Leap Day 2024 Science: Leap Year No-Prep Activities for Middle & High School

Leap Day 2024 is right around the corner! If you are looking for Leap Year science resources for our middle or high school students - add this one to your list! This Leap Day bundle includes reader's theater scripts, a hexagonal thinking activities, reading passages, comprehension questions, a crossword puzzle, a wordsearch, and a future-casting graphic organizer.

Resource 1: Leap Day 2024 - Leap Year Science Reading Passages & Comprehension, Puzzles

This Leap Day Activity includes two versions of the passage, one with bolded terms and one without. The bolded terms act as answers to the included Leap Day Crossword Puzzle or Wordsearch, providing a fun and interactive way for students to reinforce their understanding of key concepts and vocabulary related to environmentalism.

The Leap Day reading passages cover a range of topics, including the science behind Leap Day, the history of Leap Day, and Leap Day traditions and folklore. Students will gain a deeper understanding of why we have Leap Day and how it came into existence. The reading comprehension questions, crossword puzzle and word search reinforce concepts from the reading passage.

Also included: The Leap Day Future-Casting Resource is a fun way for students to make predictions and goals for the next Leap Year. Students will think about...

• Personal Growth
• School and Learning
• Friends and Family
• Staying Healthy
• Health and Technology
• Improving the World
• Being Brave and Strong

What does this resource include?

• Leap Day Reading Passage
• Leap Day Comprehension Questions
• Leap Day Crossword Puzzle
• Leap Day Wordsearch
• Leaping into the Future (future-casting project)

Resource 2: Leap Year 2024 - Leap Day Hexagonal Thinking Activity

This activity will guide your students through a time of reflection on what changes they would like to see before the next Leap Year. Designed to be completed around Leap Day, this tool will facilitate self-evaluation and encourage students to set and make predictions about the next Leap Year.

This easy-to-implement activity is ideal for both middle school and high school science students. With no preparation required, educators can simply print the provided questions on a single sheet. Students are then guided to reflect and respond to six essential questions, fostering personal reflection and future-casting for the next Leap Year.

What is a Hexagonal Thinking One-Pager?

It’s a one-page worksheet with a hexagon split into six sections, each housing a unique and editable question. Your students get to answer questions like "How do you think technology or medicine will change by the next Leap Year, and what new inventions do you hope to see?" in their own creative way. The questions are completely editable, so you can change them to suit your needs.

Once they've filled out their hexagons and cut them out, it's time for a class-wide brainstorm. Students find connections in their answers and link their hexagons together. For example, if a student responds that his most memorable activity was the Mystery Powders CSI Lab, and another student responds that she wants to do more Forensic Science Activities, then those hexagon sides will be matched together. The class continues to collaborate as they connect hexagons based on shared or complementary responses. The result is a colorful tapestry of interests.

The goal of these resources is to get students to open up, connect, and set goals for Leap Year 2028. It's easy-to-use, customizable, and the perfect way celebrate Leap Day in your class! Give it a shot, and watch your classroom transform into a community!

What's Included ?

• 1-page Hexagonal Thinking Activity with icons that can be colored (it is recommended that the students use colored pencils to color the icons and use a Sharpie to add their text after the icons are colored).
• 1-page Hexagonal Thinking Activity without icons

How can this Resource Be Used?

• Celebrate Leap Year 2024
• Leap Day 2024 Bulletin Board
• Classroom Collaboration Activity

Resource 3: Leap Day 2024: Leap Year Science Readers Theater Scripts for Middle, High School

These reader's theater scripts are a fun way for students to learn the science behind leap years. This resource includes 2 scripts, a TOTAL reading time of approximately 15 minutes and a TOTAL of 17 students parts to read.

What is Reader's Theater?

Reader's theater is a performance style in which participants read from scripts, often with minimal staging and no memorization. It's often used in classrooms to engage students in reading and storytelling. Students act out characters, using voices and expressions, making it a fun and interactive way to improve reading comprehension and build confidence in public speaking. It requires minimal staging, making it accessible for any classroom setting.

In a science classroom, reader's theater is a fantastic tool to review content or skills in an engaging and interactive way. Students can act out scientific concepts, historical experiments, or famous scientists, using the scripts as a guide. This approach allows them to reinforce their understanding of scientific principles while improving their reading and presentation skills. Reader's theater brings a sense of fun and creativity to science lessons, encouraging active participation and making learning memorable for students.

Skit 1: Leap Year Birthday Bash

• Synopsis: Alex, a student born on February 29th, is planning a unique leap year birthday party. The play highlights the importance of leap years in aligning our calendar with Earth's orbit around the sun.
• Roles for 18 Students
• 7-10 Minute Reading Time

Skit 2: The Origin of Leap Day

• Synopsis: This reader's theater play explores the history of Julius Caesar, Sosigenes, and later Augustus Caesar in creating and refining the leap year system to align the Roman calendar with Earth's orbit.
• Roles for 9 Students
• 3-5 Minute Reading Time

What's Included?

• 2 Reader's Theater Scripts
• Prop lists for each script - using easy to find materials that you probably have in your science classroom or can borrow from the teacher down the hall
• Printable Name Tags

How is the Resource Helpful?

• Engaging and Fun: It makes learning about Leap Day more enjoyable for students, especially students that enjoy performing arts.
• Reinforces Learning: It allows students to act out and review the science behind Leap Day, reinforcing their understanding.
• Builds Confidence: Students improve their public speaking skills and gain confidence by portraying various roles.
• Fosters Teamwork: Encourages collaboration and teamwork among students during performances.
• Easy to Implement: Requires minimal staging and props, making it simple for teachers to incorporate into lessons.
• Saves Time: A time-saving resource that effectively covers the science behind Leap Day in an engaging manner.
• Memorable Learning: Leaves a lasting impression on students, making Leap Day Science more understandable.

Who is this resources for?

• Classroom Teachers
• Homeschool Parents
• Homeschool Co-op Teachers
• Christian School Teachers
• Enrichment Teachers
• Special Education Teachers

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