K.2.3 "Describe in words and pictures the changes in weather from month to month and season to season."  This activity can be adjusted for ELL students by allowing them to use only pictures for recording their observations. If the students are feeling somewhat comfortable with the new language, they can be paired with English speaking students to work together to spell and sound out words for their notebooks. This activity can be modified for older age groups by having the students make predictions about what is going to happen with the weather conditions. These students can also make predictions about why they think the seasons change.

4.1.2 "Investigate the variety of ways in which heat can be generated and moved from one place to another. Explain the direction the heat moved." This activity can be used with gifted students by allowing them to observe another candle burning in a bowl with no water present. The students can then compare and contrast the differences in the candles and the way in which they burn, and make inferences about why they believe the candles are different. This activity can be used with older age groups in the same way. The older students may be able to light their own candles as they work in groups, while still monitoring their progress.

5.4.1 "Investigate technologies that mimic human or animal musculoskeletal systems in order to meet a need." This activity can be adapted for ELL students by allowing those students to draw pictures of their design, rather than write a paragraph or make a chart. If the students are able, they can label the parts of their picture, using the English words they know. This activity can also be adjusted for younger grades by allowing them more than one science class time to work on the project. This may be an activity that can span a few days. The activity can then be broken down into sections. The students could use one class time to ask their questions within their group, and plan what they want their product to look like. The actual design and implementation of their product can be put into place on a separate class day.

Life Science K.3.1 "Observe and draw physical features of common plants and animals." This activity can be adjusted for gifted students by allowing them to label their picture with the appropriate words for a plant. Using words such as "roots" or "xylem" would be excellent! This activity can be used for older grades by having the students compare two different celery stalks - one with water, and one without water. The students can then make a table or chart to compare and contrast the two different celery stalks.

The Design Process: Identify a need or problem to be solved; brainstorm potential solutions; throughout the entire design process, document the design with drawings (including labels) in a portfolio or notebook so that the process can be replicated; select a solution to the need or problem; select the most appropriate materials to develop a solution that will meet the need; evaluate and test the design. This activity can be adapted for gifted students by allowing them to first draw a blueprint of their model. This will allow them to make predictions and hypothesis about their cube model and their tag board model. These students can then record their observations and their conclusions about their final product. This activity can also be adapted for younger grades by giving the students more materials to help them balance their models. Also, allowing the younger students to work in partners, rather than pairs, will allow them to more freely express their ideas. Working with a partner will give each student the opportunity to make sure their ideas are heard. For younger students, omitting the blueprint may also be helpful. Rather, having the students simply draw a picture of their model with labels may be more appropriate.

The Design Process: Identify a need or problem to be solved; brainstorm potential solutions; document the design throughout the entire design process; select the most appropriate materials to develop a solution that will meet the need; create the solution through a prototype; test and evaluate how well the solution meets the goal; communicate how to improve the solution. This activity can be modified for gifted students by having them record their predictions, as well as measure how much weight each bridge held. The activity can be adjusted for younger grades by having them design only one bridge, rather than several. It can also be adjusted by providing specific materials for the younger students, rather than giving them a wide variety of choices for materials.

5.4.2 "Investigate the purpose of prototypes and models when designing a solution to a problem and how limitations in cost and design features might affect their construction." This activity can be modified for gifted students by having them make predictions or recommendations about the types of materials that could be added to the boats to improve their design and function. The activity could be modified for younger grades by having them design only two boats and decide which one is better. This would be ideal, because younger students may take more time to build and design their boats.

Nature of Science Standards: Plan and carry out investigations-often over a period of several lessons-as a class, in small groups or independently; use measurement skills and apply appropriate units when collecting data; keep accurate records in a notebook during investigations and communicate findings to others using graphs, charts, maps and models through oral and written reports. This activity can be adjusted for ELL students by giving them a picture chart on which to record their data. Rather than using all words on the chart, pictures of a cup, plate, cake pan, etc. can be place on the chart, and the students can fill in the results of the distance for each picture. This activity can also be used with younger age groups by having them use other objects, such as a small ping pong ball, to throw. A bigger object may be easier for younger children to throw.

Nature of Science Standard: Make predictions and formulate testable questions; plan and carry out investigations-often over a period of several lessons-as a class, in small groups or independently; perform investigations using appropriate tools and technologies that will extend the senses; use measurement skills and apply appropriate units when collecting data; test predictions with multiple trials; keep accurate records in a notebook during investigations and communicate findings to others using graphs, charts, maps and models through oral and written reports; compare the results of an investigation with the prediction. This activity can be modified for ELL students by allowing those students to be the recorder for the group. This will allow those students to participate, without having the pressure of attempting to measure and use words they may not be comfortable with yet. Allowing these students to be the recorder keeps them involved with the group, while also allowing them to practice the English words for the numbers being recorded. This activity can also be used for younger ages by shortening the activity to throwing the ball five times, rather than ten. The act of throwing the ball make take longer for these students, as well as measuring an angle.

