Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

Performance-based learning and assessment are methods of teaching and appraising children based on how they carry out specific tasks or activities, as opposed to more traditional test formats. This approach allows children to demonstrate their knowledge and how they would apply it to real-world scenarios.

A vital feature of a performance-based assessment requires children to produce a result – a report, a performance, or an experiment. This is then scored against a set of criteria.

The overall idea of performance-based learning is that it closely mirrors real-life scenarios and how a professional in that area would tackle the problem. For example, this could mean encouraging children to design and carry out an experiment or choreograph and perform a dance routine – just like a real scientist or dancer.

What are the benefits of performance-based assessment?

While it may require a little bit more outside-the-box thinking than traditional assessments – from both teachers and children – performance-based assessments have countless benefits. They can bring out the best in your class when used well. Here are a couple of our favorite reasons to use performance-based assessments and learning:

• They’re more engaging. It’s no secret that children don’t like tests. But with performance-based tests, the whole assessment process can still be a fun and exciting experience – and this is a great way to encourage your children to give their all to a task.
• They encourage children to take ownership of their work. Kids will get the chance to work on a project or performance from its conception until the very end over many weeks. This will help to keep them enthusiastic and give them a fantastic sense of pride at the end.
• It stops things from being just a memory test. Some traditional exams and assessments have become a test of children’s ability to remember facts, figures, and terms. While these can be important, testing children’s memory in this way might not be the fairest method.
• It uses real-world examples. In science, children can be encouraged to think like a scientist, while in art, children can feel like an artist who has been asked to put on an exhibition. This might even help children to think about future careers.
• It develops problem-solving skills. In performance-based learning, there is often no right or wrong answer. Instead, children are encouraged to think of how to tackle a problem and determine which one will work best for them.

In what lessons would you use performance-based assessment?

The most obvious examples of performance-based learning and assessment come in naturally more practical lessons, requiring less formal, theoretical review. These include physical education (PE), music, and drama.

However, performance-based assessments can be applied to almost any lesson and objective. For example, children could be asked to design and carry out an experiment in science, write and perform a poem in English, or create a series of themed paintings in art.

In general, these assessments can take many forms. Here are some common examples of performance-based tests that you can use with your children:

• Presentations;
• Group or solo projects;
• Portfolios;
• Debates;
• Performances;
• Exhibits or fairs.

Features of performance-based assessments:

You might be left thinking this all sounds confusing – what’s wrong with traditional assessments, anyway? But don’t worry – performance-based assessments don’t have to be complicated for teachers or children. Remember that these assessments should be:

• Time-bound;
• Open-ended;
• Authentic;
• Process/product-orientated;
• Complex.

Often, there is no right or wrong answer with performance-based assessments. There are lots of different ways in which children could succeed. This is just another reason that they’re so great.

How to help children understand performance-based assessments:

If you plan on using performance-based learning and check with your class, you’re all in for a great time. Children will be engaged and excited about their projects and have an opportunity to show off many skills.

Here are a couple of our top tips for helping your class adjust to performance-based assessments:

• Begin with the end in mind – let them know from the first lesson what the end goal is, maybe giving examples of what previous classes have come up with.
• Be open and honest about how the class will be graded – keep talking about the end project to keep it fresh in your children’s minds. This will help them begin thinking about their possible ideas and ensure they’re not in for a surprise by the end of it.
• Give children a copy of the rubric – this will help them see how they can perform well and maintain that open communication channel.

The Ant and the Grasshopper is one of Aesop’s Fables. Aesop was a famous storyteller living in Ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC. There aren’t many definite facts about Aesop’s life, but he is renowned for writing an extensive collection of short stories passed down from generation to generation. While they may be over 2,000 years old, Aesop’s Fables remain relevant and famous today. You’ll recognize titles like The Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and The Lion and the Mouse.

The Ant and the Grasshopper is one of Aesop’s best-loved stories and has been adapted numerous times into different literary works, musical pieces, and ballet. After we learn more about fables, we’ll provide a short The Ant and the Grasshopper summary with a moral lesson, taking a closer look at what this classic fable is all about.

What is a fable?

A fable is a short story that features animal characters and nature settings. In these stories, animals and plants are anthropomorphized, meaning that they are given human qualities, such as being able to talk. This helps us to look at things from a different perspective and consider how the animal and plant characters reflect us.

The other main characteristic of fables is that they always have a moral lesson or message, teaching us something important about life. This is why fables are such popular stories to tell children; they provide a relatable way to talk about good values.

