Resources for Teaching Science

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.

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!

Direct link to the Journal Archives of The Association for Science Education, the British equivalent of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) in the US. The ASE publishes four journals, which are all archived here. Some articles are available for free, but others are locked. Articles feature classroom and research-based ideas for teaching science at a variety of levels.

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

SciGuides are a collection of thematically aligned lesson plans, simulations, and web-based resources for teachers to use with their students centered on standards-aligned science concepts.

This is a great way to bring something visual to a concept that is mostly invisible: evaporation. It gets the students outside and moving a little.

This is a lesson plan all about DNA. The students will use a banana and extract DNA from it and observe it under a microscope. I think that this is a cool and fun, interactive way for students to obtain a better understanding of DNA.

DNA is so abstract that I think it would be better recommended for 6-12 than K-12.

In this activity, Students will try extracting DNA from a banana by following the simple instructions and can take the activity further with the use of a microscope. It is a fun, interactive way to get the students thinking about structure. I would consider incorporating this activity into my classroom because it involves very little cost (1 banana would provide enough DNA for a classroom-wide experiment). Also, the experiment is totally sanitary--you are not working with human/animal DNA, you're working with food. Finally, anytime you bring food into a classroom, healthy or not, the students are interested. It's a win-win-win-win. This is a great lesson because it can be easily modified and adapted based upon the grade level and needs of the students. I believe this lesson would provide a nice introduction of DNA to a Middle School science classroom. However, if the instructor would like to increase difficulty for an older grade, it is easy to do. The students could compare and contrast DNA from different fruits, research in-depth, etc.

This is an interactive game that allows the students to decide what items need to go in what bin. There are different bins that the items are able to go in, and the student must reach a goal to move on to the next level. I believe that this is a fun, interactive game that is also able to help teach the students about recycling.

Very cute game for young learners to expose them to bugs and other species. You could make a work wheet to go along with it or just for fun. It would be really need on an Ipad or Smart Table.

I don't see any science content here...just different kinds of animals?

Videos can be a good tool to use in the classroom. Students just need a break from the teachers' voice and hear things in a new and different way. This is a resource with links to all sorts of free videos for lecture.

Most of these seem like upper level, maybe even college/adult videos. Be sure to preview before you show any videos in class to avoid surprises!

Experiments for very early learners may be a little hard to think of. This page is full of ideas with materials you will need, ways to tie it all together, and how to get the students to understand the big picture.

Many of these are more crafts projects than experiments, although they have potential linkages to science.

Healthy eating needs to be stressed at a young age. There are games on here that teach kids how their plate should look at every meal. Very cool and very informational to kids.

This is an interactive place to learn about agriculture in a fun way. Initially it could be used for the teacher and the students together. It has videos, pictures, and shows processes of how food gets from the farm to the plate. However, there is a section that helps teachers integrate it into their classroom.

Here are a ton of lesson plans for all areas of science. YOU could take these and make them for all grade levels in the elementary level. I would use this in the classroom a ton. No other resource like your colleagues.

Most of these are fairly advanced concepts. I would be hesitant to use any of those I explored below grade 5.

This page of experiment and projects has a bit more than the previous one I posted. It also has them for older ages. There are pictures of them completed with all of the work that went into them directly from the students. It is great!

free. 3-5. learning plants game. This is an interactive learning tool where the students pretend they are detectives to learn all of the parts of plants. It would be a great way to introduce all about plants. The mystery at the end of each lesson gives them a reason to want to learn all of the facts that they can.