Materials:

• A packet of yeast (available in the grocery store)
• A small, clean, clear, plastic soda bottle (16 oz. or smaller)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Some warm water
• A small balloon

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle up with about one inch of warm water.
( When yeast is cold or dry the micro organisms are resting.)

2. Add all of the yeast packet and gently swirl the bottle a few seconds.
(As the yeast dissolves, it becomes active - it comes to life! Don't bother looking for movement, yeast is a microscopic fungus organism. We will observe the yeast under the microscopes later.)

3. Add the sugar and swirl it around some more.
Like people, yeast needs energy (food) to be active, so we will give it sugar. Now the yeast is "eating!"

4. Blow up the balloon a few times to stretch it out then place the neck of the balloon over the neck of the bottle.

5. Let the bottle sit in a warm place for about 20 minutes
If all goes well the balloon will begin to inflate!

As the yeast eats the sugar, it releases a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas fills the bottle and then blows up the balloon as more gas is created. The more the yeast eats, the more gas it creates and the bigger the balloon gets!

Believe it or not, yeast is actually living microorganisms! When bread is made, the yeast becomes spread out in flour. Each bit of yeast makes tiny gas bubbles and that puts millions of bubbles (holes) in our bread before it gets baked. So essential, the bubbles in your bread are waste from microscopic organisms called yeast! Yum?

Questions to investigate:

1. Does  temperature affect how much gas is created by the yeast?
2. What "yeast food" helps the yeast create the most gas? (try sugar, syrup, honey, etc.)

Alright, the day I was assigned a 6th grade Earth Science teaching position was admittedly not my favorite day. I LOVE science, but as a kid earth science bored me to tears. Three years later, I have to say it is my favorite thing to teach (and study!)



Making earth science fun for kids isn't hard. Here is one of my favorite lessons, a Transform Boundary in action using Legos and Play-Doh - what kid wouldn't love this?!



Here is what you will need:

1. A Legos Building Plate
2. Long bricks (1x_) any length will do. Mix and match is part of the joy of building with Legos!
3. Flat tiles (1x_)
4. Flat Plates- These should be long and wide. The wil be the base of each side of the plate boundary.
5. Play-doh

Below are some examples of what I used. Please note: I dumped out an old box of old Legos and played a fun game of mix and match. I am sure you could do this by carefully purchasing pieces but, what's the fun in that? :)

Step 1: Building the Plates
Next up, build each side of the earth's crust on either side of the plate boundary. It is best to have two layers of the flat plate Lego pieces for this. You will want a sturdy base. You will also need your 1x_ bricks to act as a track for the sliding plate.

Step 2: Build Your Track
Next, you need to put a track on the building plate. Use the Plates built in the step above to measure where the tracks need to be placed. For the tracks you will need 1x_ bricks and flat tiles. The flat tiles are needed to make the track slide smoothly. You can do this with out them if absolutely needed but the track will get stuck. Make the track slightly longer than your Plates

All done! Push different colors of Play Dough on top of the Plates and watch the movement!

I started this system eight years ago during my second year of teaching. Over the years, it has gone through a lot of tweaking and is now at a place that I love. This system is one I can't do without. The kids love it, and so do I. After the initial month of teaching it, the kids take over and the system is run almost entirely by them. It is a great way to provide positive rewards, and adds an extra special element to the classroom.

Here is a general break down of what you need.

1. Classified Ads: This is the fun part! Hand kids a "Classroom Classified Ads" posting all of the available jobs.
2. Job Application: Give kids a taste of life as a job. Make them apply for the jobs they wont. My application is complete with a References Section.
3. A Banking System: I like MyKidsBank.org.  In the past, I have used various paper based forms that required students to do all of the debit and credit calculations by hand. There are benefits to this system, however mykidsbank.org helps to keep track of things much more accurately.
4. A Classroom Currency. I use Scholar Dollars
5. Checks: You can download this for free.
6. Other forms: Fine Tickets, Unpaid Rent Notices, Bank Logs, and Tax Forms.

Benefits of a Classroom Economy:

1. If you spend time in the beginning setting it up, the system runs itself.
2. Provides a very motivating positive behavior management system.
3. Rewards students for working hard.
4. Allows students to take part in a real-world economic simulation. Students learn how to budget their money, balance a checking account and learn how to make payments on rent. Students learn the importance of saving money.
5. Encourages students to go above and beyond expectations.
   

Disadvantages:

1. This does take a lot of time in the beginning of the year to set up.
2. If the system is not taught properaly, there will be problems. There was one year in my teaching where the bankers cheated and the homework checkers were making deals on the side- "I will say you did your homework if you give me $50 Scholar Dollars." My fault entirely, I didn't spend enough time in the beginning teaching them. I just dove right in.
   

Let kids apply for classroom jobs! At the beginning of the year, I give each kid in my class a Classroom Classifieds sections and let them pick their top three jobs. After sifting through the ads, they fill out a job application. Kids typically stick with the same job throughout the year, earn a pay check, and pay rent!

This gives kids a deep feeling of responsibility for their classroom, and their job. A classroom economy teaches so many great life skills, its a definite must have in a classroom!

California is jumping full force into Common Core... I always like to give my kids a quick overview of their learning goals for the year. Below, you will find a link to the California 4th Grade Common Core Standards. This will provide you with free, kid friendly checklists. This is a condensed version that gives a general overview of learning. I am still working on the full standard checklist. It looks a bit daunting! I think in the end, I will go with the short list for my kids and parents. :)

Enjoy and happy teaching!
(Click the picture for a link to the download)

This is a classic fun experiment- watch your plants grow! Using a plastic bag, you can watch a plant grow, allowing for close examination of the root system!

Materials

• three seeds -- corn, bean and radish 
  
• Piece of cardstock or light cardboard
• ziploc bag
  
• paper towel
• tape
• water
• 2 to 4 weeks of experiment time

Directions

1. Fold the paper towel in half and crease.  Unfold.  Poke three very small holes, equally spaced, along the fold of the paper towel Place the seeds over top of the holes (one over each hole).
2. Fold the paper towel back up and staple up the side (to make a pouch).
3. Label the top of the paper towel (bean, corn and radish)
4. Carefully place the paper towel (fold side down, so the seeds don't fall out) into the ziploc bag.
5. Tape the ziploc bag onto the piece of card stock, leaving the top open.  Tape as firmly as possible.
6. Pour a small amount of water into the bag (the paper towel should end up damp)  Do not close the bag  
7. Hang your experiment on the wall in a bright location

Directions - Maintenance:

• Each morning, check the experiment.  Pour more water in to keep the paper towel moist.
• Peek inside the ziploc bag/paper towel to see what the seed is doing
• The seed should break open.  The roots should grow down through the small hole you poked in the paper towel.