Flashcards, Games, and Phys Ed - The Week in Review

Good morning from Maine where it is going to be a beautiful early fall day. By the time that most of you read this I'll be racing my bike on some of the prettiest dirt roads in all of New England. I don't harbor any illusions of winning the Northwoods Gravel Grind today, I just hope to have fun and go a little faster than the last time I pedaled over those roads. Bonus! There's a fun Grateful Dead cover band playing at the end. I hope you have something equally fun on tap for your weekend. 

These were the week's most popular posts:
1. A Great Alternative to Quizlet
2. A Free STEM Toolkit for Librarians
3. Quizalize Games - Turn Any Quiz Into an Epic Game
4. Code.org vs. Blackbird Code - Which One Should You Use?
5. Fun With Soda Pop - A Nice Weekend Science Experiment
6. Great Resources for Family Phys Ed Week
7. Free Webinar and 5 Posters to Help Students Learn to Read Like a Historian

I'll Come You!

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50 Tech Tuesday Tips!

50 Tech Tuesday Tips is an eBook that I created with busy tech coaches, tech integrators, and media specialists in mind. In it you'll find 50 ideas and tutorials that you can use as the basis of your own short PD sessions. Get a copy today!

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This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. If you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission. Featured image captured by Richard Byrne.

2022 Fall Foliage Prediction Map - And Why Leaves Change Color in the Fall

The 2022 Fall Foliage Prediction Map is a feature of the SmokyMountains.com website. The map displays a week-by-week prediction of when leaves in the continental United States will be changing colors from now through the end of November. You can see the predictions change by moving the timeline at the bottom of the map.

On the same page as the 2022 Fall Foliage Prediction Map there is a place to report the foliage changes in your area to help improve the accuracy of the map. You'll also find some succinct explanations of what makes leaves change color in the fall. 

Applications for Education
The 2022 Fall Foliage Prediction Map doesn't tell the whole story of why leaves change colors at different times in different parts of the country. I'd use the incomplete nature of the map's explanation as a jumping-off point for students to hypothesize and investigate why leaves change colors at different times in different parts of the country. I might also have them investigate why some trees have brighter leaves than others in the fall. 

Additional Resources for Teaching and Learning About Fall Foliage
Last year I shared a handful of videos that explain why leaves change colors in the fall. A couple of those videos are included below.



For an explanation of why leaves change colors that elementary school students can understand, watch the following SciShow Kids video.