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The Productive Teacher
I use the latest in brain science research to create lessons that are engaging for students and easy for teachers.
There are tons of activities, presentations, and reading passages to help teach (and learn) a variety of topics! Click the topics to learn more!
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What are the Four States of Matter?
What is Matter? Everything around us is made up of matter. Matter is made up of atoms and molecules. How the atoms or molecules move...
3 min read
How to Understand the Modern Periodic Table
If we want to understand the modern periodic table, we have to understand matter first. Matter and the Modern Periodic Table Everything...
5 min read
How to Teach About Electrons in Atoms
Students need to understand electrons to understand a ton of other science topics. For example, lightning happens when electrons in atoms...
4 min read
Isotopes of the Same Element Have Different Numbers of Neutrons
Isotope is one of those science vocabulary words that kids have to know, but it doesn’t need an entire unit. Students need to know that...
2 min read
How to Teach Molecules and Compounds
Science is vocabulary. Students need to know what science words mean so that they can understand scientific concepts. Molecule and...
3 min read
How to Teach Solutions and Mixtures
Science is all about organization. Our students need to learn the vocabulary of this organization to understand how scientists...
2 min read
How to Teach Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration
Most of understanding science is knowing the vocabulary words. I teach a lot of vocabulary in my digital science units, but sometimes I...
2 min read
Force Lesson Plans Based on Brain Science
Vecton/Shutterstock.com Force is a huge topic. That is one reason force lesson plans can be so overwhelming. Force covers everything...
4 min read
How Do Simple Machines Help Us?
One of the first things you want your students to know about any topic is why it is important. If you are teaching your students about...
5 min read
The Life Cycle of a Star
There are many entry points to teaching about the life cycle of a star. You may want to tackle star life cycles during your unit on the...
6 min read
Components of the Solar System
Are you teaching your middle school science students about the components of the solar system? The solar system is a fascinating topic....
8 min read
Extremely Helpful Electromagnetic Radiation Worksheets
Electromagnetic radiation is all around us, but what is it? This is an incredibly complex topic that requires a lot of background...
2 min read
Why You Need to Teach Different Types of Waves
Waves are one of those topics that touch many different science topics. We have seismic waves in earth science, light and sound waves in...
2 min read
Electrical Energy Examples for Your Middle School Classroom
We use electrical energy to light our homes, cook our food, and power our electronic devices. Electrical energy is vitally important to...
2 min read
Organelles of the Animal Cell
Before our students can understand the functions of the animal cell, they need to know the organelles of the animal cell. There are so...
3 min read
Teaching the 8 Phases of the Moon
The moon is one of those topics that all of your middle school science students will have some background knowledge around. However, to...
2 min read
How to Teach What Causes the Earth’s Tides
Science is the systematic study of our physical and natural world. In school, students learn science as both the process of learning...
4 min read
How to Teach About Sound Energy
Potential and Kinetic Energy If you want to understand sound energy, first you have to know about energy. Energy is all around us. Energy...
3 min read
How to Teach What Causes Day and Night on Earth
You may think that your students all know that the Earth revolves around the Sun and day and night are caused by the Earth’s rotation,...
3 min read
Teaching Multiplication the Easy Way
Multiplication was one of my favorite things about teaching third grade. I think it stems from the fact that I did not learn the...
8 min read
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