The Sunrise Science Classroom Blog
Hey teacher friend! This blog is your go-to spot for creative ways to teach science with clarity and confidence. I’m sharing ideas, classroom-tested tips, and meaningful strategies to help you keep things rigorous and engaging... because science class should be anything but boring! ☀️
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How to Help Middle School Students Study for a Science Test
“Make sure you study for the test!” How many times have you said this to your middle school students… only to realize that some of them have absolutely no idea what you mean by study? For many middle schoolers, studying […]
Teaching Science Morphemes with the Science Word Lab
The Science Vocabulary Struggle Is Real (and This Fix Actually Works) If you’ve ever watched a middle schooler stop mid-sentence because the word photosynthesis looked “too long and suspicious,” you’re not alone. Science vocabulary can feel overwhelming for students—packed with […]
How to Teach Newton’s Laws in Middle School
Teaching Newton’s Laws of Motion doesn’t have to feel like pushing a boulder uphill (though that would make a great force diagram). If you’ve ever watched your middle schoolers glaze over at the words “inertia” or “net force,” you’re not […]
Ditch the Notebooks: A Bellwork System That Actually Works
Let’s be honest— “Do Now” notebooks can be a nightmare. Pages get torn, lost, or mysteriously vanish into lockers. Trying to grade them? That’s a whole different headache. Flipping through spiral-bound chaos or collecting stacks of papers just to check […]
Low Prep Resources for Teaching Minerals, Rocks, and the Rock Cycle!
Middle school students are naturally curious about the world around them, and geology offers a perfect opportunity to tap into that curiosity. Teaching about minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle doesn’t have to be a snooze! With the right resources, […]
Tips for Using Google Form Assessments
I used to give the old “Word”-formatted paper-based tests and quizzes. Believe it or not, when Google Forms was released and my students had 1:1 Chromebooks, I never even considered giving students a unit test as a Google Form on […]
Geologic History Activities and Resources
In this post, I’m sharing activities and resources for teaching one of my very favorite topics — Geologic History! This includes the rock record, geologic time scale, mass extinction events, and how we can piece together the Earth’s extremely long […]
Grading Tips for Science Teachers
Overwhelmed by grading?! I have lots of grading tips for you! Grading student work can be a daunting task for any teacher. As a young science teacher, I embarked on a grading adventure that turned into a misadventure with […]
A Digital Brown Bag Biography Activity for Back to School
At the beginning of a school year in middle school, it’s important to get to know your students on a deeper level than just asking what is their favorite color or favorite animal. I designed this activity for when I […]
Teaching about Plastic in the Ocean
Plastic in the ocean is a growing problem. It’s essential for science teachers to educate their students about the issue. Approximately nine million tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean each year. As a teacher in a coastal […]