Science Lessons

Below are a few links to interesting and engaging science lessons I would like to share with you. These lessons are great ways to explore new science information for all! Explore different science topics and learn a wide range of new science terminology!

Create a Fossil

Fossils offer an amazing insight into a world that was once very different to the one we live in today. Use this fossils lesson plan to extend students understanding of how a fossil forms and why they are so important to paleontologists studying extinct animals such as dinosaurs. With this fun activity kids can make a fossil and enjoy learning about the science behind it at the same time. This is an experiment I remember doing as a child that has stuck with me throughout the years!

 Recycling Rocks

Teach kids about the importance of recycling with our recycling lesson plan. Try some fun recycling activities as children learn some important concepts along the way. Recycling is an important part of a wider goal to improve the way we look after our environment. Caring for planet earth has become a well-publicized topic in the modern world and it’s up to everyone to do their part. Words like reduce, reuse, reinvent and recycle are helpful in reinforcing things that can easily be done to improve not only our local area but also the wider world we live in.

Acids and Bases

Learn about the differences between an acid and a base, make sherbet and experiment with universal indicator paper to see which substances are acids and which are bases. This fun lesson plan is perfect for teaching kids about chemistry.

Crystal Clear

Crystals are special structures that can be used in a number of great science experiments. Try the fun crystal activities in this lesson plan and let kids make crystals, learn about their physical properties and have fun at the same time.

Living on the Moon

What would it be like to live on the moon or another planet? If something were to happen to the earth in the future it might become an important question. Get students to design and build their own vision of a future colony while thinking about some of the factors that will influence their designs. Kids will enjoy this fun space activity as they get to build a future city on another planet or think about living on the moon.

Design a Spaceship

Design and build your own spaceship, space station or satellite. What features will you add to make your creation safe as it travels in space? This is a fun space activity for students that will challenge their design and building skills as well as their general knowledge of space.

Grow a Plant

Learn about gardens and grow your own plants at the same time. Use this fun lesson plan to teach garden science for kids. Your students will enjoy learning about different types of plants as well as how to look after their own when they have finished making them.

I Don't Think You Should Eat That

We’ve probably all experienced a situation where some of our food has gone bad. Maybe we left it in our school bag or forgot to put in back in the fridge and now it doesn’t look so safe to eat. Use this rotting food lesson plan and mold activity to teach kids about fungi, bacteria and more.

Make a Farm

Let kids have fun making their very own farm complete with animals, fences, feeding areas, barns and other farm structures. This simple make a farm lesson plan is aimed at younger kids who can use their imagination to help make the activities work effectively.

Do You See That?

While some of us stand out in a crowd others tend to blend in and it’s the same in the animal kingdom. This animal camouflage lesson plan explains some of the concepts and offers a fun activity to help kids understand how camouflage works.

Brilliant Books

Book about science for children

This section includes great books that are perfect reads for children about many different science topics. The titles are fiction and nonfiction to help children explore facts and use their imagination at the same time!

Non-fiction

 

Animals in Danger by: Melvin Berger

A nice, simple science and environmental nature book for children. It helps them to see the costs of encroachment to the habitats of animals, and what some solutions. It will help children to become more environmentally conscious and responsible. This type of education can have long term benefits to the up and coming generation. 

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If You Find a Rock by: Peggy Christian

Children see and explore rocks in their lives every day. This book is written in joyful, poetic text with beautiful pictures. It talks about all of the hidden and mysterious places rocks can be found, and explains the differences between rocks.

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A Den is a Bed for a Bear by: Becky Baines

Kids will explore these intriguing places, and find out how, when, and why they are used. They will learn what other animals sleep in, if a bear sleeps in a den. This book will touch upon animals’ habitats and hibernation rituals.

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Discover More: My Body by: Andrea Pinnington

My Body answers children’s questions about their own bodies. Each section is focused on a particular part of the body. Body actions such as breathing, the digestive system, and blood are touched on, as well as fun subjects such as hiccups, earwax, and goosebumps. The simple text is perfect for beginning readers. The photographs provide impact for children less interested in reading with big, bright pictures of the inside and outside of the body.

