Until 2015...

Well, it's that week of family baking, present wrapping and wine tasting :)  So for the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas Sale, all my products will be on sale for 15% off their original price!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and I'm looking forward to sharing all my new science products in 2015 and of course, getting down to the Nitty Gritty in science education!

Update to $25 Gift Card Raffle

I'm finding out using the Rafflecopter widget in the post below is that you actually have to come back to my page and let it know you visited my Facebook Page or I don't know who has completed it or not...ugh...sorry about that!  I'll definitely make a note of that for future giveaways!

Day 8 - Win a $25 TpT Gift Certificate

Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas Sale brought to you by Nitty Gritty Science is a chance to win a $25 TpT Gift Certificate!  To enter this raffle all you need to do click the Rafflecopter image below to "Like" my Facebook page and "Share" my FB page with a couple of friends. (I'm finding out using this widget below that you actually have to come back to my page and let it know you visited my Facebook Page or I don't know who has completed it or not...ugh...sorry about that!) 'Tis the season to share, so don't be selfish and keep Nitty Gritty Science all to yourself - let others know about the top-selling science interactive notebook products, task cards and inquiry units that are available!!
- Giveaway is over - please congratulate Angela R. for winning!!!
This raffle will run until 12:00 am on Dec 23.  Good Luck!

Last Minute Gift Idea - Buy a License!

Today's deal in the 12 Days of Christmas Sale is for those who have bought and are enjoying my Complete Science Interactive Notebooks - both for Physical Science AND Life Science.  If you think these products could help out other science teachers in your life, then now would be the time to buy a license for each teacher on your gift list.

Today only I'm offering a LICENSE for both products at a 40% DISCOUNT!  This means if you've bought one of my Complete Bundles you can now purchase a license for 70% OFF the original price with this ONE DAY ONLY SALE!

Feel free to forward this onto your District Superintendents, Administrators or Science Department Heads in case they're looking for any last-minute gift ideas!

Doubling up on Day 5 & 6 of Christmas Sale

So...Day 5 of my sale was put on hold when I decided to take my girls to Christmas Town in Busch Gardens.  We had a wonderful time and even got to meet Santa!  No, no, my little one isn't crying because of Santa, she's crying because I told her I skipped a day of the sale..she was quite upset :)


Now that we're back home, I'm making it up to her (and you) by doubling up on Nitty Gritty's 12 Days of Christmas Sale and putting Day 5 and Day 6 together to offer ALL my Life Science Interactive Notebook Chapters at only $2.00 each!!  For some chapters that's OVER 50% OFF!!

Seasons Greetings!

Something to Sing About - Day 4 Sale

Four calling birds have something to sing about ...I've made ALL Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) Expectation Ladders 50% off - today only!

My NGSS Expectation Ladders are a unique and organized way to display and present the standards that you are covering in your curriculum for the week.  The NGSS Expectation Ladders make it clear for the students as to what they are expected to learn in the upcoming lessons.  Also, this comes in handy when administrators are doing walkthroughs and can quickly scan your room and find that you are prepared and have a strong understanding of the science curriculum.

Three French Hen's Bring You 20% Off

On the third day of my Christmas Sale, I'm offering a 20% discount on all my inquiry units in my store (including any bundles that feature an inquiry unit). Keep in mind when shopping today that 100% of my sales today will be donated to Seattle Children's Hospital.  Look for the special "Giving Back" logo on my store page and all the other sellers that are donating a percentage of their profits to charities and organizations.

Thanks for your support!

12 Days of Christmas Sale - Day 2

Two turtle doves are bringing you 50% off my Substitute Handbooks.  Both are EDITABLE and one comes chock full of science lessons.  This is a perfect download to have in your back pocket for those unexpected sick days, or on days you're asked to be at a conference or other work related functions that have you out of the classroom.

The Substitute Handbook is organized so that your substitute can easily find all the important names, numbers, locations and contacts for a successful day.  The science lessons provided are engaging and fun and will provide a days worth activities so that there is no "down" time that your substitute is frantically trying to fill.  Giving a substitute peace of mind will have him/her giving you their number to call on anytime you need help.

12 Days of Christmas Sale

Introducing the 12 Days of Christmas Sale to celebrate the season.

On the first day of the sale I will be offering the Earth Science Editable Notes and Test for 50% off.

This sale will last for one day only, but make sure to follow me here or on my Facebook page to see what the next eleven days have in store for you - you won't be disappointed.



When you jump in your car this weekend to drive here and there, remember to slow down and enjoy the lights and music of the season!

Secondary Smorgasbord: Traditions 'Twas the DAZE Before Christmas

Traditions are this month's theme for the Secondary Smorgasbord bloghop brought to you with the help of Darlene Anne from The Ela Buffet and Pamela Kranz from Desktop Learning Adventures.

Every holiday season, when students are getting jumpy for break and teachers are heading to the lounge for their fifth cup of coffee (and wondering if the clock will EVER move), I sneak this poem into the all the mailboxes of faculty with a little treat to brighten their day.

