Everyone knows that teaching can be tough.
This website is designed specifically for elementary science teachers.
In elementary science teaching it is often very hard to keep the attention
of students. This site is full of sites with helpful hints that are
sure to up the moral of your young students. Good day and enjoy.
SCIENTIFIC WEB SITES FOR ELEMENTARY SCIENCE TEACHERS
SCIENCE
EXPERIMENTS FOR EVERY AGE:
This site has some experiments designed for all
grades of elementary school. The experiments range from seed
growth to volcanoes and earthquakes.
DR.
KAIN'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL INFORMATION:
Dr. Kain's site is a great source for information.
Unfortunately, most information is for a price. However, this site
offers kits that will could help start an experiment.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF SCIENCE:
This site has links for teachers. These links
are very rich in teaching information. There are many different topics
covered, ranging from curriculums to resources.
THE UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY
SCIENCE SITE:
This site gives great ideas for exciting field trips.
They also have assemblies and workshops.
CEC LESSON PLANNING:
This impressive site is free and easy. It
offers lesson plan ideas for every subject for every grade. It has
over 200 great lesson plan ideas for elementary students.
LIBRARY ARTICLES DESIGNED TO HELP TEACHERS TEACH BETTER
BOOKS AND ARTICLES AND VIDEOS
TITLE
AUTHOR
DESCRIPTION
World's Best Places
Graf, Mike
Classroom exploration of cool geographical places.
Making Science Cool
McCraight-wertz, Jane E. Strategies
for changing students' negative attitudes.
Wonder Science
Delmer Publishers
Gives basic experiments and ideas.
Discovering Elementary Science Tolman, Marvin N.
Gives understanding to methods, contents, and problem solving.
VIDEOS
Implementing the Science fair-
self-help development program-
a guide for parents and teachers Sandia National Laboratories
Provides inspirational ideas for the science fair.
JOURNALS
JOURNAL TITLE
ARTICLE TITLE
DESCRIPTION
Science Activities
Classroom Aids
Large amounts of basic ideas for classroom aids.
Mostly uses previously made programs like
CPB's "Easy Environmental Tips to Save Earth".
Science Activities
Classroom Aids II
Reports on elementary science tools. Includes
posters and other packets of information.
School Science and
Elementary School Chemistry
Describes examples of lesson sequences to
Mathmatics
illustrate how chemical content can be use with
teaching to better the students education.
Journal of Elementary
Science Activities
These articles illistrate many simple activities
Science Education
that can be recreated inside the classroom.
*some miscellaneous Periodical titles include:
Science and Children
Science Scope
WEBSITES FOR SCIENCE FAIR EXPERIMENTS
Any kid could become excited about science when they are introduced to the neat world of science fairs. Here kids gain more than just knowledge by getting to have a hands on relationship with science.
www.parkmaitland.org/sciencefair/index.html
This website is made of many fourth grade science
fair experiments. This site is a very good source for science fair
information. This site also has links to other scientific webpages.
www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/
A great website designed to interest and
educate students. It is also a good site for helping students with
ideas. This site has a large selection of very good links.
www.lkwdpl.org/study/sfair/ideas.htm
Many experimental ideas can be found on this site.
It would be a great place to give a student a good start with links to
starting ideas, science experiments and science clubs.
www.detroit.lib.mi.us/is/science_fair.htm
Just another science fair website. However,
this page is nicely laid out.
WEBSITES FOR SCIENCE MUSEUMS (VAST AMOUNTS OF INFO and IDEAS)
The Franklin Institute of Science-http://sln.fi.edu/
What kid isn't interested in magic? Maybe
this could be your special way to teach science! This site has links
to the wonderful world of illusions. It also gives the opportunity
to buy books and kits.
The technology of this site may allow you to teach
science through the site if your school provided the proper equipment.
This site is full of brain teasers and wonderful
experimental ideas.
The Boston Museum of Science-http://www.mos.org/home.html
This site has cool online exhibits that is
sure to grab any kids imagination.
This site also has museum courses, videos and CD-ROMS,
science kits and science activities.
The Exploritorium: Museum of
Science-http://www.exploratorium.edu/
This site have almost all you could want.