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Insect Detective by: Steve Voake

Right now, all around you, thousands of insects are doing strange and wonderful things:  wasps are building their nests, ants are collecting food, and dragonflies are readying for the hunt.  But it's not always so easy to catch sight of these six-legged creatures...Become an insect detective and find out just what the insects around you are up to!

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Fiction

 

Stanley in Space by: Jeff Brown

The President of the United States has chosen Stanley Lambchop and his family to become the first humans to fly in the "Star Scout," a new top-secret spaceship. Stanley's most exciting adventure is about to begin. He'll meet the Queen of England, have a birthday party in outer space, and save a whole planet of aliens from danger. Children will enjoy the adventures Stanley travels on in this action packed book.

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Around the Pond: Who's Been Here? by: Lindsay Barrett George

Cammy and William follow an old deer path around the pond in search of blueberries. But unexpectedly they find a lot more. Clue after clue tells them what kind of animal has been there before and left its trace behind.

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Beatrice’s Goat by: Paige McBrier

More than anything, Beatrice longs to be a schoolgirl. But in her small African village, only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school. Beatrice knows that with six children to care for, her family is much too poor. But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift from some people far away -- a goat! Fat and sleek as a ripe mango, Mugisa (which means "luck") gives milk that Beatrice can sell. With Mugisa's help, it looks as if Beatrice's dream may come true after all.

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Dream Weaver by: Jonathan London

Silently, a tiny yellow spider spins her fragile web. As a young boy stops to watch, she crawls along the delicate silken threads, sometimes hanging, sometimes spinning, sometimes staring back. Before the boy knows it, the spider’s world has become his own. This is the story of a spider and a boy who become unexpected friends.

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Pond Walk by:  Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Buddy and his mother are spending a relaxing day at Pete’s Pond. As Mama tells Buddy about the animals, bugs, and plants they see, Buddy sketches them on his drawing pad. Ducks! Whirligig beetles! Lily pads! Buddy is curious about everything, but most of all, he hopes to see a turtle. This book is a perfect introduction to environmental science and biology, but will also be useful to all enthusiastic pond goers.

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Science Blogs/Websites

Blogs/websites are a great resource for children, teachers, and parents to find information about different science topics. Below I have listed some that I find are full of information, activities, and more science fun!

Brain Pop This website is a great source of animated, curricular content that engages students. It supports educators, and bolsters achievement. Brain Pop has a tool that allows assessments lets users tailor their assessments to meet all students' needs. A free app for Brain Pop is available from the Apple Store which makes Brain Pop accessible even on the go! Along with lessons and hands-on activities, this website overs online games and free science movies for children to interact with!

Funology A great site for curious scientists! This site includes experiments, crafts, and even magic tricks that will have children entertained for hours of educational fun. It is easy to navigate with a search bar and tabs at the top of the page. Funology is a blog and website combined that is loaded with activities to make science fun for children.

Infrared Zoo When have you ever seen what animals look like through infrared vision? This NASA sponsored website explains what infrared is and gives an entire gallery of different animals to look at through infrared light. The site is rich in vocabulary for children. It also explains if the animal is warm-blooded or cold-blooded and goes into the details about the difference of the two. Infrared Zoo is a great website for students to learn about different forms of light and explore pictures they have probably never seen before.

Planet Pals This is a website that teaches children the importance of keeping the environment clean and how to preserve our Earth. With tons lessons and activities children will learn that it is fun and easy to take care of our environment if we all do our part! There’s a section about green news to help children keep up to date with the most recent environmental findings. Although this site is geared towards children, there is a section made especially for teachers that leads to blogs and social media connected to Planet Pals.

Discovery for Kids The Discovery Channel is a well-credited television station that teaches quality information. This website, sponsored by Discovery, targets children and is filled with science filled information. This site allows children to explore their interests to learn about every day science topics. On the site is a section that has quizzes that could be used by children for self-assessment or by teachers as well. Great website for future scientists!

Wonderville This site is a great source for fun, and an interactive destination for kids to discover the exciting world of science. This award-winning site encourages exploration and curiosity, while helping kids discover how much fun science can be. Wonderville is completely free and provided by the people of Mindfuel, a non-profit organization for science.