Aesop’s Fables are the most famous in the world. His comprehensive collection remains the gold standard that other moral stories of this type try to follow. Let’s look closely at his timeless fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper, and its moral lesson.

The Ant and the Grasshopper summary with a moral lesson

The story opens on a warm, sunny day in the middle of summer. A grasshopper is lying in a field, enjoying the sunshine, singing, and playing his fiddle. Suddenly, he notices an ant scurrying through the area, carrying an ear of corn. The grasshopper, wanting to chat for a while, calls out to the ant.

‘What are you doing? Come and talk to me for a while.’

The ant shakes his head.

‘I’m sorry, I can’t stop; I’m too busy. I have to gather food for the winter.’

The grasshopper laughs at the ant.

‘The winter is ages away! It’s the middle of summer, and there’s plenty of food,’ he says. ‘Come and talk to me.’

But the ant refuses to stop working. He spends all day scurrying backward and forwards across the field, carrying his supplies. The grasshopper watches on, thinking the ant is missing an excellent opportunity to enjoy himself. The ant is not having a good time, while the grasshopper is entirely content.

All too soon, the winter comes. The weather is cold, and no food can be found anywhere. The grasshopper is hungry and has nothing to eat. He knocks at the ant’s door, hoping the ant will take pity on him. The ant opens the door, and the grasshopper can see plentiful food supplies inside the house.

‘I’m so hungry,’ says the grasshopper. ‘You have plenty of food. Is there any chance you might share some with me?’

‘No,’ says the ant. ‘You laughed at me for gathering food in summer. You’ll have to see yourself through the winter.’

So the grasshopper has to survive the winter on whatever meager rations he can find elsewhere.

What is the moral lesson of The Ant and the Grasshopper?

‘Work hard today to get ready for tomorrow.’

The moral lesson of this story is all about being prepared. If we work hard and plan for the future, we won’t find ourselves in the grasshopper’s position, relying on others.

However, the ant can also learn something from the grasshopper. During the summer, the ant is unhappy, as he doesn’t give himself a break. It’s important to remember there’s a time for work and play, and we need to get the balance right.

In some fable versions, the ant doesn’t turn the grasshopper away. Instead, he invites him in. The grasshopper plays his fiddle for the ant and his family all winter, keeping them entertained in return for food and shelter. This shows us that we all have skills we can use to make our way in the world.

Here’s our list of fun winter writing prompts:

• My favorite thing about winter is

Use this fun prompt to encourage your students to write a short paragraph about their favorite thing about winter. This simple prompt is perfect for beginning or ending your lessons.

• If I could live anywhere in the world during wintertime, I would live in

This great prompt will encourage your students to think outside the box. They can use this prompt to help them describe the place they would like to live.

• My favorite winter memory is

This prompt can be a simple sentence starter or part of a more considerable writing activity about winter.

• Imagine you’re a snowman and write about your life.

This fun prompt will encourage your students to think about the perspective of inanimate objects. For example, they could start their paragraph with: “If I were a snowman….”

• During winter, I like to

This prompt is a nice and simple one. Your students could write about a tradition they like to do during wintertime or something they do with their family in winter.

• The best/worst things about winter

This prompt can be used to help your students write lists. They could also explain and describe their reasoning behind winter’s best and worst things.

• Write about a snowy day.

Encourage your students to think back to the last day they saw snow. Then, they could write about their actions, such as playing in the snow. If your students haven’t experienced snow, they can write about what they imagine it like.

• Write instructions about how to make a snowman for someone who has never made a snowman before.

This fun writing prompt will test your students’ ability to write clear instructions in chronological order.

• If you participated in the Winter Olympics, which sport would you participate in and why?

This fun prompt is great for your sports lovers.

• Write about what it would be like to live in an Igloo.

Your students could describe the setting, the igloo, the weather, and more.

• What activities do you like to do during winter?

This simple prompt is excellent as your students can draw on personal experiences to inspire them.

• When I look out the window during winter, I see

This fun prompt will improve your students’ descriptive writing. You could use this prompt as a homework assignment or classroom activity.

• This winter, my family will

This prompt encourages students to write about their plans with their families.

• Write a short story: “It was a dark and stormy night.”

This prompt is perfect for encouraging your students to write a short story.

• Imagine you are going on a trip to the North Pole and writing a short story.

This prompt is perfect for lessons before winter break.

A mechanism within a machine or machinery can be defined as any tool used to convert or control motion or transmit control or power. A mechanism modifies input forces and movement into a set of output forces and training that the user desires.

