Parts of Plants Worksheet	Plant Life Worksheet
Plant Life Cycle Sequence	Plant Life Mini Book

You might also like these printable worm alphabet letters or these easy tissue paper flowers, too!

Teach Your Kids Where Their Food Comes From

When I started writing for Classroom Jr., I asked some of my teacher and homeschooler friends what types of things would be most useful for them.  One of the responses I got was that because budgets are so tight, it’s pretty hard to find science experiments that are both accessible and affordable.  That’s exactly why one of my very first posts was Six Inexpensive Science Experiments for Kids (And Where to Find More).

So, now wherever I travel around the web, I always keep my eyes open for new ideas that fit in with this need.  While surfing Pinterest recently—I’ve also written about possibilities there with 3 Creative Ways Teachers Can Use Pinterest—I came across this super easy idea that I never would have even realized was possible.  Talk about a totally simple science lesson that using things you already have on hand!

Related Pages: Plant Life Worksheets, Toddler Friendly Gardening

Teach Your Kids Where Their Food Comes From

Sprouting various foods in the kitchen has a few practical applications from an educational standpoint.  Obviously, you can teach about the life cycle of the plant as it goes from seed to sprout to plant to bloom and back to seed.  It can be a great additional lesson when studying the seasons, as each aspect of the plant’s cycle is often correlates to the seasons and weather.  Finally, I love the idea of kids learning first-hand where their food comes from, beyond the obvious answer of “the grocery store!”

I was surprised to learn just how many things you can sprout and grow.  I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that you could grow bean plants, for instance, but I just never would have expected they would even sprout!  I found lots of suggestions in this Martha Stewart post, of all things.  In addition to beans, they also recommended trying:

• Lentils
• Root vegetables
• Fruit seeds
• Spices (caraway seeds, mustard, etc.)

You can also use a variety of things you already have around the house for sprouting your seeds.  Some suggestions include discarded jars, clear canisters, egg cartons, pie plates, and even an aquarium.  Some will just need a moist paper towel in order to sprout, while others will do better with soil or perhaps a dish full of moist gravel.

If you want to take things to the next level and augment a lesson about agriculture, why not actually grow and eat food in your kitchen.  Consider different kinds of sprouts to add to sandwiches and salads, for example, such as alfalfa, broccoli, and peas.  Of course, herbs make a great window or even counter-top garden, as well.  You might have to specifically purchase seeds for these projects rather than using dried beans from the cupboard or caraway seeds from the spice rack, but it does make for a great science experiment.

A beach theme is just one approach to take with your nature observation basket.

I loved this nature basket idea from Pink and Green Mama so much that not only did we set one up at our house, but we even expounded on it.  This is a great way to bring some nature into the classroom, as well as to practice those observation skills that are so important for science fundamentals.

Related Pages: Kids Beach Crafts, Fall Leaf Crafts, Stick Crafts

The basic idea is to have a specific basket into which you put a variety of nature-related items, along with a magnifying glass.  There’s pretty much no limit to what you might want to include.

• Leaves
• Pine cones
• Acrons
• Rocks
• Sand
• Feathers
• Etc.

The idea originally captured my attention because of her inclusion of seashells.  We recently returned from a trip to Florida, and our kitchen window is now lined with shells.  How great would it be to put them all in the basket and then encourage my daughter to really check them out?  She was able to get a close-up view of the tube feet on one starfish, as well as to compare the totally different appearances of two different species.

Comparing and contrasting seashells.

We’ve been working a lot on observing what is “similar” and what is “different” about objects, so this really reinforced that idea.  If you are teaching older kids, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to keeping observation journals to practice for upcoming science experiments.

To take the whole idea to the next level, we’ve decided to make the “nature basket” a permanent fixture, and I occasionally swap out the items during the night and refill it with new objects that revolve around a particular theme.  For example, we’ve just started some seeds for a small garden, so I filled the basket with a variety of items that teach about the growth cycle of plants.

Soil, seeds, roots, and flowers in our nature observation basket.

Checking out root systems and comparing lupine and coriander seeds.

This would be a great center to add to the classroom, giving students a chance to quietly explore while honing their observation skills.

Oh, and along the same lines, that same blog also has a great suggestion for a bird watching basket.

