Wild Animal Webcam Ideas

April 16, 2021
Educational Innovations Blog

By Jared Hottenstein

Of all the branches of science we teach, life science presents the greatest hands-on challenges.  You can always pick up a classroom set of Educational Innovations’ Owl Pellets, but bringing live animals into the classroom is a tricky proposition.  Online learning is the perfect opportunity for students to explore the world of life science—especially through a streaming webcam!  Think of it as your students getting the chance to watch “life science celebrities.”  Students can tune in once a day—or once a week—to see what new snack mama eagle brought back to the nest. 

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Posted by Donna Giachetti

Plastic Egg Genetics

April 10, 2020
Donna Giachetti, Educational Innovations

By Donna Giachetti

Never doubt our slogan, Teachers Serving Teachers®.  It’s the reason we come to work every day, and it’s certainly the reason for this blog.  On any given day, we actively search the Internet for nifty, new science gizmos, exciting new science discoveries, and as-yet-undiscovered (by us) teachers in the trenches of today’s classrooms.  We love exploring other teachers’ science blogs, videos, and lessons—and we send fan mail applauding their work more often than you might imagine. 

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Posted by Donna Giachetti

Frog Competition Chaos

February 7, 2020

By Julie Pollard

“When am I going to ever use this?”  “Why do I even need to know this?”  These questions are the bane of the science teacher’s existence—or at least of mine.  Even though science is woven into every aspect of every day of our lives, my middle schoolers just can’t seem to make that leap.  They’re like frogs who don’t know how to jump. They still think of science as something done by nerds in white coats in labs.

During our unit on ecosystems and competition, my students seem to struggle with the concept of competition for abiotic factors.  They have no problem relating to the predator-and-prey, competition-for-food aspect of competition—which makes sense, if you’ve ever watched eighth grade boys racing for the last slice of pizza.

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8 Comments | Biology, College level, Earth Science, High School level, life science, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti

Hey Now, You’re a Rock Star, Get Your Neuroscience On!

January 17, 2020

Donna Giachetti, Educational Innovations

by Donna Giachetti

Want to bring neuroscience, cyborgs, and mind control to your classroom? Watch our Backyard Brains webinar, Wire Me Up!  Neuroscience in the K-12 Classroom.

 

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Posted by Donna Giachetti

Setting Up a Bacterial Culture Lab

November 8, 2019

by Becca Fanucci

Bacteria is literally everywhere.  In fact, it’s estimated there are more bacterial cells in your body than human cells!  Students are always fascinated with growing bacteria.  It’s an awesome way to discover which surfaces are dirtier than others… or whether the “five second rule” about dropped food is really legitimate.  I usually present my bacterial culture lab during the first week of school.  Not only are students engaged, but it’s a good way to review variables and the steps needed to set up a controlled experiment.  

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Posted by Donna Giachetti