What is an example of a Mechanism?

An excellent example of a mechanism is a seesaw. In a seesaw, motion is transferred evenly across a, providing equal force at each end.

Another example of a mechanism is a lever. Direction, strength, and amount of movement to an object are all controlled by a lever.

More Examples Of Mechanisms

Here are some examples of items that are considered to be mechanisms.

• Gears and gear trains
• Belt and chain drives
• Camandfollowers
• Linkage
• Friction devices, including brakes and clutches
• Structural components, including a frame, fasteners, bearings, springs, lubricants
• Various elements of a machine, including splines, pins, and keys

A carnivore is an animal that mostly eats other animals. This is as opposed to herbivores, which only eat plants, and omnivores, which consume a bit of everything.

The word “carnivore” comes from the Latin words “carnis,” meaning flesh, and “vorare,” telling devoured. As you’d expect from a name like that, some of the fiercest animals in the world are carnivores, including tigers, snakes, sharks, and eagles. But not all carnivores are pretty so ferocious. Even your typical garden sparrow is a type of carnivore and so are ladybirds (technically, they’re known asinsectivorous). You can even get carnivorous plants, such as the Venus fly trap.

Where do carnivores fit in on the food chain?

Carnivores tend to be at the top of the food chain of an ecosystem. This is because plant life is at the bottom of a food chain, which is then eaten by herbivores, which are, in turn, eaten by carnivores. This means there always have to be more herbivores than carnivores in an ecosystem. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough food for the carnivores to eat.

How can you identify a carnivore?

Because there are so many types of carnivores, it can be challenging to pick out one quality they all have in common. That said, because they all need to be able to kill prey and eat flesh, they nearly always have a fierce set of teeth.

When you think about the mouth of an apex predator like a tiger, the first thing that comes to mind is the two long, sharp teeth towards the front. These are called canine teeth, used to fight and puncture prey’s flesh. They sit alongside the incisors, used to rip out and cut out the meat.

Are pet dogs carnivores?

There is some disagreement among experts about whether domestic dogs are carnivores or omnivores.

They possess many qualities associated with carnivores – such as large canine teeth and a digestive system best suited to breaking down the flesh. However, they can also consume a wide variety of plant-based foods, with an ability to digest carbohydrates unusual in obligate carnivores. This has led many to conclude that dogs are, in fact, carnivores, a type of omnivore that can eat and digest plant-based food to survive but is best suited to eating meat.

This is a debate that isn’t likely to end anytime soon, but in the meantime, a consensus is that dogs are omnivores with a natural carnivore bias. Therefore, their ideal diet would be meat-based but could be complemented with plant-based foods.

Are pet cats carnivores?

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat meat to survive.

In evolutionary terms, domestic cats are directly related to big cats such as lions, tigers, and cheetahs. That’s why if you have a pet cat, you may be used to catching and killing other animals, such as mice and small birds. This is behavior cats have evolved over many years to see the food they need to survive. However, evolution is slow and hasn’t yet entirely caught up with the fact that domesticated cats have their meals provided by their owners.

ESL stands for English as a Second Language and refers to non-native speakers of English in countries where English might be less familiar. It means people who learn English as a secondary language to their own.

Students worldwide study English as a Second Language, from Japan to Spain. In addition, teachers from English-speaking countries such as the UK, the USA, and Australia often travel abroad to teach English. Countries such as Vietnam, Spain, China, South Korea, Japan, and the UAE are popular locations for ESL teachers.

ESL is taught as a subject in many schools with students who have a different native language. ESL teachers will help students speak, read, write, and listen.

ESL teachers can be ‘native language speakers,’ who often move abroad to teach English, or local teachers who are fluent in English. In many countries, ESL is a public subject but is commonly taught in private institutions, international schools, and after-school academies by private tutors and online learning platforms.

In practice, ESL education can happen in many different settings. For example, some students learn English by talking to friends, playing video games, or even on the radio.

Why do students study ESL?

Learning a second language is never a bad idea. English is widely spoken, with around 20% of the world saying it, so if you’re visiting England, the United States of America, Australia, or anywhere, it will come in handy.

As some of these English-speaking countries are so influential on media and how things are done, it’s a pretty good language to learn. So not only is it useful for holidays and watching movies, but learning English can open up many student life opportunities.

Learning ESL English as a second language can open up work opportunities worldwide. It’s seen as “the language of business,” so knowing English is essential for working internationally. In addition, many international companies expect people to be fluent in English to work there.

