Whenever searching for a new resource, it can seem daunting to figure out HOW to use it. For instance, how do you take the product and complete everything within your schedule? Or, how do you meet the needs of students when the product creator does not know your class? Honestly, these are all great questions to have! You care about your students and want to make sure you are giving them the best education possible. Luckily, this guide will help you understand exactly how to use the Science Smash Ups in your classroom!
Want to watch the video instead? Check it out below! Make sure to subscribe to get updates on all new content!
Explore the Week at a Glance Guide
The teacher guide of each Science Smash Ups has a Week-at-a-Glance sample to show how this product fits your schedule. Everything is adaptable to fit the needs of your classroom! Thankfully, this is the case for every Science Smash Up series offering!
Students complete a video warm-up on the first day to build engagement. Then, they complete an inquiry activity to help them think about the current topic. After this, they will dive into essential vocabulary words. This will be followed up with a reading and activity page to help students deepen their understanding of the topic. Students will complete the day with a journal response to show their current thoughts.
Days 2 through 4 follow a similar framework. They will all begin with a close read warm-up to help students recall the science topic. Then, they will complete a vocabulary activity followed by a reading and activity page. These are great ways to learn new words and build comprehension! Days 2 and 4 will focus on a lab experiment to bring the content to life. On day 3, there is a video clip to deepen understanding of the lab. This helps students reflect on what they did the day before while preparing for a new lab. Students will then complete an exit ticket or journal response to show their learning.
Day 5 is the perfect time to check for understanding. After a close reading warm-up, students will take a vocabulary assessment. Then, they will complete a review game before taking their final assessment.
Are you overwhelmed reading how much students will work on each day? That’s okay if you are! Do NOT let this discourage you. This plan is if you were to use ALL of the materials. If you do not have enough time to do that, pick the items that best fit your classroom.
Using Science Smash Ups in Reading Class
After exploring the entire Week-at-a-Glance, it is time to see how the product fits your schedule. Yes, there is no doubt about it- it can fit! For instance, if you don’t have enough time to use everything, you can use the materials in JUST reading class. In a 30-minute block, you will focus on the student reader, close reads, and reading strategy practice. All of these items focus on essential reading skills and strategies. So, you will skip the labs, video clips, and inquiry activities since those are science-based. Essentially, you use the format within the Week-at-a-Glance by focusing on the reading activities.
Using Science Smash Ups in Science Class
If you are focusing on Science Smash Ups in a 30-minute science block, focus on the labs, student reader, and video clips. This will allow students to learn essential science concepts and complete the hands-on activities. This means you will skip the close reads, reading strategy practice, and vocabulary activities. Essentially, you use the format within the Week-at-a-Glance by focusing on the science activities.
Whether you use everything or just parts of the resource, know that students will deepen their knowledge and skills!
Teacher Flexibility
While the Week-at-a-Glance outlines how to use Science Smash Ups in your classroom, the decisions are up to you. You can pick which resources you want to use. Additionally, you can break apart the materials and use them however you want! For instance, maybe you want to use the materials in a reading block but still use a lab. You can do this! Honestly, you can pick which components you use, when you use them, and how you use them. I am simply providing you with a guide and framework.
Breaking Down the Components
When figuring out how to use the Science Smash Ups in your classroom, it is helpful to look at the components. Then, decide if you want to combine science and reading time or use the activities in a science or reading block. Maybe you even teach different components at different times of the day! You can pick every part of how you want to use this resource. After this decision, explore the various components and decide what works best for your classroom and students.
As an overview, the warm-up/close reads and vocabulary activity each take about 10 minutes. Since reading takes more time, the reading and skill activity needs about 20 minutes. The lab experiment also needs 20 minutes. To complete the days, the exit tickets and journal responses each take about 10 minutes. I recommend looking at your schedule and seeing how you want to structure these components. It’s okay to leave pieces out if you do not have time or feel they fit your purpose! Similarly, you may go in a different order based on your schedule. To read detailed information about the various components, check out Science Smash Up Sneak Peek!
Teaching Time
There is no right or wrong when figuring out how to use the Science Smash Ups in your classroom. The activities are versatile enough to encompass many parts of your teaching time. So, you can print this incredible resource and use what you want within your teaching time. Best of all, students will have a blast learning so many science and reading skills!
If you do not want to miss any of the upcoming lessons, join my email list to be notified of all the interactive lessons coming up! By joining the email list, you will also receive freebies for blog exclusive subscribers!