3.1.2 "Investigate how the loudness and pitch of sound changes when the rate of vibrations changes." This activity can be used with ELL students by having them do the activity while saying a variety of words that they need to practice learning. These words could be said in Spanish and English, both. This is a great way to use this activity in a way that is meaningful for those students. This activity can also be used with older ages by having the students record their predictions about what will happen if they use a louder voice, or a deeper pitch with the sound. The students could then compare their results with other students in the class.

1.2.1 "Observe and compare properties of sand, clay, silt and organic matter. Look for evidence of sand, clay, silt and organic matter as components of soil samples." This activity can be modified for gifted students by having them record their predictions about which particles will sink and which particles will float, rather than solely making the observations. This activity can also be modified for older grades by having them do the same thing. The older students can also be told to gather material that is sand, silt, and clay, and try to keep these in separate jars. 

2.2.1 "Observe, describe and measure ways in which the properties of a sample of water (including volume) change or stay the same as the water is heated and cooled and then transformed into different states." This activity can be modified for ELL students by having them record drawings during each observation, rather than writing the words for their observations. This would be a great activity for drawing, because each state looks so much different than the others (solid, liquid, and gas). This activity can be adjusted for older grades by having the students do the same activity with predictions at the beginning of the experiment about what they believe will happen. These students could also make other predictions about other types of matter that would react in the same way the juice ice did. For further exploration, these students could then test their hypothesis regarding other objects and their state of matter.

1.3.1. "Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features (e.g., body coverings, appendages) and describe how those features may provide an advantage for survival in different environments." This activity can be modified for ELL students by having them draw pictures of the bugs they find, rather than writing words or numbers. This can also be adjusted for older groups by having them classify animals they see, which could include mammals, insects, fish, etc. They could also describe many other characteristics, such as the types of food these animals or insects eat.

1.3.3 "Observe and explain that plants and animals have basic needs for growth and survival: plants need to take in water and need light, and animals need to take in water and food and have a way to dispose of waste." This activity can be modified for ELL students by having them strictly draw pictures of their observations, rather than writing words to describe their observations. This can also be adjusted for older grades, by having them grow several different types of flowers, or by using different fertilizers to help the flowers grow. The students can then compare their effects of the different fertilizers on the same flowers.

2.2.9: Investigate how the shape of the moon changes from day to day in a repeating cycle that lasts about a month. This activity can be adapted for gifted students by having them identify specific words that describe the phases of the moon they're observing. For example, under "Day 1," the student could write words such as "waxing," "waning," "full moon," or "new moon." This activity could also be used for younger age groups by having the students observe the moon for one week, rather than one month.

2.NBT.2 "Count within 1000; skip-count by 5s, 10s, and 100s." This activity can be modified for gifted students by making the pattern more challenging for them. For example, instead of making the pattern of counting by 2s, the teacher could make the pattern counting by 2s, plus 1. This activity could be used for older grades by having the students come up with their own patterns.

2.OA.1 "Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem." This activity can be adjusted for ELL students by giving them manipulatives to work out their problems. It can also be adjusted for gifted students by challenging them to fill their entire BINGO card, rather than just a line of numbers. This activity can be used in older age groups by providing multiplication or division flash cards, rather than addition or subtraction flash cards.

4.G.3 "Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry." This activity can be modified for gifted students by challenging them with more cards. Encourage them to use as many cards as they would like while participating in this activity! This activity can be used with younger ages by using objects other than cards. A big picture cut into pieces would help the students visualize symmetry, as it would be more like putting a puzzle together. The leader just gets to choose in what order the puzzle is assembled! Both players could check their work by knowing if the picture looks right.

3.OA.7 "Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers." This activity can be adjusted for ELL students by allowing them more time on the timer. The extra time may allow them enough time to think through their answers without feeling rushed. This can also be used for gifted students in the opposite way. The allotted time can be shorter, which encourages them to give their answers quickly! This activity can be used with younger ages by having the students practice their math facts, rather than their multiplication facts.

1.NBT.4 "Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten." This activity can be modified for gifted students by adding the number of die used. Try using two or more die as a challenge! The final score can be adjusted as well. This may be beneficial for ELL students. Instead of using 30 as the score to try to reach, try using 20. In the same way, the final score can be raised for gifted students. This activity can be used for older ages by multiplying the numbers, rather than adding them.