Group items tagged

* This lesson is focused on the identification of structures and functions that plants and need to survive. It lets the students think about what job each part of the plant has to survive along with how important it is for each plant part to do its job or else the plant will not. I selected this resource because I thought it would make for a great introduction lesson for teaching students about plants and how their internal and external structures help them to support survival, growth, behavior, and overall reproduction (4-LS1-1). The structure and processes of plants and animals is my main focus of this lesson, but I feel that this lesson would benefit the teaching of plants.

This lesson allows students to experiment with various sound sources, including their own voices to gain an understanding of the connection between sound and vibration. I chose this resource because I think that it fits well with my standard (1-PS4); Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make a sound and that sound can make materials vibrate. I would use this lesson in my future science classroom by having students break into groups to perform each of the activities from the lesson to demonstrate the different vibrations made from different objects.

This lesson uses a story of a group of students who cleaned a creek so that salmon could come back to the area. This lesson goes right with my standard: 5-ESS3- Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment. After I read this story to the students, they write a reflection of how they can do something similar to help the environment. I would use this lesson in my future classroom to show them that with a little work, anyone can make a difference in helping the environment.

This resource contains a video on how to make a pollution catcher. The materials needed for one catcher to be created is a paper plate, yarn/string, a hole punch, Vaseline, and a drawing utensil. I selected this resource because it fits the standard to- obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment (5-ESS3-1). This standard will be the focus of my lesson in this course. Having each student create a pollution catcher would be a fast activity for most grade levels, especially the upper elementary grades. If I was to teach a fifth grade class, I would do this activity as means of teaching the standard mentioned above.

This video shows how you can relate science to other subjects, especially ones that aren't included on standardized testing. While this lesson takes place in Canada, you can easily relate it to the United States with common objects like scissors and pulleys. This really gets the kids involved because they have to use their bodies to show how simple machines work, with each child in their group acting out the different part of the simple machine. With art, they have to really think about how each machine looks from any view. This can give them chances to think about what could be wrong, even if they can't physically seem the problem.

This is a video that introduces sound, specifically vibration, and teaches a song to students. I chose this video because I know how much young children love music and learning songs. It has a lot of good information about sound and vibration in the short time the song plays. I would use this song to introduce a lesson on sound, or possibly conclude a lesson and review what students have learned.

This resource contains a lesson plan for a fifth grade class. The lesson teaches about the affects people can have on water around them. It involves a five minute video, a hands-on activity, and even a song. I selected this particular resource because it fits the standard to-obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment (5-ESS3-1). This standard will be the focus of my lesson in this course. I really liked the way the lesson plan was written to engage students. I could possibly incorporate this resource, or parts of it, into the lesson plan that I will be writing in this course.

Weekly astronomy article written by middle school science teacher in Flora, IL. Past articles are archived for easy reference.

This source gives the history of space exploration. From the first astronomers to the first shuttle launch. This website will be useful by informing the students on how humans have contributed to the solar system with knowledge and technology. I selected this website because it will be a good source for information on the history of outer space. I like this resource because I can set up groups to explore one of the four websites and report back to class. This hands on experience will help students realize it was a long and difficult journey to get to where we are in space, knowledge and technology. I could use this in not only science by history class by relating to dates of other situations in history as well as showing how Americans have progresses throughout the years in science and technology.

I really like the timelines for different periods of history as well as the depictions of insignia for the different missions to space by NASA. Great informational site for student research!

This was a fourth grade physical science experiment that can be used when studying electricity. Although it is not completely free it uses minimal household items so the cost is very low. The students are able to see what goes on inside a battery by completing a circuit. I would use this in my classroom because the students become actively involved in learning and it is something new and "shocking" for them to discover.

Grade level probably more like 4-8 than K-5

This resource is an interactive tutorial that provides a very concise overview of the school science lab environment. It familiarizes students with the basic lab safety precautions. It also helps to increase awareness of the lab environment. It covers instrumentation and equipment, rules for staying safe and concludes with a brief assessment. It also provides 'comp checks' between slides. This resource is one of the most important 'lessons' for science students prior to performing lab experiments.

This is a super simple science experiment for the classroom, involving how seeds grow. It does not take much preparation, and it will not take much time doing the experiment in the classroom. Despite the little time going into the setup of the experiment, students will be able to observe their seeds for weeks and record their data. I would most definitely consider using this in the classroom. It doesn't take much prep, it's not very costly, and the unit could last several weeks. In addition, this experiment is perfect for getting the students to think scientifically, and learning to record observations.

This website actually contains a list of the "10 iPad Apps for Teaching Kids About Science." This app is listed as number five but I feel it is probably the coolest. This app allows you to view the moon from many different angles. You can view it from Earth or get closer with satellite views. The coolest thing about this app is that it is HD. So you can zoom in and really examine the moon's surface. There are places where you can read facts about people and modules that have landed on the moon. This app could be used by students of any age. It would be a valuable tool in a high school astronomy class and I think it would pair nicely with that Moon Dust activity I posted before. I could simply show my kindergarten students what the moon's surface looks like and then allow them to play with "Moon Dust." I would probably use this as an early lesson in a unit on the moon. It is not stated on this site how much this app costs exactly, just that it is under $20.

Apple Oobleck made With Apple Sauce This is a different way to approach introducing oobleck into the classroom. Students could participate in all parts of this activity. They could help make the oobleck, explore it, and, with teacher permission, possibly even taste their creation! This would also be a very cool way to explore the 5 senses with your students or just a fun activity to do during the fall. I think this could be used in kindergarten up through second grade.

This site provides a multitude of lesson plans for many different grade levels of science. Teacher notes, student copies, and examples are all given in the lesson guidelines. I have used Arkive in the past for projects and have found it very helpful. I imagine using these lessons as supplemental activities for the lessons I teach in biology.

This is a game/video that shows the food chain. It also uses a fun video and scenario to get the students engaged. I would use this as class and have it on the projector. I like the story line that goes along with the game.

The St. Louis Science Center often provides preview days for educators to come check out the new exhibit featured. This preview allowed the educator to see the exhibit and the movie along with receiving some resources on how to lead the students through the exhibit. I think it is important that teachers be able to view exhibits and have a lesson ready before taking their students on a trip. I think that any teacher would benefit from such a workshop even though the material offered would be suitable for grades 3-8.

Pinterest is a wonderful blog site for almost anything, including future teachers. This is a weather experiment that has students understand how rain comes through a cloud. Fill the cup with water. Put shaving cream on top for a cloud. Explain that when clouds get really heavy with water, it rains! Then put blue food coloring on top of the cloud, and watch it rain. Students would enjoy this hands-on experiment and help them to raise questions about weather.

This site has activiites and lesson plan supplements, including interactive games that students can play. There are kid-friendly articles, in English and Spanish, and also a resource library for teachers. This website is free and the activities are geared toward grades 4-8. I would definitely look here for fun extras to supplement my lesson plans.