Group items tagged

This activity shows how water is absorbed by plants. By placing a white carnation with stem into a tube or cup of colored water, the plant absorbs the water, changing the carnation the color of the water that was absorbed. I chose this activity because I feel like it would be a great way for children to see and understand what would be taught when learning about plants. I would introduce the lesson by explaining that plants need water. We would discuss where the children believe the water goes in the plant and I would let the children discuss what they think "might" happen. This would allow group discussion, the children would be making hypothesis, and applying knowledge all while introducing this lesson. I would explain that we will let the plants sit in the water throughout the week for the lesson. We could document daily results in a journal and then at the end discuss what we have learned and how it was different or the same then what we believed at the beginning.

This science experiment is a creative and fun way to show students how water moves through plants. Rain absorbs into the ground, then moves up the roots, through the flower, and to the pedals. What I love about using the food coloring, is it provides more of a clear picture of how the water moves through the flowers. By using the food coloring, the students can also note the time it takes for the water to hydrate the flower. I would use this in the classroom for the students to journal their own hypothesis or draw where the food coloring would be visible at. If I did this experiment before teaching the lesson, I would ask my kids to think about if the colored water would actually be visible or if we wouldn't have been able to tell a difference. This would be a quick and simple thing to demonstrate and discuss to help my students build ideas on their own, think reasonably, and even practice using the scientific method.

This activity shows students how certain animals stay warm in the winter by providing a life-like representation of the effects blubber. A zip-lock baggy containing Crisco is placed into a bucket of ice water. Students then place their hand into the baggy and note the temperature. I chose this activity because it provides an actual representation of how animals stay warm in the winter that students would likely remember in the future. If the lesson is properly constructed, this activity also encourages critical thinking, making predictions, and discussing observations. When using this activity in my classroom, I would first discuss various polar animals with my students, making sure to ask them their opinion on how the animals manage to stay warm. This would then lead to a discussion on how humans stay warm. After creating a list of various ways in which humans adapt to cold weather, I would conduct the "blubber" activity. I would then explain to students that polar animals have an extra layer of fat, called blubber, to keep them warm. As a class, we would then discuss how certain human adaptations mimic the polar animals' survival techniques.

I have used this activity many times along with adaptations for survival. Very clear and concrete experience for students.

This hand-on activity is great for opening up discussion about snow, where it comes from, and what it is. The teacher will put various ingredients in a jar and then add an alma-seltzer tablet to "start the storm." Students will love watching the storm and their minds will be engaged for discussion. I would use this in my class as a "mind-engager" and as a discussion opener.

Bullfrog Films produces environmental and social justice films. This one, Chasing Water, is an 18 minute tour down the Colorado River, and addresses the issue of water use. It's length and recency make it a good starter for discussions related to water conservation at the high school level. Preview of film is free, and lasts about 2 and a half minutes

I would use this video in a 5th grade lesson on our solar system.  This video discusses the formation of our solar system and then follows through with information on all of the individual planets.  This video could be incorporated into a science lesson very easily without being too distracting due to the short length of the video.

This is another lesson I found that would be great for a 5th grade astrology lesson.  This is a complete lesson that has students do research no computers do gather information on the solar system, after they have been through guided discussions.

This website opens into a word document that has a TON of different lesson plans for K-1 grade level. The two lesson plans that I really liked were the Adventures in the Rain Forest, and What's the Point of That? The Adventures in the Rain Forrest talked about how living things are dependent on one another, and where they are at in relationship to their environment (the rain forest). The class will embark on a mini pretend field trip to a rain forest where they will discuss where certain things in a rain forest are located, and why it is important. This relates to the standard 12.B.1a really well! The other lesson plan that I really liked in this huge list was the one that was called, "What's the point?" In this lesson plan, the students learn different characteristics of living things and why it is important that they have them. (i.e. the importance of birds having feathers, etc.) I really like this lesson because students will really get a grasp on how all living things are different in a lot of ways, but the reasons behind why they are different. I'm all about celebrating our differences!

This is a YouTube video that lasts about 5 minutes that discusses the solar system. It explains how the planets were formed, the two regions of the solar system, dwarf planets, and also incorporates several facts. I picked this video because it explains the material in a way where the students would be able to understand without being completely confused. It delivers the content of the video very well. I would be able to show this video in class so that the students can visually see what takes place in our solar system.