The Potential Role of Ebooks in the Classroom

The Digital Classroom Infographic

I will admit that I’m kind of a sucker for a well-put-together info graphic, and when I came across this one on the digital classroom, I just knew it should be shared on Classroom Jr.  I love my Kindle for many reasons, not the least of which is that it makes it a lot easier to read a book one-handed while nursing a baby.  Once I got the Kindle app for my phone, I found that I read even more books because I never forgot to bring my phone, even if I did forget to throw a book in my purse.

But, I’ve often wondered what ebooks mean for education.  How does it work when you can’t flip back through the pages to find what you’re looking for or if you can’t take notes in the margins?  I suspect, though, that my reservations are just a result of the fact that I grew up doing it a different way, and kids who were accustomed to ebooks wouldn’t find it strange at all.

Print Textbooks vs E-Textbooks

This infographic points out a lot of advantages of the electronic versions over their print counterparts.  For example:

• Ebooks cost considerably less (this could be huge for school districts, homeschoolers, and college students alike)
• Ebooks don’t take up physical space and aren’t heavy to carry
• Ebooks don’t use the same environmental resources that print books do

The infographic goes on to compare two of the most popular e-readers: the iPad and the Kindle Fire.  The Kindle seems to come out ahead as an e-reader, but you might want to take into consideration the fact that the iPad might have other functions that could also serve the student well in educational endeavors.  iBooks2 and Ibooks Author from Apple also offer some pretty interesting options for making the electronic testbook far more interactive than the traditional style.  It also allows professors to make far more affordable copies of their own textbooks than was previously possible with photocopying their own copyrighted works.

The final section of the infographic provides a really interesting look into “how classrooms are changing” in the digital age.  It mentions things like the use of projectors and tablets by the teachers, but also looks at how students can access information digitally and work collaboratively.

While this is certainly a basic overview of how ebooks can play a role in the modern classroom, it most definitely provides some food for thought for educators.  Technology continues to advance, we will watch as more and more of the things that we now consider novel or cutting age simply become integrated necessities in the typical classroom.

Related Pages: Mother’s Day Kids Poems, Mother’s Day Kids Crafts

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National Arab-American Heritage Month is in April

By now, most of us know that February is Black History Month and maybe even that March is Women’s History Month.  But here in the Great Melting Pot that is the United States, we have so many cultures and heritages that should be honored.  It just so happens that April is Arab-American Heritage Month, and there are some great resources out there to introduce students to a variety of Arab-Americans who have been a part of our larger American heritage.

For example, did you know that the heart pump was invented by Dr. Michael DeBakey who is now the chancellor of Baylor University’s College of Medicine?  Or that two Arab-Americans have won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry (Dr. Ahmed H. Zewail in 1999 and Dr. Elias Corey in 1990)?

There are also a host of famous Arab-American entertainers with whom students may already be familiar, including:

• Paula Abdul
• Shakira
• Tony Shalhoub
• Shannon Elizabeth
• Salma Hayek
• Vince Vaughn

Each of these individuals is of Arab descent, and each has made a mark on the American culture.  They’re all profiled, along with dozens of actors, designers, politicians, athletes, and more in the free publication Arab Americans Making a Difference. There’s an online version available through Arab American Institute, or you can email them for a print version at webmaster@aaiusa.org.

Other Arab-American History Month Resources

• The Progressive has a quiz full of interesting tidbits about Arab-Americans’ contributions.
• Outreach World offers a list of English words of Arabic origin.
• YouTube provides a place to view traditional and modern Arabian dance.
• Learn how to write the Arabic numbers 0-9.
• Get to know Arab-American artists and their work through the Arab American National Museum’s web site.

National Arab-American Heritage Month is a great opportunity to introduce students to a wider diversity of citizens and culture than they typically encounter in the standard-issue history textbook.  By combining profiles of famous Arab-Americans with fun recipes, culturally-based craft projects, and a look at some classic Arabian folktales, you can offer them a wonderful glimpse into a culture that isn’t often in the spotlight here in the U.S.

National Poetry Month for Kids

There’s a little known secret about April that I just happen to love.  It’s National Poetry Month!  I am a big fan of words, so I love the idea of finding great ways to celebrate National Poetry Month.  To that end, I’m compiling some great poetry activities for kids to do throughout the month of April.

