Energising Smart Starters - Science

Smart Starter activities change “extra” moments in a classroom into teachable moments They are designed to take short amounts of time. However, Smart Starters are NOT short on substance. The Smart Starters in this book are packed full of important skills to practise and polish or to reinforce and extend. 

Kick-Off a New Unit
The starters are grouped by science standards. One or more of them might help to ease students into a new area of study. For instance, start off a unit on space objects with Extraterrestrial Questions, or a fitness–nutrition unit with Would You? Could You? Or, use Spinning Eggs to introduce students to density concepts.

Spark a Longer Lesson
Any one of these short activities can be expanded. A starter may inspire your students to develop more questions along the same lines – expanding the warm-up into a full-blown science lesson.

Review a Concept
Dust off rusty skills with a Smart Starter. For instance: Have students been away from study of the body systems for a while? Refresh what they know about the skeletal system with Bone Maps, or strengthen their knowledge of weather with Weather or Not. Smart Starters will help to reinforce concepts previously introduced.

Charge-Up Thinking Skills & Ignite Creativity
The Smart Starters are not only for science lessons. Use them any time to stimulate minds. Doing a Smart Starter will sharpen thinking processes and challenge brains. In addition, Smart Starters work well as starting points for students to create other (similar) questions and problems.