science
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Friday Freebie – Science Experiment
Happy Friday! That’s about all I have left in me this week, so thank goodness the weekend is here because I am so ready for it! I’ve shared all kinds of science experiments this week, and today’s freebie fits that theme too. This “What Dissolves” science experiment and recording sheet from Science for Kids is another very simple experiment that is perfect for helping children explore basic scientific principles. Go download your set and try it out with your students!
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Easy Science – Frozen Bubbles
I could’ve sworn that I’ve shared this activity before, but when I went back through the archives to look for the photos I couldn’t find the post anywhere – which means I need to share it with you! Have you ever attempted frozen bubbles?! This is an activity that I have put on my lesson plan every year since I started teaching, but the weather really has to cooperate, so I’ve only been able to try it once, but it worked like a charm! All it takes to make frozen bubbles are bubble solution and a very cold day. First, a note about the bubble solution. I’ve always loved Dawn…
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Easy Science – What will freeze?
This week is all about my love for simple science experiments. This time of year lends itself perfectly to all kinds of ice experiments because they are relevant – nature is certainly making ice, so why not explore it? One way to go beyond just exploring ice is to look at all kinds of everyday items – both liquid and solid – to see which ones will freeze and which ones will not. This experiment will give your students the opportunity to make hypotheses, you can ask them which items they think will freeze before attempting. Here are some items that you probably already have that you can experiment with:…
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Easy Science – Exploring Sugar Crystals
My Favorite science experiments are often the simplest, like the opportunity to get a close look at sugar crystals. These easy experiments are a first opportunity to ask questions and try new things with materials that are familiar and safe. Sugar offers a couple of opportunities. The first being the chance to explore crystals. If you place a small amount of sugar on top of a dark piece of construction paper or cardstock, it is easy to see each individual crystal with your bare eyes. This is also a great time to practice using a magnifying glass to get a better look. Some things that you can ask the children…
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An Easy Fall Science Center
Fall is the perfect time of year to explore science – there are so many changes happening! It’s also really easy to find natural materials to use in the classroom (check out this list and this list for ideas), but sometimes I struggle with how to contain all of those natural materials. No more worries, I’ve found the perfect solution: How awesome are these leaf-shaped containers from Oriental Trading (of course) ?! I filled mine with tree bark, grass, pebbles, twigs, some small red leaves, and one larger green leaf. The best thing about this set is that it includes 24 containers, so your students could help you find all…
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Friday Freebie – Cloud Hunt
Happy Friday – don’t you just love a short week, it seems to fly by! I’ve got a great freebie for you today, it fits right in with the cloud conversation that we’ve been having all week. This Cloud Hunt Bingo from Green Grubs Garden Club is AWESOME. The children are given different themes (i.e. find a cloud that looks like something from the ocean, find a cloud that looks like something that starts with a T, etc.) and then they have to see if they can write or draw the clouds that they see. I love that it’s a fun take on looking for shapes in the clouds, and…
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Cloud art!
When it comes to art, I believe in giving children the materials and letting them do their thing. This is especially true if an art project also happens to be related to the project that we’ve been working on because I want them to have the opportunity to express their own understanding of the topic. I try to anticipate the materials that they will want, and I will often ask them to help me create a list a couple of days before we do the project so that I can make sure I have the items that they want or need. Here are some of the things that I collected…
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Ideas for observing clouds
Yesterday I shared some questions to ask that might inspire a cloud investigation. Today I wanted to share a couple of ways that you can have the children document their observations. I should start with this warning: you can’t really put these activities on your lesson plan because you have to wait for a day when you actually have clouds to observe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve planned this activity and there were no clouds in the sky, or the opposite happened and the sky was covered by one great big cloud, which makes it difficult to observe. Just take my word for it and let this…
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Questions to ask about clouds
I am not going to complain about the beautiful summer-like weather we’ve been having lately! It’s made me want to spend every waking minute outside – which has resulted in a lovely sunburn, but that’s not the point. I wanted to share one of my favorite activities that you can do with any of the children that you happen to be around this summer, while squeezing in some extra outside time. I love to explore the clouds, but I don’t really take a traditional approach to learning about clouds. I don’t teach the children the proper names for different types of clouds, and while I might do some experimenting with…
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Art that is actually science
Since I’m talking about using food coloring as an art supply this week, I really wanted to share a food coloring tie dye activity – but then I tried it myself and it was an absolute disaster. I’m currently trying to bleach the dye out of some white shirts that weren’t supposed to be dyed… Since I can’t very well recommend that activity, I thought I’d share one that I know is a tried and true hit. This one has been seen all over the internet, so I definitely can’t claim the idea – nor would I try to – but I can show you some really great pictures of…