How is ESL taught in the classroom?

ESL is taught as a language subject to encourage students to be able to communicate with people from all around the world. Therefore, students can express themselves in English and speak and write in this second language.

ESL classes will focus on vocabulary and grammar in spoken and written forms, as well as pronunciation and intonation.

In modern-day classrooms, there is more emphasis on ‘real-life’ language and the kinds of phrases we use in different situations, from meeting friends to writing formal letters.

ESL students can learn in various ways, whether through discussing current events or by increasing their vocabulary in topics that interest them, such as animals, food, or the human body.

What’s the difference between ESL, EFL, and EAL?

While ESL stands for English as a Second Language, this is often used interchangeably with EFL, which stands for English as a Foreign Language. This is because ESL refers to students learning English as a second language after their native language. In contrast, EFL relates to students learning English in a country that does not have English as a first language.

EAL stands for English as an Additional Language. It’s usually used to describe English being taught to a non-native speaker in a country where English is the first language.

The difference between ESL and EFL, EAL is that ESL students usually will be taught English only in their ESL lessons, whereas an EAL student will be hearing and need to use English across all subjects. As a result, ESL and EFL students will have less exposure to an English daily, making it more challenging to practice and pick up new words and expressions.

1. Mammals feed their young milk.

All mammals give birth to babies, then feed on their mother’s milk. They don’t all give birth in the same way, though; they can be divided into two categories:

• Prototheria – these mammals lay eggs and incubate them until they are ready to hatch. There are only two species of mammals on Earth that lay eggs. They are the platypus and the echidna.
• Theria – these mammals carry their young in their womb until they are ready to give birth. Mammals such as koalas and kangaroos are called ‘marsupials’ because their young must be carried in a pouch after delivery to finish growing. However, 95% of mammals, including humans, cows, and bears, are ‘Eutheria’ because once they have given birth, their young doesn’t have to stay in a pouch and receive further nourishment.

2. Mammals give their young survival skills.

Mammals are brilliant at giving their young training and protection. Unlike lizards and snakes, who abandon their eggs as soon as they have been laid, mammals stick around, help their young survive, and learn how to find food and shelter.

A great example of this is one of the most cooperative mammals on earth – the meerkat. They teach their young how to protect themselves from being injured by their primary food source, scorpions. The parents will first bring their young a dead scorpion to show them how to eat it, then an injured one, and then an alive one, so they can learn the best technique to eat it while dodging the deadly tail!

3. They can be furry or hairy.

Mammals either have hair or fur. Even mammals you wouldn’t expect to have, such as whales, have some form of skin when they are born.

4. They regulate their body temperature.

Mammals are warm-blooded animals. It doesn’t matter if it is snowing or bright and warm; their body temperature will stay almost the same.

Warm-blooded animals can remain active in colder climates for longer than cold-blooded animals, but they have to burn more energy to stay warm. This means finding more food to eat!

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals; their source of heat energy is the sun. This means that even though they don’t require as much food to stay alive as mammals, they struggle to survive when they are out of the sun.

5. Mammals have big brains!

Mammals’ brains are more developed than most other animals, meaning their brains are much more signs a result, species. Species such as chimpanzees, dolphins, and humans are among the most intelligent animals.

6. They move on four limbs.

Nearly all mammals are classed as ‘tetrapods.’ This means that they move around on or have four limbs. Of course, humans no longer have to use all four of our limbs to walk, but if you think about a baby crawling, you can see how they learn to use fewer limbs as they get older.

What about dolphins and whales? Well, it is believed that they once had four limbs but lost their hind legs through the process of evolution because they didn’t need them.

7. There are thousands of different species of mammals.

There are somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 different species of mammals on Earth. Some of the most common include cows, pigs, and rats. There are now a massive 7.8 billion humans in the world!

8. The biggest mammal lives in the sea.

The biggest mammal in the world is the blue whale. At it’s very heaviest, it weighs an incredible 160,000 kilograms. It’s also the loudest mammal on Earth; its call can be as loud as a bomb going off, reaching 188 decibels!

9. The smallest mammal will surprise you!

The very smallest mammal in the world is called the bumblebee bat, which weighs just 2 grams – like two skittles! They live in Thailand and Myanmar, but scientists have put them on an endangered species list as they are slowly dying out due to humans disrupting their habitat.

10. Mammals don’t have identical diets.

If a mammal only eats meat, like a tiger, they are called a ‘carnivore.’ They are called herbivores if their diet consists only of plants, like donkeys and camels. Mammals that like to eat a varied diet of meat and plant, like lots of humans choose to, are named omnivores.

