Moon Phase Flash Cards

The trouble with having your students make flash cards to learn moon phases is that when they cut them out, unless they are very careful, they will mix them all up and then end up with the wrong moon with the wrong phase.  I finally developed some moon phase flash cards that cannot be mixed up.  Students have a description of the phase on one side and a picture of the phase on the other.  Both the phase description and the picture have a shape in the corner that matches.  Students can cut all of them out at once and then match the shapes and make their flashcards.  Problem solved!  The moon pictures for these flash cards were taken with my 4.5 inch Dobsonian telescope.  Here is an example of the pictures:

Nice huh? The link to my flash cards can be found here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Moon-Phase-Flash-Cards

ThINK

I wish I would have had this cool poster when I was teaching chemistry.  Using the elements in The Periodic Table of the Elements you can make inspiring words for your classroom.  By using the symbols for Thorium, Iodine, Nitrogen, Potassium the word ThINK can be made.  The I,N, and K will be capitalized but it makes a great poster for your classroom.  I have created a free download for "ThINK" on Teachers Pay Teachers that you can find here:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chemistry-Wall-Art

Have fun creating your own words with element symbols!

Classroom Quiet Signal

I like the idea of a classroom quiet signal.  I teach science and that means hands-on labs and group activities.  It can get kind of loud sometimes!  I do not like the idea of yelling, which is just far too draining to me.  I think my students in middle school would like it if I did yell for quiet because I would probably look funny doing it! My idea this year is to use some sort of signal that I will teach them in the first week of school.  I have heard many ideas from the primary teachers who use these every year but not too many from middle school.  The best ones I have read about lately are using a rain-stick or a wireless doorbell purchased from Home Depot as the signal.  The doorbell would be quite funny the first time you used it, I think.  I plan on teaching the signal and then having my students engage in a chatty activity and practice the signal.  If you have other good suggestions on quiet signals please leave a comment I'd love to hear your ideas on this subject.  Make sure you link my blog in your post and write about "quiet signals."