While this isn't necessarily students making a new or improved tool, it does have them discussing the changes that technology and communication has gone through during time. It discusses what different ways you can communicate with people, like computers and phones, that you know, but also preaches safety of communicating with people that you cannot psychically see to the students.

This could be a lesson that would revolve around a field trip to a local ice skating rink. During our visit, we could discuss what the temperature of the ice is and what would happen if the temperature, wind chill included, was changed. We could discuss what temperatures are safe to skate on and what would happen if the rink wasn't frozen enough. Overall, this would allow them to critically think about what the right temperature should be for the ice when they skate. While I listed this as a free lesson, it might cost money to go to the rink.

Introducing Discovery Channel's "How Big is My Universe." This Discovery Channel school video was created to show students the many different parts of our galaxy along with the properties of its elements. This is not only a great introductory resource for my Solar System unit, but it also encompasses a program overview that includes a lesson guide. This extra resource includes discussion questions, teacher activities, related resources, and important vocabulary words. As the video guide suggests, " What better way to answer the eternal question about size than to bring the solar system down to earth?"

This is such a cool concept that I really wanted to find the video available online. I'm surprised I can't find it! I did, however, locate it as a DVD available as DVD from software express (swexpress.com) for 31.95. Steep price. Maybe libraries have it?

This is an activity for the first day or as an introduction to the scientific method or to just allow students to work in groups so that you can get to know them better. I usually do all instructions verbally and don't require any written documents for turning in. __________________________ This is a cute activity to use for smaller aged students to introduce them to the scientific method with little prep work from the instructor. All the teacher needs is gummy worms, life savors, paper clips, and plastic cups. Sam (the worm) is stuck on a boat (the cup) and the life jacket (life savor) is under the cup. The students will use paper clips to retrieve the life jacket and put it on Sam to save him. While doing this, students will work with a partner to explore ways to save Sam. I would use the link below as it goes along with the lesson and gives questions for the students to answer and record during their exploration to save Sam. The worksheet can be tailored to match the appropriate age group conducting the experiment. https://docs.google.com/document/d/15ahlJ9CSEB31IPgJOFO2LW62K5PoxbN6hosNneO2tRc/edit?hl=en_US I think this would be a fun activity that would allow the instructor to see how the students work together and who is taking the lead role. At the same time, the students are being introduced to creating an hypothesis, recording their observations, and coming to conclusions. I would probably use questions from the above link for higher grades such as 2nd - 5th. If I did this activity with K and 1st grade, I probably would just discuss vocabulary terms as well as their thoughts and observations during group discussion versus having them document on paper.

I wanted to step it up a notch since I loved Dr. Hope's Oobleck lesson plan. I discovered this on pinterest and it is actually Oobleck that moves. This activity incorporates both the texture of the oobleck and the unique sound waves/vibrations that make sound waves. Students ears and fingers will be stunned as they watch and hear the oobleck slide through their fingertips. This experiment can create multiple leading questions, an investigation, and a lengthy discussion.

This is a brief explanation on why the sky is blue followed by an activity. I chose this source because I have always wanted to know the definitive answer to the question: Why is the sky blue? I would use this in an older elementary classroom as a lesson followed by a lab activity.

This is an activity illustrating how the tiny particles of the ringed planets can be seen so far away despite their small size. I chose this activity because I liked it, and because I liked that it had a discussion after its completion. I imagine my class will complete this activity and then we will discuss our findings as a whole group.

This website was designed by a teacher that has taught biology and chemistry to middle school and high school students for 37 years. This is the culmination of materials and resources that she has created, modified, and gathered over the years. She provides a multitude of various links to different activities, worksheets, labs, demos, test reviews, etc. She even provides her email information so you can be in contact with her and discuss the material on the website and other teaching strategies. I selected this resource because there are so many different activities that can be used by middle and high school biology and chemistry instructors. It is particularly valuable to me because I will more than likely use many of the materials and resources provided from this website in my own classroom. Personally I find it challenging to create really fun and yet beneficial, educational activities for students on my own, so it is very useful to have some ideas available for me to start with. 

This is such a fun end-of-the week activity for teaching the various states of matter with yummy root beer floats. The teacher and students review liquid as they look at just the root beer in the cups. Then they review solids, as they add the ice cream. Finally, they observe gas when the ice cream is added to the root beer. I would definitely do this activity in my classroom. It is all about making science applicable to everyday life, and rewarding your students in the process!