10. Some mammals don’t even have teeth!

Mammals’ bodies have adapted to the needs of their environment, including what they eat. For example, the anteater and the Baleen whale species have given up on teeth altogether. Instead, their food source is insects and plankton – neither of which require much chewing.

On land, the mammal with the most teeth is the giant armadillo; they can have up to 100 teeth. In the ocean, the Spinner Dolphin has up to 252 in its jaws.

The only mammals with cavities in their teeth are humans, bears, and domesticated pets. It’s believed that this is because there is too much sugar in our diets – think about the bear that eats honey all day!

11. Mammals lived alongside dinosaurs.

The first kind of mammal was tiny, shrew-sized creatures humans named the ‘morganucodontids.’ Their size meant they could avoid the attention of the carnivorous dinosaurs, and it is believed that every mammal on Earth today descends from the surviving line of this mammal.

Mammals had to live safely in the shadows until the dinosaurs were extinct. Then, with the vast dominating animals gone, mammals could use as many of the Earth’s resources as they wanted and began to evolve into different species.

12. Only one mammal can fly.

Bats are the only mammal that can fly. Even though birds are warm-blooded like mammals, they belong to a group of animals called ‘aves.’ ‘Aves’ are characterized as warm-blooded vertebrates with toothless beaks, feathers and lay eggs.

13. Mammals stay in the womb for different periods.

When a mammal is pregnant with its young, it is called the ‘gestation period.’ All mammals have different lengths of gestation periods depending on the need of their species. For example, you may know the human gestation period is, on average, 40 weeks, but some mammals are pregnant much longer!

The elephant keeps its baby growing inside them for a massive 22 months – over double the time of humans.

Alternatively, the Virginian opossum is pregnant for just 12 days!

14. Shrews eat a lot!

Shrews have so little body fat they have to eat every two hours to stay alive.

15. Polar bears are black.

Can your child picture a polar bear? We see a white animal, but its hair is colorless and hollow. The sun reflects from the hair allowing them a degree of camouflage in their habitat. Their skin is black!

Jack and the Beanstalk is one of the most famous folktales ever told. It is a traditional tale that children have said at bedtime for generations.

Initially, it was an English fairy tale. The basis of the story might be more than millennia old! In 1734, the level of Jack and the Beanstalk appeared in print as “The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean.” Eventually, though, people realized that it was a bit of a long name, and they trimmed it down.

What happens in Jack and the Beanstalk? Plot summary

You might already have a good idea of what happens in Jack and the Beanstalk. After all, it is quite a familiar story – you might have heard it at bedtime or school. There are a few versions of the story with some variations. Jack and the Beanstalk is also a pantomime favorite, so you might get a chance to see it performed one day.

Jack and the Beanstalk summary

Jack and his mother are very poor. Apart from their cottage, all they own is a cow.

One day, Jack’s mum tells him that he has to sell the cow because they have run out of money. However, she reminds Jack that he must get a fair amount of money in exchange for the cow.

However, on the way to the market, Jack bumps into an older man. The old man says he will give Jack some ‘magic beans’ in exchange for the cow. Jack thinks this sounds like a good deal, so he takes the beans and provides the man with the cow.

As you can imagine, his mum was displeased. She throws the beans out the window and goes to bed in a huff.

But these are magic beans. Overnight, a giant beanstalk grows in their garden. When Jack wakes up, he decides to climb the beanstalk.

It takes a long time, but Jack makes it up the beanstalk, through the clouds, and into the sky. At the top, he finds a gigantic castle. It is the home of a giant.

He hears the giant singing a creepy song:

“Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!
Be he alive or dead; I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.”

Wisely, Jack decides to hide until the giant goes back to sleep. Then, when the coast is clear, Jack steals some gold coins and climbs back to his mother. She is, understandably, a bit gobsmacked.

Jack climbs the beanstalk two more times to steal from the giant. Some of his nicked goodies include a goose that lays golden eggs and a magical harp.

One day, Jack’s luck runs out. The giant hears him and begins to chase him.

Jack manages to get to the bottom of the beanstalk first. He shouts to his mum for an axe. Jack chops down the beanstalk. The giant falls out of the sky and dies.

For Jack and his mum, there is a happy ending. They still have coins and a supply of gold eggs from the magic goose.

So there you are, your Jack and the Beanstalk summary!

What is the setting of Jack and the Beanstalk?

