SEVEN Engaging 5th Grade Science Test Prep Ideas

Miserable. That’s the best way to describe how I conducted test prep my first couple years teaching. My students did pages upon pages of practice questions. If you were in my class and are reading this now, I am so sorry.

I honestly thought being exposed to lots of different questions would help them pass. Most students did well, but it was in spite of our test prep, not because of it.

Once I started using review stations and games, my students actually started to enjoy themselves. Then I added small group instruction, hands-on activities, and pure fun and saw even higher engagement.

Here are 7 ideas to bring some excitement into test prep season!

1. Board games

Break out those old games and a set of task cards! Trouble, Tic Tac Toe, and Connect 4 are awesome options! I like to be sure all students are answering questions or checking the answers to keep students accountable with no downtime. (See more ideas and details from Teaching With A Mountain View and Teaching to Inspire.)

Need task cards? Make your own or check my shop on TpT. I particularly like these Analyzing Data Task Cards and Silly Science Alien Task Cards.

2. Hands-on

Observation Stations are the PERFECT way to get hands-on! These aligned, rigorous resources will allow your students to experience different scenarios they might encounter on a standardized test. They talk with other students, move around the room, and draw conclusions.

Each set contains 6 stations that students rotate through during one class period and includes materials lists, student pages, and station directions. Learn more about Observation Stations.

3. Novelty

Bring in something totally new. Students might build a crank-powered lantern to review uses of energy, use lasers to complete team challenges for reviewing behavior of light, break into a lockbox, use robots to share answer to questions, try a Break Out game, or travel through a food web.

4. Sorting Relay

Do you have a topic in which students need to be able to classify various things into 2 or more different categories? Try a sorting relay. In this case, I made 27 cards to sort as non-renewable or alternative energy. Cards had either images, diagrams, text, or examples. I divided my group into two teams. Each team had two buckets for sorting and a set of cards. Each team sent one member up at a time. The team member takes a card off the top of their stacks, shares it with their team, and decides (with their team) which bucket it should go in. They place the card in one bucket. If the student is incorrect, it goes back under the stack. Then, the student tags the next team member who does the same thing. Keep going until the teams have sorted all of the cards. Learn more and check out ready-to-print Science Sorting Relays on TpT!

5. Learning Stations

Allow your students work at their own pace and take ownership of their learning with learning stations. Set up stations to review a year’s worth of material or just specific topics you need to review again. I highly recommend the 5th Grade Science STAAR Activity Board in my TpT shop.

6. Use a theme!

Some teachers spice things up with a test prep theme. Camping, outer space, and sports are popular themes. What are your students interested in? See if you can incorporate student interests!

7. Add Pure Fun

Yep. I said it. Make time for something that is just pure fun. I like using Minute to Win It games. Just a few minutes of a Minute to Win It game at the end of class or extra recess time can keep students focused during class.