A View Through the Microscope

Microscopes.

My students used to love microscope lab days.

Who doesn't like seeing cool stuff like human skin cells, dog hair and pond scum magnified before their eyes?

Before I let them loose with the expensive instruments, however, I make them learn the parts and what they do.

That's where this came in handy...

I love color-coded mapping activities. I think the process of identifying the part and coloring it can help our more visual and kinesthetic learners retain the information.

I also have another version.

This allows students to label and color the microscope themselves. It also allows for differences in vocabulary. For example, you may use the term objective lens instead of objective in your classroom. I always have them circle the label with the color of the part. Sometimes I have them list the function alongside the label.

If this activity would be a help in your classroom, you can find it here.

I also have other mapping activities available here.

The 7 Continents

I love maps. I do. I have a large one hanging in our school room at home.



We reference it often as we learn about different places and people and customs.

But when learning where things are, like the continents, I've found that having their own in front of them helps.

Especially one they can color.



That was the idea behind "Let's Map: The Continents."

It can help your students as they learn about the seven continents and the five oceans.

It comes in three varieties. One includes labeling both the continents and oceans, one labels just the continents and one is labeled for them and only requires your students to color.

If this would be a help in your classroom, it's available here.

If you'd like more information on our school room table, you can find it here.

Where in the World?

My oldest daughter has been working through a geography course.  The problem is, all the countries fly by us in the book and when the chapter is over we look at each other with very little information gleaned.

In came a little graphic organizer I created for her.  It helped us slow down a minute and focus on each country as they went by.

Here's Cuba:

At the end of her course she will have a nice collection of the countries she has studied throughout the year.  It takes only a few minutes to fill out the information.

I also made two other versions.  The second version (2 pages) mirrors the first, only allowing more space.  

The third version (4 pages) allows the student to write the information in paragraph form.

If these would be helpful for you or your classroom, you can find them here.

Mapping an Insect

I love finding crafty things to do in my classroom.  I like scissors and glue and markers and colored pencils.  It doesn't float every kid's boat, so I try to do a little of this and that to hit everyone's area.  

One of my favorite activities is mapping things.  Here we've mapped an insect.

If you let your kids loose and let their imaginations run, you'll end up with all kinds of neat patterns and designs.

After learning the parts of an insect, I give them the handout.  They fill in the key with the colors and/or designs they choose.

Next, they color the insect parts to match their key.

I love the finished product!  I think it's such a neat and creative way to familiarize them with the parts of an insect.  This activity works with lots of different things (parts of a flower, parts of a bird, parts of the brain, etc.).

Let's Map:  An Insect is available at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.