about what the Bible has to say about courage?  Bible-Based Character, Courage explores courage from a Bible-based perspective and is perfect for Christian Schools, Sunday Schools, and Children's Church. 

Grab this free courage journalling activity and try out a courage lesson right now.

Looking for a little more?

There’s a whole set of Bible Based Character Education lessons themed around COURAGE ready for your classroom or Sunday School.

grab all of the lessons