Naturally Teaching Elementary: A Podcast for Teachers and Homeschool Families

By listener request: frogs vs toads and other herps in spring! Spring is a fantastic time to investigate reptiles and amphibians and today I'm sharing three interactive and engaging activities to hook your learners on these early spring risers!Tune in to hear descriptions for 3 frogs vs toads activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for grades K-5. During the episode I share the standard that inspired the activity, how the activity relates to frogs vs toads (or other herps), and a description of how to implement the activity with your learners. And make sure to listen all the way through the episode; you may find yourself inspired to adapt one of these activities or use an activity for a different grade level.Frogs vs toads and other herps activities described in this episode include:Kindergarten and 3rd Grade: Salamander migration game1st and 4th Grade: A vocal sac investigation with balloons2nd and 5th Grade: A reptile and amphibian focused Bioblitz in different ecosystemsResources mentioned 💚Episode 47: 6 Vernal Pools and Frog Activities Aligned with K-5 Next Generation Science Standards Michigan Herp AtlasiNaturalistFrog Life Cycle and Grouping Mini Unit for 3rd Grade (ELA and Science Activities)Frogs and Toads Together: Why Do Amphibians Group Up?Frog Life Cycle Coloring Page (FREE)Naturally Teaching Activity IndexShow Notes: https://naturallyteaching.com/episode63🗂 Find activities easily with the Naturally Teaching Activity Index🛒 TpT Shop: Naturally Teaching💚 Get more tips and tricks on the website: NaturallyTeaching.com📸 Follow along on Instagram: @naturally.teaching💻 Check us out on Facebook: @naturally.teaching

Water is a critical part of weather; without water, we wouldn't have most of our different weather conditions! Whether it's clouds, rain, thunderstorms, humidity, wind...it's all related to water in weather. And March and November are great times to study weather and the role water plays in it!Press play to hear descriptions for maple sugaring with 2nd graders and mapping vernal pools with 5th graders, both aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.During the episode I share the standard that inspired the activity, how the activity relates to water in weather, and a description of how to implement the activity with your learners. And make sure to listen all the way through the episode; you may find yourself inspired to adapt one of these activities or use an activity for a different grade level.Next Generation Science Standards addressed in this episode:2-ESS2-3: Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid5-ESS2-2: Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on EarthResources mentioned 💚Episode 61: Illumination and Weather: 1st and 4th Grade NGSS ActivitiesTapping Into Learning: 15 Maple Syrup Books for Elementary ScienceHow Maple Syrup Season Can Help You Teach Elementary StudentsMaple Syrup and Water Cycle Mini Unit for 2nd Grade (ELA, Math, and Science)Citizen Science Lab: Vernal Pools - Citizen Science Projects for 5th GradersEpisode 46: Vernal Pool Patrol: A Citizen Science Project for Elementary Teachers and Homeschool Parents with Lindsey HarrellEpisode 47: 6 Vernal Pools and Frog Activities Aligned with K-5 Next Generation Science StandardsEpisode 48: 9 Vernal Pool and Frog Books for Elementary Teachers and Homeschool ParentsHow Vernal Pools Can Be Used to Reach Your Curricular GoalsNaturally Teaching Activity IndexShow Notes: https://naturallyteaching.com/episode62🗂 Find activities easily with the Naturally Teaching Activity Index🛒 TpT Shop: Naturally Teaching💚 Get more tips and tricks on the website: NaturallyTeaching.com📸 Follow along on Instagram: @naturally.teaching💻 Check us out on Facebook: @naturally.teaching

Let's continue to take advantage of the variable weather March brings and focus on weather and illumination in connection to 1st and 4th grade NGSS. 1st and 4th grade standards have light and its role in seeing objects in common and weather can help us investigate that concept.Press play to hear descriptions for an activity where 1st graders match colors to natural objects in different weather conditions and an opportunity where 4th graders take pictures of nature in different amounts of natural light, both aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.During the episode I share the standard that inspired the activity, how the activity relates to weather and illumination, and a description of how to implement the activity with your learners. And make sure to listen all the way through the episode; you may find yourself inspired to adapt one of these activities or use an activity for a different grade level.Next Generation Science Standards addressed in this episode:1-PS4-2: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects in darkness can be seen only when illuminated4-PS4-2: Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects entering the eye allows objects to be seenResources mentioned 💚Episode 60: Elementary Study About Weather: Kindergarten and 3rd Grade NGSS ActivitiesEpisode 6: 5 Outdoor Education Safety Tips for Teaching OutsideMoon Phases and Light Mini Unit for 1st Grade (ELA and Science Activities)Naturally Teaching Activity IndexShow Notes: https://naturallyteaching.com/episode61🗂 Find activities easily with the Naturally Teaching Activity Index🛒 TpT Shop: Naturally Teaching💚 Get more tips and tricks on the website: NaturallyTeaching.com📸 Follow along on Instagram: @naturally.teaching💻 Check us out on Facebook: @naturally.teaching

