Tutor and Teacher Educational Resources

Real-life projects can leave a long-lasting impression on kids. In this article we’ll give you three great projects you can do in your classroom to teach kids the amazing science behind transformations in nature and metamorphosis.

This lesson can be used as a follow-up, or introduction into another lesson on our blog about autumn nature changes:

Science lesson: teach students about autumn’s nature changes

A simple project such as making raisins can introduce the topic of transformations in nature

This is probably one of the easiest science experiments you can do with kids. If you show a regular group of kids a bunch of round juicy grapes and some dark, dry, and wrinkly raisins, they’ll probably tell you they look nothing alike and don’t even taste the same! So this is a great lesson to introduce kids to how nature transforms itself from one thing to something completely different.

This lesson ties in with teaching kids about the properties of sunlight. You can put kids into small groups. Then give each group a bag of about 10-20 grapes. Designate a spot in the classroom for each group to place their bunch of grapes, preferably a sunny one. According to planet-science.com, it can take as little as three sunny days (if you leave them outside) for grapes to transform into raisins. If you leave them in your classroom it may take longer, up to two weeks according to learnplayimagine.com.

But, while waiting, you can get your students to check the progress of this natural transformation every other day. They can make notes of the change in colour and shape. And at the end, they get to enjoy their project by eating it!

Teach kids about one of the most amazing transformations in nature by studying the butterfly life cycle

Probably one of the most known natural transformations is that of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. You can start by reading the classic book ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar.’ You can then show your classroom a short video clip documenting this natural transformation. Here are three possible clips:

• Growing up Butterfly
• Amazing Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly
• Metamorphosis From Caterpillar To Butterfly

Depending on the kids’ ages, you can then do a simple craft activity such as this one made with different types of pasta. Or this more elaborate one showing the actual metamorphosis.

If you would like for the kids to see first hand this incredible transformation of nature, you can raise live butterflies in the classroom! As the butterflysite.com states, you can either go find your own butterfly eggs and get the appropriate tools for rearing them. Or you can buy a butterfly kit online.

Side note: need help learning how to find educational crafts online? Check out our blog article on using Pinterest to do so:

How to find educational crafts and activities on Pinterest

Teach kids about the metamorphosis of a tadpole into a frog

The life cycle of a frog is another great way of teaching kids about metamorphosis and transformations in nature. There are a number of books that can introduce this topic to kids. ‘From Tadpole to Frog’ by Wendy Pfeffer, may be a good one to start with. Stillplayingschool.com has a great craft of a frog’s life cycle using recycled materials.  And here is a great site with a bunch of other different resources on the life cycle of frogs.

Depending on the laws where you live, your school regulations, and your own personal beliefs, it is possible to raise tadpoles in the classroom for a more hands-on approach. Exoticpets.com begins with a warning for this activity, but then outlines the different steps needed to make this a successful experience. Mum, teacher, and marine biologist Cerys from rainydaymum.co.uk, has successfully raised tadpoles with her children and outlines all the steps she’s taken on her site.

Related lessons:

A related lesson on this topic of raising tadpoles is on invasive species. Since raising tadpoles and then releasing them into the wild could pose environmental restrictions, this can be a great segway into another lesson on our blog:

Focused Lesson — teaching kids about invasive species

Also, did you know salmon go through changes when they return to their birthplace to spawn? See our other article on teaching kids about this topic:

Focused science lesson: teaching kids about salmon controversies during the B.C. salmon run

Make science lessons memorable by using these hands-on activities on natural transformations in your class!

In the 2015/16 school year, British Columbia introduced the draft of a researched new model of BC’s curriculum for kindergarten to grade 9. In September 2016, BC teachers will be given the choice to use the draft for grades 10 to 12. This updated curriculum will continue to be slowly introduced in the school system until the year 2018.

Learning will be more flexible and personalized

The 2016 BC curriculum has been updated to ensure that learning is more flexible and personalized for the students. There is an overall agreement among educators (not just in Canada) that “small-group instruction” and the use of technology is a great way to personalize learning.

By pairing up students or placing them in small groups for tasks and projects, the teacher is able to keep up with the large numbers of students that classrooms often have. Students can also use each other as sources of information and help. Using technology in the classroom, and the new trend towards personalized learning, helps students connect with one another and the teacher. It also gives students the chance to learn basic learning skills through a variety of methods.