There are numerous site links on this page and many creative areas of field
study. It even has a shop where you could find science kits and cool
idea books. The only thing about this site is that you will have
to search for young peoples' information because it is not separated.
THE DISCOVERY
MUSEUM-http://www.ultranet.com/~discover/index.html
The discovery museum is broken into two parts. The
first is the children's museum and it is located inside of a hundred year
old victorian house. Inside there are ten hands-on rooms where children
can get a close up view of science. One of the rooms is filled with
dinosaur fossils and replicas,while another is filled with water where
children can splash around while doing experiments.
The "Museum" is much larger and filled with more
experiments. Sounds like a really neat place. (NO LINKS TO
COOL STUFF THOUGH)
SCIENCE WORLD-http://www.scienceworld.bc.ca/
This site isn't all that great but it does have a kids section.
It that kids section it has cool links, this is where you can find information
and such.
THE COMPUTER MUSEUM NETWORK-http://www.net.org/index.html
This site has good information and may allow you
to link-up so that with the proper technology you could interact on the
internet.
HANDS ON SCIENCE CENTERS
WORLDWIDE-http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mwm/sci.html
This site has many of the locations of hands-on
science museums form around the world. This is great for finding
museums near your home if you were looking to take a field trip.
PHYSICS MUSEUM
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND-http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/physics_museum
From this site you could get some great ideas and
knowledge. It doesn't have anything like an online store where you
could get the kits. You could download some cool pictures of things
for your students.
MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY-
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/
This site is not designed for young people.
It does have parts that are for the children. In fact, its on-line
downloads are sure to blow your children's minds away. It's probably
the best I've seen yet. It has an absolutely wonderful K-12 resource
area and this leads to many hot links within the museum. These will
lead you to links that are designed to educate anyone, teach resources
and class room exercises. (GREAT SITE)
SITES WITH SIMPLE EASY TO DO IT YOURSELF EXPERIMENTS THAT ARE SURE TO GET KIDS ATTENTION
WEBSITE 1. (DR. Hedgecock ALL OF THESE CAN BE FOUND lower on the
page.)
WATER MAGIC
This experiment involves each student being given
an ice cube in a cup. The students will then be asked what they think
the cube is made of and then they will be asked to put the ice cube in
a glass and observe and record what happens.
AMAZING INSECTS
This experiment involves both the students and the
teacher. The teacher will have to come up with an insect book from
which she will first discuss various insects that are located in the "Insect
Identification Book". The students will present their thoughts on what
insects they think will be found in their immediate area and then they
will try to collect them. This teaches students about information
collecting.
*note that the same experiment could be done for plants also.
This may be safer for the children since some insects can sting.
PEPPERMINT ASSESSMENT
This experiment involves dissolving a peppermint
in different temperature water. This teaches children about science
and about collecting information.
RUNNING SPEEDS
Kids love being outside and running and playing
that is why they will love this. Students first must collect data
on their running speeds. They must then learn the skills of charting
data.
website 1 contents.
Peppermint Assessment
Concept: Students will demonstrate an understanding for the process of observation and prediction.
Materials: Clear plastic cup per student
Bag of hard peppermint candy
Thermometer
per child
Paper
Pencils
Rulers
Access to cold
and hot water
Administrative Procedure: Each student in the classroom will receive the following: 1 plastic cup, 2 peppermints, 1 thermometer, stopwatch, ruler and pencil and paper.
Instruction: For the first part of the test students will be asked to look at and record all observations of the peppermint candy. The students will place the peppermint in 20-degree water as they begin to record the time it takes to dissolve. Students will also record the observations of what is happening. They will repeat with water that is 50 degrees and record their observations. The students will then based on what they observed make a prediction about what will happen to the mint if it is placed in 90-degree water. The students will then place the peppermint in the 90-degree water and they will record the information. The teacher will then discuss what is happening and why.
Amazing Insects
Concept:
Data collection and organization
Learner outcomes:
Students will be able to collect data from the insects they observe
and organize
the data into a table.