Weather is an inherently interesting concept to elementary-aged learners and March is one of the best times to experience a variety of weather conditions in a short time. Fog, rain, snow, frost, dew, sun, clouds...March has it all. So let's take advantage of this weather-rich month and get your learners some quality experiences.Press play to hear descriptions for a weather movement cube for kindergarteners and the citizen science project CoCoRaHS for 3rd graders, both aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. During the episode I share the standard that inspired the activity, how the activity relates to weather, and a description of how to implement the activity with your learners. And make sure to listen all the way through the episode; you may find yourself inspired to adapt one of these activities or use an activity for a different grade level.Next Generation Science Standards addressed in this episode:K-ESS2-1: Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.3-ESS2-1: Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.Resources mentioned 💚Episode 59: 7 Books About Weather for Elementary-Aged StudentsEpisode 6: 5 Outdoor Education Safety Tips for Teaching OutsideWeather Movement Cube for Kindergarten (Ambulatory Cubes)CoCoRaHS Schools: Getting StartedNeed a rain gauge? Here’s the contact email for help from CoCoRaHSCoCoRaHS Basic training PDFCoCoRaHS Training slide showsCoCoRaHS Training VideosCoCoRaHS FAQ’sCoCoRaHS Gauge installation tipsCoCoRaHS How to Read Your Gauge guideCoCoRaHS Data entry tipsCoCoRaHS Station identification signCoCoRaHS Apple App storeCoCoRaHS Google Play storeWeather Scavenger Hunt PDFFREE Printable Weather WheelShow Notes: https://naturallyteaching.com/episode60🗂 Find activities easily with the Naturally Teaching Activity Index🛒 TpT Shop: Naturally Teaching💚 Get more tips and tricks on the website: NaturallyTeaching.com📸 Follow along on Instagram: @naturally.teaching💻 Check us out on Facebook: @naturally.teaching

March is a time of varied weather which gives you the chance to explore lots of weather conditions in a short amount of time. Snow, fog, frost, dew, rain, clouds, sunshine...it all comes together in the month of March. Your learners will be so happy to see winter give way to spring, so let's celebrate with weather-related opportunities.Books are a great way to introduce weather conditions. In this episode, I give you a brief summary of books about weather and my thoughts on how they can help you with your students.Books in this episode 📚Feel the Fog by April Pulley SayreDew and Frost by Elizabeth MilesPuff: All About Air by Emily Kate MoonSunshine by Cassie MayerHello, Rain! By Kyo Maclear and Chris TurnhamWacky Weather: All About Odd Weather Events by Todd TarpleyStaying Safe - Weather Safety by Melissa Catena(Disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you)Resources mentioned 💚“Teaching with Books: How to Integrate Science and Literacy for Elementary Classrooms.”Episode 43: 9 Spring Picture Books to Help You Introduce Seasonal Signs, Plants, and Animals in SpringEpisode 16: 10 Fall Picture Books to Introduce Seasonal Signs, Falling Leaves, and Animals in Autumn12 Children’s Story Books About Weather for Elementary Students12 Snow Books to Support Your Elementary CurriculumEpisode 52: 5 No Snow Books About Winter for Preschool and Elementary ClassroomsShow Notes: https://naturallyteaching.com/episode59🗂 Find activities easily with the Naturally Teaching Activity Index🛒 TpT Shop: Naturally Teaching💚 Get more tips and tricks on the website: NaturallyTeaching.com📸 Follow along on Instagram: @naturally.teaching💻 Check us out on Facebook: @naturally.teaching

Water is a critical part of animal survival, yet it's so scarce during the winter! With freezing temperatures, water is trapped as snow or ice and it makes winter a really hard time for animals to fulfill all of their needs. Now is a great time to study winter animals and the role water plays in their survival!Press play to hear descriptions for a states of matter water experiment for 2nd graders and an observational study for 5th graders, both aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.During the episode I share the standard that inspired the activity, how the activity relates to winter animals and water, and a description of how to implement the activity with your learners. And make sure to listen all the way through the episode; you may find yourself inspired to adapt one of these activities or use an activity for a different grade level.Next Generation Science Standards addressed in this episode:2-ESS2-3: Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid5-ESS2-1: Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interactResources mentioned 💚Episode 57: Winter Animals and Hibernation: 1st and 4th Grade NGSS ActivitiesEpisode 6: 5 Outdoor Education Safety Tips for Teaching OutsideSnowy Science: A Guide to Teaching About Matter in WinterShow Notes: https://naturallyteaching.com/episode58🗂 Find activities easily with the Naturally Teaching Activity Index🛒 TpT Shop: Naturally Teaching💚 Get more tips and tricks on the website: NaturallyTeaching.com📸 Follow along on Instagram: @naturally.teaching💻 Check us out on Facebook: @naturally.teaching

Winter is a time of scarcity for both animals as well as teachers and homeschool parents trying to find engaging and experiential activities for their learners. Let me help you out with these two activities for 1st and 4th graders inspired by winter animals and hibernation!Press play to hear descriptions for a hibernation animal sort and hike for 1st graders and a predator role playing experience for 4th graders, both aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.During the episode I share the standard that inspired the activity, how the activity relates to winter animals and hibernation, and a description of how to implement the activity with your learners. And make sure to listen all the way through the episode; you may find yourself inspired to adapt one of these activities or use an activity for a different grade level.Next Generation Science Standards addressed in this episode:1-LS1-2: Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproductionResources mentioned 💚Episode 56: Signs of Animals in Winter: Kindergarten and 3rd Grade NGSS ActivitiesEpisode 6: 5 Outdoor Education Safety Tips for Teaching OutsideEpisode 29: Hibernation in Animals: 6 Dormancy Activities for Elementary Teachers and Homeschool Groups.Animal Hibernation Asleep or Awake SortHibernation Preparation Movement Cube for 1st Grade (Ambulatory Cube)Animal Migration SortWinter Animal Adaptations Sort | Hibernation, Migration, AdaptationShow Notes: https://naturallyteaching.com/episode57🗂 Find activities easily with the Naturally Teaching Activity Index🛒 TpT Shop: Naturally Teaching💚 Get more tips and tricks on the website: NaturallyTeaching.com📸 Follow along on Instagram: @naturally.teaching💻 Check us out on Facebook: @naturally.teaching