If you would like to know how to use more technology in the classroom, check out our articles on these trends that also reflect the personalized learning approach:

• What is the flipped classroom model
• Benefits of teaching students using iTunes U

Get students ready to use math and literacy skills in real life situations

Based on the previous 2016 BC curriculum link  there will be a greater emphasis on getting students to apply whatever they learn into real life, and tapping into students’ individual skills and interests. Math and Literacy assessments have been updated in the BC curriculum to meet that goal. Teachers and tutors can prepare for this curriculum change by looking into math and literacy activities that help students apply those skills in real world situations.

Teaching math skills for the real world

Education World has a number of great activities that teachers and tutors can use to help students apply math to real life situations. For example, students can learn about annual  expenses when working for minimum wage by preparing a budget based on the given earnings.

Another activity consists of adjusting a basic recipe to be able to feed 150 for a dinner.

Real World Math is another great website with great resources that link math to the real world. This site even utilizes google earth for very interesting math activities.

Philtulga.com is a site that combines music with reading, math, and science. This would be a great site for teachers and tutors to find activities for students who are musically inclined and thus can learn other skills using music.

We’ve also developed real-world math skill lessons on our blog. Check them out here:

• Focused math lesson — using bowling to teach math to students
• Focused lesson — teach kids math and meteorology with barometers
• Focused math lesson: Teaching kids math with cars
• Focused math lesson — Teach students statistics using baseball
• Teaching kids financial management: the fundamentals
• Get kids excited about math skills by showing them cool jobs that use it everyday

PLUS! See all our teaching resources on other subjects here.

Teaching literacy skills for the real world

Literacy assessments have also been updated in the BC curriculum to reflect a more real world approach to learning. Although geared towards ELT ( English Language Teaching) and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) instruction, elt-resourceful has a number of great real world writing activities that BC teachers and tutors can use with their students. Some of those activities include “writing to a favourite author, writing a review for a movie, writing a short story for the internet, and writing on behalf of human rights abuse victims”, among others.

Education World, linked to above, also has great literacy activities with the same goal. For instance, students can research the Tower of Pisa, write a report of their findings, then develop and budget a class trip to see it.

The 2016 BC curriculum update has been thoroughly researched and the drafts for grades 10 to 12 are open for feedback from anyone who looks into the drafts. To see some of the other changes of the 2016 BC curriculum update, visit https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/.

Whether or not you are into Apple, you might be interested in this iTunes app that offers free educational resources, from books and videos to complete academic lectures and courses.  According to Speirs.org, universities and K-12 schools can sign up to create complete academic courses. But anyone is able to access the free educational content.

Teachers can create iTunes U courses and apps for their students

In her Teaching with Technology blog, Tina Coffey talks about how the Boyne City schools have been using iTunes U and iPads to create courses and apps for their students. Upnorthlive has a news clip about the school. The students say these apps have made homework much easier for them. They have access to a video of their teacher explaining the homework and they can view it as many times as they need to. The online courses have books, powerpoints, and videos so the students have access to different resources that enhance their learning.

And, important to note for school and classroom budgets, the Boyne City school says (in the video linked above) they’ve saved $12,000. This is by not having to use as much print material anymore.

iTunes U can teach students about self-awareness and focus, when the teacher isn’t there

Learningworksforkids.com explains that, using iTunes U requires students to rely a bit less on the teacher or classroom structure. Instead they need to depend more on their ability to access knowledge through the online education tools they are given. This would be an important asset for homeschoolers or anyone who wants to learn a subject without the formality of ‘going to school.’

As one private school in Lebanon pointed out, they first developed iTunes U courses to help students who were too ill to come to school. This way, they could keep up with classwork online. Eventually, the program was so successful to student learning, the school got rid of textbooks altogether. Now, all hired teachers MUST work with the iTunes U platform. And all kids have iPads.

When left alone with iTunes U, students need to learn to focus on the task at hand. From the experience of the students at the Boyne City schools, the courses and apps created by their teachers are motivating enough for them to get invested in the online content. This may be because the delivery of the content is more modern. Some may even argue that using technology in the classroom makes subjects more engaging and relevant.

