Fitting it ALL in!

It's that time of year in Ontario, crunch time! If you are like me, your report cards are looming but you are still scrambling to finish up your last social studies unit, or fit in your last science topic!

I decided that using science centres at this time of year is perfect, it helps me ensure that I have addressed all of the curriculum for the grade I am teaching, and the students LOVE the active, hands-on tasks. We all know that keeping students engaged in June is paramount!

In order to complete all of the tasks but maximize time, I started by projecting the reading passages from the Let's Read centre using my data projector.  As a class, we completed a shared reading activity of the pages included and students took point form notes in on their recording pages. In less than one period we had one centre completed and all of the students had acquired content knowledge from the readings which would allow them to continue on with other centres with greater success.

Below are some sample pages from Hands-On, Minds-On Science and Technology Centres: 

Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms.

I also have multiple copies of the centres created so that if students finish quickly they can choose to start or even complete another centre during class time. I am trying to find periods during the day where we can double up and work on the centres for an extended time. As we have almost finished our literature study for this term, I have been able to use some of our language periods to extend our time for working in centres. Students do lots of reading and writing when they are working on these centres!

I have also made sure that I am using technology to my benefit. We have a schools set of iPads and I have been borrowing them so that we can work on our Let's Inquire! activity when other centres have been completed.  

This was also a good topic to end the year with as I didn't have to purchase or provide a lot of extra materials.  The students are loving creating a bridge using just straws, a golf ball, some masking tape and paper clips.

I have the students bring up their completed work when they complete a centre. This allows me to track their progress and provide instant feedback.  I can estimate much time we need to complete the centres and plan accordingly. 

If you haven't tried this approach to teaching science and technology, now might be the perfect time to try it out.  You can see all of the centres for grades 3-6 (including special combined grade packages) by clicking on the image below.  Be sure to check out the PREVIEWS so you get an idea of what is included in each product.

Whatever you are doing to count down the last days of the school year, I hope you have a wonderful time with your students. Enjoy your last weeks together and build memories that will last a lifetime!