Resources for Teaching Science

As we have learned throughout our education, every teacher is a teacher of reading. Plus, by integrating science with literature, hopefully, more kids will become excited about science. This website offers literature books specifically related to individual content areas. While the website is directed toward elementary teachers, I think some of the books could be utilized by middle school teachers as well. These may be a fun way to introduce a new topic or just on shelves for students to learn more about a specific topic that interests them.

This site was originally published as a book to provide resources for new Chemistry teachers. It describes lab experiments that the author has done with classes. It seems very useful because it goes beyond describing the experiments by explaining common problems students have and how to anticipate or resolve them. Other helpful information includes: estimated time, equipment needed, safety concerns, special clean up information, answer keys, and where these labs fit into the curriculum. While the link and all the information provided are free, the labs do require supplies. For some of the labs, the author discussed cost and how to save money when purchasing supplies. Overall, this resource seems very valuable, especially for new teachers. Even though we have the content background, anticipating mistakes and dealing with problems comes from experience.

I participated in a LL&W workshop several years ago and found it both educational and inspirational. I think taking high school students to one of their student workshops would be a great learning opportunity!

This website provides several resources for teachers. There are several science experiment lesson plans along with supplemental materials. There is also a JustAsk section that addresses classroom issues such as bullying.

This site has a lot of neat experiments where you can choose the grade level and content. For my unit plan I would select "Earth and Space Science" in order to get ideas on different activities and experiments to do in class with my students. I picked this site because the activities are ones where the students could use their creativity to come up with something unique. For instance, they could make a homemade planetarium, make a spaceship using old CD's, or even make a solar system of students. I would use this site in the classroom to get ideas on how to get the students out of their seats, but yet keep them interested. The activities from this site are ones that the students would definately enjoy.

This is a link to the Missouri Botanical Garden website which makes for a great field trip. At the Missouri Botanical Garden, students explore plants from around the world and go into greenhouses. There is also a Children's Garden geared specifically toward younger students. I selected this resource because I have experience with the Missouri Botanical Garden. Kids really enjoy exploring and learning about the plants. A field trip to the gardens could be used to bolster units involving plant life, photosynthesis, and changing seasons.  I could use this resource at any grade level because the Garden does a good job at having activities for kids of various ages.

This is an iPhone app that helps kids learn about plants. It examines the life cycle of a plant, different types of plants, and allows students to grow their own plant. I selected this source because it is very colorful and has good information about the plant process. It allows kids to watch videos and create their own plant. It seems like a good app for $0.99. I would use this app in my classroom to get students engaged and to review material about plants.  I could also use it as an activity for early finishers.

Looks like the price has changed to free!

This website allows students to interact and learn a lot about plants. It is very interdisciplinary. I selected this resource because I think it would be fun for kids and grab their attention. I would use this resource during a unit on plants, and this website alone could be used for at least a week to talk about all of the different things that are involved with plants. I think students would have a good understanding of plants after going through the different lessons of this website. 

Tons of content, which requires a LOT of reading! I would up this to grades 3 and above, I think. Especially like the bilingual aspect!

This is a video of a song that shows the basic parts of a plant and how a plant grows to the tune of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." This song would be really fun for kindergartners or first graders. I selected it because I want to infuse music and movement into the curriculum whenever possible, and I think this resource does both. This would be great for musical and bodily-kinesthetic learners. I could integrate art as well by having students create little props for use during the song. All of this could happen at the same time as they are learning about plants.  

This website has 5 different experiments that students can do with plants. The experiments test the effects of light, water, food, talking to the plants, and soil content on the growth of plants. I selected this source because I think the experiments are good and will help students understand the best conditions of plants. It will help them understand that there are other components besides light and water that go into the growth of a plant. I would use this resource during a plant unit, likely in 3rd or 4th grade. This would be an ongoing project that could integrate measurement in math, graphing (with and without use of technology), and art (by drawing observations).  

I love this one! I really like plant experiments becuase these days, kids don't really get to appreicate and witness actual plant growth. I would any of these as ideas to use in my classroom.

This link is to a lesson that helps students understand photosynthesis by engaging in dramatic arts. It also helps students understand the relationship between photosynthesis and decomposers. I chose this lesson because I think it is very creative. I like the idea of having dramatic arts in a classroom, and I think it would be a good way for visual and bodily-kinesthetic learners to remember the material. I would use this resource when discussing photosynthesis in an upper elementary classroom. The lesson allows for the process to take place over a week.

This lesson plan helps teach students about pollination and the different ways that plants are pollinated by different animals. Students create flowers and try to match animals to the different flowers based on characteristics. I like this resource because it combines art and science. Kids get to make their own flowers. Also, I think it is a really creative way of talking about pollination and gets kids thinking about how bees are not the only creature that pollinates flowers. I would use this resource during a plant unit in an upper elementary classroom. I would use this resource when we are discussing pollination and the reproductive parts of a plant. I would modify it to meet the needs of my students and the constraints of my classroom.

This resource includes numerous books that can be used in the classroom to teach kids about plants and get them engaged in the topic. I chose this resource because I view children's literature as a very powerful tool in getting students interested in academic material. Some of the books included are very well-known and popular with children, and I remember reading some of them myself as a student. I would use this resource when planning a unit on plants. I would gauge the level of the book with the grade level of my classroom.

Second grade teacher blog...scroll to September 10 and there is and entry for Common Core Science Incorporated. There is a nice overview of integrating science with other subjects.

Mainly classroom supplemental materials for sale, but all are produced by ABC and Disney, so quality of materials is terrific. Materials available for all grade levels. If you dig around the site, there are free science demos by Bill Nye the Science Guy.

One example of NSTA.com's SciStarter, a collection of citizen science projects that teachers and individuals can join. Many are free. Topics range from reviewing photos from the Mars rover to listening to studying frogs in the wild. Wide variety for different ages and content areas.

"The Science Spot" is great resource for labs as well as interactive technology for the students. The general website covers all areas of science, but the specific part I have tagged here is for Chemistry students and includes interactive activities for students to participate in to learn about the periodic table, its trends, and some fun facts. I think having students complete these activities in a computer lab would be beneficial to their learning process and would offer them a chance to receive instant feedback about their work through technology.

This website offers information on the major topics in Chemistry. It explains the key components and terminology and offers examples to use in class. Worksheets and answer keys are also available for each topic. One of the teachers I observed last year used these worksheets with her class often to supplement the problems in the book. The students seemed to welcome the extra practice and change of pace. I think it is a helpful website, but depending on the level of students you end up working with, the worksheets may need to be edited. Some of the problems seemed a little too advanced for a first year Chemistry class.

DiscoveryKids.com offers many videos about sharks. The videos show sharks in and out of their natural habit and everyday life. The videos show how sharks eat and survive, how sharks look, and the different types of sharks that exist. I would combine these videos with Shark Week as a fun learning experience for the students. The videos would be used in numerous ways. I would have the students write in their science journals, take quizzes about a particular shark, draw pictures, complete a research paper, and complete other activities during that week about sharks.

This a simple experiment that can be used for younger students to show them how sunlight refracts when it passes through water. Children are often amazed by rainbows, so why not let them make their own rainbow while learning how and why they appear.