Are you looking for fun science ideas for your co-op class?? You might want to give STEM activities a try! Basically STEM activities teach basic science (and some math) principles while students engage in fun hands-on group-based activities! Check out this link to find out more about STEM! Deciding what activities to do, how to run them, and materials to buy can be a little overwhelming! First, you need to consider which grade levels you are working with. Younger students need simple, fun activities that give them the opportunity to create and play with each other while learning basic concepts and beginning to follow the engineering process—exploring how to design and build. As students progress into their later elementary years, they need to be pushed and challenged to learn new science and math concepts while engaging in hands-on challenges using the engineering process. Heading into middle school, kids begin to gain more advanced math and science skills that can be put to use in the STEM classroom as they design and build with more intentionality. I've compiled a few FREE STEM activities to get you started at each level! STEM Activity Challenge Hoop Glider Competition 3rd-5th grade STEM Project for Third, Fourth and Fifth grades. This activity challenges students to build a glider that will glide as far as possible. Working in groups, students will cut and tape various hoops to their straw. They will experiment with hoops of different sizes, positioning, and throwing styles. STEM Activity Challenge Jumping Bugs K-2nd grade STEM Project for Kindergarten, First and Second Grades. This activity involves putting an effervescent tablet inside a film canister with a little bit of water. As gas is produced, pressure will build in the film canister causing the cap to pop off. Students will color and tape a bug* of their choice to the bottom of the film canister and see how high their bug can go!!! The students can experiment with the amount of tablet and water to see what works best. *Bug illustrations are also included! STEM Activity Challenge Levitating ping pong ball 6th - 8th grade STEM Middle School Classroom Project Students will work in groups to discover the phenomenon that occurs when a ping pong ball is placed above a straw and air is blown through the straw. Most people would expect the ping-pong ball to fly up and off to the side—but it doesn't. Due to Bernoulli's Principle, the ball will hover in the air above the straw. This project can end with a demonstration using a shop-vac or hairdryer with a ping-pong ball that will produce the same interesting results. STEM Activity Challenge Marshmallow Catapult 3rd-5th grade STEM Project for Third, Fourth and Fifth grades. In this activity, students will work in groups to create a catapult from popsicle sticks. They will modify their catapult in order to produce the best launch possible. Kids will have a great time launching mini marshmallows across the room while learning about potential and kinetic energy. STEM Station Activity: Troll Bridge Free STEM Station (STEM Center) Activity: Troll Bridge A little troll is looking for a way to earn some big cash and he’s decided to build a toll bridge. He needs help from STEM Man and your students to design and build a bridge that’s strong enough to hold lots of toll money. STEAM Task Cards This resource includes six Cinco De Mayo themed STEAM Activity Task Cards, an editable worksheet and a STEAM process poster! In my TpT Store, I have a resource for an ENTIRE YEAR of STEM Activities—one for each week of the school year at each of the different levels. Please click here for more information!
Teaching a science co-op class and needing some experiements. Here are seven experiments for a co-op science class.
These STEAM activities are perfect for homeschool classes or co-ops. Put science, technology, engineering, and math into hands-on homeschool STEM learning.
Summer is coming, and so are the BUGS! A few years ago, my friend, Jodi taught two insect classes at co-op. I’ve asked her to guest post about the class. Most children are fascinated by insects, and this would make a fun class or club for this summer or fall. For our Fall semester 2012, …
Organized by subject matter, here are over 150 ideas for your next co-op class. There are homeschool co-op classes for all age levels and abilities.
If your homeschool co-op is looking for class ideas The Best List of No Prep Homeschool Co-op Classes will help alleviate some stress
Chemistry made simple with this effective demonstration of an endothermic chemical reaction. Common household materials. Ideas provided for turning this into an experiment and taking the learning farther!
The Playful Pioneers was the highlight at our homeschool co-op in 2020 when the whole world shut down. While everyone’s life was put on hold we explored the option of implementing a curriculum that would bring us back to the ‘good ole days.` Homeschool mamas go above and beyond to make their homeschool the best they
These homeschool co-op class ideas will help get you started on choosing the best classes for your group. My hope is that you will tailor these co-op class ideas into an educational experience that is perfect for your students.
