What is Science Sauce? Free Online Flipped Biology Lesson Plans!

Hi, I’m Alex, a high school Science/Biology teacher and creator of ScienceSauceOnline.com.

If you’re a biology teacher and want full flipped learning lesson plans, including video content, self-study question sheets, and full lesson plans, then you might like Science Sauce Online. And it’s free! The site is expanding and you can expect to see Key Stage 3 (Grade 6 to 8) Science content in the near future.

Few people doubt that flipped learning is opening up doorways to learning, and it takes full advantage of student-teacher interaction time, helping students to reach higher order thinking. This is contrasted with the old fashioned way of teaching standing at the front of the room disseminating information like some sort of glorified textbook. That being said, if you’re a teacher who is flipping your class, then I don’t need to convince you.

Why Science Sauce Online?

Because everything in the lessons is done for you. (And it’s free – did I mention that?)

Obviously, the self-study homework part of a Flipped Learning lesson can be as simple as doing a piece of reading and answering questions on it to direct the learning. However, I believe teachers these days are looking for ways to avoid using the textbook, and many are taking advantage of videos as an input tool. Creating and sharing videos is a great way to present information in a more engaging way. Let’s face it, textbooks are far from inspiring.

Although making a video can take just a few minutes for people that have practiced and are proficient with their apps, some people find video-making challenging and time-consuming, and this is a reason many teachers are reluctant to delve into the flipped learning world. As a teacher myself, I am confident that every teacher out there will agree when I say, “Anything that saves me a little time is something I want know about.”

This is where Science Sauce comes in. The videos are already made, and all content is put together with easy to follow lesson plans. The videos are simple, visual, and easily to follow for students being introduced to the ideas for the first time, and the lesson activities are designed to develop higher order thinking skills in the class. Here’s a lesson on Gas Exchange to get a feel for how things are laid out: http://sciencesauceonline.com/bio/gas-exchange/.

Professional Development Materials

Some people reading this may be well versed in Flipped Learning, but what about your colleagues? Are all of your staff members onboard with the idea? Are there people on your team that don’t even know what Flipped Learning really is?

Recently I gave a session on Flipped Learning to my colleagues, and I’ve published all of the materials so that anyone who wants to introduce this teaching technique to a group is able to (sciencesauceonline.com/professional-development). There is a presentation (.pptx and .key), handout, question sheet and video to use as a demo… everything you need to give other teachers a feel for how effective learning like this works.

If you’re a regular “flipper”, then I hope some of this content can add to your arsenal. If you’re a first timer, then Science Sauce Online is definitely a place for the uninitiated to get started without the pressure of making resources.

Visit Sciencesauceonline.com to browse through lesson plans and resources. You can also follow me on Twitter (@science_sauce).