Warm
Up to
Science offers student-centered engagement activities for immediate student involvement. Scientifically based
research supports the use of this
form of frequent conceptual exposure to enhance student understanding.
Activities are designed to require five to 10 minutes of class time and are written with the cognitive rigor demanded by the Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Students
must use critical thinking skills as they are presented with content-specific
activities or with visual stimuli, including charts, graphs, and tables. Each activity
may be used as an engagement for a new
lesson, as a method to enhance retention, and as a means to
support State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness
(STAAR
®
) preparation.
Activities are grouped by STAAR strands and sequenced by specific TEKS and student expectations.
Warm
Up to Science
is presented in an even-odd page format. The even-numbered pages include
activity answer keys and
supportive teacher notes. The odd-numbered pages
present specific student activities
that are easily photocopied. Use a
photocopy setting to reproduce activities with graphics or photographs.
The digital version of Warm
Up to Science
is presented in the opposite order of the print version. The student page comes before
the teacher page. This design lessens the chances of students seeing answers
first. After students work through the activity, the
teacher can easily advance to the next screen for students to self-check their work if desired.
Why
Begin Class with A Warm-Up?
Warm
Up to Science
incorporates instructional strategies that have been scientifically proven to enhance student achievement.
Some examples of these effective instructional strategies identified in research
focus on the teacher’s ability to set high
expectations for students, activate prior knowledge, provide feedback that
reinforces learning, and
allow for recognition of effort.
In this type of learning environment, students will have the opportunity to
identify similarities and differences,
summarizeinformation,
practice process and critical thinking skills, and
interpretnonlinguisticstimuli.
Warm
Up to Science
activities are designed to involve students in critical thinking processes. The activities focus on items that
are content specific or items with visual stimuli, including charts, graphs, and tables. Activities are written to be brief and
targeted
and can be used as formative assessment tools to gauge students’ comprehension of a concept.
