Joyful Biology

If you're a teacher like me, you're already going a little bonkers from kid withdrawal. How can we nurture that connection - that spark - that makes learning and teaching so compelling and rewarding - when we're only communicating within the abstract realm of digital - or analog - correspondence? Here are a few of the prompts my colleagues and I are posting to connect with our Crews at Open World Learning Community (OWL). Reading my kids' responses has been my CPR, my Comedy Central, and my calming breath. To all my colleagues out there, be strong, be brave, and be there for your kids, in silliness and in sweetness. Share a Link : Post a link to a website, online game, or video stream that you’ve been visiting while you’re at home & say why you like it. 20 Questions : Think of an animal, plant, food, household object, job, well-known person, or famous place. Post a discussion reply saying, "I'm thinking of a..." and then say the category. F

If you are stuck at home and want to do science, how about a nature journal? Kids of all ages can record outdoor observations, sharpening their science math, artistic, and literacy skills. I created these printable nature journals for PK-12 students . Kids can write on loose papers, or stick their journals into a notebook where they can write calculations and draw plants and animals. The youngest learners start out by circling the weather they see on their walk. For kindergarteners through second graders, there are spaces to write the temperature and to draw the sky conditions. Kids can also check a box identifying wind conditions. In third grade, students get to practice converting temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius. The formula might be too advanced for younger kids; an online calculator is linked in the journal, along with sites explaining more scientific terms for describing sky and wind conditions. Third- through fifth-graders also have space for noting signs of life –