Got some wall space in your science classroom that you need to fill? Let’s talk about bulletin boards! Some teachers get super into their bulletin board creations. Honestly, more power to ’em! However, if designing classroom bulletin boards isn’t your thing, but you still want some creative ideas to fill those blank walls…I’ve got you covered! Here are a few simple, yet fun, bulletin board ideas for science classrooms! (Truly, anyone can do these.)
Alright, before we get into the practical examples — let’s talk about the nuts and bolts. HOW do you actually go about creating bulletin boards that are visually appealing, relevant, and yes, simple to put together. Here are a few basic keys to keep in mind:
Sounds simple enough. You need to cover your board in paper of some kind to serve as a background behind the decorations themselves. Many teachers use colored butcher paper. Wrapping paper is another popular choice. If you’re feeling really crafty, you might opt for something like burlap. Any of these options will work well. As you’re making your selection, here are just a few questions to ask yourself:
I’m a huge fan of putting the hard work in ONE time! After all, a good bulletin board will take some time to put together (even the simplest of concepts.) Taking the extra time on the front-end to laminate the posters and other decor you choose to display will save you loads of time in the long run. When you’re ready to switch out your displays, simply take down the laminated decorations and put them in a labeled bag to be used again next year. Trust me…your future self will thank you!
Now depending on how many bulletin boards you have in your classroom, you may find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed by the concept of creating a new colorful display for each board multiple times throughout the year. Here’s the good news…you don’t have to! Personally, I think it’s a great idea to set aside a few boards that are “evergreen.” In other words, the content presented on the board will be just as important and applicable in May as it was in August.
Let’s face it… middle school students need frequent reminders about the rules and expectations throughout the school year. Having a bulletin board that displays these written classroom policies makes these periodic reminders super simple. Redirecting a poor behavior can be as simple as pointing to the bulletin board. (Gotta love that, right?!) In fact, I’ve created a set of classroom rules posters that make a great bulletin board addition. I recommend printing and laminating these posters (or putting in plastic sheet protectors) so you can reuse year after year.
A bulletin board is a great place to post reminders about lab safety. I find that printing pictures that visually demonstrate different lab safety procedures is a great way to keep the safety basics front of mind for our students.
Not all bulletin board concepts are meant to be used all year. In fact, I think it’s a good idea to have at least a few spaces in your classroom that you routinely update and change as the year progresses. This allows you to keep your displays current to the season of the year or the science unit you happen to be studying. It also adds a little something “fresh and new” to your science classroom. Here are a few short-term bulletin board ideas for science classrooms:
Many teachers enjoy creating displays specific to the start of the new school year. These might include things like:
Who doesn’t love some good seasonal decor? You might consider switching out your bulletin board displays according to the season of the year. You can add a fun science twist by featuring information about the weather in that particular season. For example, your winter bulletin board might showcase information about blizzards or how snow fits into the water cycle.
Trying to make that “real-world” connection for your science students? A cute bulletin board featuring news articles with science focused stories is a great way to do that! Each week (or month) you can select new current events to feature on your board. You can even assign students to find the articles and choose your favorites to feature on the wall. Not only is this an easy bulletin board idea, it’s a great opportunity for students to strengthen their research skills.
Whether you teach physical science, earth sciences, or you’re lessons focus on the human body…all units will have vocabulary that your students need to learn. You can help students commit these words to memory with a word wall. You can choose to front-load your vocabulary by adding all significant terms at the beginning of the unit, or you can add them as they come up throughout the learning process.
Choosing to display important diagrams that pertain to your unit is a great way to reach your visual learners. Pictures of a DNA strand can add dimension to your biology unit. Images of each planet in the solar system can make your astronomy unit come alive. If you need some inspiration, there are plenty of science bulletin board sets for every unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Continue the discussion in my Facebook Group for Middle School Science Teachers or my Classroom Management Facebook Group.
Or get free science resources delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter! I promise to never be spammy. I’m just a regular teacher who likes helping teachers teach and students learn.