There are several answers to the question, “what are the Jack and the Beanstalk summary?” This is along with “what is the setting of Jack and the Beanstalk?” One answer is that there is no natural setting – the story takes place in your imagination or wherever you happen to hear it.

You could also say that the setting is the market or the castle at the top of the beanstalk. The story has been told so many times throughout history that many different locations would make sense. One set could be the stage since the story is performed as a popular pantomime.

What do you think? What are the honest Jack and the Beanstalk summary and setting?

Moral lesson of Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk might have a moral lesson, but finding it isn’t straightforward. Jack does lots of naughty things, which no one should do. These include disobeying his mother when she gives him sensible instructions, stealing, and killing a giant.

However, some versions of the story say that the giant had killed Jack’s father. They also say that the giant’s harp and golden goose were stolen. In that case, the moral lesson of Jack and the Beanstalk is that Jack does something terrible to punish the giant.

However, that still isn’t a perfect moral lesson. It might be better to think of the story as telling people to make the most of opportunities, even though they are unexpected. You could also think of it as teaching people to believe in magic because amazing things can happen when we least expect them.

So, another Jack and the Beanstalk summary of morals would be about taking advantage of life’s opportunities. Jack is taking a massive risk when he exchanges the cow for the beans. Their only source of income was the cow, which would have fed the whole family for some time. However, he is courageous in his choices and is willing to take a chance – and believes in a spot of magic!

This could be an excellent topic to teach children about alongside your Jack and the Beanstalk pictures. Learning to take risks with young children helps them build their independence and ownership skills. Risky play helps them learn valuable life skills and move beyond their limits. This then provides room for further learning opportunities for them.

Taking risks in a safe environment builds confidence and helps youngsters to form resilience by bouncing back when those ‘risks’ do not turn out as they’d hoped.

Children who are risk-takers are usually more likely to believe in themselves and think positively about their decision-making skills.

Another moral symbol revolves around good versus evil. Jack is supposed to symbolize good, and the giant, evil. Good conquers evil when Jack rids the world of the giant.

1. Earth’s Movement Rotation and Revolution Game

Time: 5-10 minutes

Materials: Pencil, printer

Have your students take this sheet around the classroom, find a classmate who can answer one question on the page, and swap papers with this person. They will each answer a question on each other’s sheet and write their name in the box. Have them try to find a different person for each question; whoever gets the most answers filled in by their classmates at the end of the time wins!

2. Rocks and Soils Vocabulary Concentration Game

Time: 15-30 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

After you cut the cards out, shuffle them and place them face down in a grid pattern. Player one will start by flipping two cards. If the cards match the definition of a word, then they keep the cards. If the cards don’t match, then the player returns those cards to the original position. Each player takes turns flipping cards, two at a time, until all the matches have been found. The player with the most partners at the end of the game wins!

3. Earth’s Surface: Who Am I? Game

Time: 15-20 minutes

Materials: Projector

This PowerPoint has a series of riddles for your children to solve. The answer is always a feature of the earth’s surface, from islands to waterfalls to oceans to canyons and straits. First, your students are given ten “Who Am I” slides, followed by the answers.

Separate your class into groups and have them play this game jeopardy style.

4. Order of the Planets Card Game

Time: 15-25 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

Note: To play this game, you have to print out six pages of the game cards. This will give you a full deck.

First, your children will shuffle the deck of cards and deal out seven to each player. Make sure they don’t show anyone else their cards.

The cards are placed face-down in the “draw” pile. Take one card from the draw pile and put it face up. This is going to become the “planet” pile. Going around the circle, each player will try to lay down the next planet in order of their distance from the sun. They’ll lay this card face up in the planet pile. If the player doesn’t have the correct card to put down, they’ll pick a card from the draw pile.

If the cards in the draw pile run out, then shuffle the cards in the planet pile.

The first person to place their cards onto the planet file wins the game.

5. Rocks and Soil PowerPoint Quiz

Time: 10-15 minutes

Materials: Projector

This PowerPoint is a great way to help your children learn about rocks and soils. Separate your children into teams and have them compete to get the answers correct.

Questions include the following:

Which rock floats? Pumice, marble, or chalk?

Which is the best rock to tile a roof? Granite, slate, or pumice?

Why is marble used for statues? Because it wears away quickly, because it has attractive colors and textures, or because it doesn’t float

6. Heredity and Genetics Concentration Matching Game

Time: 15-25 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

Note: You’ll need to laminate these cards to use them more than once.