Are you searching for homeschool co-op class ideas? Try this big, fat, gigantic list; it has co-op class ideas for preschool through high school.
Fun hands-on Christian middle school biology lesson on fish including a fish dissection in 55 minutes - A Beka Science Order & Design Grade 7 - Use with your class, homeschool, after-school program, or co-op!
Do you want your kids to wash their hands? Then check out this awesome homeschool co-op about germs and the lymphatic system!
Summer is coming, and so are the BUGS! A few years ago, my friend, Jodi taught two insect classes at co-op. I’ve asked her to guest post about the class. Most children are fascinated by insects, and this would make a fun class or club for this summer or fall. For our Fall semester 2012, …
Do you want your kids to wash their hands? Then check out this awesome homeschool co-op about germs and the lymphatic system!
Here are some hands-on activities for your homeschool co-op on the digestive system that will make the topic of digestion fun!
The Playful Pioneers was the highlight at our homeschool co-op in 2020 when the whole world shut down. While everyone’s life was put on hold we explored the option of implementing a curriculum that would bring us back to the ‘good ole days.` Homeschool mamas go above and beyond to make their homeschool the best they
Fun hands-on middle school biology lesson on frog dissection and amphibian review in 55 minutes - A Beka Science Order & Design Grade 7 - Use with your class, homeschool, after-school program, or co-op!
This year, our family has been enjoying "Our Star Spangled Story," a living history style curriculum for early elementary kids....
The Playful Pioneers was the highlight at our homeschool co-op in 2020 when the whole world shut down. While everyone’s life was put on hold we explored the option of implementing a curriculum that would bring us back to the ‘good ole days.` Homeschool mamas go above and beyond to make their homeschool the best they
This is part 5 of a 6 part hands-on unit study on Earth Science. Create a tsunami, build marshmallow structures that can withstand an earthquake, act out seismic waves, build and use a seismograph, and more! My lessons are geared toward 2nd-3rd grade level children and their siblings. These are lessons I created to do with a weekly homeschool co-op. We meet each week for 2 1/2 hours and have 14 children between the ages of 0-12. Use these fun lessons with your classroom, family, camp, after scho
Teaching middle and high school co-op classes just got easier with this unique post of co-op class ideas for older students.
Are you looking for the ultimate list of inspiring homeschool co-op class ideas? You've come to the right place! This list is to get your creative juices flowing
Learn a simple way to put together a LEGO homeschool co-op class for younger elementary students in this post.
These homeschool co-op class ideas will help get you started on choosing the best classes for your group. My hope is that you will tailor these co-op class ideas into an educational experience that is perfect for your students.
FREE 20-page activity ebook forK-6 Informational write ups, experiments, worksheets to help kids understand why leaves change color in Fall
Need some ideas for teaching about the states of matter- solids, liquids and gasses to kids? These activities and experiments are perfect!
