Frog Dissection!

Our Human Body Unit has come to an end and boy, oh boy did these kids eat up every second of it. And I must admit I LOVED it, too!! Last year, I did my human body unit a LOT different than I did it this year. {This year was MUCH better - more informative, organized, and generally more fun.} I bought a FANTASTIC human body unit from Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy to help me along and let me tell you that it has helped exponentially. There are a ton of great slides for my informational lectures/discussions and then just some really great activities to accompany each human body system that we study. I also brought in some of my own stuff - like my Human Body Lab Stations - and some other really fun activities that I've found in my quest to having the most awesome human body unit ever in the history of teaching. {Not really.}

Yesterday and today was frog dissection. We loved it. I will spare you the gory pictures, but here is a pic of my room set up. It's very medical looking!

I made a presentation to accompany my dissection and I offered it free last year, but just wanted to offer it again in case anyone out there is also dissecting frogs. The material is great for grades 5-8. Also includes safety rules for your lab! Click here to download this fun presentation.

I have been neglecting this blog - but for good reason. I'm crazy busy with school, being a mom, a wife, and trying to maintain at least somewhat of a social life. We're also in the process of trying to buy a house, so it's just crazy all around.

I don't have anything in the works academically-speaking, but I have a TON of clipart in the works, and lots already posted in my TpT shop. I also have an Etsy shop if you prefer to purchase from Etsy! I'm in love with designing clipart and wish I had more time to devote to it. I've got some Valentine's Day stuff up and I should have St. Patty's Day done before the end of the weekend.

Thanks for stopping by! Properties of Matter is coming up and I cannot wait to put my hands-on, fun, and engaging unit to work! {Click here to check that out!}

Cell Analogies & a Freebie

Love teaching my cells unit. I think this year if we finish the unit on schedule, I will make an edible cell and have a "cell-a-bration" with the classes. Ha!! I love the idea of edible cells, but I feel like that activity gets students so caught up in the eating part that they forget what the point of the activity is.

We are fortunate enough in my school to have the funds to purchase living organisms to view under the microscopes. We look at blepharisma, volvox, and vinegar eels. The kids LOVE it and I must admit I find these little unicellular creatures pretty cool myself!!

I also do my Cell Organelle Facebook project where the students work in groups to personify the organelles and make them a Facebook page. {Not a real one, a poster - but a real one would be very cool!!} In addition to these activities, this year, I am also including an activity that will hopefully help them remember the cell organelles and their functions. The Facebook project is always a favorite, but I'm afraid the functions of the organelles don't stick like I'd like them to. So, to help that, I am including this new activity. I'm putting this on my TpT store for FREE - so please check it out! I also have a Cells Alive! Packet that includes all of my cell unit activities. I'd love for you to check that out as well! {Click here.} Here's a peek at the freebie that I'm putting up on TpT. I hope it helps!