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I have a unique situation coming after Christmas break. My state test happens on a Monday. This means that there are still four days where I have to keep my students engaged after they have taken their final exam. Three of those days will be our standard 90 minute blocks. One day will be a 2 hour block. So basically, I need 4+ hours of non-curriculum based "things" to do that will keep my students occupied and will keep me from going insane. I teach biology to 10th grade students, about half of whom receive special education services. Any ideas?

How about introducing them to nanotechnology which is related to biology in many ways? It is probably not in your regular curriculum. I am attaching my collection of information on nanotechnology. I hope this helps you. Good luck. Disregard the weird number of items indicated. There are really only 15.

Nanotechnology Collection (15 items)

External Resource: Carbon Nanopearls, LabTV Video

- External Resource

External Resource: It's a Small World, LabTV Video

- External Resource

External Resource: Just Add Water, LabTV Video

- External Resource

View All 15 Items

Hi Stefanie,

Betty and Tina both gave you some great ideas for activities to do with your class after you complete the state test. What a great opportunity for you to really engage your students with some extension activities!

Here are two of my favorite resources for Biology extension:
Scientific Augmentation in Biology: 30 Classroom Activities
Once Upon a Life Science Book

The NSTA Learning Center is full of great ideas and classroom activities that you and your students will surely enjoy. Try using the Advanced Search tool to search by keyword and grade level.

You can also use your next few classes to explore some things like current events in biology, antarctic drilling, or maybe even something like the bacteria that live in the superheated water in Yellowstone. I really enjoy having some 'free time' to explore some to the fun biology that can be left behind in today's high stakes testing environment.

Best of luck!
Maureen

Thank you for the ideas everyone! I'm waiting to hear more about our testing situation before I decide what to do. (I may have to switch rooms on some of the testing days.) I do think it would be a great time to discover those more in depth topics. I am thinking that maybe I'll come up with some topic ideas and let the students decide!

I love Tina’s idea of doing mini-units. This is the perfect time to do something you love to teach that students may not get the opportunity to learn otherwise. Think of those things that make your heart beat faster because you love them so much. Develop really rich and engaging tasks that wrap around the idea or concept and students will love you forever.

You could also use the time to do some extra lab activities if you have the resources, or do a mini unit on forensics! Plenty of biology skills and content there- blood types and spatter patterns, using microscopes to compare human hair, animal hair, synthetic hairs/fibers, feathers, etc.

Also, check out pages from the MindWare books - I teach middle school Special Needs Sciences and sometimes after testing they are just shot out however, these pages help to keep them 'settled' for a while.