Shuffle the cards and place them face down in a grid pattern. The first player will begin by flipping two cards. If the cards contain a matching word and definition, they remove the two cards and keep them. If the cards don’t match, flip them back to their original position. Each player continues flipping cards, two at a time, until all matches have been found. The player with the most partners at the end of the game wins!

7. Ecology Concentration Game

Time: 15-25 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors, laminate

This game is the same setup as the previous game. Your students will take turns trying to match the word cards to their definition cards by drawing them from a grid pattern. Once each card has been removed, have your children count them. Whoever has the most cards wins!

8. Mutualism Match up

Time: 10-15 minutes (20 – 25 minutes if you include coloring)

Materials: Printer, coloring material, scissors, a separate sheet of paper, glue

Have your students color in the pictures on this sheet and then cut them out. Each organism on these cards lives symbiotically with another organism on another card. Can your students match them up? An answer key is included, making grading this assignment quick and easy.

9. African Animals Mindfulness Coloring Sheets

Time: —

Materials: Coloring materials

These hand-drawn coloring sheets are a great way to give your children a break from the lesson. You’ll find seven different coloring sheets that include animals found in the African wild. From zebras to rhinos to lions, your children will love coloring in the details of these coloring sheets.

10. Pin the Muscles on the Body: Musculoskeletal System Activity

Time: 30-45 minutes

Materials: Scissors, laminate, glue, thumbtacks or tape, 2-3 extra-large sheets of construction paper

Note: This activity will take a bit of prep, but it is an excellent way for your children to have fun and remember where the body muscles are.

Print out these full-sized bones and muscles to play “pin the muscles on the body”!

Print out the bones, cut them out, and glue them on the construction paper, connecting more pieces as needed.

Cut the muscles out and distribute them to your students. Make sure you have your thumbtacks or tape ready.

With the skeleton hung up in the front of the class, have your students take turns placing their muscles where they think it goes on the structure.

11. States of Matter Crossword Puzzle

Time: 15 minutes

Materials: Printer and writing utensil OR digital tablet

This crossword puzzle is great because it can be used digitally and on paper! Your students will use the 12 vocab words in the box depending on the statement or question. Examples include:

When a liquid is heated, gas bubbles rise in the fluid to escape into the air:

State of matter in which particles are arranged close together but can slide over one another:

A solid begins to melt when the particles start to ____ faster.

How many states of matter are there?

12. Amazing Matter: States of Matter Maze Activity

Time: 15- 20 minutes

Materials: Printer, coloring materials that are red, green, and yellow.

With this activity, your children will use colors to fill in each of the squares and then draw a line guiding the mouse through the solid path.

They will color the squares depending on the type of matter referenced.

Liquids = red

Gases = green

Solids = yellow

13. Fortune Teller: Volume and Pitch

Time: 20-30 minutes

Materials: Printer, scissors

Follow the instruction to create your fortune-teller! This activity will help children determine the volume and pitch of popular instruments. This is a great game that children can continue to use during class. You can even have them bring it home after class.

1. Sound Vocabulary Concentration Game

Time: 20 minutes

Materials: Printer, laminator

After laminating and cutting, shuffle the cards. Place them face down in a grid pattern and have your children take turns picking two at a time and trying to match the word to its definition.

2. States of Matter: I Have, Who Has Game

Time: 10-30 minutes

Materials: Printer, laminator, scissors

With this activity, your students will each be given a card. They then have to find their classmate who has the matching card.

There are a few ways you can have your children complete this activity.

1. Distribute the cards to your students and have them stand up at their desks. They will take turns reading their card out loud. If a student hears a card read that matches their own, they raise their hand and read theirs aloud. If the cards do match, they both sit down.
2. Distribute the cards to your students, and give them five minutes to find their partner. Once everybody has a partner, have them read their cards out loud. If they make any mistakes, help them find their partner.
3. Distribute the cards to your students and have them read their cards out loud. Once they’ve all read their cards, go back to the beginning and have the class pair each student with their card’s matching partner.

Simply put, a compass is a tool that points out directions, such as North, South, East, and West. These are also known as the cardinal directions.

In more detail, it’s a magnetized metal that will turn towards the Earth’s magnetic north pole. The most common form is the pocket compass. It looks similar to a watch and will point out the Northern direction when held in your hand.

How does a compass work?

The Earth is a giant magnet with two centers of force; the North and South Poles. The core of the planet, mainly molten iron, creates a magnetic field as it spins around. This makes the north and south magnetic poles and how compasses work.

