Ways to Use Interactive Science Lessons in Middle School Science Classrooms

So, you are teaching in a middle school science classroom? First, I’ll say, you are awesome! I absolutely love everything about middle school, and I love everything about science. One thing I’ve learned from teaching middle school is that you have to keep your students’ attention, or they will find something else to do. This is why I have a passion for creating resources for students that will keep them engaged and motivated, and one of those resources is digital interactive lessons.

We live in a world full of new technology, and although I think I’m pretty young, and I think I’m quite an  “expert” at using technology, I still would say that middle school students know more about technology than I do. Shh…don’t tell them I said that!

Digital science interactive lessons are a great way to teach or review science content with your students for many reasons. They are fun. They are engaging. Another reason, which I think is the most important, is that they help decrease the cognitive load. The way that digital interactive lessons can be set up is first, a little bit of content, and then practice with that content, and repeat the process.

Students are able to digest small chunks of information a little at a time, apply that information, and then learn more! This will help keep their attention.

1. Individual Learning

One way that interactive lessons can be used in the classroom is just for individual learning. These are digital lessons, so students can pull up the lesson on their computer, either via Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, or whatever you use in your classroom.

Students read through the lessons themselves and work through the practice at their own pace.

The benefits of doing this are that students are able to work at their own pace and you, as the teacher, can walk around the classroom as they are learning to answer any questions that they have. In addition, you are able to see what that particular student is learning. As you walk around the room and view their work, you can use it as a formative assessment to see if they are understanding the material.

You can also bump it up a notch. Since students will be working using the computer, you can embed related YouTube videos in the lesson for extra enrichment!

 

2. Direct Instruction

I know that there are a lot of teachers that still like direct instruction, and I do believe that there is a place for direct instruction.

As mentioned, digital interactive lessons are set up as a lesson with embedded practice to help decrease the cognitive load. If teachers choose to, they can pull up the lesson and teach it to their students and still take pieces of content and digest them bit by bit. 

For example, when teaching about pedigree charts, the teacher can first discuss what a square and a circle represent in a pedigree chart. After students digest this material, the teacher can ask students to discuss how they will remember this information and then apply the information in practice.

 

3. Small Groups/Partners

This works similarly to having students working as individuals except that students have the opportunity to work with one another. I think that this an awesome approach to differentiated learning in the classroom. 

In small groups, or in partners, students are able to read the lesson together, discuss each practice slide, and apply the information together. I prefer this method in many ways because I believe in the power of cooperative learning. As a teacher, you still have the opportunity to walk around and help the individual students as needed, but students also have each other for support.

I would not suggest any more than 3 students per group. If you are interested in how to assign group work in Google Classroom, check out this video.

4. For ELL Students

With technology, there are so many awesome opportunities for students that do not speak English as their primary language to learn science content in schools that speak predominantly English. That goes vice versa as well. If you are trying to learn in any language you are unfamiliar with, technology is here to help! 

There are many options that students can use to learn science material. As a teacher that only speaks English, you can imagine how difficult it is to teach a student that speaks another language. I’m sure there are other teachers out there with the same dilemma. 

With technology, I have been able to give my students the science lesson, and have them use Google translate in order to understand what the lesson is saying. Now, I’m working on creating digital science lessons in Spanish, so that one step is taken out!

5. Science Centers

Digital interactive science lessons can be used in one of two ways for science centers.

First, science centers on a particular topic. For example, say you are teaching distance-time graphs, and you are ready for students to complete science centers on this topic. You can have a center for a digital interactive lesson (make groups in Google Classroom, or another platform), task cards, story match, and a reading passage.

Another way that you can use interactive science lessons for science centers is only using digital interactive lessons. Time to review for a genetics test? You can have stations set up where students will move around the room. They can work through individual lessons such as Gregor Mendel and an Introduction to Genetics, Asexual and Sexual Reproduction, Mitosis and the Cell Cycle, Meiosis, Punnett Squares, Pedigree Charts, and Variation of Traits and Genetics Disorders. This route may take more than one day. It just depends on how long your classes are and how much time you can devote to review.

I personally like the first approach to using digital interactive lessons as a science center.

6. Distance Learning

Unfortunately, in 2020, this is a thing. As of June 2020, nobody knows what the 2020-2021 school year will look like, but as of now, it looks like distance learning will be some part of the next school year. 

Digital interactive science lessons are a great tool to use for individual learning at a distance for the middle school science classroom. Either creating your own or buying pre-made digital interactive lessons, teachers can assign these for their students to work at home.

Students can read through the material, and after digesting chunks at a time, they can apply the information with embedded practice slides. After completing the lessons, students can submit their work to their teachers.

7. Enrichment/Tutoring

I know that many schools set up a time during the day just for enrichment/tutoring. Many schools only set up this time for reading/math, but some do science too! Especially those that test in science.

Interactive lessons are a great way to review standards-based science material and practice!