Resources for Teaching Science

In this game, students learn about animals, their different characteristics and adaptations, and the habitats they live in. They can also pick and choose parts of animals and put them together to create their own animal. I chose this game because students will learn what animals can survive in different habitats and learn which parts of the animals are most helpful. I would see myself incorporating this into a lesson or using it as an extra activity for students to do at the end of the lesson.

This is a lesson plan that will provide students with an understanding of how light interacts with different objects. While experimenting with different objects, students will be able to see the relationships between light and the shadow that the objects casts. In addition to learning about shadows, students will be able to tell if objects are reflective, transparent, or opaque. I like this lesson plan because it breaks down the lesson into multiple days and offers ways for the students to further their connections by experimenting at home. I would use this lesson in the classroom while teaching about sources of light.

This is an experiment for younger students to help get an understanding of how and why it rains. In this experiment, by using a glass jar, hot water, a bowl with holes, and ice, students will be able to visually see the process of rain. I chose this experiment because students will be able to form their own ideas by watching the "rain" before we have a whole group discussion. I will use this in the classroom while teaching the students about weather, specifically rain.

This is a PDF of a science lesson that includes lessons on sound , light., and energy. It includes objectives and instructions for the students. I think this is a great example of a lesson that will be great for students in class to learn about energy and how it is produced. I would use this site as a resource for teaching mu students about energy.

This resource takes Newton's Laws of motion and applies them to concepts that we see everyday in our lives. Also, it uses the popular app Angry Birds that will appeal to the middle school students. I chose this lesson because it has real life applications and is a fun way to discuss the different laws and properties of motion in the classroom. I envision utilizing this source in the classroom as an introduction of a Force and Motion unit.

I would use this lesson as a transition from plants needing sunlight and water to now the importance of birds and insects to plants. Throughout this lesson students will learn the role of flowers and pollinating birds and insects in the garden and that different pollinators have different needs.I chose this lesson because it is important for students to understand that insects and birds play an important part in plant life. I also liked this lesson because it explains why certain insects are attracted to certain flowers. This is a lesson I would use to introduce the new topic to my class.

The Students will create an undersea environment in their classroom while researching interesting facts about their favorite sea creatures. Materials may be used such as crayons, colored pencils, markers, crepe paper (blue, green, red, yellow, pink), paper plates, construction paper, index cards, or books/magazines with pictures or illustrations of fish. Throughout the following week the class will all work together to turn their classroom into an undersea environment, and teach one another more about the creatures that live in the sea. I chose this source because it is an exciting way to jump into a unit about the ocean wildlife, and by choosing their favorite creature the students will get a chance to use creativity. Ocean animals are exciting to learn about because they are often unseen to the human eye, and decorating the classroom is a fun way to bring the underground waters to life. In the classroom I would use this lesson at the beginning of a biology unit to get the class excited, and allow them to work on something fun throughout the week. Displaying their work in the classroom will make the atmosphere bright and cheery!

The rock sandwich experiment is a hands-on way to learn about a very long process. The bread acts like two layers of sediment on top of each other that will eventually form metamorphic rock. This experiment is simple, cheap, and quick. It will make for a nice addition to a lesson on the different phases of the rock cycle. I could have pairs of students perform this experiment so everyone is involved and all of them have a chance to do a hands-on activity. It is also a great activity to do lab sheets with and a follow up journal entry on what they learned about the formation of metamorphic rock.

This application is available on iPad and is a great exploration tool for students. The app is like an interactive book that will allow students to gain a more concrete idea of what the solar system looks like, rather than just reading it. Included on the app is a 3D view of the planets along with detailed information and facts about them. I would use the app on an iPad during centers while learning about the solar system in class. It would also be a great way to show the students what the structure of the solar system is instead of simply reading about it. Not only do students get the option to read interesting facts on this app, but there are many pictures included to show different astronomical features. Anything related to technology seems to interest students, especially when they get to be the driver.

This is a full lesson and activity provided by TeachersPayTeachers and it costs $3.00. The lesson and activity is aligned with NGSS-2-LS2-1. First the lesson will be taught to explain the importance of sunlight and water to plants. After the lesson is taught, the class will conduct an experiment to test what we just learned. I will have 3 plants. One will receive water and sun everyday. One will be in the closet and only receive water. The last one will just be in the window receiving sunlight. Since purchasing the lesson from TeachesPayTeachers you will also receive a lab journal for students to be able to write their predictions and record their observations. I chose lesson/activity because I thought it went well together. I like that is starts with the lesson then has a follow up activity for students to do. The science journal is something they can do throughout the week, also. I would use this lesson to introduce the topic of "Do plants need water and sunlight to grow" and have the activity has a follow up and something that could expand their knowledge throughout the week.