Related Page: Printable Poems for Kids

Week One – Getting to Know Poetry

Of course, it makes sense to start off National Poetry Month by talking about what poetry is.  Because it’s a form of art, the answer to that question can be pretty subjective.  Some common aspects of poetry include rhyme and meter, but there is also such a thing as free verse.  A great way to start off week one would be to share a variety of short poems with your students, showing how there’s a really wide range of options and discussing what they all have in common.

Throughout the week, spend a little time each morning reading poetry with the class.  The age level of your students will obviously come into play, but everything from Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein (this site has tons of ideas for teachers and librarians, by the way) to ee cummings and Emily Dickinson could have a place.

Week Two – Create Your Own Poetry

After learning that there are so many different types of poetry, it’s time to get to know some of them better.  Again, your expectations need to be based on what is realistic for the age of your students, but here are some fun things to try out:

• Monday – Acrostic Poems
• Tuesday – I Am Poems
• Wednesday – Cinquain
• Thursday – Rhyming Couplets
• Friday – Quatrains

Week Three – Imagery

Poetry is all about creating images and feelings within the reader.  This week, allow students to explore what that means by having them illustrate poems—either those you’ve assigned or ones that particularly enjoy.  Try to choose poems that don’t already have illustrations (like Shel Silverstein’s) so they can create their own images.

Now that students better understand what imagery is all about, have them create their own poems (either the types listed above or something new) that use concepts such as similies, metaphors, and personification.

Toward the end of the week, students can illustrate their own poems, or if they’re comfortable sharing what they’ve written with others, it could be very interesting to see what happens when someone else interprets their poetry in this way.

Week Four – Bringing it All Together

Throughout National Poetry Month, students have had the opportunity to discover and create a variety of poems for themselves.  During the last week, have them go back through what they’ve written in order to pick out some of their favorites.  Some may be illustrated while others are not.  All of these poems should be rewritten or typed nicely to be compiled into a classroom poetry book.  You can title it National Poetry Month 2012 and have your class create one every year for a really wonderful memento for you, as well as something that could be passed out at conference time.

Disneynature is the first new Disney-branded film label from The Walt Disney Studios in more than 60 years. The label was launched to bring the world’s top nature filmmakers together to capture a variety of wildlife subjects and stories. The first three releases under the Disneynature label—“Earth,” “Oceans” and “African Cats”—are among the top four highest grossing feature-length nature films of all time. Their newest movie Chimpanzee is coming out on Earth Day, April 20th. To celebrate the launch, I get to give you 9 free worksheets and African rainforest animal flashcards, along with an incredible 135 page downloadable Educator’s Guide to the movie (which, by the way, contains SO much high quality material that you can put it to use immediately, even before the movie comes out!).

The whole Chimpanzee unit here is targeted to children in grades 2-3 and 4-6. But wait – there’s more! Here are six fun Chimpanzee activity pages for kids pre-K though 2nd grade!

Learning about Chimpanzees Unit

Differences Between Chimpanzees and Monkeys Reading Worksheet	Differences Between Chimpanzees and Monkeys Venn Diagram Worksheet	Chimpanzee Classroom Activity - Using Tools Like Animals Do
Comparing Humans to Chimpanzees Activity Worksheet	Red-Capped Mangabey, Yellow-Backed Duiker and Bongo Animal Flash Cards	Tree Hyrax, Green Mamba and Red Colobus Animal Flash Cards
Honey Badger, Honey Bees and Diana Monkey Animal Flash Cards	African Golden Cat, African Pied Hornbill and Crowned Eagle Animal Flash Cards	Termites, Butterflies and Leopards Animal Flash Cards

Chimpanzee Educator’s Guide

As I stated earlier, the free companion Chimpanzee Educator’s Guide is 135 pages and packed with valuable info. Here’s an outline of the table of contents so you can see all the topics the Chimpanzee unit covers:

STANDARDS ALIGNMENT CHART ………………………………………4–5

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CHIMPANZEES ………..6

KWL CHART ACTIVITY ……………………………………………………………………………….7

TEACHER’S BACKGROUND INFORMATION …………8–19

LESSON 1 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20

What Makes A Chimpanzee Special? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 2 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….25

How Are Chimpanzees Adapted To The Rainforest? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 3 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….30

Where Do Chimpanzees Live? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 4 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….34

How Are Chimpanzees And The Rainforest Connected? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 5 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….39

Who Are Chimpanzees’ Neighbors? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 6………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..43

Who Shares The Rainforest With Chimpanzees? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 7 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….55

What do Animals Eat in the African Rainforest? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 8 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………60

How Is Energy Transferred Through The African Rainforest Food Web?

