Group items tagged

This activity will help students identify what is magnetic by testing different objects. Students will work in small groups for this activity, and be provided the necessary materials. They will use magnets to test each item to determine whether or not it is magnetic. Once they have made their decision, they will record it on their worksheet. I selected this resource because it is a great hands-on activity for the students to work together on. The free downloadable printable makes it valuable to me as a teacher because I do not have to take the time to create my own worksheet. I envision this resource being used for a science center. I will provide the objects to the students in a small bucket, and have them use their coloring materials to record their data.

I like the idea of the blank worksheet, so students could gather up their own collection of items to test, or you could provide some, and then have them select others they would like to try.

The students are studying Animal Classification Systems they will make a "foldable" that would help them practice seeing and using the 8 levels of classification. After teaching the students about the 8 different levels of classification, I would have the students each choose a mammal and have them fill out this "foldable" to help them see and use the classification system because there are scientists out there who have the job of classifying animals in real life. This is a great way for the students to be little scientists and take this boring concept and make it their own!

This activity allows the students to get a better understanding of the water cycle while creating a fun art project. Students will color the printable water cycle stages and then paste them on the cloud template in order. The finished projects can be hung from the ceiling to display your class's work and make your classroom cute and colorful! Because the project is 3-D, it can be spun around which shows that the water cycle is constant and repeats itself. This activity will be done at the end of our water cycle unit in science. It will be one of the many activities done to make sure students understand the process of the cycle. I selected this resource because it is an exciting way to order the stages of the water cycle. Instead of just putting different pieces of paper in order, students can color, cut, and paste their stages on a giant cloud. The free downloadable printable also makes it valuable to me.

In this experiment, students will create their own terrarium. Creating a mini-habitat is a great way for the students to learn what it takes to make an ecosystem work. Not only do the students learn about ecosystems, they also get a sense of responsibility when it comes to keeping their ecosystem alive. I chose this resource because it was something that I did when I was in elementary school and I still remember what I learned from it to this day. I would use this experiment throughout a unit on ecosystems.

"Experience strange natural phenomena at this mysterious tourist attraction located in Santa Cruz, CA. " The "Mystery Spot" would be a great place to take a field trip. The "spot" is a circular area in the Redwood Forrest where gravity doesn't seem to exist. Balls roll uphill, and students can stand at a 45 degree angle and not fall down! This experience would be great for students if you had just finished a lesson on the laws of gravity. After experiencing the "mystery spot" you could have them think of reasons why this phenomena happens here. I think this trip would be interesting for all elementary students.

I found this lesson to be an extremely fun way to get my students involved and excited to learn about what our blood contains. I remember learning this material in 9th grade, but this is a very great way to just cover the true basics of the concept. The fact that it provides a hands on, sensory motor activity totally grabbed my attention. I loved that the prep time was short and the materials to purchase we cheap and some were reusable. Each material represents the red and white blood cells, the plasma, and the platelets. In the classroom for younger students, I would probably read from a book during a read aloud and then I would do a vocabulary introduction and definition game, and finally, I would provide this activity to help give a visible example and assist with building a better understanding of what blood is made out of.

For this activity, you would use a sensory tub to create "blood" by using red water beads for red blood cells, white ping pong balls for white blood cells, and felt pieces for platelets. This activity is great for visual learners so they can "see" what blood really looks like and what it is made of. Having students put their hands in and feel the different pieces of blood gives them experience learning. Once you are finished with the tub, I would have students draw what they saw and label the different objects as red/white blood cells and platelets. Then look at a magnified picture of real blood and compare!

I think this would be a great extension activity following a lesson over the phases of the moon as students will be showing their understanding of these phases using Oreo cookies. Each student is given 8 split Oreo cookies and one plate with the phases of the moon on the bottom of the plate. Students will use their spoon to move the cream off the cookie to model the correct phase of the moon. After completing eight correct moon phases with their cookies, the student will label each phase of the moon with the correct name strip which is provided. Once the student has correctly labeled the 'moons', they may eat the cookies and take the plate home. This is a great way to check and make sure students have an understanding of this material. It also makes it fun for the students as they are able to finish the assignment by eating their cookies!

Early learners are sure to love these introductory videos on the concept of the solar system. This series features high quality music and animation that will instantly engage kids, and which teachers will enjoy watching as well. Each video states facts about its subject in a catchy song to aid kids in retaining the information and exciting them to discover more. _____________________________________________________________________ I love these videos! This website provides many Storybots videos that all relate to the solar system. These videos are fun to watch and get students engaged. They provide information on everything in the solar system (planets, sun, Earth, stars). Each video provides a catchy song that draws students in, while also teaching them different things about the solar system. I chose this resource because I personally love all the videos. I think they provide a lot of information on the solar system, but in a fun way. I think students will really enjoy these videos, and I think they'll also learn a lot as well. I watched the sun video a couple times and I was already beginning to learn some of the lyrics! I think this resource could be used as a hook for any lesson about the solar system. These videos could be used as an introduction and will help get the students engaged in the material. Students will want to learn more once they watch these videos!

This resource includes the information for attending a Planetarium show at the Saint Louis Science Center. This planetarium has a show currently being shown called "The Little Star that Could." The trailer for this video can be found at the site listed. I have attended many educational shows at several different locations, but none seem to ever compare to the ones shown at the Saint Louis Science Center Planetarium. The format of the presentation really resonates with the observers and leaves a lasting impression. I would invite my class to go on a field trip to this planetarium after a lesson on the solar system.

The Live Sky Tonight show at the Saint Louis Science Center could be an incredibly fun experience for students who are studying the night sky at home! In cooperation with creating some sort of sky map at home or at school using the internet as well as visual observations, both or either, the students could compare their own work with that displayed at the planetarium! This resource would serve as particularly helpful for visual learners who may benefit from this immersive model, and it might also encourage those who had not been as engaged in star mapping before to become more involved after the experience!

"Shadow puppets offer a great way of investigate light and shadows. It also links to literacy, storytelling and design technology. Try out this cross-curricular activity." This activity is a great way to demonstrate to students how light travels as a wave, showing them that when you put a shadow puppet in between the lamp and the wall, the puppet blocks some of the light waves. For this activity, I would have sample shadow puppets made along with a script to go with the characters. I would allow volunteers to work the shadow puppets as I read the script aloud. To boost the creativity of this activity, I would allow students to create shadow puppets of their choice. I think this would serve as a great extension activity to a lesson about light and shadows especially because it gets students engaged as it requires their involvement. To make sure students fully understand and grasp the relationship between the light and the shadow puppets, I would make sure that each student has a chance to use their shadow puppet on the "stage."

"If you're looking for a fantastic way to end your spring plant/botany unit, try this fun activity from Ms. Lopez of Coloring Outside The Lines that will have your kiddos snacking through the parts of a plant!" This lesson/activity could tie a unit on plants with healthy eating unit! I would first make a diagram with the students labeling the different parts of the plant to activate their background knowledge. After that, I would go through my different foods I had out and ask the students what part of the plant they thought it was. They would attach their food to their worksheet and once they were done we could eat the different parts of the plant! I think younger students would love this activity!