If your kids love engineering, they will love this fun engineering challenge that combines engineering in two ways, structural engineering and demolition engineering. In orange wrecking ball engineering challenge, I challenged my kids to come up with a system where an orange could knock some plastic cups over without them throwing it or rolling it.

Physical and Chemical Changes Lab Activity for Middle School Science conducted with a CSI Scenario to maximize engagement and allow classification of physical and chemical changes.

Very cool kitchen science project for kids in preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and more! This colorful science projects is tons of fun and so educational!

Make a density column with different liquids. Have students experiment with a variety of liquids to discover the density of those liquids.

Set up a baking soda and vinegar balloon science experiment for kids. Blow up balloons with a fun chemical reaction.

10 fun and simple ways to teach physical science- magnets, matter, atoms, molecules, and simple machines

Following on from my last post on the atom, this post will look at activities and ideas I have used to introduce the periodic table to m...

My family and I spent the weekend exploring Antelope Island out in the Great Salt Lake. We had a fabulous, refreshing time (To read our full experience click here). Our trip brought us home $30

For those of you who couldn’t join us on Facebook this week (@spanglerscience), we’ve been working hard to provide fun and amazing at home experiences to those who have been impacted by the current events.

Invite your middle schooler to bungee jump ... with eggs! This experiment will demonstrate Newton's laws of physics in an entertaining way.

Pulleys are simple machines that have been used to help humans construct large buildings and structures for thousands of years. Pulleys are an example of how

Kids are going to be amazed at how this “train” moves using...

I wrapped up my States of Matter and Chemical Change Unit with a day of science at the park. A swimming pool was filled with Oobleck, and the students walked on it. Oh boy, did they have fun with this! It took about 75 boxes to fill a small pool. My students loved playing in a big tub of Oobleck, too! They also took a trip to the Chemical Change Cafe and enjoyed some pancakes. I read the Eric Carle book, Pancakes, Pancakes, Pancakes. Then students mixed up their own pancake batter and had to determine whether or not it was a chemical change. Here's a states of matter foldable I made with my students. Click {HERE} or the picture for a copy. As you can see, it has been a busy week. Totally worth it, but I'm exhausted! This post is going to be short and sweet because I need a nap:) VERSION 2: One my readers asked for a fold-able with the 4th state of matter. I don't teach this in 4th grade but didn't mind making a new version. I'm not sure if the pictures are the best representation, and I'm open to new suggestions. It is fairly easy to make simple changes to my printable, and I don't mind requests. I'm always happy to hear constructive criticism. By the way, my printers not working so I couldn't check it out in print. Let me know if it needs some tweaking. Click {HERE} or the picture for this version. But one more thing first. With this post, I have completed Charity Preston's 5 Star Blog Challenge. Check out her post and find some great new blogs to follow.

Determining physical and chemical changes is exciting, but when you dissolve cups with acetone, it becomes a challenge! Engage your students with this science activity perfect for changes with matter!

Do you use card sorts in your science classroom? I like using them with my middle school students. Card sorts can be used in a variety of ways. They are a great way to see what students know going into a new unit. They can be used to practice new concepts. Or they can be used to review material your students haven't worked with for awhile. My seventh grade science students always enjoyed card sorts, and we especially used card sorts during our physical science unit. We brought out card sorting activities for elements, compounds, and mixtures; homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures; the changes in states of matter; and physical and chemical changes. My students liked card sorts because they could work together with classmates while they classified the cards. It felt like a game. I liked the card sorts because they allowed me to meet the needs of all the students in my class. The card sort was great for my many ELL students because each card had both words and pictures. The kinesthetic learners benefited as well because they could move and arrange the cards. The advanced students could provide rationale for each of their classifications or create their own examples to add to the card sort. Students who needed more practice with the content could work with partners who could explain the material while sorting the cards. Another thing I liked about using card sorts in my classroom was the versatility. The activity could take as little as five minutes by having students quickly sort the cards and checking their answers. Or the activity could last up to forty-five minutes, which allowed for students to record their answers, explain and defend their classification choices, and answer reflection questions. It was also flexible because it could be used as a unit introduction, a way to practice new material, a quick check of understanding, or a review. The activity could easily turn into a fun class competition by seeing which group correctly sorted the cards the quickest. Take a look at the many different card sorts I have used with my seventh grade science students. Physical and Chemical Changes Card Sorting Activity Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Mixtures Card Sorting Activity Elements,Compounds, and Mixtures Card Sorting Activity Changes in States of Matter Card Sorting Activity Measurement in Science Card Sorting Activity Steps of the Scientific Method Card Sorting Activities Genetics Vocabulary Card Sorting Activity Thank you ELA Buffet and Desktop Learning Adventures for arranging and including me in this Smorgasbord! An InLinkz Link-up An InLinkz Link-up

Learn about the world around them with this Steel wool and vinegar reaction experiment for kids exploring simple chemical reactions.

Try this density experiment to test out which liquids are most dense and which will mix or not. Great sensory experiment for kids!

Looking to invigorate your science curriculum and teaching this year? Help Teaching’s team of teachers understands the time and commitment it takes to prepare meaningful science classes and lab activities, not to mention stay up-to-date with the latest scientific advances. […]

Creating an EPIC Forensics course doesn't have to be hard! Learn my 5 "must try" strategies that are guarenteed to get your students excited about learning!

Try this easy science activity for kids: make lemon volcanoes and watch the chemical reaction of citric acid and baking soda.

Try this cool kitchen chemistry experiment~ make homemade gummy juice noodles! This chemical reaction makes the juice solid.

Need a simple science idea? Static Electricity Experiment for Kids is perfect for your STEM lesson in elementary classroom. Kids love easy science!

Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity of kids from babies to elementary level.

Chemistry is a fascinating science, but it's often taught poorly in today's boring schools. Here's how chemistry should be taught: by mad scientists! Here's Neatorama's list of the Top 10 Mad Science-Worthy Chemistry Experiments: 1. Briggs-Rauscher Reaction [YouTube Clip] The Briggs-Rauscher reaction is a well known example of oscillating chemical reactions, also known as chemical clocks because the periodicity can be used to tell time. What's going on in the beaker is actually quite a complex set of che...

Fun and delicious edible atom models science project! Wonderful early chemistry for kids science experiment!

Get your kids interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) with these Cool Science Experiments for Kids using physics and chemistry. You can also download a free printable lab book with detailed instructions and lab note sections.

Learn how to make plastic that is shiny, clear and hard with items from your pantry. This bioplastic project is a fantastic science experiment for kids.

We've found a variety of science experiments for kids tailored to their age and ability. You can do these science projects for kids at home!

Try this EPIC pop rocks science experiment at home with your kids for a fun and educational way to explore simple chemical reactions.

Learn with makes water molecules work with this fun and easy science activity!

Ever thought of using light sticks to teach the concepts of chemical and physical change? Jump on over to my blog to check out some more information! Here is a link to a free lab using light sticks for the intermediate grades! You Might Also Like:Five Little Pumpkins – Non-Halloween Version!Decimals Aren’t So Scary!!Shapely GingerbreadThe ... Read More about Light Sticks Labs

Making elephant toothpaste is an easy and fun science experiment that you can do with your kids at home or with students in the lab. It is the result of a chemical reaction that creates a large amount of oozing foam. The movement of the...

When kids perform easy density experiments for children from Steve Spangler Science, they are learning chemistry basics. Buy a cheap density experiment kit.

Nine free, hands-on STEM activities to learn about states of matter, including homemade thermometer and barometer, melting ice caps experiment, fog catcher, Oobleck, and more

pH…. one of those chemistry topics that us biology teachers get to teach. In biology I don’t make my students calculate pH and pOH values, but they need to understand what pH is and why maintaining a healthy pH in your body is so important. You may love biochemistry, or you may hate it, but ... Read more

My Three Favorite Elements: Element 1: Boron - B Atomic Number: 5 Atomic Mass Number: 10.811 The two subatomic particles that are equal in this model are the protons and electrons. This model is already an isotope, because it has one more neutrons then it has protons. Ground State to Excited State Returning to Ground State The lowest energy state for an electron is known as the ground state, but when a source of energy is absorbed by the electrons, such as a flame, the electrons go to a higher energy state, or excited state. When the electron returns to a lower state, it puts out a photon of energy that could be seen as a light, such as a firework. Energy Coming in Electron getting excited Photon being released in form of light Element 2: Potassium - K Atomic Number: 19 Atomic Mass Number: 39.0983 In this model, the two subatomic particles that have equal numbers are protons and electrons This model of potassium is already an isotope because it has more neutrons then protons. To make it so it's not an isotope, the element would need to lose one neutron. Element 3: Neon - Ne Atomic Number: 10 Atomic Mass Number: 20.1797 The two subatomic particles that are equal in the model of neon are the protons, neutrons, and the electrons. To make this model an isotope, you would either need to lose or gain a neutron so that there is either more or less neutrons then protons. Applying the Knowledge: 5. Considering the overall volume of your element models, what makes up most of the volume of an atom? The empty space makes up the most volume in the atom, considering that an atom is mostly empty space. 8. Why are some elements different colors when they are excited? Different elements give off different colors when the are excited because they all have characteristics that fall on the line spectrum and only certain lines on the spectrum are visible. Different compounds also give off different colors, such as strontium compounds give off red light. 9. With the Fourth of July coming up quickly, explain how the colors of fireworks arise. Red: strontium compounds Green: barium compounds Yellow: sodium compounds Blue: copper salt compounds White: White-hot metals, such as magnesium Purple: Mixing strontium compounds and copper salt compounds Orange: calcium salts,calcium chloride, and calcium sulfate compound 10. Explain the overall organizational structure of the periodic table. First of all, the periodic table is broken down into groups (families) and periods. Periods and horizontal rows and elements in each row demonstrate a range of properties from metallic (left) to nonmetallic (right). Groups are the vertical columns and in each column the elements contain similar chemical properties. Some groups has special names and electron configurations and these groups include alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, halogens, and noble gases. The table is also broken down into metals (conductors), nonmetals (nonconductors), and metalloids (demonstrate properties of both metals and nonmetals). Pictured below, the red section is the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, the green section is the inner transition metals, the yellow section is transition metals, and the blue section consists of halogens, noble gases, and a few other elements. Figure 3.17 on page 74 of J.W. Hill & D.K. Kolb 11. List two example elements for each of these groups or classes: Alkali Metals: Potassium and Francium Alkaline Earth: Calcium and Barium Halogens: Chlorine and Astatine Noble Gases: Neon and Xenon Transition Metals: Manganese and Copper Non-Metals: Sulfur and Iodine Metalloids: Boron and Silicone

Fun and simple chemistry experiments for kids. These cool science experiments will have your kids wanting to do science every day.

Density can be such a fun concept to teach! There are so many lab options to choose from. My recommendation: do a minimum of two density labs. Introduce one lab BEFORE you teach what density is, and allow students to discuss why some objects sink, why some float, and how mass and volume are related. ... Read more

Kitchen science for kids. What will freeze first?

How to teach the periodic table in a FUN way that will engage and motivate your upper elementary and middle school students.