In the book Dirt Boy, Fister Farnello loved dirt so much that he ate it, played in it and refused get rid of it. He finally takes a bath. Children will design, build a water filter and use it to clean muddy water.

Children will use and describe processes of science and design technology to build and test simple wheel and axle devices made of disposable cups.

Children are formed into groups to 'invent' a pretend machine that smashes marshmallows. Each child plays the role of a cog or part of the machine to move the marshmallow along. Children then read the story Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, a machine that digs its way to a happy ending, and recognize how technological devices affect our lives.

In this project, you will learn how to measure the work done on an object. You will determine the effect that a simple machine has on work. You will also determine the effect of the direction of the force on work.

The rocks that compose the Earth's crust are subjected to a variety of forces. Depending on the environmental factors at work, the rocks can be altered in size or in composition. Factors such as wind, water, plants, and animals cause weathering, physical changes in rocks that affect their size. However, physical changes do not affect the composition of rock. In this activity you will see the effect of physical weathering on rocks.

First graders love to create stories. Their especially imaginative brains are always coming up with plots and characters for even the simplest of things. This knack for creative story building is something that can help your child in any subject. In first grade, part of your child's science unit will be learning about the characteristics of different habitats. He'll discuss geography, learn about different kinds of environments, and talk about what kinds of animals live where. By creating a shoebox habitat with your child, you will expand on what he is learning in school and allow him to put those budding creative instincts to good use!

Density - or mass per volume - of a liquid is an important scientific concept that can be viewed with the naked eye. We see it all the time with oil and water. Oil has a different density than water so the two liquids do not mix. In this experiment your child will look at a number of liquids with different densities and compare them all to water. She'll build her science skills and learn one of the most fundamental scientific concepts she'll use for years to come.

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!

Students explore the differences and similarities between rocks and minerals by investigating samples of these earth materials, performing a series of tests similar to geologists' field tests, and reading about rocks and minerals and how they are used.

This is a great way to spice up a common simple experiment demonstrating the three forms of water.

Students will learn to identify the four stages of a butterfly's life cycle.

Watching the winter snow pile up on a grassy yard is nice, but investigating it is even better! Boost your child's science and observation skills by guiding her through this winter weather-filled project. She'll chart the amount of snow or hours of rain that have fallen at your house this winter using a ruler, measuring tape, or even her hands! This ongoing seasonal graphing activity will even enlist her math skills and organization ability.

Make a festive tree that also encourages your child to practice her recall of addition facts. This holiday project makes learning fun through the magic of art! The Tree is a great way to keep math facts fresh in her mind during the holiday break or help a struggling student to improve during her time off. She'll get actively involved with learning math through making art first, with her personally decorated Christmas Addition Tree.

There's nothing like a treasure hunt to get kids excited. The good news is that all that pirate booty can be used to boost their math skills. Here's how to work the numbers as they sort their loot.

We live in a world of shapes. That window in the living room is also a square, that steaming bowl of chili is a circle, and the bed your son regularly refuses to sleep in at night is a rectangle. Learning to identify and categorize different geometric shapes is a big goal for early learners

Have a lot of loose buttons lying around the house? Put them to use! Leftover buttons make for great tactile math games and art projects to do with your kindergartner. Children are attracted to the bright colors and shapes of buttons, so they're perfect for teaching your child important concepts like sorting, counting, and patterning. Here are four ways to turn those loose buttons into an easy and positive learning experience. 

Most five-year-olds master counting out loud long before they walk into kindergarten. This is always exciting to watch, but it doesn't mean that kids truly understand what numbers mean. Kindergarten teachers want to make sure that kids can count objects, but also connect groups of things to abstract numbers. This whimsical craft helps kids do just that, and reuses empty milk cartons to boot.