LESSON 9……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….64

Why do Chimpanzees Use Tools? (Grades 2-3, 4-6)

LESSON 10 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….67

What’s in a Face? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 11………………………………………………………………………………………………………………70

Why do Chimpanzees Communicate Without Making Noise? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 12 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………73

What Sounds do Chimpanzees Make? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 13 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..76

How do Chimpanzees Use Sound to Communicate? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 14 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….80

How do Chimpanzees Spend Their Day? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 15 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..85

How do Chimpanzees Interact With Each Other? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 16 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………90

HOT TOPIC – What Clues do Chimpanzees Leave Behind? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 17 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………93

HOT TOPIC – How do Scientists Study Chimpanzees? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 18 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….100

What is the Difference Between a Monkey and an Ape? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 19 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….103

How do Scientists Classify Primates? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 20 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….116

How Does Habitat Loss Affect Chimpanzees? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 21 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..120

How Can Recycling Electronics Protect Chimpanzee Habitat? (Grades 4-6)

LESSON 22 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….123

HOT TOPIC – How Can I Help Wildlife in My Backyard? (Grades 2-3)

LESSON 23 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….126

HOT TOPIC – How Can People Make a Difference for Chimpanzees? (Grades 4-6)

FINAL PROJECT …………………………………………………………………………………………………….132
GLOSSARY ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….133
RESOURCE GUIDE……………………………………………………………………………………………..134-135

Be sure to also check out our Earth Day coloring pages too, or the rest of our space printables. Printables4Kids has an Earth Day word search you may like. And check out all Woo! Jr. Network Earth Day crafts, printables and coloring pages here.

Earth Day Crossword Puzzle

Earth Day Crossword Puzzle Answer Key

Six Inexpensive Science Experiments for Kids

We all know that teachers, whether in the classroom or at home, have to contend with serious budget restraints.  One area where this seems to really thwart efforts for a hands-on education is in the subject of science.  Sure, most of us would love to have an arsenal of inexpensive science projects at our disposal, but it seems like so many of them require special equipment that isn’t easily accessible or affordable.

The result is that we do a lot of “book learning” when it comes to science, but the hands-on aspect of rolling up our sleeves and doing experiments takes a back seat.  After all, if you’ve seen one baking-soda-and-vinegar volcano, you’ve pretty much seen them all.

After doing some research, I’ve found that there actually are some pretty cool resources out there for inexpensive science project idea.  They’re not all on the slickest, most professional looking web sites, but that doesn’t discount their educational value.  So, I’ve put together a list of a few cool science experiments you can do with simple household items (or things that are very inexpensive and accessible) in hopes that it will act as a good starting point for teachers who want to get their students more actively engaged.

Remember, building the project is part of the lesson, as you can talk about how it works, not to mention learn practical applications for math (measuring), reading comprehension (following written instructions), and more.

Physics

Learn about space travel, not to mention the physics behind getting a rocket off the ground with this homemade air rocket project from Science Toy Maker.  (This site has tons of great ideas!)

What is black light, and how does it relate to the light spectrum?  You can learn all about this while also making some fun “glow in the dark” pictures with this black light experiment from Science is Fun.

Chemistry

This experiment from Science Fair Adventure comparing household cleaners not only gives insight into how different chemicals work, but it also provides an opportunity for students to practice their observation and note taking skills.

Discover more about solutions and eat your results with this rock candy science experiment from Science Bob.

Astronomy

Learn about the rings of Jupiter, as well as the viscosity of liquid with this inexpensive science project from Wonder How To.

Ever wondered how many stars are in the sky?  This Star Census project found on Super-Science-Fair-Projects.com doesn’t just give you a number, but it also offers practice with estimation, multiplication, and special recognition.

Meteorology

Get to know more about air pressure and what it does by creating your own barometer with this simple science experiment from Reeko’s Mad Scientist Lab.

Make it rain right in a jar using only things found right in your own kitchen.  Weather Wiz Kids has tons of weather science experiments that teachers can use in the classroom or at home.