With this activity, you start by having just the root beer sitting in cups at each student's desk. Discuss with the class why the matter in the cup is a liquid. Then move onto showing the students ice cream and ask what makes it a solid. Next add the ice cream to the root beer and discuss how the carbonation of the soda makes the root beer fizz which is the gas. This would be used at the end of a unit on solids, liquids and gas as a reward and fun activity to review the previous week's lessons. I chose this activity to show the students how they can see and apply science in their everyday life. This activity was free but there are lessons and units linked to this activity that cost money.

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. This lesson involves learning about adaptations of animals in their environment. Specifically, we would be discussing camouflage. In the activity that goes with the lesson, students would make cardboard cut-outs of animals, color them, and try to hide them around the room in areas where their camouflage would benefit them most. Students would also learn how some animals prefer to stand out in their environment as a warning to others. For extensions of this lesson, we could discuss how hunters and soldiers use man-made camouflage. I could also take the kids outside and have them find somewhere that they would blend in the best based on their clothing.

This lesson/activity introduces students to interesting new topics such as the ecosystem, the Artic peninsula, and the food chain. All of these topics come together through the discussion of animals from the Arctic sea and how they live and thrive based off of each other. First the general animal life of the Arctic sea is discussed, then a broken down description of each animal in that particular food chain is provided. The students are able to cut out and color these pictures, and make their own mobiles to help them remember the food chain in the ecosystem. I chose this lesson/activity because I think it had a good mixture of knowledge and activity which allows the students to learn without even realizing it. Animals eating each other tend to be exciting to younger students, and by explaining these topics they will be able to understand wildlife a bit better. This is a great source to use during an ecosystem unit, that will make the class interested in learning the new material and excited about the project at the end.

Plastic Bottle Scrooge is being haunted! Follow Scrooge as he learns about plastic, where it comes from, how it litters the land and oceans, and what can be done to stop pollution. _____________________________________________________________________ As cheesy as this app sounds, it's actually really cute! Earth Day Carol is an app that provides a story (based on The Christmas Carol) that follows a little character who is plastic, and he learns all about himself and pollution. This app is awesome because not only does it provide a cute story line for kids to follow and be engaged with, it also has some interactive components. This app allows students to tap on the screen, providing pop up facts about pollution and our Earth. I chose this resource because I think it's really helpful in teaching young students the importance of a clean environment. In today's society, phones are becoming more and more prevalent. Students will automatically become engaged knowing that they're going to be learning through a phone/Ipad. This resource would be good to use around Earth Day. It adds a bit of a twist to the typical "board and marker" learning. Students can be in groups of two or three, and if Ipads are available in the classroom, students can listen to the story and take turns with the interaction parts. Once each student is done, a group discussion can follow to discuss what each student has learned.

The Saint Louis Zoo provides a number of school programs, tours, and lessons for all age groups that deal with the themes of ecology, classification, conservation, and adaptation. There are even overnight programs dealing with these subjects, as well as outreach programs. Each theme has "sub-themes" that become more in depth and involved depending on the grade level of the students. (Diigo would not let me bookmark this link to the School Programs Table: http://www.stlzoo.org/files/7013/1350/2181/ProgramsandTours10.pdf). Costs vary depending on what program you wish to go on. I selected this resource because the Saint Louis Zoo is an excellent educational tool that is located so close to the area, and I feel that it should be utilized. This is valuable to me because I plan on using the Saint Louis Zoo as a field trip location and learning tool for my students. Knowing that there are scheduled programs that are challenging enough for my high school students is an excellent opportunity that I plan to use in the future. 

The Zoo Education Department offers programs designed to help students of all ages and abilities learn through experience, involvement and discovery. Programs may include live animals, biofacts, activities, demonstrations and/or discussions. If your class participates often in our programs, you may see the same animal(s) more than once. This is a great opportunity to get involved in St. Louis with the zoo. Teachers can find ways to use their classroom lessons and progress them with a field trip to the zoo.

This field trip opportunity would go great after a science lesson on renewable and nonrenewable resources/ a rain forest activity. Students would walk through the zoo focusing on different climates each animal lives in, what each animal eats, etc. The zoo provides class education programs that will meet the needs ( to their best ability) to provide animals that live in the specific area you are covering. "Programs may include live animals, bio facts, activities, demonstrations and/or discussions" (St. Louis Zoo). The zoo programs also provides four different areas of focus: adaptations, classification, conservation, and ecology.