It's that time of year! Sharpen your pencils, dust off your books, and get that homeschool co-op turning again. Last year I wrote a post on how to make a homeschool co-op thrive with tips
Our homeschool group has a field trip to Mammoth Cave coming up. To help us get ready for the trip, I taught a one-day science co-op class. There our students watched an exciting video, conducted a cool experiment, and learned some interesting things about caves. We watched Buddy Davis' Extreme Caving DVD. The children loved it! Buddy goes exploring deep inside of a cave, crawls on his belly, squeezes through tight passages, and repels down into deep caverns. He meets several interesting cave-dwelling animals such as bats and blind cave fish. Throughout the episode, Buddy shows how real scientific evidence found in caves support the Biblical belief in a worldwide flood during the time of Noah. The children were totally fascinated by Buddy's adventure, and now they are even more excited about going on a little cave adventure of our own soon! (Although our tour will not be anywhere near as extreme as Buddy's was!) I highly recommend this DVD! The following science experiment let the students watch a demonstration of how caves form as they made their own clay caves. The homeschoolers in my class yesterday ranged in age from 2 to 11, so this activity is fun for all ages. Clay Caves Science Experiment Materials Needed For Each Student: * 1 regular size can of play-doh * 3 or 4 sugar cubes * clear plastic cup or bowl * warm water * paper towels or napkins * pencil and paper 1. Briefly discuss with students how caves like Mammoth Cave form. A layer of water soluble limestone is dissolved over time by water. Sandstone and shale, which are not as water soluble, form the roof of the cave. Contrary to popular scientific belief, millions of years are not necessary for this process to happen. Most likely the layer of fossil-filled limestone was laid down by the waters of Noah's flood, and the cave formed sometime thereafter. 2. Give each student a can of play-doh (or some type of modeling clay). Tell the students to flatten their clay into the shape of a little pancake. This clay represents the sandstone. 3. Give each student 3 or 4 sugar cubes. These represent limestone. Have the students place one sugar cube touching the edge of their clay pancakes. The remaining sugar cubes should be placed in a row behind this sugar cube. Make sure the cubes touch one another. 4. Now tell the students to roll their clay securely over the sugar cubes to form a ball around them. Make sure the sugar cube touching the edge of the clay is still exposed. 5. Fill each student's clear plastic cup or bowl with warm water. (Make sure whatever plastic cups or bowls you use are big enough for the clay balls to be covered completely with water!) 6. Give each student a pencil and sheet of paper so they can record their experiment. Ask them to write down a hypothesis (what they think will happen when they put the clay ball containing sugar cubes into the warm water). 7. Now let the students drop their balls of clay into the warm water. The water should cover the ball. Make especially sure the exposed sugar cube is completely submerged. Have students record what they see happening right away onto their papers (probably nothing, or perhaps some students may see bubbles). 8. What starts happening next? Students should continue watching the clay balls and writing down their observations. The sugar will start dissolving in the water, and it will leave a trail of bubbles as it does. 9. After 10 to 15 minutes or so, hand out paper towels or napkins to each student. Let them carefully remove their clay from the water and place it on the towels. Have students look inside the ball where the sugar cubes were. They should see a little cave left behind! 10. Have students finish recording what happened onto their papers. Review how this demonstrated cave formation. This co-op class was fun and easy to teach. Try these activities with your own students and post back here in the comments to let me know how it goes! You might even want to share pictures of your own clay caves on my Facebook page! And don't forget to grab your copy of Buddy Davis' Extreme Caving DVD! This post contains affiliate links. Thanks!
The Playful Pioneers was the highlight at our homeschool co-op in 2020 when the whole world shut down. While everyone’s life was put on hold we explored the option of implementing a curriculum that would bring us back to the ‘good ole days.` Homeschool mamas go above and beyond to make their homeschool the best they
This e-book was specifically designed for a ten month homeschool co-op setting, but could easily be done in a classroom as well. I have personally used it to teach in our local homeschool co-op, so it is a tried and true curriculum. This resource is best used with children ages K-2nd, but can be adapted for other children. There is a sheet containing the list of topics and activites, which can be copied and handed out to all of your students' parents. They can help collect the recyclable items needed for some on the activities. This curriculum is very budget friendly! In addition, there is a pre-made parent newsletter that can be sent home each week. The newsletter contains the objectives that we learned in class, "Think About It Activities" to try at home, and a copy of the experiment or activity that we did in class in case the child wants to duplicate it at home with other siblings. I have included a blank Lesson Plan sheet for your personal planning should you choose to use it. I have also typed up all of the notes needed to teach the lesson, so no further planning or preparation is required. Topics: Week 1 States of Matter (Activity: Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag) Week 2 Volcanoes (Activity: Make an Exploding Volcano) Week 3 Recycling (Activity: Valentine's Day Bucket made by recycling large can) Week 4 Dinosaurs (Activity: We will become paleontologists and uncover "bones") Week 5 Worms, Worms, Worms (Activity: Make Gummy Worm/Dirt Snack) Week 6 Our Skeleton (Activity: Make and Label a Milk Jug Skeleton) Week 7 Plants (Activity: Grassy Head...so cute!) Week 8 "Eggs" periments (Activity: Egg in a Bottle and other egg-citing activities) Week 9 Weather (Activity: Tornado in a Bottle) Week 10 Grand Finale...Rockets (Activity: Make and race rocket cars)
Want some great homeschool co-op class ideas? Here is a huge list of different classes that we have done at ours to inspire you!
