Ready for Spring Break?

I'm going to the beach in just a few days to celebrate time with family, my birthday, and a break from work. Of course that's why teachers go into teaching, for spring break and summer vacation, right? Right. But a teacher's brain never turns off, even on vacation. I'm always thinking about what I should be grading, what my next unit is, how we're going to squeeze everything in before state testing, etc.

This year, I'm thinking about how I can bring my vacation back with me. Perhaps the best way to survive the long stretch from April to June is to stay on vacation. So, I've been plotting some ways to do this, and preparing some lessons along the way.

I don't have students of my own this year since I'm working in instructional technology, but I do have the chance to share my ideas with a lot of really wonderful teachers. I've also had the chance to especially work with middle school science teachers, so my brain is feeling really science oriented this year. So I scoured through the essential standards and found a few that were exactly what I was looking for:

• 6.E.1 Explain how the relative motion and relative position of the sun, Earth and moon affect the seasons, tides, phases of the moon, and eclipses.
• 7.E.1 Understand how the cycling of matter (water and gases) in and out of the atmosphere relates to earth's atmosphere, weather, and climate and the effects of the atmosphere on humans.
• 8.E.1 Understand the hydrosphere and the impact of humans on local systems and the effects of the hydrosphere on humans.

So what if I bring back with me the ocean tides, images of the mood, tidal charts, ocean sounds, images of creatures, interviews with people who rely on the ocean, and questions about what's out there? How can I use all of this to engage students?

In my luggage I will be sure to pack my digital camera to capture my vacation not only for me but also for my students. And when I come home, I can spend a little bit of time putting together some lessons with questions and pause points or introductory videos to pique curiosity in the unit of study.

Where are you going on vacation? What can you bring back with you to inspire your students and enhance your teaching? And if you're staying home, what's in your backyard, at the local farmer's market, or downtown that you can bring into your classroom?

Oh and don't forget to enjoy your vacation and have a wonderful spring break!