One of the most common projects for invasive species is for students to make a “Most Wanted” poster. Students do research on an invasive species of their choice and create a wanted poster that includes facts about the species and what they would be “wanted” for. It can be fun, but after doing it for ... Read more
WOW Wonders of Water is part of It's Your Planet-Love It series. 1. Explore the wonders of water by finding out more about its importance and how it's used around the world. 2. Plan a Take Action project, such as making informative posters, promoting recycling at school, or planting low-water gardens. 3. Earn 4 leadership awards: The LOVE Water Award, the SAVE Water Award, the SHARE Water Award, and the WOW! Award. If you're a Girl Scout volunteer, go to Volunteer Toolkit for complete meeting pl
Here's some photos from a project any Science teachers (and Art!) out there might find interesting. We have a very creative Science teacher at our school who often has really unusual projects for the kids. This is a lesson I look forward to every year. Grade 6 Science students construct large scale animal habitats out of boxes. Many of these are over 4 feet tall! Update: see the 2023 versions HERE. They are essentially stacked boxes (some are made from empty photocopy paper boxes which students can collect from the school or their parents' workplaces). Others are made from stacked shoe boxes or other smaller types of sturdy boxes. Then the insides are covered with construction paper and/or painted in some way. Each layer represents a different layer of the chosen habitat. I teach most of these kids Art so it's interesting to see how they approached this project and what materials and techniques they used. Materials used within each box range from handmade items to store-bought items: Cardboard tubes for trees, animals made from Plasticine or bought at the dollar store or printed out from the internet, lots of dried or fake plants and leaves, or plants made from construction paper, pipe cleaners, dried moss, etc. All the elements are neatly labelled. They're so fun and interesting to look at! I think the kids did an outstanding job and learned about habitats along the way. Being able to express their learning in such a creative way is really special.
To study composting up close, we decided to create our own mini compost bins in cups, so we could see decomposition in action.
One of my favorite case studies to examine with students is the tragedy that occurred at Lake Nyos. Located in Camaroon, Africa, Lake Nyos is a lake that formed in a volcanic crater. While villagers thought the volcano was dormant, it was slowly releasing carbon dioxide into the lake. One night in 1986 the carbon ... Read more
Have you ever made banana water (also known as banana peel compost tea)? I'm a skeptic that banana peel tea is actually as great for plants as social media trends imply but the process of
Statistical fallacies are common tricks data can play on you, which lead to mistakes in data interpretation and analysis. Explore some common fallacies, with real-life examples, and find out how yo...
Check out these 6 fundamentals for teaching Environmental Science. This Envi Sci curriculum for high school can encourage students to create change!
An underwater photo taken by biologist Bert Willaert has claimed first place in the Royal Society Publishing photography competition, showing a glimpse of life through the eyes of a tadpole.
Videos from the series Earth Science with Science Mom
Find out why rivers curve with this fun geology science experiment! Use a foil river to watch how sediment is deposited.
Learn about erosion with this soil science experiment!Forces of nature like wind and rain shape and reshape Earth’s surface by gradually wearing away, or eroding rocks and soil.When it rains, ...
This is an engaging bundle of environmental and earth science activities on Soil Formation & Conservation. Students will learn more about erosion, soil horizons or layers, soil texture, and soil composition. This activity set is the perfect addition to a geosphere unit in a high school Environm...
Get up close with the photosynthesis process by painting with chlorophyll. This STEM chlorophyll science lesson will be memorable for all.
Discover how to make an anemometer with cardboard and paper cups. This simple anemometer for kids is a fun weather STEM activity that's perfect for spring.
Teaching about sustainability and including sustainability activities in middle school and high school can impact current and future students.
Lots of science printables for free, with no strings attached. I'll be adding to this list as time goes on - Enjoy!
Try this oil spill clean up experiment with your students or kids! This is agreat one for Earth Day or anytime you want to teach about the environment!
I'm always on the look out for easy science experiment ideas! My requirements are simple. The experiments we complete here need to be easy to prep and even easier to execute. Here's a few simple earth friendly, environmental science experiments and activity ideas to do with your family this spring.
In this Penguin Feathers Science Experiment, children will learn how a wax on a penguin's feathers help keep it dry.
It's a dirty job but teaching Soils in the Environment is a fun & engaging science unit filled with activities your students will love.
This print features original illustrations from Kelsey Oseid's Creatures of the Order series, arranged here in a vintage-inspired format. 8x10 mini-prints: •A smaller option. •Printed in Minneapolis, MN on acid-free 80# Mohawk Superfine Cover paper. •Shipped flat in a protective mailer. 12x18 classic Kelzuki size: •A Pinterest favorite and our original print size. •Printed in Minneapolis, MN on acid-free 80# Mohawk Superfine Cover paper. •Shipped rolled in a protective tube. 20x30 giclée print: •Our largest and most luxe option. •Printed in Madison, WI on 100% cotton rag acid-free, archival 255 gsm paper. •Shipped rolled in a protective tube.
