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Ninja Notes

Let us help you teach like a ninja!

Alberta science

15 Simple Machines Activities that Will Hook Your Students

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Are you looking for activities you can use to teach upper elementary students about simple machines and their connections to every day life? We pulled together our favourite activities in one convneient place. Come read it today and get your science unit planned in minutes!

One of our favourite science units to teach is about simple machines or wheels and levers (if you teach in Alberta). We love it because it provides many opportunities for hands-on learning and can be done inside regardless of the weather. Students love to build contraptions and we can use up materials that would generally go in the recycling bin so it’s also a very low-cost science unit. Which of these activities have you tried during your science lessons?

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How to Keep Students Accountable During Project Based Learning

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Does project based learning fall apart in your upper elementary classroom because you don't know how to keep kids accountable? Do they get to the end with nothing to show for it? These classroom management strategies will help you get the most out of project based learning in your classroom without the stress and strife. Come take a look and get some practical tools you can use right away.

We love using project based learning as one teaching strategy to engage students. The challenge with this type of learning is keeping students on track. Nothing is worse than getting to a deadline and discovering none of the students are done. So, how do we keep our students accountable during project based learning?

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How to Learn About Wetlands Without A Pond

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Are you trying to teach wetlands in Alberta but there isn't a nearby pond and you can't take a field trip? That's exactly why we wrote this series of lessons, activities and assessments. Come take a look to see if they can help you get your planning done so you can enjoy the activities along with your upper elementary science students.

Teaching students about wetlands can be a real challenge when you don’t have access to a pond or field trips to go to a pond. Each year in Canada, we struggle with winter sneaking well into spring, shortening the time available to teach the unit outdoors. If we try to teach the unit in the fall, we often end up with snow within a few weeks of starting the unit. So how are students supposed to learn about wetlands when they can’t actually get to a wetland?

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The Reasons For Project-Based Learning

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Do you want to try project-based learning in your classroom, but you aren't sure where to start? Check out this post that helps you get started with some simple projects and activities to get you started. We've even added a free planning page to get you on your way.

Project-based learning can be a challenge because it moves the control from the teacher to the student. When we began our teaching journey, controlling every aspect of student work from beginning to end seemed like the right thing to do. As we’ve evolved as teachers, we learned that loosening the reigns has many benefits. Check out some of the best reasons we use project-based learning in our classroom.

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How to Shock Your Students With Engaging Electricity Lessons

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Are you looking for lessons and activities you can use to teach electricity concepts? We pulled together our favourite activities to save you time looking for them. Come take a look at these electricity lessons for your upper elementary science class.

As ninjas, we are always looking for ways to teach our students new skills like problem-solving and critical thinking without the students KNOWING we are teaching them skills like problem-solving and critical thinking. We love project-based learning, and electricity lessons are a great unit to practice some hands-on learning.

We give our students just enough information to be safe and get working on a project. Our students get so wrapped up in their projects that they don’t even notice they are learning. That’s why we’re the Brain Ninjas, and that’s why you need to try it, too!

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