Science doesn't occur too often in the classroom but these fun and simple science experiments can include common core in reading, writing and math! Science is a fantastic way to get children to do higher level thinking. They will develop their own questions and figure out ways to answer their questions through experimenting and observations. So stock up on those mason jars and get ready to experiment!
10 Science Activities:
1. How Arctic Animals Stay Warm
Ever wonder how arctic animals like polar bears, stay warm in icy water? This activity will have you experimenting with crisco to demonstrate how animals blubber (or fat) keeps them warm in cold conditions.
2. Ocean Layers in a Jar
This activity will give students the opportunity to see that the ocean isn't just a big body of water, but that it is made up of different layers. Within each layer lives different creatures. Explore with your class the different creatures that live in each of the layers.
3. Tornado in a Jar
Kids will be fascinated with how a tornado forms. Since most children don't ever experience a real life tornado (thank goodness) this will allow them to see how they look without the danger.
4. Water Beads
Watch how the water beads begin to expand as they absorb water. Children can experiment to see how the expansion, by absorbing water will change the bead's shape and other characteristics.
5. Will it Dissolve?
Lay out several different substances and use water to see which ones will dissolve. Have children learn how to make predictions by deciding which substances they believe will dissolve and why.
6. Gummy Bear Experiment!
This sweet activity will have all children saying whooaa!! See what happens to a gummy bear when left in water overnight. This activity even has a scientific method sheet to use with the children when doing the experiment. I've also found you can use different liquids with the gummy bears to expand the experiment.
7. Elephant Toothpaste
Have children take full control of this exciting experiment. Show the children what happens when you use water, soap and oxygen! Then let them make predictions about what would happen if they added more water. Let them add more water to find out what happens!
8. Ballon Powered Lego Car
This STEAM activity will have students fully engaged. The students will build a lego car, attach a ballon to the lego car and then they will blow the balloon up and watch their car go-go-go! Have them see what different car structures will work with this activity. You can even hold races between the cars and talk about why one may have gone farther or faster than the other.
9. Walking Water
Kids will get to watch how colored water will walk across paper towels to fill up an empty jar! You can even use the experiment to demonstrate what happens when two different colors mix together.
10. Magnetic Force
Children will conduct this experiment to find out how magnets work. Have children come up with their own questions about the experiment and to find ways to answer their questions through exploring with the pipe cleaners and magnets.
10 Good Science Reads:
Take a look at some of these science books that will really draw students in! You can even use some of these books as a way to get the students engaged on different topics and use them before experiments to help students have an understanding of the background information.
(Source: Amazon)
1. All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon
Through this book children will learn about the cycle of water. Where does it go after running through the faucet? Where does it go after falling out of a raincloud?
2. Growing Patterns by Sarah C. Campbell
This book uses photography that will have the students seeing real pictures of different plants and flowers. The book goes through and talks about Fibonacci numbers, which involves number patterns. Students will find out where these number patterns can be found naturally all around us.
We may not be able to have our students physically see all the different animals in the world and their sizes, but with this book the animals will be brought to life. Students can compare themselves to the different sizes of animals. Just how much bigger is an alligator's head than yours?
4. Change It!: Solids, Liquids, Gases and You! by Adrienne Mason
This book will help children to understand about the matter around them. It also zones in on each form of matter: sold, liquid, and gas.
5. What's Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Children will learn how they are similar to their pets, whether a dog or a cat or even a fish. But they will also learn what makes them different from their toys or other objects around them. It all has to do with what is alive and what isn't.
6. Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes
Learn about what lives in the coral reef and how animals have differences. Children will be able to make observations throughout the book about the different characteristics of the animals that live in the coral reef. This book also incorporates math and throughout the book children can have fun counting the animals on each page. The book even includes extension ideas for curriculum.
7. The Next Time You See a Firefly by Emily Morgan
This book will give children the opportunity to explore science and to think about fireflies differently the next time they see one. They will have a whole new view on these dazzling insects. Children will learn why they light up and what kind of life they live underground before appearing in the nighttime.
8. From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Find out how plants and flowers reproduce and what the process includes. It takes a lot more than just planting a see into the ground.
9. What If You Had Animal Feet? by Sandra Markle
Animals have all kinds of different feet. Read to find out why animals have their very own unique feet and what their functions are.
10. Your Skin Holds You In by Becky Baines
A book all about skin. It tells about the different colors skin comes in, how it shrinks and expands and it even talks about animal's skin!
10 Science Websites/Blogs:
This blog has a bunch of different printables for units on plants. This blog has graphic organizers on how seeds travel, how gardens grow, parts of a plant and so much more!
Have students learn all about tornados by becoming a storm chaser! They will look around on different websites about tornados and keep track of their findings in a tornado journal.
Organized into topics, this is your go to place for resources on a variety of different science lessons.
Watch youtube videos, play games, take quizzes and so much more on many different science topics.
Learn about all the life on earth through interactive games and activities.
NASA just for kids! Let kids explore the solar system.
Explore all the different types of weather with meteorologist Crystal Wicker.
This blog provides many science unit activities, like the life cycle of plants and the butterfly cycle. You can even find classroom ideas related to other subjects.
9. Splash ABC
Watch videos, read articles and play games on dozens of science topics. Resources for teachers are also available.
A student's guide to global climate change. Let students learn how our world is always changing.
Science Investigation Box:
Plan a week around science while still meeting common core standards. A science themed investigation box filled with different tasks or different objects to explore, will make science come to life. I did one of these based on animal survival. The investigation box was created so students could learn more about animal habitats and adaptation. In the box I included the following four tasks along with some books that related to the theme.
Task 1
Adaptation:
Fill tub up with ice-cold water. Stick your hand into the water for 20-30 seconds then remove your hand from the water. Now stick the same hand back into the water. Does the water feel as cold as it did the first time?
Task 2
Body Fat:
Keep the tub full of water but this time before sticking your hand into the water place a plastic glove over your hand while making a fist and cover it with shortening. After the hand is covered, place plastic wrap over the shortening. Now you can place your hand into the water. Does the water still feel as cold?
Task 3
Habitat:
Using the three habitat pictures, the plastic animals and habitat mat, place the animals under their correct habitat
Task 4
Hibernate/Migrate
Using the hibernate/migrate mat and cut out animals, categorize the animals by the ones that hibernate and the animals that migrate.
Grab your Hibernate or Migrate mat here: Hibernation freebie
Books that were related to the theme to give students more background knowledge on the different animals and their habitats
I hope you enjoyed this post and can now find ways to include science in your classroom!
