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Salt water is denser than ordinary tap water, the denser the liquid the easier it is for an object to float in it. When you lower the egg into the liquid it drops through the normal tap water until it reaches the salty water, at this point the water is dense enough for the egg to float. I think this is a neat activity that kids would enjoy, and yet it requires very few supplies and clean up. I would first group students, giving each group a glass of freshwater and an egg. They would first put the egg in the freshwater only to see it sink to the bottom. They would record what they observed and possible reasons for why it sank. I would then give them another glass that is about half full along with a salt shaker. The students would be told to mix a lot of salt into the half cup and then slowly pour some of the freshwater into it. The egg is expected to float in this solution. The students would record their observations and possible explanations. This is a good way to start a lesson about density.

This resources lists instructions on how to make Ice Cream in a bag. I think this is a great way to reward students for all the hard work they do while not completely letting them rest their brains (like they would if they were watching a video). Another thing I like about this lesson is that it could be performed with students at various ages. I could definitely see my future classroom participating in this activity after a lesson on reactions. I would also plan to use this activity on a partial day to keep the learning going instead of an activity like watching a movie. This is also a great way to incorporate an educational activity into a party.

NSTA provides online modules for teachers to learn science content before teaching in an unfamiliar area. These modules take 1-2 hours. Try one!

Students use potatoes to light an LED clock (or light bulb) as they learn how a battery works in a simple circuit and how chemical energy changes to electrical energy. As they learn more about electrical energy, they better understand the concepts of voltage, current and resistance. I chose this because I never did this in school! This really seems like an exciting and engaging lesson/activity. This lesson could be done in separate parts, with the first part being lecture based (learning about electricity) and the second part being the activity with the potato. I like how this resource has follow-up questions at the end of the lesson.

This resource has many ideas on the study of the ocean. The content is spread out from kindergarten all the way to eight grade with exploring the sea by different types of activities and experiments. One of the activities goes with our sensory ability to feel different sea objects and guess what they are. This would be a good activity to talk about the scientific reasoning. (Kinda like the first day of class activity.) In regards to studying the ocean, their are many topics that will be discussed and learned through the lessons on this topic.

This resource contains tips and instructions on building a tissue paper hot air balloon. I included this reference because I personally participated in this activity while in high school. It was higher on the difficulty level, however, it was extremely rewarding. This activity would better serve younger elementary students as a demonstration rather than a hands on activity. However, I think 4-5th grade students could handle the task of constructing their very own hot air balloon.

Swings, slides and climbing structures offer different examples of pendulums, ramps, and levers, not to mention forces such as gravity and friction. The students can check temperature on different surfaces and discuss if the heat is absorbed or reflected and why some of the surfaces will be hotter if the temperature is the same.

I think we all remember this being our favorite science lesson ever as a kid. In this lesson, the teacher will explain to students about freezing point depressions and exothermic reactions. Of course, in the way of making homemade ice cream. I loved this as a student before and I will definitely use it in my future classroom.

This resource gives a lab (activity) that deal with vibrations. You need to have a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap- a rubber band will hold the plastic wrap in place. You then place large sugar crystals on top of the plastic wrap and let students get close and talk into the bowl. The students will be able to watch the sugar crystals "jump" because of the vibrations. I chose this resource because it sounded very interesting and it makes me want to actually test it out to see if it works. I think that my students would enjoy doing this and it would help them understand that sound travels and bounces off objects creating vibrations. I would use this resource in correlation to a lesson about vibrations and sound; It would be a follow up activity for students to do.

This resource is my technology source. In this resource you are able to chose air, water, or glass. Then you press the light button which allows you to send a light ray or wave through one of those. You then can see how it reflects, bends, or bounces through each one of these. I would use this resource as part of a way to summarize a lesson. This will allow students to play around with it on the computer.

This is an activity that is easy to set up, but goes a long way this students. This is a cheap and easy way to have students make the connection between sound and vibration. This would be a great activity to include in stations or centers. I chose this activity because I think it is a great way to get students to understand the correlation of vibrations and sound.