The needle in a compass is made of magnetized metal, usually iron, placed on a pivot or pin, and suspended in liquid (usually some mineral oil or white spirit) so it can freely turn. The compass needle can detect the Earth’s magnetic field and faces the Magnetic North when the held level is in your hand. The person using the device can then work out all the other directions.

Around the compass, you can also find little measurements. These are called degrees. The red end of the needle will always point North, and the white /black end will always mean south. On the outer case of the compass, there’s also usually an arrow at the top known as the ‘orientation arrow.’

What is a compass used for?

Maps were able to be created thanks to the compass. It even helped establish that the Earth is a globe, not flat.

The primary use for compasses was out at sea, as no landmarks could help with navigation. So instead, sailors used the stars, particularly Polaris, the North star, to help find their way. Though sometimes the sky could be cloudy or stormy, they couldn’t tell which way they were heading. This is why compasses are particularly important at sea.

Compasses today can be found in many modern appliances and are their own thing. YoIn addition, youan find them in smartphones, a

The History of the Compass

The earliest compass use recorded comes from the Chinese Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, around 200 BC. They discovered that some metal from the ground was naturally magnetic. They so could use these metals, known as lodestone, or magnetite, to magnetize iron needles in the first types of compass.

In non-European countries, magnets were used spiritually, such as for divination, geomancy, and, in particular, Feng Shui, to help maximize good fortune.

Very early compasses were made of the magnetized needle mounted on a piece of wood that floated in a dish of water. These were mainly used as backups when the sun or stars could not be seen in the sky. However, as more people learned how to use them and the understanding of magnetism grew, the tools became more popular and valuable.

In the 12th century, as early scientists discovered more about magnetism, the compass needle was placed on a pin, and in the 13th century added to the compass cards. At first, this compass card showed only the leading four cardinal directions, but over time this design evolved to offer 32 directional points.

By the 16th century, compasses and charts were commonly used by sailing ships.

What is a compass rose?

A compass rose is a figure found on maps, compasses, and nautical charts. It’s also known as a ‘windrose’ or ‘Rose of the Winds.’

During the 12th century, Europeans created the compass rose. It enabled the creation of the eight principal winds, which includes the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West) plus the new intercardinal directions; North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West.

These helped early sailors see where they were going during their sea voyages. You can also find compasses with roses with 16 or even 32 points. These include directions such as North-northwest, east-northeast, and south-southwest.

What is a compass bearing?

A bearing of a location is the number of degrees in the angle measured in a clockwise direction from the north line to the line. For example, the path of an object directly to the east would be 90 degrees.

Different types of compasses

There is a type of compass that always points to the True North as it uses the Earth’s rotation rather than its magnetic field. This is known as a gyroscope, and it was invented in 1906 by Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe and is usually used by large ships and aircraft. It follows the Earth’s axis or rotation to find True North.

There’s also the solar compass. This version uses the shadow from the sun on the compass card to show direction. You can create one by placing a simple stick on the ground, placing stones around it, and using a string to follow the shadow. This helps to find the East and West cardinal directions.

Astrocompasses are aligned with fixed points in the sky, for example, stars. These are harder to use than the standard magnetic compass but are pretty helpful in polar regions where magnetic and gyrocompasses aren’t so reliable.

Nowadays, the GPS (Global Positioning System), which first began in the United States in 1973, is taking over from the traditional compass. GPS uses co-ordinates sent via satellites that are in orbit around the Earth. These signals are very accurate and reliable. Though many planes and ships still us advanced compasses for navigation.

Who could forget the compass that’s used in mathematics? A handy tool that helps with drawing circles and other geometric shapes and finding mid-points to help solve problems. Not related to Earth’s magnetic field, but still a compass worth mentioning.

Fun facts about compasses

• The magnetic and geographic poles are different. For example, the Earth’s Magnetic North Pole doesn’t align with the geographic North Pole, also known as the True North.
• True North always sits at the top of the Earth. Magnetic North is not a fixed point and changes over time in response to the changes in the Earth’s core. It’s thought that it is situated around 1000 miles away in Canada.
• The Magnetic North is said to have moved around 600 miles over time as the magnetic field has warped.
• The difference between the magnetic and true norths is called ‘Variation’ by pilots or mariners or ‘magnetic declination’ by land navigators.
• The Fleur-de-lis is often used to mark North on a compass. 1It is believed to have evolved from the original mark, a spearhead above the letter T, which stood for the Latin name for the North wind ‘Tramontana.’
• In Greenwich, London, in September 2019, True north and magnetic north were aligned for the first time in over 360 years.