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Instilling a Love of STEM with the Rancics!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Apr 23, 2019 | Science
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Tagged with 'STEM'
Mathlink Cubes in the Classroom!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Mar 11, 2019 | Math
DIY Springtime Sensory Bin
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Mar 6, 2019 | Easter
Sensory bins are a simple, yet highly effective addition to any primary classroom! Students can explore, create, and learn while engaging in sensory play. This DIY spring themed sensory bin incorporates one of the most important math skills for your primary learners. Subitizing is the ability for students to recognize or identify a number or the number of objects in a set without counting. It is the springboard for building a strong number sense and it is the key to establishing mental math reflexes!
In order to get started dying the rice for your bin, you’ll need these materials:
-3 cups of rice
-3 tsp. vinegar
-Food coloring or gel (amount varies based on desired color)
-Gallon Zip
-lock bag
-Paper plate
Combine all ingredients in a gallon sized zip-lock bag, cover and shake well until rice is covered. Add green as needed. If you’re looking to make it more of a lime green, add some yellow food coloring. Leave on a paper plate to dry for an hour.
My favorite aspect of making a sensory bin is having the autonomy to create and utilize sensory objects that best fit the needs of my learners. In this case, incorporating fine motor skill practice was also a goal of mine. With this being said, I chose to add plastic Easter eggs and mini counting erasers to my bin. Students can gain extra fine motor practice by opening and closing the Easter eggs, as well as finding, picking up and counting out the spring themed erasers.
I’ll introduce the sensory bin as a “Spring Subitizing Egg Hunt” center and use it all month long in my math workshop rotations. Students will explore the sensory materials in the bin to find and sort the different representations of each number (1-10). The different representations include the number words, tens frames, dice, dominos, pictures and tally counts. You can find a sample of “Easter egg hunting” for the number “one” in the image above.
I plan to also use the same sensory bin materials, but incorporate other learning goals, such as addition/subtraction facts, sight words, etc. For example, the Easter eggs can hold different types of math facts. Students can then practice their fact fluency by sorting the facts by strategy. This practice supports their flexible thinking and enhances their number sense!
I hope this post has inspired you to create a spring sensory bin for your classroom and ignited you to modify it to fit the needs of your learners.
If you’re interested in using the subitizing sorting cards, be sure to download them here!
Save it for later!
DIY Springtime Sensory Bin
READ MORE
Sensory bins are a simple, yet highly effective addition to any primary classroom! Students can explore, create, and learn while engaging in sensory play. This DIY spring themed sensory bin incorporates one of the most important math skills for your primary learners. Subitizing is the ability for students to recognize or identify a number or the number of objects in a set without counting. It is the springboard for building a strong number sense and it is the key to establishing mental math reflexes!
In order to get started dying the rice for your bin, you’ll need these materials:
-3 cups of rice
-3 tsp. vinegar
-Food coloring or gel (amount varies based on desired color)
-Gallon Zip
-lock bag
-Paper plate
Combine all ingredients in a gallon sized zip-lock bag, cover and shake well until rice is covered. Add green as needed. If you’re looking to make it more of a lime green, add some yellow food coloring. Leave on a paper plate to dry for an hour.
My favorite aspect of making a sensory bin is having the autonomy to create and utilize sensory objects that best fit the needs of my learners. In this case, incorporating fine motor skill practice was also a goal of mine. With this being said, I chose to add plastic Easter eggs and mini counting erasers to my bin. Students can gain extra fine motor practice by opening and closing the Easter eggs, as well as finding, picking up and counting out the spring themed erasers.
I’ll introduce the sensory bin as a “Spring Subitizing Egg Hunt” center and use it all month long in my math workshop rotations. Students will explore the sensory materials in the bin to find and sort the different representations of each number (1-10). The different representations include the number words, tens frames, dice, dominos, pictures and tally counts. You can find a sample of “Easter egg hunting” for the number “one” in the image above.
I plan to also use the same sensory bin materials, but incorporate other learning goals, such as addition/subtraction facts, sight words, etc. For example, the Easter eggs can hold different types of math facts. Students can then practice their fact fluency by sorting the facts by strategy. This practice supports their flexible thinking and enhances their number sense!
I hope this post has inspired you to create a spring sensory bin for your classroom and ignited you to modify it to fit the needs of your learners.
If you’re interested in using the subitizing sorting cards, be sure to download them here!
Save it for later!
National Day of Unplugging: Magnet Movers!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Mar 4, 2019 | Science
March 1st is National Day of Unplugging. Time to put away the technology, enjoy some time as a family, and engage your kids in all kinds of activities that will help them see how fun it can be to unplug! Science experiments are a great way to entertain kids while learning through play. Magnet science is a favorite of many children, and the new Magnet Movers set has everything you need for a multitude of experiments and play setups.
The Magnet Movers set comes with a magnetic wand, chips, and many other magnetic accessories. Little ones will love using the wand and other accessories to experiment with magnetic attraction. In addition to using the set on it’s own, there are so many other fun ways to play.