This resource is an interactive introduction to sound. I would use this resource in a lesson on sound and vibrations, and show the website on a smartboard for my students and I to explore together. This interactive resource has multiple pages of images with sounds and animations that allow students to pluck rubber bands to notice sound and compare the speed of sound with the speed of other familiar vehicles. Another page of animations also shows students the speed of sound in the air in relation to thunder and lightning, something all students should be familiar with. I like this resource but I think teacher involvement would be required. It is not something young students could explore or read on their own.

This technology based resource allows students to create their own sounds and vibrations using a "drum machine." The students are able to change and customize the sounds that they want, if they want a high or low tone, and whether the sound is loud or soft. I chose this resource because it is technology based and something that the students could use in the computer lab or if they have extra time during class to use the computers in the room. It also goes along with my standard 1-PS4-1. I could use this in my future classroom after teaching the students about different sounds and the vibrations that they make. It would be beneficial to have students experiment with this resource and get an understanding for the high and low tones of sounds and their vibrations.

This lesson involves using balloons to explain the difference between a solid, liquid, and gas. Before beginning the lesson, the teacher needs to have three identical balloons--one filled with a gas, one filled with a liquid, and one filled with a solid. Students would then be allowed to explore and compare certain traits of the different balloons such as weight, texture, and fragility. After exploring these many differences with students, the teacher could then explain to them the properties of a solid, a liquid, and a gas. This activity caught my attention because it was a cheap, easy, hands-on way for students to actively explore the differences between a solid, liquid, and gas. I would use this activity as a catchy introduction to a lesson on matter. (Although the creator of this activity used it for his/her preschool-aged children, I believe that it can be a great tool for the elementary classroom as well.)

This is a book about sheep who take a drive down the country side in a jeep. There are many mishaps along the way. The jeep slows down at the top of the hill and the sheep jump out to push the jeep down the hill. When the jeep gets to the bottom, it gets stuck in some mud and the sheep have to pull the jeep out. I chose this book because of its introduction to pushes and pulls. Students can observe in an interactive way things that have to be pushed or pulled in real life. I could also ask what other things need to be pushed and pulled while I am reading. Although the idea is free, getting the book would cost money but it is only $6.00. I would use this book as an introduction to my lesson on pushes and pulls. This would be a great way for students to acclimated to the vocabulary and how it is used. I could even make the book more interactive by having students do the motion of pushing and pulling in their seat whenever a push or a pull happens.

Composting is the oldest form of recycling. It provides an opportunity for students to observe the decomposition process and energy cycle at work; produces a valuable soil supplement; and reduces the amount of organic material requiring a landfill or incineration. This is a neat hands on lesson that can last up to the whole year! The students get to understand the process of composting and will learn that there we can use other methods of eliminating our trash. My favorite part is that they get to physically see what is happening in the soil. I would start this activity towards the beginning of the year. The students can volunteer to bring in items from the materials list to help feel involved in the prep. I would have the students keep a journal about the chances they see when we check on the compost bin.

This little demonstration is so simple and cheap! All you need is a clear glass, water, and a pencil or straw. Place the pencil in the water. Does it look like it may be broken? I would do this at the beginning of a lesson that is covering light. With having a discussion about the topic and the students having a visual in their head, it should help them remember the topics discussed.

This is super interesting. It has many visuals and simple notes to explain the movement of objects.This could easily be a replacement for a power point for the day. There are also quizzes and games students can play or work through after the lesson to help assess their learning.

What do you mean "power point for the day"? Where in your instruction would this be used?

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.

This app allows students to watch videos and then they are able to answer questions about the videos. I like that this app includes multiple subjects besides science, so it is more effective. I also like this app, because the students can watch the videos as much as and as long as they want so that they will be able to understand the material. I also like that the app allows the students to answer questions about the videos they watched.

Is there a specific video you would recommend for a particular science topic?