Chromatography with Autumn Leaves


Linda Dunnavantby: Linda Dunnavant

Experimenting with Fall Leaves

Autumn is here! Football season, sweater weather, hay rides, pumpkin spice lattes… I could go on and on, but I think we can all agree that the leaves changing colors is the main signal that fall is upon us. This is a magical time of year, and students will love this engaging, hands-on lesson that is appropriate for elementary and middle school students.  Let’s start with some background. Read the rest of this entry »


Food Fun in the Science Classroom


Linda Dunnavantby: Linda Dunnavant

Making Science Fun… with Food!

There’s nothing like food to get students engaged in a lesson.  Even the coolest of oh-so-cool middle schoolers will be putty in your hands after you tell them they’re going to have a chance to eat and learn at the same time.  Food can be incorporated into the science classroom in countless ways.  As long as it relates to your curriculum, the sky is the limit!

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Why Is a Drinking Bird Like a Dog on a Hot Day?


Ted Beyer, Educational InnovationsBy:  Ted Beyer

Summertime—sun and fun!  For most of us (in the northern hemisphere at least) that means hot weather.  Heat does interesting things to the world around us, and to us as well.  On a hot day you tend to perspire.  Your body does this for a good reason:  as the moisture evaporates, it cools your skin, and thus helps to regulate your body temperature.

In contrast, dogs don’t perspire—they don’t have sweat glands!  So on a hot day you will see dogs panting—lots of rapid, shallow breaths with their tongues looking bigger than usual hanging out of their mouths.  That’s the doggie way of cooling off.  They are moving air over a wet surface—again using evaporation to lower their body temperature.
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A Sticky Solution for Scoring Science Supplies


Donna Giachetti, Educational InnovationsBy:  Donna Giachetti

I have a confession:  I love stationery products.  Post-It® notes, paper clips, three-ring binders, hanging file folders… and oak tag in every color of the rainbow.  (Do they still call it “oak tag” or am I out of touch with today’s paper terminology?)

When I came to Educational Innovations, I was thrilled to learn that our Educator-in-Chief, Tami O’Connor, is also a hardcore stationery devotee.  She told me that her husband—a wise man—quickly learned that the best way to her heart is via color-coordinated pens, binder clips, and memo pads.

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Back to School Science Discussion Starters


Discussion Starters - Educational Innovations NewsletterReturning to the classroom means getting ready for a new group of students whose names, faces and learning styles you haven’t yet learned.

We’ve collected some in-class activities and science discussion starters that will make the first days of school more productive while getting your new students ready for a fantastic year of science learning (and FUN) ahead!

Some of our choices are meant to be used in the classroom.  Others are thought-provoking essays or scholarly articles which caught our attention.

If you have a favorite back-to-school lesson or activity, please share it with us at socialmedia@teachersource.com.

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