Read great books, exercise, sing, lapbook, dance–this My Body preschool and kindergarten science class has it all! Using Homeschool Share’s FREE My Body Lapbook as my base, I put together a co-op class for preschool and kindergarten. I only used parts of the lapbook, but all the pages you need to print are noted in the weekly …
We (my 4, almost 5, year old and I…and sometimes my 2 year old) are part of a small homeschool co-op consisting of 7 kiddos (and some younger siblings) who are all currently 4 and 5 years old. We meet once a week and the moms take turns putting a themed lesson together. We’ve been doing this for three years now and have, obviously, tailored what we choose to teach based on the kids’ ages.
Bridges are amazing feats of engineering and a great logic challenge for your children designers. Here are some resources to help teach them more about bridges and how they work. Lesson Plans Bridge Lesson on Forces, Arch Bridges, & Truss Bridges – a detailed hands-on unit study designed for a homeschool co-op. Bridge Lesson on […]
Storytelling for Kids! Try this hands-on class for your homeschool co-op.
Fun hands-on middle school biology lesson on invertebrates including clam, starfish, and worm dissections in 55 minutes - A Beka Science Order & Design Grade 7 - Use with your class, homeschool, after-school program, or co-op!
We (my 4, almost 5, year old and I…and sometimes my 2 year old) are part of a small homeschool co-op consisting of 7 kiddos (and some younger siblings) who are all currently 4 and 5 years old. We meet once a week and the moms take turns putting a themed lesson together. We’ve been doing this for three years now and have, obviously, tailored what we choose to teach based on the kids’ ages.
This semester, I am teaching an Introduction to Public Speaking class at our bi-weekly homeschool co-op. Although the practical goal for this class is to provide opportunity and practice for the children to be able to speak in a large group setting, the spiritual implications can be found in the class verse, "But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter 3:15 As Christ-followers, we ought always to be ready to give an answer to the hope that we have. That "readiness" requires a MESSAGE and the ABILITY to proclaim it. While I believe that God can and does use even the most timidly-delivered testimonies for His glory, I also think this verse implies a boldness. Often boldness only comes with practice and a little bit of know-how. This class offers both. Objectives To provide practical instruction in the following public speaking skills in order that each student can successfully deliver a demonstration speech at the end of the semester: approaching the platform commanding audience attention volume diction/articulation eye contact facial/body expression speech preparation peer evaluation and critique Typical Class Schedule Each class period will contain the same six elements unless otherwise mentioned in the lesson plan. They are as follows: vocal/body warm-up exercise review of previously learned material a brief lesson of new material brainstorming/planning session peer-critique take-home assignment Demonstration Speech The culmination of the entire semester comes in the form of a demonstration speech. I have chosen the demonstration speech to be the final project because it is one of the simplest and most practical of all speech types. Delivery of a demonstration speech requires the use of all the skills mastered throughout the semester and can easily be age-tailored for my young students. Each demo speech must possess the following four parts: Introduction Listing of necessary supplies/materials Steps of completion Conclusion Mentor & Peer-Critique As with anything in life, evaluation is a helpful tool for personal improvement. Part of learning to become an effective speaker is learning to become a critical listener of one's audience. Each speech will be delivered at least twice in order that mentor and peer feedback may be given and used for improvement. Each student will deliver his/her speech once. Oral feedback will, then, be given by me, the mentor, in the form of at least 2 positive comments and 1 constructive criticism. After the first round of speeches has been completed by everyone in the class, the second round will begin. Each student will re-deliver his/her speech keeping the mentor feedback in mind. After each "do-over", I will call upon other class members to provide peer critiques. Two students will be asked to give a positive comment about the speech and one student will be asked to provide a constructive criticism. Lesson Plans Day 1 Warm-up Exercise: The Penguin; march around the room with large strides and swinging arms Lesson Objectives: Introduce the class verse and explain the importance of public speaking. Discuss a Biblical view of "shyness". Demonstrate how to properly introduce oneself and allow everyone to practice. Demonstrate how to properly approach and exit a platform and allow everyone to practice. Discuss the importance of a peer-critique and give examples. Discuss "vocal clutter" (ummm, and, uhhh, other filler words). Take-home Assignment: Read over the Presidential Trivia paragraphs twice to yourself and once to your family. Become familiar with it, but do not memorize it.