Magnets in a Muffin Tin
When you add the magnet accessories to a muffin tin or cake pan, you are putting them on a magnetic surface which makes experimenting with magnetic attraction and movement all that much more amusing.
Magnets on a Mirror
Use a large mirror as a new surface for playing with your magnetic wand and accessories. The reflection of the magnets in the mirror provide a new type of sensory experience.
Magnets on the Front Door (or the garage door)
Did you know your front door and/or your garage door is probably a magnetic surface as well? Try adding the magnet pieces to the door. See if the attraction is strong enough to hold them to it. Use your magnetic wand to move them across the door.
Magnets and Magnetic Tiles
If you have a set of magnetic tiles, try adding them to the fun. Make towers or tunnels with your tiles, then decorate them with the magnetic chip pieces. Use the magnetic wand and see what happens.
Magnets in a Jar
Fill up a glass jar with magnetic chips. Kids will love watching as they move the chips around from outside the jar with just their magnetic “magic” wand!
Magnets in Rice
A sensory bin filled with rice never disappoints. Kids love the feeling of running their hands through the rice, digging through it, and scooping and pouring it into containers. When magnetic accessories are added, it gets even more entertaining for little ones. Dig through the rice, enjoy some sensory play, and use your magnetic wand to search for your magnetic chip pieces!
Fishing for Magnets
Create a rod, or use the Magnetic post from the Magnet Movers set, as a fishing pole to go magnet fishing! Place all of the magnetic chips in a “pond” using a large bowl or tray, and try and catch them all.
Magnet Mazes
A recycled piece of cardboard and a marker are all that is needed to make some exciting magnet mazes for your little ones to explore. Use the magnet wand to move the magnetic pieces through a maze from the other side of the cardboard!
Other Magnet Movers Experiments
The Magnet Movers set includes a set of instructions for many of its own experiments. Watch what happens when you drop the ring magnets onto the magnetic post. The same magnet poles repel, creating a floating effect!
There are so many ways to play and experiment with magnets, and it’s the perfect way to spend part of National Day of Unplugging.
National Day of Unplugging: Magnet Movers!
READ MORE
March 1st is National Day of Unplugging. Time to put away the technology, enjoy some time as a family, and engage your kids in all kinds of activities that will help them see how fun it can be to unplug! Science experiments are a great way to entertain kids while learning through play. Magnet science is a favorite of many children, and the new Magnet Movers set has everything you need for a multitude of experiments and play setups.
The Magnet Movers set comes with a magnetic wand, chips, and many other magnetic accessories. Little ones will love using the wand and other accessories to experiment with magnetic attraction. In addition to using the set on it’s own, there are so many other fun ways to play.
Magnets in a Muffin Tin
When you add the magnet accessories to a muffin tin or cake pan, you are putting them on a magnetic surface which makes experimenting with magnetic attraction and movement all that much more amusing.
Magnets on a Mirror
Use a large mirror as a new surface for playing with your magnetic wand and accessories. The reflection of the magnets in the mirror provide a new type of sensory experience.
Magnets on the Front Door (or the garage door)
Did you know your front door and/or your garage door is probably a magnetic surface as well? Try adding the magnet pieces to the door. See if the attraction is strong enough to hold them to it. Use your magnetic wand to move them across the door.
Magnets and Magnetic Tiles
If you have a set of magnetic tiles, try adding them to the fun. Make towers or tunnels with your tiles, then decorate them with the magnetic chip pieces. Use the magnetic wand and see what happens.
Magnets in a Jar
Fill up a glass jar with magnetic chips. Kids will love watching as they move the chips around from outside the jar with just their magnetic “magic” wand!
Magnets in Rice
A sensory bin filled with rice never disappoints. Kids love the feeling of running their hands through the rice, digging through it, and scooping and pouring it into containers. When magnetic accessories are added, it gets even more entertaining for little ones. Dig through the rice, enjoy some sensory play, and use your magnetic wand to search for your magnetic chip pieces!
Fishing for Magnets
Create a rod, or use the Magnetic post from the Magnet Movers set, as a fishing pole to go magnet fishing! Place all of the magnetic chips in a “pond” using a large bowl or tray, and try and catch them all.
Magnet Mazes
A recycled piece of cardboard and a marker are all that is needed to make some exciting magnet mazes for your little ones to explore. Use the magnet wand to move the magnetic pieces through a maze from the other side of the cardboard!
Other Magnet Movers Experiments
The Magnet Movers set includes a set of instructions for many of its own experiments. Watch what happens when you drop the ring magnets onto the magnetic post. The same magnet poles repel, creating a floating effect!
There are so many ways to play and experiment with magnets, and it’s the perfect way to spend part of National Day of Unplugging.
DIY Color-Changing Lemonade!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Feb 25, 2019 | STEM
Beaker Creatures Easter: Pod Hunt & Relay Race!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Feb 25, 2019 | Easter
Fill Your Easter Basket with Fun and Learning – Make it a Beaker Creature Easter!
