Group items tagged

This is site talks about the ways to defy the laws of physics through space travel.

In this activity, students are put into small groups to construct 3D candy landform maps. To begin, students are given a blank outline of the United States on a large piece of paper and a landform map. Students must then map out where all of the major rivers, deserts, mountain ranges, plains, and oceans are. Next, students are given various candy, yarn, and paint with which to construct their map and key. I chose this activity for three main reasons. For one, it allows students to work with their peers to create a product. It also provides them with a link between social studies and science. Finally, students are very likely to be engaged in the project because both candy and painting are involved. I could see myself using this project in my classroom as a conclusion to a unit on landforms because it is a culmination of many different types of landforms as well as an application of what has been studied to an actual map of the United States, thus making a real-world connection.

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 zoo passport activity will not only be worked on in the classroom, but also during our fieldtrip to the zoo. Students will assemble their passports during class time, and I will assist them. While at the zoo, students will mark off what animals they see, and add any other animals by drawing them on the blank pages at the back of the book. I selected this resource because zoo fieldtrips are very popular in first grade, which is the grade I would like to teach. I think it is a great way to make the zoo fieldtrip even more exciting by having them search for certain animals. This is valuable to me because there is a free downloadable printable that I will use instead of having to create my own.

"Monster Physics" is an app that allows the user to create and test his/her own machine using a variety of devices such as wheels, propellers, ropes, etc. After the user invents a machine, he/she is able to test it to see if it works. So, not only does this app allow students to create their own system, but it allows them to evaluate the effectiveness of their creation as well. I chose this app because it looks child-friendly and can easily be used for students to explore different mechanisms that I may not have readily available. Also, this app lets them create a device which may require too much time or space if attempted within the classroom. I would allow students to use this app during a rotation time or if they finish their assignment early in order to further their knowledge of mechanical systems as well as enhance their critical thinking skills.

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.

This site provides videos about energy, light, sound, and heat. Students can click on a link and watch a cartoon video that explains what each one of the above subjects are and how they work. After the video is complete, students can take a quick test to test their knowledge of the subject. I would use this source in class as a pretesting measure or as an exit ticket to see if students truly understand the subjects or if they need further explanations.

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.

"Learn how to keep yourself healthy by discovering how different exercises such as walking and running can affect your heart rate. Ruby's heart rate will change as you make her sleep, sit, walk & run, watch how her body reacts to the different activities." I think this online interactive activity would be great to use in the classroom! It teaches students about the circulatory system, how the heart works as it pumps blood around the body, why blood goes to the lungs to pick up oxygen and what important roles arteries and veins have in the process. This activity will teach students the importance of keeping healthy and it also helps them understand how the human heart reacts to different activities.

"Learn about the forces of motion and gravity with a new painting technique by exchanging the paint brush for a swinging pendulum. Engage your child with the combination of art and science for a STEAM learning activity. STEAM is the combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math." I found this experiment/activity fun and interesting because it combines science and art. During a unit on forces of motion and gravity, you would discuss how a pendulum works. I would do this activity outside and use the washable chalklike paint they give a recipe for on the site. I would have students predict what kind of a pattern they think the paint will go in based off how the pendulum swings with no paint. Once we have done the first paint pattern, we would try to see if different patterns would occur if you pull it back further. The results are very interesting!

Why are bowling lanes oiled with more oil placed at the start of the lane and less at the end? What is the advantage of throwing a "hook" ball? Students participate in activities to learn about the members of their team and how to work together in order to be successful. There are several reasons I like this idea for a field trip. For one, it's an unconventional type of science field trip. Most students wouldn't think there is a lot to consider when bowling; they just toss the ball down the lane. Before the field trip, I would spend a day or two allowing the students to formulate and hypothesize ideas for how to best knock down the pins with a bowling ball. They would have to consider things like speed, angle, bowling ball weight, where the ball should hit the pins, and whether the ball should be hooked or thrown straight. This field trip allows the students to not only question and hypothesize, but to actually test their predictions. After the field trip we could delve deeper into some of the physics concepts at play (which the webpage has links for) as well as watch a professional bowler bowl.

Creative "spin" on a science field-trip! :) Get it!?

Many people think that heavier objects will fall faster than lighter ones. This experiment gives students a chance to test that theory. They can drop objects from various heights and record their results on a teacher-created worksheet. This activity would be enjoyable for the students to predict which items will fall faster than another.

This is an experiment that would give students a chance to test their theory on how fast one object will fall in comparison to the other when each object weighs a different amount. This link provides a worksheet that students can use to rank the objects in the order (from slowest to fastest) in which they think they will fall to the ground when dropped. Students will be instructed to explain their reasoning. I would encourage students to first come up with their own individual theories before collaborating with partners or groups. Then the students would have the chance to test their theories (with a partner or in a group). I will be sure to tell the students that in order for the test to be effective, each object must be dropped from the same height at the same time. After performing this experiment and recording their results, I would have students discuss and explain their thoughts and reasoning based off of the results. I like this experiment because it allows students to come up with their own theories and reasoning while collaborating and working with others. It would be interesting to hear some of the theories that the students would come up with along with their reasoning behind those theories.

"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."