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.

This dairy farm is located in Trenton, IL and would be an excellent learning experience for children. You can set up a tour with the dairy by calling the number listed on the website. I envision taking this field trip during a unit on the food groups. It could also be used as a single, more specific, lesson about the process of creating yogurt, cheese, and milk. Students would also have the opportunity to taste a free sample of the yogurt after the tour. I can remember going on a field trip similar to this one when I was in the second or third grade. I would probably also use it for that grade level. It does not say the cost of the tour on the website but I was told that it is inexpensive.

I found this and thought it would pair well with the Clouds in Jars I posted earlier. Both these activities could be used as part of a center day during a unit about weather. This page includes two experiments on how to create lightning. The first one sounds kind of involved and from what I read it did not have great results. I would probably used the second one. All the students would need would be a balloon and a metal spoon and, depending on the age of the students, they would only need minimal supervision. The students would be creating static electricity by rubbing the balloon on their hair and then touching the spoon to the balloon. This is really cool and really simple. This could also serve as a filler activity on a day when you need something quick to fill up some time. I could also see this activity being used during a unit on electricity as well. I would probably use this activity with students between kindergarten and third grade.

This is a really cool activity that could be used in a unit about weather. The students create a "cloud" inside a mason jar and watch as the food coloring "rains" down through the cloud. I could see myself creating a lesson very similar to the lesson depicted on this page. The students read a story about clouds and rain and then did this activity following the reading. Although this activity was done with pre-school children, I think it would be appropriate for first through third grade. I might use this at the beginning of a unit on weather. This could also be a cool center activity for a center day. All the centers could have a weather theme. Or I could also see this activity being useful when discussing the water cycle. Students would be able to see how the "cloud" holds the water for a short time but then releases it. I really can't wait to use this one!

This is a fun activity that includes math, science, and fine art. I envisioned using this as a fun filler activity maybe on a Friday afternoon or on a half day of school. I would provide the children with several bags of M&Ms. I would ask them to try and predict how many of each color M&M would be in their bag. They would then divide the colors up into different containers. Students would then be asked which containers held the most M&Ms. You could also ask the students to count out how many of each color and then graph the results as well depending on the grade level. After discussing the data they found, we would then add water to the M&Ms. I would ask the students to predict what would happen to the M&Ms when the water was added. I would jot down the predictions on the board and revisit them after the experiment to see if we came to the right conclusions. Once the M&Ms have mixed with the water and created the paint like effect I would let the students have some painting time. I feel this could be used from kindergarten up through second grade.

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 is a really cool twist on the typical baking soda and vinegar volcano. The ingredients are mixed together and the students are allowed to play with the Moon Dust before the vinegar is added. While students will be learning about the moon, this will also provide an opportunity for the students to practice making shapes and letters in the Moon Dust. Once the vinegar is added the students see the eruptions taking place and it creates a whole new tactile activity. This is designed for a pre-school or even kindergarten class.

This website lists multiple activities for children to use while exploring the concept of butterflies. Several of these activities could be adapted to be used in a unit on insects. The activities are all designed for kindergarten or first grade. I especially like the use of the K-W-L chart. The students were asked at the beginning of the unit what they think they know about butterflies and then revisited this list once the unit was completed. I would maybe take it a step further and ask the students what they want to know about butterflies. I also liked the use of the mural as an educational tool.