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Elementary Science Supplemental Aids (STAAR)

Elementary Science Supplemental Aids — visual cue cards for grades 3–5 that help students retrieve what they already learned for the Grade 5 Science STAAR: matter and energy, force/motion/energy, earth and space, and organisms and environments. Mnemonics, diagrams, and picture cues. Print-friendly, free to share, adapt for your classroom, and support student success. Free to use, print, share, and adapt.

Five ways to use them

  1. Spiral grades 3–5 — build the vocabulary and pictures early so grade 5 review is recall, not re-teach.
  2. Make abstract ideas visible — the water cycle, circuits, and food chains as one clear diagram.
  3. Anchor each reporting category — a picture sticks when a paragraph doesn't.
  4. Support intervention & stations — one card per concept for small groups and tutoring.
  5. Build the cue before test day — so the printable is a familiar friend, not a surprise.

The visual should help students retrieve an idea they already understand — not replace the understanding.