This is a book about sheep who take a drive down the country side in a jeep. There are many mishaps along the way. The jeep slows down at the top of the hill and the sheep jump out to push the jeep down the hill. When the jeep gets to the bottom, it gets stuck in some mud and the sheep have to pull the jeep out. I chose this book because of its introduction to pushes and pulls. Students can observe in an interactive way things that have to be pushed or pulled in real life. I could also ask what other things need to be pushed and pulled while I am reading. Although the idea is free, getting the book would cost money but it is only $6.00. I would use this book as an introduction to my lesson on pushes and pulls. This would be a great way for students to acclimated to the vocabulary and how it is used. I could even make the book more interactive by having students do the motion of pushing and pulling in their seat whenever a push or a pull happens.

This site shows different activities and "labs" to show or work through to demonstrate the first law of physics. I feel like depending on what activities you choose to do this could easily stretch across multiple grades levels.

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

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-2, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching about pushes and pulls. Of these activities, my favorite and one I could see myself using in my future classroom is the Push Pull Hunt. The teacher needs to have multiple objects in the classroom that need to be pushed or pulled or both. The teacher then breaks the students down into groups and gives them a sheet of paper containing objects they need to find on their scavenger hunt. The students then describe where they found the object and if it needs to be pushed, pulled, or both. For example, the students would need to find a door that could be pushed open. I chose this activity because I thought it would be a fun way for students to apply what they have been learning in class. I would use this activity for the day after learning about pulls and pushes. Right before the activity we would review what a push and a pull is and then I would break the students into groups to begin the scavenger hunt.

In Gro Flowers children learn about the important role bees play in the pollination of flowers and the production of honey. Through age-appropriate activities children will design flowers, manipulate bees in the pollination process, avoid pesticides and collect honey. I would have this app on the iPad in my room (in hopes that I have one). I chose this app because it fits perfectly with the previous lesson I posted about the importance of insects pollinating flowers. This would also be good to use before the field trip so students can visual what they need to observe. I would then use this app for centers. I would break my class down into 4 groups and have 4 different centers. I will first teach and review the lesson, then break my students down into the centers. Everyday the groups will switch so everyone has an opportunity at each center. Adding an app to my center is a great way to add technology into my teaching and what student does not love to play on an iPad.

This site gives lesson plan to make recycled paper. This is a two day lesson where students will be able to create their own paper by recycling old newspaper. I chose this because I think this would be a very neat experiment for the children to do, as I have never done something like this either. I also like that the website is very thorough, including standards, grade level, extension activity, and assessment ideas for this lesson. I believe this would be a great activity to do with the children around earth day and include in a lesson regarding the importance of taking care of our earth.

This activity shows how water is absorbed by plants. By placing a white carnation with stem into a tube or cup of colored water, the plant absorbs the water, changing the carnation the color of the water that was absorbed. I chose this activity because I feel like it would be a great way for children to see and understand what would be taught when learning about plants. I would introduce the lesson by explaining that plants need water. We would discuss where the children believe the water goes in the plant and I would let the children discuss what they think "might" happen. This would allow group discussion, the children would be making hypothesis, and applying knowledge all while introducing this lesson. I would explain that we will let the plants sit in the water throughout the week for the lesson. We could document daily results in a journal and then at the end discuss what we have learned and how it was different or the same then what we believed at the beginning.

This science experiment is a creative and fun way to show students how water moves through plants. Rain absorbs into the ground, then moves up the roots, through the flower, and to the pedals. What I love about using the food coloring, is it provides more of a clear picture of how the water moves through the flowers. By using the food coloring, the students can also note the time it takes for the water to hydrate the flower. I would use this in the classroom for the students to journal their own hypothesis or draw where the food coloring would be visible at. If I did this experiment before teaching the lesson, I would ask my kids to think about if the colored water would actually be visible or if we wouldn't have been able to tell a difference. This would be a quick and simple thing to demonstrate and discuss to help my students build ideas on their own, think reasonably, and even practice using the scientific method.

This activity is a little lengthy, but I would definitely use it with older elementary students. Students will build their own models of either a plant or animal cell by using Jell-O and fruit (or candy). If I were to use this in class I would modify the activity in a few ways. Making it a two day activity would allow for the students to pour their own molds, which would be kept in the refrigerator over night. Then students can label and stick the fruit into the finished mold on the next day. Either way, this activity is a great way to help students retain the different parts of a cell.

In this activity students will roll a toy car down a ramp and measure how long the car it takes to go down the ramp. This activity emphasizes gravity, friction, and velocity. The students will measure how long their car goes down the ramp and then have the cars roll down on sandpaper. They will see how friction has an effect on objects. I like that this activity is hands on and engaging. I would use this after an introduction to gravity and friction. After the initial test, I would allow the students to change the height of the ramp to see how this affects the velocity of the cars.

The Three Gorges Dam in China has been completed and is considerably larger than the Hoover Dam here in the United States. With this lesson plan students will learn how a dam is constructed, it's purpose, and the dangers associated with dams. I would add some videos to this lesson to show the students how large or small dams can be and I would show a video of a dam breaking and the damage it can cause (Johnstown, Pa - 1889).