It’s that time to ruminate over the past year, and to plan ahead for the next. In that light, as a little token of my appreciation you all of you who visit this blog often, today I thought I’d provide a few links to some free treasures on the web. Hope you find something useful. (Note: I am not affiliated with any of these products or services.)
The first thing you need to start the new year is a planner. There are many available, but if you are interested in nature and photography you might want to check the free weekly planner by Snowcatcher. The photos are stunning and daily holidays are included. The only drawback the calendar is being released month-by-month, but the quality more than makes up for the inconvenience.
Tired of having to look all over for science materials and activities? For a well-organized guide to all the US federal government sites for the science education, try Federal Resources for Educational Excellence.
Science Buddies has ideas for science fairs, but many can be modified for use in the classroom or at home. Look for the free scientific method poster on the right sidebar of the home page.
Auditory learner? Scientific American has free podcasts on a variety of topics. Ask A Biologist at Arizona State University also has loads of information and free podcasts on a variety of biological topics.
Need some ideas to freshen your science lessons? Try this Squidoo lens on science notebooking , especially if you are working with visual learners. There are several links to pages with free ideas and sheets to get you started.
Your local library is always a great place to look for science ideas. If you have children who enjoy nonfiction picture books, then I’m sure you have stumbled across a book by author Gail Gibbons. Her website says she is “a master of children’s non-fiction,” and it is really true. All her books are one of the best or the best on virtually every topic she covers. Now Gail Gibbons has teachers guides for using her books, particularly with lower elementary levels. The guides are free in .pdf format. Even if you don’t use them as suggested, I’m sure you can get some ideas or modify them to fit your needs.
Finally, if you ever want to see a post at this blog about a particular topic or area of interest, now is a great time to leave me a comment. I’ll try to put something together for you in the upcoming year.
Thank you!