Energy What is energy? Throughout this site children will learn information about energy (what it is, the sources of energy, etc.) as presented by the United States Energy Information System. This site includes games and activities all geared toward teaching the importance of energy. There is an entire place for teachers to go as well that includes lesson plans, activities, and field trips regarding energy.

Growing with Science The blog is headed by Roberta who earned a BS in Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Master’s degree in Entomology from Cornell University. Her blog includes a “bug of the week” archive as well as fun experiments posted daily. Along with having a section filled with science books, she is an author of children’s literature and has books published herself. This site is engaging for children and would be something they would want to keep continuously coming back to.

Kids Press Blog Scholastic, a well-known company serving children for many years, now has a blog available for children. The posts are science related topics that have been discussed in the news, so children not only get science information but current events as well. This site can help children form opinions about science and shows children doing good in the world for the benefit of science.

PBS Kids Sid the Science Kid is a television show on PBS that is a popular show about a boy who is very curious about different science topics. On this website, there are games, videos, and printouts for children. A parent and teacher section is included on this website as well which are both loaded with possibilities for children. Along with being filled with great science information, most children know who Sid the Science Kid is and will enjoy checking back to this site frequently to learn more from him!  

   

Prop Box

This prob box is centered around the human body. Not only is the human body an important science topic to learn, but it also important for children to know to keep themselves healthy. It is intended for grades K-2, but could be adapted to fit the needs of older students. Through this activity students will learn how to keep their bodies safe from harmful things and about different parts of the body. The activity is hands on and engaging to students. Enjoy exploring!

Books:

First Encyclopedia of the Human Body by:                                 Be Good to Your Body: Healthy Eating                     

                  Fiona Chandler                                                                 and Fun Recipes by: Roz Fulcher

Germs! Germs! Germs! by: Bobbi Katz

Activity 1: 

Students will use the provided books to learn about the importance of eating healthy and keeping our bodies safe from germs. Students will learn ways to protect themselves and keep themselves ealthy. 

Materials:

Index Cards With Items and Pictures Written on Them                 Two Containers Labeled "Safe"/Unsafe
                                   

Paper to Record Sentences

Procedure: 

Step 1: Students will read/look at the cards provided.

Step 2: Students will place the items into either the "safe" or "unsafe" container.

Step 3: On the paper provided students will write 2 sentences about why the items they put in the "safe" container are helpful to and protect our bodies, and 2 sentences about why the items they put in the "unsafe" container are harmful or unhealthy to our bodies.

Step 4: Students will hand in their sentences so the teacher will be able to assess students ability to understand what is unsafe and safe for our bodies.

Activity 2:

 Students will use the above materials to create their own craft of the human body which will include the     
                          lungs, esophagus, heart, intestines, and stomach. (finished product below)

Materials:

Plastic Sandwich Bags                                                                      Paper Towel Roll
                                                  

Brown Paper Bag (big enough to fit around student)                          Construction Paper
                  
String/Yarn                                                                                                  Straws
                                                           

Tape                                                                                                                Glue
                                 

Procedure:

Step 1: Cut a hole (younger students may need help with this) at the top of the brown paper bag big enough for a head to fit through. Do the same on either side of the bag so arms can fit through as well. The bag will look sort of like a shirt.

Step 2: Next students will cut out a heart from the construction paper and label it. Tape or glue the heart into the middle of the brown paper bag. 

Step 3: Students will use the yarn to create the intestines (it will be too difficult to separate large and small intestine so students will just make one). Glue the yarn  right below the heart. 

Step 4: Label the paper towel roll "esophagus". Tape a sandwich bag to one end of the esophagus and tape it on top of the heart. Be sure that air will flow through the bag and the end with the plastic bag is closer to the ground. The plastic bag will be the stomach.

Step 5: Students will tape one end of a straw to each plastic bag (one straw per bag). Be sure that air will be able to be blown through the straw; these will be the lungs of your body. Tape the lungs to either side of the esophagus, again with the plastic bag end closer to the ground.

Step 6: Students can blow into the straws and paper towel rolls to see how air travels through the body. The lungs will expand and contract, which will be a visual of how our lungs work for students. The stomach will fill with air too, which shows students that our stomachs are constantly expanding to fit food. 

Finished Product

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