Please swing by my store for this holiday freebie and start your own tradition of spreading some holiday cheer! Click image below to download:

An InLinkz Link-up

STEM Activity: Holiday Light Circuits

We all have one, that ONE stinking string of holiday lights that only blink on momentarily when we shake it against the hard floor thinking that if we do it hard enough we'll be able to shake it on for good. Or maybe you have the set that only half lights up when plugged in, then when you go to unplug the piece of rubbish that it is, it all lights like a bad joke.  Well, do me a favor, before you ball up that string and toss it in the garbage, check out how to make some fun circuits that you can challenge kids to make at any age.

To begin, you will need to get the following supplies: file folder (or something to attach it to - I'll explain why I use a file folder in a sec), tape, aluminum foil, brass fasteners, scissors, 9-volt battery and that darn string of holiday lights.

 

To prepare the lights, you will need to cut the string apart and score the bottom of each light with scissors - just enough to remove the plastic coating.  At first this will be time consuming, but you will be able to use these lights for years if using them in the classroom.

Next, you will want to cut the aluminum foil into strips to serve as the students "wires".  You will use three brass fasteners to create a "switch" and of course the 9-volt battery will be the power source. A very simple series circuit is shown below.  Notice the space left in the aluminum foil for both the switches and the battery:

Depending on the grade level of the students, you can have them build a very simple circuit or a very complex circuit with both series and parallel circuits combined.  For my students I have them use file folders in order to design and build a series on one side, then a parallel on the other with certain parameters for the switches.  The students have an amazing time and there is always 100% participation and together we saved those lights from a trip to the landfill!

To check out this lesson, along with other engaging activities on Electricity & Magnetism, take a look at my following Science Bundle featuring my Science Interactive Notebook chapters and a top-selling Inquiry Unit :

Nerd Lib Link-Up

Remember those travel size books of ad libs our parents would buy us for car trips to keep us quiet...well the joke was on them because we always thought they were so funny we had to read them out loud to prove just how hysterical we were.

Well, Mel and Gerdy are bringing the laughs back - especially from some of your favorite bloggers. Here's my Saturday Nerd Lib:

Who needs an alarm clock when you have two very energetic kiddos?  So many mornings I wish I had their energy...why didn't I get that "morning person" gene?  I could definitely use it in the mornings that I tell myself that I'm going to work out...then I think, tomorrow would probably be a better day to start.  So, I choose the hoodie over the sports bra, grab a cup of coffee and yes, I've even grabbed pizza for breakfast once or twice in my day.  With brain food in hand and body fully caffeinated, it's time to plug into the network and start working on the next chapter of my Earth Science Interactive Notebook.  I've just finished my second chapter Forces That Shape the Earth found here:

Thanks for the fun morning Mel and Gerdy - looking forward to reading the others!!

TpT Sellers are Giving Back

Every year when I’m taking my daughters around looking at all the lights and watching their faces light up at the simple things, I am flooded with memories of my oldest daughter being surrounded by blinking lights from her monitors in her hospital room for the first 8 months of her life. 

Those days were some of the hardest of my husband’s and my life, but we’re past them now and we have a happy, healthy little girl who brings joy to every person she meets.  We had so much support from family and friends through those hard days, but the reason my daughter is sitting here painting next to me while I type this is because of the diligent care and knowledge of her medical team at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

This season my family will be giving back to Seattle Children’s and will let them know that we will always be grateful for their love and support.  So, on December 14, 2014, I will donate 100% of my sales from my Nitty Gritty Science Store to help the children and families that might not be able to spend their holidays in their own home this year, but are at least getting the important care they need from Seattle Children’s so they can be there soon! 

So please, if you have some items on your wish list, know that by purchasing them on December 14^th, you will not only be getting a first rate lesson plan, but you will also be helping children receive the first rate care they deserve!  

Please make sure to check out other seller's stores as many will also be donating a percentage of their sales that day!  Look for this logo on store pages to see who's participating!

Note: If you are a TpT seller and would like to join me and the others that are giving back, check out the forum for tips and logos:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=751051#p751051

An InLinkz Link-up

Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies: Grades 6-12 Math & Science

The 2014 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies eBook - Science and Math Edition (Gr 6-12) is now available for download today! Thirty-five super secondary science and math sellers have joined up to help make an extraordinary compilation of classroom tips and holiday freebies for you to use for years to come!

Check out my holiday tip here and don't forget to swing by and download this fun activity to brighten the spirit and your classroom!!

Be sure to check out and share the other eBooks for various grades and subjects in the following TPT sellers' stores: 

Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business 2014 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies: PreK and K Edition

Rockin' Teacher Materials 2014 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies: Grades 1-2 Edition

Rachel Lynette 2014 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies: Grades 3-5 Edition

Julie Faulkner 2014 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies: Grades 6-12 ELA/SS Edition

Sad Hot Chocolate :(

Don't forget there's still time to save at TpT's Cyber Sale going on December 1 and 2 where you can get up 28% off all products at Nitty Gritty Science and many other stores of your favorite sellers!