Explore Tubs for Living Things {with freebies}

Sorry for those of you waiting on my last post about Explore Tubs! This pregnant-teacher-momma has a hard time staying up past 7pm most nights!! lol. But I am back today to share my plans for my last science unit--Characteristics and Needs of Living Things. After Spring Break I will be doing a short Objects & Materials unit, then diving into Living Things! Here are some things I've been collecting...

Explore Tub 1: Living and Non-living Things

*Tub of random toys from dollar store, home, classroom, nature, etc.
*Living Things and Non-living Things Cards {free here}--Students sort the random objects into the two categories.
*Living Things Sorting Game {by me on TpT}--I used sticky velcro dots to make my sorting game. Students sort the picture cards by what it is: people, animals, plants, and non-living.
*Books about living things: Are You Living?, What's Alive?, Living and Nonliving, I Am a Living Thing, Is It a Living Thing?

Explore Tub 2: Plant Centre

*Seed Matching Activity--Buy a bunch of packs of seeds and small clear containers. Put the seeds in the containers, laminate the seed pouches, and label the containers and pouches so that students can try to match up which seed is which!
*Parts of Plants and Needs of Plants {free here}--Add sticky velcro to make it a matching activity.
*Bean Life Cycle by Safari Ltd. {from Michaels or Amazon}
*Books about plants: Seeds, Roots, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, Stems

Explore Tub 3: Insect Centre

*Insect Toob by Safari Ltd {from Michaels} or any toy bugs from dollar store, etc.
*Variety of bug viewers/tools from dollar store, Michaels, etc.
*Butterly Life Cycle by Safari Ltd. {from Michaels or Amazon}
*Cootie Bug Game {Walmart}
*Books about insects: Spiders, On Beyond Bugs, Fly Guy Presents: Insects, What Is an Insect?, Magic School Bus Presents Insects, From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Explore Tub 4: Habitat Centre

*Four different habitat sensory bins:

• Farm: yellow dyed rice, plastic farm animals (dollar store or Michaels)
• Forest: green dried split peas, blue stones (dollar store), rocks (dollar store), North American Wildlife Toob (Michaels), Tree Toob (Michaels)
• Ocean: blue dyed rice, blue glass gems (dollar store), Ocean Toob (Michaels)
• Arctic: cotton balls, clear glass gems (dollar store), blue stones (dollar store), Arctic Animals Toob (Michaels)

*Books about habitats: Where Do Animals Live?, Animal Habitats, An Ocean of Animals, The Arctic Habitat, A Forest Habitat, Farm Animals

Explore Tub 5: Animal Centre

*Animal Track Book {by me on TpT}--Students can practice matching the animal tracks to the animals.
*Animal Movement Cards {free here}--Use the cards as is or place in a make-your-own dice such as these. Students pick a card or roll the dice and make the movement like that animal.
*Books about animals: How Do Animals Move?, How and Why Do Animals Move?, Big Tracks, Little Tracks, Whose Tracks Are These?, Move!, Who Was Here?

Explore Tub 6: Human Centre

*Magnetic Skeleton {from Scholastic Spring Catalogue 2016 or free printable here}--Students can practice putting the skeleton together and labeling the bones.
*Melissa & Doug Magnetic Human Body Play Set {from Amazon}
*My Body Puzzle Set {from Amazon}
*Books about the body: My Amazing Body, Me and My Amazing Body, The Best Part of Me, The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body, Your Skin Holds You In, Inside Your Outside

You can check out my other Explore Tub posts here:

Objects & Materials Explore Tubs

Five Senses Explore Tubs

Weather & Seasons Explore Tubs

What Are Explore Tubs?

Interactive Science Journals

I am loving all the amazing interactive journals that I have been seeing all over the blog world. Unfortunately, I have never really had enough time in the day to be able to use the math or ELA journals. Our guided reading, writing, and math times are usually full to the brink that there isn't enough time to add in anything else! I decided that the one time during the day that I would be able to incorporate interactive journals is during Science!

In Manitoba, our Science curriculum is divided into four clusters. They are:

1. Characteristics and Needs of Living Things

2. The Senses

3. Characteristics of Objects and Materials

4. Daily and Seasonal Changes

I have designed four units that cover every outcome in these clusters. Every outcome has one lesson and interactive journal page (and sometimes there are two different lessons for each outcome). Even though these units are designed with the Manitoba Science curriulum in mind, the lesson activities and journal pages can be used by anyone in any province or territory or state! If you are studying living and non-living things, this unit is for you!

Each unit is designed the same way. For each outcome in the cluster/unit, there are lesson plan ideas and pictures, lesson materials (for whole group charts, sorts, etc.), and interactive science journal pages. These pages are designed to fit an 8-1/2x10" spiral journal, but you can easily shrink the pages or print two-to-a-page if you are using smaller journals.

So far, only the first unit is up on TpT, but I plan to have the other three units up by the end of December! Take a look at some of the lessons included in this unit...

These are the lessons/outcomes covered in this unit:

1. Unit title page idea (two wording options--"Characteristics and
Needs of Living Things" or just "Living Things")
2. List characteristics of plants, animals, and humans
3. Sort plants, animals, and humans
4. Label the major parts of the human body
5. Sort living and non-living things
6. Compare characteristics of humans and cats
7. Humans are all unique/graph hair colour

8. List different types of plants
9. Use a checklist to determine if objects are living or non-living
10. Compare how living things grow and change
11. Name the needs of living things
12. Describe how to care for a living thing (cat, fish, plant, or cow)
13. Test which sense is the most helpful to humans (science experiment)
14. Name which sense each animal uses to find their food

15. Compare how living things get their food
16. Build a habitat for a living thing (design process)
17. Name a job or hobby that requires knowledge of living things
18. Create a classroom healthy action plan with a weekly checklist
19. Describe how to show respect for a classroom pet or plant
20. Compare fact vs. fiction about plants or animals (using a book or movie
Jack and the Beanstalk or Goldilocks and the Three Bears)

These are the units that will be coming soon... by December 31, 2014! The Five Senses, Objects & Materials, and Weather & Seasons.

I have started a growing a bundle. The bundle will contain all four interactive science units. I have already uploaded the bundle (which currently only has the one unit in it) because there is going to be a HUGE TpT sale on Dec. 1 and 2, where you can save TONS of money! 28% off an already discounted bundle. Woo woo! When they other units are uploaded, you will be able to redownload the bundle at no charge to receive the new units. Click the picture below to check it out.

And of course I can't leave you without a freebie! You can download this "Interactive Science Journal: Introduction to Science" freebie pack from TpT by click the picture below. You will find a journal cover, scientist craft, scientific inquiry ideas, and more!