Get teaching with these force and motion experiments, activities and videos to use in the elementary classroom. This collection of force and motion activities and resources should help you cover the topics like texture, gravity, incline and simple machines. If you’re looking for helpful ideas and lesson plans – then this is the place to start! Do you need a refresher … 24 Elementary Force and Motion Experiments & Activities Read More »
Here's some of my fleet I have my first "official" visit to the classroom to J's preschool tomorrow, sponsored by Pepsi Refresh. We're...
This fun and simple science experiment is perfect for teaching the scientific method in a way that kids love! Find out how in this post.
A blog with classroom tips and ideas, teacher mentoring, educational resources, and classroom practices for elementary and middle grades.
Help your students understand the effects of earthquakes during your changes of the earth unit! These hands-on, engaging earthquake experiments are perfect!
Make your own seismograph in this fun STEM activity.
Minds in Bloom is pleased to present Bethany Lau with her post on teaching heredity. We think you'll enjoy it! Science in elementary school should be all about fun. In fact, science at all levels
Four supplies - five if your kids are artistic - are all it takes to make artificial fish swim. This was loads of fun, which is my favorite way to teach science concepts. What You Need White craft foam Baking dish of water (either jelly roll or 9- x 13-inch casserole dish) Liquid dish detergent Permanent markers What to Do Cut fish shapes approximately 2 inches long from the white craft foam. Decorate your fish with permanent markers if you want. Cut a small rectangle out of the tail fin of each fish. Fill a pan with about an inch of water. Place your fish in the water, pointed in the direction you want it to swim. Carefully drop a drip of dish detergent in the fish's tail fin notch. Watch your fishy zoom forward! To repeat, you'll need to dump the now soap-filled water and refill with plain water. Note: We wanted to race two fish but found that it was tough to get the drips of soap in two fish so quickly. As soon as the soap disperses in the water, the fish won't swim. How Does it Work The detergent breaks the surface tension of the water, forcing the fish forward as the water molecules break apart because of the soap. Read The awesome activity came from a collection of everyday at-home science experiments. I highly recommend Kitchen Science Lab for homeschoolers, supplemental after school science lessons, mad science-themed birthday activities, etc. Why not teach your kids about fish along with this activity? We read the following books, which inspired the designs of our fish and our REAL understanding of how they swim in the wild.
Teach about the rock cycle in a creative way with this printable geology rock cycle board game~ The Rock Collectors. Geology will never be boring again!
Pinay Homeschooler is a blog that shares homeschool and afterschool activity of kids from babies to elementary level.
To study composting up close, we decided to create our own mini compost bins in cups, so we could see decomposition in action.
Learn about science curriculum created for self-contained special education classrooms by a real special education teacher!
Try this fossil experiment with gummy candy and bread to learn about how fossils and sedimentary rocks are formed. Plus- it's edible!
We have begun our unit on living systems in science (thank GOSH because Earth and Physical science have quite literally killed me this year...seriously, I feel like the most incompetent teacher when I teach science...but I digress...). Our main focus for the past week before Spring Break was the circulatory and respiratory systems. I thought I would share some of the things we have been doing, in case some of you are in the same unit yourselves. To get us started, we watched a few BrainPOP videos about circulation and blood. I found these in the HEALTH section, not the science section. The kids were very enthralled with these videos (they ALWAYS are really) There was quite a lot of information in them, which got us started on the right foot. The videos mentioned how the circulatory system was the delivery system of the body and that all systems were connected to this one. After some discussion, the students created this Circulation Data Disk from the Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body (Grades 2-4) (affiliate link) book. The idea of this circular disk was to show how all of the organs in the body played a very special part in relation to the circulatory system. I purposefully whited out the info on the disk so that the kids could do the research themselves. Using our health and science books, the students discovered the role of each organ in circulatory system. We then used the Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body (Grades 2-4) (affiliate link) book and created a model of the heart. The kids diagrammed the model to up the rigor a bit. They then placed these in their science journals. Another great find (that the kids had a blast playing) was the Circulation Game from Ellen McHenry's homeschooling website. This is a free download and I am so glad I found it! It took a while to set up and explain, but once they were going, the kids really were into the game. They learned quite a bit about how blood travels through the body and how it disposes of waste. (just a little note, I printed out 5 of these and had each table play. That way, there weren't as many people playing on one game board) Finally, the kids watched the School House Rock video, "Do the Circulation". (I have the actual DVD Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition), (affiliate link) but you can get it on YouTube if the school doesn't block it....like mine does) I gave them the words and, combining language arts with science, we looked for all of the facts and opinions (as well as figurative language) in the song. We discussed why the writers would put opinions and figurative language in a song intended to teach us about the Circulatory system. The students decided that it was because without the opinions and figurative language, the song would be B.O.R.I.N.G! We also began working on our Body Systems project on Google Drive. I made a template for each body system and the kids all began filling in the information about the circulatory system. This worked out perfect here because the kids had so much background knowledge at this point. They didn't really need to do as much research since we were learning so much as it was! (click here to get the project for your own class!) This is a screenshot of the slide before the kids actually did any work. I forgot to take pictures of them working! To explore the respiratory system (a bit further, as we really were talking about it all along with the circulatory system), we first diagrammed the organs involved. Then, the students did a little experiment to measure their vital lung capacity (how much air can be forcibly taken in and blown out) and the tidal lung capacity (how much is taken in and out during normal breathing). The kids has SO much fun with this one! They really were surprised at how much air they *couldn't* blow. I think they all thought they would pop the balloons in one breath when, in actuality, they hardly inflated them at all! You can find the exact experiment and printables here. So there you have it. Our basic introduction to the systems of the human body. Up next is the digestive system. Wish me luck ;) What experiments have you conducted in your class to teach your students about the circulatory and respiratory systems? Follow me on Snapchat for even more teaching ideas!