The LearningWorks for Kids page linked to above also says that students may develop more self-awareness by using iTunes U. Because of the variety of content students have access to, their sense of self is enhanced as they explore various subjects in different formats. Through iTunes U, students are enabled to learn more about their interests as they have access to a broad range of learning tools (books, videos, games, lectures). This is, of course, in the context of learning for interest’s sake. Or, it can be thought of as a way to let kids direct their own schooling based on what inspires their imagination. With teacher supervision, of course.

iTunes U can be used as a tool alongside traditional teaching tools

Psychologytoday.com gives 5 reasons why iPads in particular should not be used in classrooms. Some have to do with screen time and reading. And some teachers may agree that reading on an iPad can never replace a book. Or that handwriting cannot be replaced by typing. Nowadays technology is so prevalent and advanced though, that many would argue technology does improve education.

We’ve written on these types of topics on our blog before, and encourage you to delve into them for more on the subject. Clearly, the idea of technology in the classroom is a new one (relatively speaking). We can find arguments on both sides of the ‘camp.’ Here are some of our blog posts to check out:

• Should kids still learn cursive writing?
• Focus on kid’s health: kids staring at a screen while studying in the dark can be harmful
• How much is too much screen time?
• 5 pros and cons of social media in the classroom
• Ditch the computer and head outdoors: why Waldorf Education may be for your child
• Why kids should learn how to code

Moving on, however…

The great thing about iTunes U is that the teacher is still in control. In this article, BBC Active talks about the Enfield County School and how they have incorporated the use of iPads in their lessons. Thus, you can decide whether to use iTunes U as your main teaching tool. Or you can stick to your traditional teaching ways and use iTunes U as a secondary aid.

Use iTunes U as a tool for your flipped classroom model

If you do think iTunes U would be a good teaching tool for your students, you’ll want to also check out our blog post on the flipped classroom model. iTunes U certainly falls straight into the model and benefits of the flipped classroom approach. In short, this technology-based teaching method gives students their ‘learning time’ outside class, and their ‘activity time’ in the classroom. According to the private school in Lebanon mentioned above,

This is the real learning experience. When students share and collaborate with one another they enhance their ways of thinking and improve their logical progression. This opens their minds to alternate aspects of a situation or an idea, and that is how higher orders of thinking become possible.

Plus, the school mentions another benefit of using iTunes U and a flipped classroom approach – it allows teachers to collaborate on lesson plans, for more input on the material itself. This is because an iTunes U course can have up to 5 collaborators. In a school setting with professional development workshops, this can be a great asset and organization tool. It can ensure that communication between faculties is received and incorporated into the instruction across classrooms.

There may be some downsides to using iTunes U in the classroom (such as those outlined by the article from Psychology Today). However, there are a number of benefits that seem to have worked positively for those who have used it. So it may be worth giving iTunes U a try!

Check out these related titles on our education blog!

• 5 Educational apps for kids that enhance learning
• 5 Educational Apps for Teenagers
• Top educational websites for homework help
• Great Resources for Tutors on iTunes U for Elementary School Kids

Did you know that plants can communicate? If you didn’t, imagine what a long lasting impression this science lesson might leave on kids! Here we’ll tell you a few incredible facts and some sample lesson plans you can use to teach your class about the ways plants ‘talk.’

Teach kids how plants communicate through a “biological internet”

A crucial part of a plant’s form of communication lays in the network of fungi beneath their root system. BBC Earth has a fascinating article on the topic. Biologists have begun using the term “wood wide web.” It is through mycelial connections that plants can ‘talk’ with each other if they are in danger and then release the appropriate chemical response.

Here is a science lesson with great activities on exploring fungi above and below the surface. You could get your class to plant a fungus garden after teaching them this science lesson about plants!

Show your class how plants call for help when they are under attack

“What Plants Talk About” is a great PBS documentary (which you can find on Netflix or YouTube) to show to your class.

The scent released by some plants is actually used as a call for help. For example, wild tobacco releases the toxin nicotine which can poison a lot of the herbivores wanting to eat this plant. However, this toxin does not work with the hornworm caterpillar. So the wild tobacco releases a chemical message (or a call for help) to attract predators that love eating caterpillars.

Try a role play in the classroom where some kids act as the tobacco plant, and some as the caterpillars. You get the idea!

Kids can learn how plants ‘talk’ with different pollinators to defend themselves

Following the case study of the wild tobacco, the PBS documentary linked to above shows how this particular plant can switch conversations between pollinators.