* *I've typed out short paragraph excerpts from the book I Grew Up to be President by Laurie Calkhoven. Each excerpt is from the life of a different president and will be assigned to one of the students in the speech class. Day 2 Warm-up Exercise: Tongue twisters Review: how to approach and exit a speaking platform Lesson Objectives: Discuss the appropriate volume for audience size, maintaining eye contact when reading something aloud, and proper pausing during a recitation/reading. Demonstrate a presidential trivia paragraph reading. Allow everyone to have two run-throughs of his/her presidential paragraphs. (Follow mentor/peer critique guidelines.) Day 3 Warm-up Exercise: Play "What's in the box?" (Fill a box with random items from around your house such as a coat hanger, a jump rope, an empty water jug. Call one student at a time to the front to pull one item out of the box. He/she must create an alternative use for the item and use it in a charade-like mini skit. Audience members must correctly guess the new use for the item.) Lesson Objectives: Discuss hand gestures, body language, and improvisation skills. Show an example of a demonstration speech from youtube. Discuss the four main parts of a demonstration speech: introduction, listing of necessary supplies/materials, steps of completion, conclusion. Brainstorm possible demonstration speech topics as a group. Assist the students in choosing a topic. (Speeches should only be 3-5 minutes in length. Chosen topics should be ones that can be demonstrated from start to finish at co-op.) Take-home Assignment: Pass out a 3x5 card to each student. Instruct everyone to write his/her name at the top and his/her demo speech topic. They are to take these cards home and use them to list out all of the necessary materials for their chosen demo topic. Day 4 Warm-up Exercise: Clap/Snap Oral Scattergories (Gather everyone in a large circle. Introduce a topic such as boy's names or animals. Call out a letter and then begin a clap/snap pattern with everyone clapping and snapping in unison. As soon as a rhythm has been established, call on one of the students to start the game. He/she has to say a word that falls under the topic heading and begins with the assigned letter BEFORE one repetition of clap/snap is finished. The play continues until someone is unable to give a word in the allotted time. When this happens, he/she is out and a new topic and letter are chosen. The game continues until all players except one have been eliminated Example: If the topic is boy's names and the letter is B, the students around the circle could call out BRIAN [clap, clap, snap, snap] BRAD [clap, clap, snap, snap] BRENT [clap, clap, snap, snap]... ) Review: The four parts of a demonstration speech. Lesson Objectives: Write out the steps to the demonstration on 3 x 5 cards. Review concepts learned in Day 2. Discuss the logical progression of a speech. Day 5 Warm-up Exercise: Play charades using suggestions from Kid's Charades. Review: the four parts of a demonstration speech Lesson Objectives: Introduce different types of introduction examples. (question, quotation, narrative story, statistic, personal reference, joke, historical or current event reference) Assist the students in brainstorming introductions for their demonstration speeches. Introduce different types of conclusion examples. (question, quotation, strong appeal, inspirational story, joke, summary) Assist the students in brainstorming conclusions for their demonstrations speeches. Take-Home Assignment: Practice your speech a total of 4 times (3 to yourself and once to your family). Day 6 Warm-up Exercise: tongue twisters and body stretches Lesson Objectives: Allow the students to deliver their demonstration speeches. Provide mentor feedback of each and allow for audience feedback from other students.
The Playful Pioneers was the highlight at our homeschool co-op in 2020 when the whole world shut down. While everyone’s life was put on hold we explored the option of implementing a curriculum that would bring us back to the ‘good ole days.` Homeschool mamas go above and beyond to make their homeschool the best they
Welcome! The following is the 12th in a series of 24 lesson plans, Learning the ABC’s through Literature, the 1st year. It was written especially for classroom use within a homeschool co-op, and was designed to teach the alphabet, over the course of a school year, using classic …
From Sherlock to DNA: Studying Forensic Science
