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Keep a Horizon Calendar - Earth Science Many cultures used the rising and setting sun to create calendars. Observe the setting sun once a week for as long as you can to come up with your own calendar. Supplies: 11 X 17 inch piece of white paper, pencil, compass, watch, and clear view of the western horizon (where the sun sets)

Natural vs. Artificial: Can You Taste the Difference? You probably know that cane sugar isn't good for you in large doses, but did you know that many artificial sweeteners can't even be processed by your body?  Supplies: Real maple syrup, pancake syrup containing high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, artificial sweetener such as Splenda or Equal, honey, honey flavoring, fresh orange juice, orange juice from concentrate, paper, and pencil. Set up the experiment by preparing small samples of each food for tasting, arranging them in sets according to type.

Standards 1.3.4:  Describe how animals' habitats, including plants, meet their needs for food, water, shelter, and an environment in which they can live. This activity sets up with a display of tundra themed books which begin our Arctic adventure.  Students will record questions and discoveries in an arctic food journal.  Students will discuss the habitat, why it is the RIGHT place for Polar Bears to live, and how certain animals have adapted to ensure their survival in their home habitat.

state standard: 4.1.4 This activity specifically hits an state standard. This is a really good activity because it does not take a lot of time to set up and do, and the materials are real easy to come by. This activity has extensions to it that can be used for those who may need some enrichment.

Use comparative words (bigger, smaller, etc.) to complete a treasure hunt in a natural setting.

Good addition game with simple set up

You forgot to correlate this activity with a Common Core State Standard.

Found one sorry about that

Fun game working on addition, with easy set up

Addition Mission:  Students each have a game mat and take turns choosing two cards.  He/she adds the two cards together, and if he has a matching sum on the game mat, he puts the cards on the mat.  If not, he discards him.

In this activity, students play a game of war using multiplication facts. Each player flips over two cards, and says the math sentence for those two cards. For example, if one student flipped over a 4 and a 5, he or she would say, "4 x 5 = 20". Using a timer, the teacher can set a designated amount of time. When the time is up, each player counts their cards. The person with the most cards wins!

Ever wondered how a submarine can control when it rises and sinks in the water? Build a Cartesian diver to find out! Named after French philosopher and physicist René Descartes, this classic science experiment is a great way for kids to see the principle of buoyancy at work. And with such a simple set-up, it's a fun and inexpensive way to dive into physics!

Crow Creativity: 5th Grade / Can you solve a problem as creatively as a crow?  Download PDF 1. Build a tricky tube puzzle to find out if your friends can solve a problem like a crow. A clear plastic tube is best, but a paper towel roll, cut down to about 8 inches, will work too. 2. Make a basket out of tin foil. The basket should be big enough to hold a small cookie. 3. Tear some strips off a roll of duct tape. Lay the roll of tape flat on a table and fit the tube inside the center of the duct tape roll. Then use the duct tape strips to tape the tube in place so that the tube stays upright. Tape along the side. Do not cover the openings of the tube in tape. 4. Put a cookie in your basket and drop the basket into the tube so it goes to the bottom of the tube with the handle facing up. 5. Place about 5 twist ties or a piece of long metal wire next to your tube. 6. Find a friend to solve this problem. Tell your friend that there is a cookie at the bottom of the tube. Your friend can have the cookie but has to get the cookie out of the tube first without lifting up the tube. If you are using a paper towel roll, let your friend look inside the tube to see how it's set up.  Supplies: See Downloadable PDF

Upper elementary students to middle school students could create a trick tube or similar experiment that a friend or critter (squirrel) has to solve.

Adaption: SEE "MOON PHASES ACTIVITY-PHRASES FOR PHASES: A MOON TUNE. Extensions: You can extend this activity for 6th grade my having them creat a model of the moon and it's phases and demonstrating their understanding through a presentations. ( I would group them and have each person write about their part of the demonstration and that it what they present) You can extend it you younger grades by having them draw the phases of the moon and with parents (as homework) go outside at night and dermine which phase the moon is in and drawing a picture of that phase on the claendar. 5.2.4 Use a calendar to record observations of the shape of the moon and the rising and setting times over the course of a month. Based on the observations, describe patterns in the moon cycle. 5.2.1 Recognize that our earth is part of the solar system in which the sun, an average star, is the central and largest body. Observe that our solar system includes the sun, moon, seven other planets and their moons, and many other smaller objects like asteroids and comets.

Fractions with color tiles.  Allows students to record their findings on graph paper.  Make a game of it by trading papers, and allowing the other student to attempt to build the other student's fraction bar without peeking at the answer.

I made a copy of this activity. It's simple yet effective (and I have a set of colored plastic tiles that I only use when discussing area, so this is a great additional use for them.)