The hawk moth is the main pollinator of the wild tobacco. But it lays large numbers of caterpillar eggs. So the wild tobacco changed its bloom time and the shape of its flowers. By doing this, the plant stopped ‘talking’ with the hawk moth. The plant then began communicating with the hummingbird, a pollinator that does not pose any danger to the plant.

You could use this lesson plan focused on how plants defend themselves to explore this topic with your class. In addition, this lesson can reinforce the concept of pollination.

Teach your class how plants can ‘eavesdrop’ on other plants for defence

Plants not only pay attention to each other, but they are also keen in receiving signals from herbivores themselves. When a plant has already been attacked by a predator, the chemical it releases (or the plant’s call for help) can be received by a neighbouring plant. Then the plant gets its own defence mechanism ready in case it is also attacked. But even prior to being attacked, a plant can ‘eavesdrop’ on its predator and prepare its defence.

Here is a comprehensive lesson plan about plant invasion and defence that you could modify to teach your class.

TEDEd also has a great online lesson on plant communication that may be shown in the classroom.

There is more to plants than looking and smelling nice! They are not just passively existing on their own. But rather, plants are ‘listening and talking’ to their surroundings. Next time children look at plants, try to get them to see this part of nature in a whole different way!

See other focused science lessons on our blog!

• Focused lesson — teaching kids the science of honeybees
• Science lesson: teach students about autumn’s nature changes
• Focused science lesson: teaching kids about salmon controversies during the B.C. salmon run
• Focused learning: the history of tea and the science behind it
• Optical illusions: A hands-on science activity for kids

In the average Canadian classroom the teacher is always the focus. Students sit, listen, and take notes. Then they go home to do the assigned homework. There are group projects which aim to help students apply major themes learned in a given amount of school time. But for the most part, learning is done individually.

A new take on this traditional classroom setup emerged in 2007 and has been used by several schools and universities to date. The flipped classroom approach shifts the teacher-centered classroom and puts students more in charge of their own learning. It does this by making the teacher led aspect of the classroom (the instruction or lecture) available online. Then students do their homework in the classroom.

Where did the flipped classroom model emerge?

According to an infographic made by knewton.com, two Colorado high school teachers (Jonathan Bergman and Adam Sams) found out how to record power point presentations. So they started recording their lectures. They then made them available online for students who missed their classes. The idea of online lectures began to spread. Bergman and Sams started to share their online method with other teachers around the country.

How does a flipped classroom work?

In a flipped classroom, the teacher creates a video (or presentation with a voiceover) about the content they want their students to learn. The teacher makes it accessible online and students watch the content at home before class. Then they come to class and engage in a group workshop to apply the skills learned in the lecture.

In the classroom, they can ask questions about the lecture material and actively apply their learned skills through exercises, projects, presentations, and other engaging and interactive classroom activities.

Why flip a classroom?

Active learning

According to educause.edu the flipped classroom model helps classrooms focus on active learning. So instead of students listening to instructions for most of their classroom time, they become responsible for arranging their own time and place to listen to the lecture online.

When they come back to the classroom, they are actively engaged in doing exercises and projects https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7081.pdf related to the instructions they heard online. This aspect of the flipped classroom model can be quite interactive between the teacher and other students. So it may help students learn in a deeper way by encouraging them to actively get into the material they are learning.

Technology

The fact that students nowadays are fully immersed in the digital world can make the flipped classroom approach quite appealing to them. According to the article link above, there are several advantages to reversing lecture content outside the classroom and delivering it online:

• Students are able to access the content on their own time.
• They can stop the lecture when they need to and listen to it again.
• They can take notes at their own pace.
• It can be a great tool for students with disabilities.
• It can be a great tool for students whose native language is not English.

According to ascd.org, although there isn’t much research into this innovative approach, there have been teacher surveys and other non-scientific data that demonstrate many other benefits the flipped classroom model offers. Here are ten published results that further support the benefits of flipping classrooms:

http://www.flippedclassroomworkshop.com/results-studies-supporting-benefits-of-flipped-classroom/

Teachers anywhere can ‘flip’ their classrooms nowadays!

Sound interesting? There are aspects of this model that can be applied in your classroom if you are not ready to “flip it” right away. You could include more in-class exercises and interactive projects to encourage a deeper and motivated learning of the material presented. You could also assign a few in-class sessions to make sure students are doing well with their assigned homework. It is not that hard to flip your own classroom though! Check out this site that tells you just how you can take on this approach: http://flippedinstitute.org/how-to-flip.