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This project stopped my students in their tracks.

This project stopped my students in their tracks.

Instead of just learning about plastic pollution… my students became environmental advocates and created Public Service Announcements about the devastating effects of plastic in our oceans. 🐢🐟

And WOW. The creativity and emotion they poured into these projects was incredible.

Students transformed their research on plastic pollution into powerful visual PSAs using recycled materials, artwork, models, data displays, videos, and animations.

These projects led to SUCH meaningful classroom conversations and helped students truly connect science to the real world. 💙

AND the projects look amazing displayed in a gallery in the cafeteria (I only wish they would get rid of plastic completely there!).

If you’d like to try this Plastic in the Oceans PSA Project with your students, comment PLASTIC below and I’ll send you the link to my Plastic in the Oceans Mini-Unit! 🌊✨

#middleschoolscience #scienceteacher #environmentalscience #plasticpollution #oceancleanup

🎣 One of the MOST powerful simulations I do all ye

🎣 One of the MOST powerful simulations I do all year… and my students NEVER forget it.

I turn simple buckets into “fishing ponds,” place students into fishing villages, and let them survive by catching Goldfish crackers from the pond each “day.” Sounds easy, right? 👀

But here’s the catch…

During the “night,” the fish population repopulates.
Students know the fish come back… but they DON’T know the fish can only reproduce if there are PAIRS left in the pond.

And no fail, every single group, every single class, someone gets greedy.

A fisherman takes too many fish.
The population collapses.
Villages begin to starve.
And one by one… the fishermen “perish.”

The room gets SO intense during this activity because students EXPERIENCE the Tragedy of the Commons firsthand instead of just reading about it.

Afterward, we connect the simulation to real-world issues like overfishing, going to school sick, overwatering lawns, overreliance on cars instead of public transit, overprescribing antibiotics, and living in excess and overconsumption. Students illustrate one of these examples as a mini-poster.

This lesson always sparks incredible discussion and makes the concept stick in a way students truly remember.

If you want this activity sent straight to your inbox, comment FISHING below and I’ll send you the link to my Energy & Natural Resources Unit! 🎣✨

#middleschoolscience #scienceteacher #ngss #scienceclassroom teachersofinstagram scienceactivities environmentalscience tragedyofthecommons middleschoolteacher scienceeducation engagingscience teachingscience earthscience naturalresources sciencefun

Mineral crystal ornaments! 💜💎 These beautiful crys

Mineral crystal ornaments! 💜💎 These beautiful crystals grew from cooled supersaturated Borax solution 😍

Newton’s Laws are so much fun to explore! To reall

Newton’s Laws are so much fun to explore! To really make this inquiry, I set up 12 different mini-stations that each highlight one or more of Newton’s Laws. Students circulate around the room, following the directions on each station sign to create motion and then study it with their Newton Goggles on!

This activity gives students freedom to explore, discuss, and defend how they see Newton’s Laws in motion! 🚗 🚙

Comment NEWTON below for the link to this activity!

#middleschoolscience #iteachscience #scienceteacher #newtonslaws #middleschoolphysicalscience #middleschoolscienceteacher

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