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What type of warm up activity do you think would be good for an earth science classroom to do upon entering the class each day? I don't want to bore them or make them feel like there is no real point to their assignment. Looking for something that might lead into a discussion. Any thoughts?

I post a 'Daily' assignment students start right away. Sometimes it is science review trivia, sometimes it is answering a few questions about reading material or a short video, sometimes it is a few questions to check for misconceptions or to lead into the lesson. The students do these on a 1/2 sheet of paper and turn-in for part of a weekly grade. I have been transitioning to using Goformative and Google Forms for this. Cheri Authement SJSH Middle School Math and Science Educator

You could have them listen to the StarDate podcasts from the McDonald Observatory. They are available free at iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stardate-podcast/id73330838?mt=2 *These are available one day after they are aired on NPR.

Telling stories is a really effective way of making material relevant for students. For example, showing a video clip of the effects a volcano has on nearby towns, or a humorous personal story about getting caught in a hailstorm. This can turn a seemingly unimportant topic into something to remember because of a more personable connection. This could definitely be used as part of a daily warm-up activity, where students then have to relate the story to the topic.