Simply Skilled teaching is a place where TEACHERS will TAKE THEIR WEEKENDS BACK! That is my "WHY"...that is why I created Simply Skilled Teaching!
FREE Simple Machines Games
FUN, hands-on constellation STEM activity learning about star patterns using pipe cleaners & free printable constellation flashcards!
Digestion experiment for kids! An easy science experiment from at-home materials about how the stomach breaks down food. Anatomy science for kids.
I love easy experiments that make science cool! This rainbow colored celery science experiment is simple to set up and really makes transpiration come alive for kids.
My sister made me a preschool lesson about Space that we are going to use next week. Here are a few activities I made to add to it. Planet Cards Planet Hide a Number (original idea from Applesauce and Flipflops) Constellation Lacing Cards Space Songs Number Rocket Ship Activity Enjoy!
Looking for amazing Dramatic Play Centers for Spring? This preschool bee themed dramatic play centers pack is packed full of amazing science, math and literacy, fine motor, and other important preschool skills all through the magic of play.
Density is one of my favorite topics to teach. Students can struggle with it, but there are so many great visuals and techniques for t...
Discover free DIY States of Matter science experiments at Steve Spangler Science for kids and kids at heart. Have fun with science at home or school.
Introducing our Fingerprint Detective Worksheet - a perfect tool for young aspiring investigators who are curious about the science behind fingerprints! This engaging worksheet provides an interactive learning experience that will captivate their attention and develop their understanding of this fascinating subject.
As I lesson plan today, I decided to share what we are doing in our classroom this week. I figure as long as I am blogging I can put off the laundry and shopping I need to do for a new week of school… {choking back sobs} This year my family escaped to Lake Tahoe […]
What kid doesn't love parachutes? My boys have gotten so many of those parachuting army men as party favors, I've lost count. And forget trying to untangle the strings. (Ain't nobody got time for that!) The weather may not have been on our side, but with so many rainy days this summer, eventually you just throw caution to the wind and do outdoor activities anyway. And so it was the day we made DIY parachutes. Making these was simple. We had all the supplies we needed around the house. What You Need Disposable plastic (or paper) cup Plastic garbage sack String (we used some tightly twisted yarn) Paper punch Scissors Tape Measure or yardstick How to Make It First we punched holes in the top of the plastic cups, just under the rim. You'll need to punch four holes equal distance apart (approximately). Next we cut one plastic kitchen garbage sack into a 14-inch square. Since we made two parachutes, we measured and cut the bag with it flattened (i.e. two plies) so we had two squares with only a few cuts. Now we cut four 14-inch lengths of string for each parachute. Our oldest son gathered a corner of the plastic square and tied one length of string to it, leaving only a small tail. He repeated this with the other four corners. Then we tied each string to a different hole on the cup. (TIP: Try to keep the tails all the same length so you don't get a lopsided parachute.) Now all that was left to do was to go to a high place and drop those puppies. My sons perched on the landing of our deck and later our yard's play set. They LOVED watching them gracefully float to the ground. My oldest son tucked the parachute in the cup and dropped it to see what would happen. It sank to the ground with lightning speed. That's gravity for ya! How Does a Parachute Work The cup glides slowly down thanks to something known as air resistance (or drag). When air gets under it, the plastic parachute fans out for maximum coverage; this air resistance slows the fall of the object tremendously. This great activity came from Patricia A. Staino's wonderful book Magic Moments: Super Science with Your Kids. Check it out!
Creating constellations using marshmallows and toothpicks is a great beginning astronomy lesson for preschoolers!
Checking for Understanding Formative Assessment Exit Slips
Help kids learn about rocks by making a rock of their own.
I've gathered up a few great ideas on things to do at night while camping with kids from telescoping to lanterns to campfire desserts and more!
This fun, easy, science activity for kids uses only common household items and takes about 10 minutes. Full step-by-step picture tutorial included.
Students investigate vertebrates and invertebrates with this engaging, hands-on science activity to determine the purpose of the backbone.
Try this fun pollination STEM activity for students to make a craft stick model bee then simulate pollination using mac and cheese powder!
Lung science experiment great for middle school students & teachers. Hands on activity + Lesson Plans on Tobacco Prevention for teachers.
Create a 3D model from a 2D map! You’ll need: A simple contour map – 2 copies (you can draw one yourself if you can’t easily find a suitable one) Fun foam* Scissors Glue Procedure: 1. Set aside one copy of the map to use as a reference. 2. On your “cutting map”, cut along the outer-most contour line. Trace around this piece on a piece of foam. Cut out this piece of foam. 3. On your “cutting map”, cut along the next contour line. Trace around this piece on a piece of foam and cut it out. Use your “reference map” to place it in the appropriate place on the bottom layer. Glue it in place. 4. Continue the process of cutting, tracing, cutting, positioning and glueing until you have completed all the contour lines on your map. *You could also use corrugated cardboard or styrofoam. Fun foam is great because it’s very easy to cut with regular scissors (not the case with cardboard, you’re likely to need something a bit more powerful).
Two fun and hands-on inertia science experiments that will teach kids all about the concept of inertia and Newton's First Law of Motion.
NEWSELA QUIZLET FOR ART GRADE 4 QUIZLET ON DEGAS & THE DANCER QUIZLET ON DEGAS’s ARTWORK Picture below from Pinterest You will FIRST be c…
Most kids have a natural curiosity about the world and the way things work. That makes it easy to teach them some basic science concepts in fun hands-on ways. In the past we have done a Magnet
Get great links to games, videos and activities to make your force and motion unit come alive!