As the old song goes, hippity hoppity, hippity hoppity, Easter’s on its way! In addition to dyed eggs, oodles of candy, and treasures from the Target dollar bin, this year, slip some science into your kiddos’ baskets with Beaker Creatures!
Beaker Creature pods are the perfect addition to your Easter egg hunt – they’re even the perfect shape! At our house, the bunny always brings a mix of real eggs and plastic ones filled with treats and hides them in the backyard. This spring, I’m pretty sure he’ll also be hiding Beaker Creature pods, too!
Once your little ones have rounded up all their Easter goodies, it’s time to turn your kitchen into a springtime science lab! Simply set out several glass bowls, a pitcher of water, some vinegar, and a few left-over Easter egg dye tabs and get ready to experiment.
Here are a few things to try:
Fill a bowl half-full of water (these guys really fizz up – you might even place the bowls on a cookie sheet to contain any overflow) and let your little one drop a Beaker Creature in. The eggs will foam and fizzle until they’re dissolved. Once revealed, a hidden capsule holding an adorable Beaker Creature appears!
Have the kids drop their Beaker Creatures into separate bowls of water and race to see whose pod dissolves first!
Compare and contrast the results of dissolving two creatures in side-by-side bowls of water and vinegar. Does one dissolve faster?
Next up, color-changing fun!
Drop an Easter egg dye tab in a bowl of vinegar and stir to dissolve. Examine the color of a Beaker Creature pod and help your kids make a prediction as to what color the liquid in the bowl might turn when dropped into the bowl of dye. Try again, with a different color dye and a different colored pod. You can even mix the foam colors together to create fizzy new shades.
When you’re done experimenting, check out the classification cards each Beaker Creature came with. Help your kids examine their Creatures’ characteristics in order to identify and classify them into one of five fun worlds. Review the amazing, real-world science facts on the included mini-poster, then see if your little bunnies can answer the quiz questions.
When the science is done, continue the fun with some Beaker Creature crafting! Visit www.BeakerCreatures.com to learn more about each of the five Beaker Creature worlds, then browse our blog for inspirational ideas, tips, and tricks for creating your own, home-made habitats for these adorable alien friends.
And there you have it! An easy way to slip some science into your Easter basket! With 35 different critters to collect and a brand-new series releasing this year, Beaker Creatures will keep your kids busy all spring and summer, too!
Save it for later!
Beaker Creatures Easter: Pod Hunt & Relay Race!
READ MORE
Fill Your Easter Basket with Fun and Learning – Make it a Beaker Creature Easter!
As the old song goes, hippity hoppity, hippity hoppity, Easter’s on its way! In addition to dyed eggs, oodles of candy, and treasures from the Target dollar bin, this year, slip some science into your kiddos’ baskets with Beaker Creatures!Beaker Creature pods are the perfect addition to your Easter egg hunt – they’re even the perfect shape! At our house, the bunny always brings a mix of real eggs and plastic ones filled with treats and hides them in the backyard. This spring, I’m pretty sure he’ll also be hiding Beaker Creature pods, too!
Once your little ones have rounded up all their Easter goodies, it’s time to turn your kitchen into a springtime science lab! Simply set out several glass bowls, a pitcher of water, some vinegar, and a few left-over Easter egg dye tabs and get ready to experiment.
Here are a few things to try:
Fill a bowl half-full of water (these guys really fizz up – you might even place the bowls on a cookie sheet to contain any overflow) and let your little one drop a Beaker Creature in. The eggs will foam and fizzle until they’re dissolved. Once revealed, a hidden capsule holding an adorable Beaker Creature appears!
Have the kids drop their Beaker Creatures into separate bowls of water and race to see whose pod dissolves first!
Compare and contrast the results of dissolving two creatures in side-by-side bowls of water and vinegar. Does one dissolve faster?
Next up, color-changing fun!
Drop an Easter egg dye tab in a bowl of vinegar and stir to dissolve. Examine the color of a Beaker Creature pod and help your kids make a prediction as to what color the liquid in the bowl might turn when dropped into the bowl of dye. Try again, with a different color dye and a different colored pod. You can even mix the foam colors together to create fizzy new shades.When you’re done experimenting, check out the classification cards each Beaker Creature came with. Help your kids examine their Creatures’ characteristics in order to identify and classify them into one of five fun worlds. Review the amazing, real-world science facts on the included mini-poster, then see if your little bunnies can answer the quiz questions.
When the science is done, continue the fun with some Beaker Creature crafting! Visit www.BeakerCreatures.com to learn more about each of the five Beaker Creature worlds, then browse our blog for inspirational ideas, tips, and tricks for creating your own, home-made habitats for these adorable alien friends.
And there you have it! An easy way to slip some science into your Easter basket! With 35 different critters to collect and a brand-new series releasing this year, Beaker Creatures will keep your kids busy all spring and summer, too!
Save it for later!
Get to Know Your Beaker Creatures: The Firelytes!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Feb 18, 2019 | STEM
Beaker Creatures Memory Game Printable II!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Feb 18, 2019 | Printables
Behind the Scenes at the Toy of the Year Awards!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Feb 18, 2019
