Resources for Teaching Science

During this activity students will complete a worksheet (that is attached on the bottom of the website) where they will gather information about each planet. I like that the information that is needed to complete the worksheet is quite extensive compared to other worksheets. This webquest could be used as a lesson one day to break up the tediousness of sitting in a desk and reading from the book. I like that it incorporates technology in the classroom by allowing students to use computers.

This is a hands-on activity that allows students to grasp the idea of how far the planets are from each other and from the sun. The activity starts by having the students perform simply mathematics to convert the distance in astronomical units to centimeters. I really like that the students have to perform this task themselves and that it incorporates mathematics into the science lesson. After determining each planets distance from the sun, the students use color beads on a string to show each planets distance from the sun.

Love the science/math integration!

This is an interactive video tour through space that gives the students basic details about each planet. The video also offers mini quizzes that tests the students knowledge over the material that has been presented in the video. This video could be used as an introduction to a solar system lesson to get the children familiar with the planets before diving deeper into solar system.

This is a video that briefly explains why we experience different seasons on Earth. Using visuals, students will understand the concepts of the seasons and how they occur in reference to Earth and the Sun.

This article will help me prepare for teaching elementary students a lesson on static electricity. It explains the difference between static charge and static shock.

This article will help me prepare for teaching elementary students a lesson on static electricity. It explains the difference between static charge and static shock.

This resource gives everything you need to know about the Sun, Earth, Moon and other familiar objects in the solar system. There are links to each individual planet, the sun, the moon, stars, comets etc... I would use this website to give more information for the students on the solar system. This could also help students who are more advanced to "dig in" to more detail about the solar system. There are photographs, games, detailed information on everything in the universe. There is even a glossary I can use as a teacher so that students know what each word in the solar system means. I can use a graphic organizer with the glossary,start constellations, or information on each of the planets. This website can be used in multiple ways for teaching the solar system.

This is a project to use (instead of the solar system diagrams) to show how the solar system looks in 3D. This project seems very interesting in that it is not the same as all the other solar system projects and it's a new way to show the solar system. Also all types of learners can learn from this project. As a teacher I would have the students make the snow globe, explain their process and what they were thinking before and after it was complete, and was it an easy project or hard. Also, I would include a written paper in the requirement for the snow globe project. In doing so, students can revisit their information on the planets and solar system as well as see what they do or do not know about each planet. I like this project because it fun and different from what is the usual solar system project.

This is the website that students and teachers can both visit to see what the planetarium have and what is expected of the students to learn there. I think visiting the Saint Louis science center would be a fun learning experience for the students, even if they have already visited the center. As a teacher I would go here after my students have learned about planet, solar system, the history of astronomy, etc... It was help students connect all of their previous knowledge to a real life experience which makes it even more fun because it's relevant to them (students). The website/Science Center is also useful to students for other subject areas or interest they might have.

This site gives you a great lesson plan idea on teaching students about nutrition and what is really in all the food they eat. This is both a science and math lesson because after the students find out how much fat, sugar, etc. is in most of their favorite foods, the concept of energy is brought up to show the students what they need to do to burn all the calories off.

I thought how fun and interesting it would be to have a hands-on science project for Dr. Suess' birthday. This is a website that explores different ways to approach hos books through pictures. I think that the children would love to have this project on a day that they are reading his books, and celebrating his birthday.

Fun idea, but I don't see any actual lessons, just pictures.

This fun game for elementary students shows the students how different kinds of animals or insects go through their different life cycles. It would be very good for kids who need to review how the life cycle works.

I would use this website in my classroom to give examples of ways I could get my students to learn to recycle and stay green. I would point out that this does not necessarily mean to just recycle plastic and paper, but that there are other ways to keep the environment clean and thriving.

This site poses questions for the kids and gives the answers. Nice 8 phases of the moon chart and provides more links.

I will use this website to have my students make lightning using an aluminum pie plate, styrofoam, glue, ballpoint pen, thumbtack, and a wool sock. Manipulating these materials will create a harmless mini-lightning bolt. This website provides instructions and detailed explanations for this activity.

I will use this website to have my students make lightning using an aluminum pie plate, styrofoam, glue, ballpoint pen, thumbtack, and a wool sock. Manipulating these materials will create a harmless mini-lightning bolt. This website provides instructions and detailed explanations for this activity.

A clear calendar by month and year. Nice way to compare one month to another. Can select Northern or Southern hemispheres.

This is a step-by-step explanation of a moon phase lesson. Gives a logical order to the lessons. Provides an idea for a hands on experiment too. Give many more moon links.

US Geologic Survey has created an online interactive depiction of the water cycle. When you scroll over the different types of water action in the image, information about that component of the cycle shows up. This would be useful for student exploration of the water cycle or review.

Magic School Bus activity that gives directions for creating a decay bottle out of soda bottle. I would use this for exploring decomposition with elementary students. They can observe it happening instead of guessing!! Yay!

This is a lesson plan that helps teach the water cycle. It has the students acting as water droplets and moving through different stations in the room to represent them moving through the different stages in the water cycle. I like that in this lesson it gets the students out of their seats.