Materials:
Clip Boards
Paper and Pencil
Insect Identification Book
Amazing Insects Data Sheet (provided for students)
Class Data Sheet (provided for students)
Exploration
Procedure:
Students and teacher will first discuss various insects that
are located in the Insect Identification Book. The students will present
their thoughts on what insects they think will be found in their immediate
area. (20 minutes)
Students will take clipboard, pencil and paper outside. While outside they will look around for common insects in their area and record the type of bug, characteristics (color, size, etc.), and location. (20 minutes)
When students return to the room they all will be given Amazing Insect Data Sheets to which they will transfer their information. The students will discuss aloud the different insects that they have found, their characteristics and location. All insects found will be recorded by the teacher on an overhead of the Class Data Sheet. (20 minutes)
Questions for the students:
Using the data they have collected and organized and the Bug Identification
Book when needed the students will discuss the following questions. (15
– 20 minutes)
1. What insects that you found are only located in your area, but not
in another part of the world and why?
2. Were there any insects that you found that are found all over the
world?
3. Why do you think that other parts of the world have different insects
then we find in our area?
Assessment
Students will be given characteristics of bus they have listed on their
Class Data Sheet. Students will be asked to identify the bugs and
tell where they might be found. (15 minutes)
Water Magic
Concept:
Data collection
Learner Outcomes:
Students will be able to collect data from observations that show the
different physical forms of water.
Materials:
Small Plastic Cups
Water Source
Rulers
Tea Kettle
Hot Plate
Mirror
Pre- frozen Ice Cubes
Procedure:
Each student will be given an ice cube in a cup. The students
will then be asked what they think that the cube is made of. The
students will then be asked to put the ice cube in a glass and observe
and record what happens. (20 minutes)
After the ice cube has melted the students will discuss the differences between the solid form of water and liquid form of water. The students will record the characteristics of each form. (15 minutes)
The students will now fill teakettles with water and set them on the hot plate. All of the students will be given a mirror. When the water inside the kettle starts to boil the students will hold the mirror over the kettle to see the steam that is escaping from the kettle. (20 minutes)
Questions for better understanding.
1. Why do you think makes the water change forms?
2. Why do think that when the water becomes hot it moves into the air?
3. Why do you think that it is important that boiling water allows
steam to escape? ( 10 minutes)
Application
Students will draw pictures of what they observed the water doing in each form. The students, as a class, will place the data they collected in an organized chart that has been given to them by the teacher. (20 minutes)
Assessment
Students will describe the three physical states of water and tell
how the states differ from each other. (15 minutes)
Running Speeds
Concept:
Data collection and organization
Learner Outcomes:
Students will be able to collect data from the tests they are conducting
and then organize them into a table.
Materials:
Meter Stick
Stop Watch
20 meter in length flat surface
Procedure:
Students will first be divided into groups of three; this will
be done randomly by the teacher. One student will be designated the timekeeper
and the other students will record the time at the finish line. (5
minutes)
Using the meter stick linear distances of 5 meters, 10 meters and 15 meters will be marked off. This can be done in a hallway, playground or any flat surface. (5 minutes)
Students will first make predictions on how long it will take them to run each of these distances. They will also give reasons to their predictions. (15 minutes)
Each student will be given their own time sheet that gives them sufficient space to record their time for each distance. The students will run three trials of each distance to get accurate results. (30 minutes)
Students will then make sure that all of their data has been recorded into the table correctly. (5 minutes)
Questions for the students:
1. Why were some of your times different than what you had predicted?
A-1 Answers will vary.
2. What effects the speed at which each different student runs?
A-2 Answers will vary. Height, weight, how strong a student is,
etc.
3. Is there a chance that your speeds would be different if we did
the same test
tomorrow?
Running Speeds
Part II
Application
The teacher will bring to class a sheet for each
student that will have the averages of all of the students in the class
and their heights. The students will organize a large chart (a replica
of the one they are given without the names) showing the data that they
acquired during these tests, the chart will be organized by heights and
average speeds. When the chart is finished the students will draw
on large white paper a graph that shows the speed of the student in relation
to their height. The graph will be prepared before hand by the teacher.
The students will find their height and speed and place a dot at the appropriate
place. After every student in the class has done this task the teacher
will connect the dots and display the results. (1 hour)
Assessment
Students will be given various data and asked to organize the data
into a graph that will be easy to read. Organize data like with the speeds
before the graph was made. ( 15 minutes)