A blog about homeschool, containing support, information, unit studies and resource lists for Home Education.
Teach your children what sound waves are and how they work using items you have at home. 4 simple sound science activities for kids.
Check out these 6 fundamentals for teaching Environmental Science. This Envi Sci curriculum for high school can encourage students to create change!
We were still talking about plate tectonics on Friday. We talked about how scientists theorize that the continents were once connected as one giant super-continent, Pangaea. I cut out South America and Africa and asked them to fit them together as best the could. When they didn't fit together perfectly I asked the kids why the continents wouldn't match perfectly after 250 million years? We talked about erosion and the power of water (waves, storms and such--like the poor people who endured the cyclone in the Cairns region of Australia in the past week or so). Next we did a little activity to show how continents could move without some giant hand pulling them apart. This was perfect for the kids, since it let them "see" the continents move without our touching them. I cut the continents out of foam. The kids folded construction paper. First we set the continents close together with a piece of playdough to weight the continents down. As the kids pulled each side of the construction paper, they could see the continents move apart. We got this idea from Robert Gardners" Earth-Shaking Science Projects About Planet Earth. (affiliate link) The red paper represents the mantle and the next experiment helps the kids understand how and why magma flows. The mantle is hotter than the crust. This is a terrible picture, but it helped the kids see that heat rises. We took ice cold water and poured it into a jar. We dyed some water green and heated it up. Then LD sucked the hot water with a turkey baster (but I think a eye dropper might work better) and slowly let out the hot/green water. The kids could see the green water streaming upwards toward the surface. This helped the kids understand why magma/lava from the mantle would move up/out of the crust and/or shift about to affect the earth's plates. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Be sure to check out our 150+ page Earth Science Packet! Our Earth Science Unit (post) is here to find out more!! Learn how to make a earthquake shake table, more than a dozen hands-on activities on the layers of the earth, plate movement, convection currents, earthquakes, volcanoes, and more! Topics include: Solar System, Layers of the Earth, Earth’s Axis and the Seasons, Latitude and Longitude, Plate Tectonics, Faults, Earthquakes, Earthquake Waves, Volcanoes, 4 Types of Mountains We have a 150+ page Earth Science Unit! Here is a Quick Preview of the Earth Science Packet. Our Earth Science Unit covers the solar system, the layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, the ring of fire, faults, earthquakes, volcanoes and more. It also includes instructions for more than a dozen hands-on activities we did with this unit. This includes activities about plate tectonics, convection currents, using a compass, earthquakes, volcanoes, instructions on how to make a shake table and more! Our packet is $9.99. We did this unit twice: My kids were in Grades 1, 4, and 6 when we did this unit the first time. They were in Grades 4, 7 and 9 when we covered it again (and added to the packet!). Scroll down for more pictures and information! When you click on the Buy Now button below, it will take you to Paypal. Upon receipt of payment you will immediately get a link to download this pdf in your browser. You will also receive an email from SendOwl Downloads to your PayPal email address which will give you a link to download. Be sure to check your spam folder if that email doesn't appear. Remember, you do not have to have a Paypal account to make a payment. Just click on the line that says, "Pay with a debit or credit card or PayPal credit." That gives you the option of paying with a credit card even if you don't have an actual Paypal account. If you have any trouble with your order, please contact me (Liesl) via email liesl at homeschoolden dot com or via our contact page or by replying to the email you receive from Sendowl. ~Liesl Purchase the Earth Science Packet $9.99 Don't forget to check your PayPal email address for the download link! More pictures of what is included: Pangaea and Plate Movement Activities Types of Plate Boundaries Faults The types of earthquake waves Volcanoes In this unit, we especially liked these resources. These are affiliate links: Geology Rocks How the Earth Works: 60 Fun Activities for exploring Volcanoes, Fossils, Earthquakes and More Janice VanCleave's Earthquakes Earth-Shaking Science Projects about Planet Earth (Rockin' Earth Science Experiments) See how to make a shake table here: See our Gelatin Volcano Earth Science Activity here: Se our Tissue Paper Volcano Activity here: Hope you visit our new location at homeschoolden.com (the links above take you there!) or come visit us at our Homeschool Den Facebook Page. :) ~Liesl Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. P.S. We have lots of other units. Here are the links to check those out Characteristics of Animals - Vertebrates and Invertebrates Unit Simple Machines Skeletal System Digestive System Unit A Study of Cells Civics and Government States of Matter- Changing States of Matter Unit Solids, Liquids, Gases Animal Unit Biology Unit Ocean Unit Packet Electricity and Circuits: STEM Unit Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase.
Today, on the blog, I am sharing 15 of my favorite Amazon finds that I use in my classroom.
I love doing plant experiments and sprouting seeds with young children in the spring. Not only do they get excited to see how plants grow but planting seeds also teaches them patience and how to wait for gratification which is very important in this fast-paced, instant gratification world in which we now live. In this […]
