Nocturnal Animals and Their Five Senses (Lesson Plan 10)

www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7843/preview/


This lesson geared toward 3 to 6 year olds aims to teach the 5 senses by exploring how nocturnal animals use their senses in the Cat in the Hat book, I Love the Nightlife by Tish Rabe!

I think this literacy connection is a great way to introduce the lesson for such young children because the story and pictures will engage them and give them something to refer back to when examining how they use their own 5 senses. The lesson also involves the teacher cutting fruit for the class to share...they will listen to the sound the fruit makes as they watch the teacher cut it, feel and smell their own piece of fruit, and lastly, taste the fruit as they eat it!

Introducing Physical Science (Lesson Plan 9)

www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/introduction-to-physical-science.cfm

Elementary school isn't too early to start talking about physics! With this plan, students can begin to explore  motion, force, and Newton's Laws. It engages students kinesthetically with a game of marbles so that they can see the law of motion in action as they play. After the game, the class will discuss what laws of motion they witnessed.

Be a Weather Forecaster! (Lesson Plan 8)

www.oar.noaa.gov/k12/pdfs/forsall.pdf

This lesson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration let's kids take on the role of weather forecaster, to find out how the weather can really be predicted, and in what ways data is gathered to make those predictions.

The lesson has data collection sheets for students to use with the administration's website. If I were doing the lesson, I would also try to allow time for students to go outside and write down their observations about the weather.

Animal Instincts (Lesson Plan 7)

www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/animal-instincts.cfm

In this lesson, children will learn the difference between instinct and learned behavior, as well as the connection between animals' environment and behavior--two things which I think children are interested in but that we really talk about with them. The bulk of the lesson has students researching different animals and keeping logs of their behaviors, but for younger children, they offer the adaptation of coming up with a class list of behaviors for different animals and discussing how those behaviors are helpful to survival.

Sewer Bugs (Lesson Plan 6)

www.crystalballscience.com/images/lessons/Sewer%20Bugs.pdf

This lesson plan about density immediately caught my eye because I can remember a student teacher presenting it when I was in 6th grade. It involves dropping raisins into soda and watching them sink and pop up due to their changing density when the carbonated bubbles attach to the wrinkles in the raisins. The hook is, you don't refer to them as raisins, you call them sewer bugs. Ew! Children will be dying to know what they are looking at and why they are seeing what they are seeing. They'll be especially blown away when you reach into the soda and pull out one of the "bugs" and eat it!

You are Unique: A Genetics Lesson (Lesson Plan 5)

www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/genetics.html

Who knew students in the early elementary grades could do a lesson in genetics! This lesson plan makes it possible with a graphic organizer, vocabulary list, and ideas to extend the idea of genes and our different inherited traits. I would love to use this lesson to start a discussion about how everyone is different and how we should celebrate those differences. Name-calling and making-fun is often an issue in elementary school, so this lesson could be a great way to talk about accepting all of our differences as humans.

Going Green-house (Lesson Plan 4)

www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/energy/greenhouse.html

In today's world of panic over climate change, kids are probably bombarded with phrases like "going green," and the "green house effect," but do they really know what these terms mean? Here is a way to make a mini-example of what is going on with the earth, in any kindergarten through fourth grade  classroom (I think the idea may be too abstract for preschoolers).

Ice Cream Science (Lesson Plan 3)

www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/other/una2.html

This lesson is sure to be a classroom favorite. It helps hone observation skills while taking a look at the chemistry involved in certain cooking reactions, specifically ice cream.

It also has students practicing the science process skills and observing the properties of water and how they change. I think with varying degrees of adult help, this lesson can be modified to fit any grade from 1 to 4.

Exploring Climate Change (Lesson Plan 2)

www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/6800/preview/

This lesson about arctic animals and climate change would work well for children in grades 2 through 4 who are practicing researching and writing because it employs different graphic organizers and methods of collecting information like a KWL chart.

It also has children watching videos online of real wildlife, a great way to bring the real world of nature into the classroom and to incorporate technology.

Bringing Science Outside: Gardening with Children (Good Read 10)

www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/Gardening.pdf

There are many benefits to bringing children outdoors; they can observe nature, look for wildlife, and see  life and environmental science in its original form. However, I can imagine that bringing twenty some 7 year olds outside on nice day could be a bit chaotic, or get confused with recess, so this article offers several tips to make sure outdoor activities run smoothly.

One way to give young children a purpose outside for connecting with nature outside is to plant a garden. Student can participate in preparing the area, planting seeds, and harvesting and tending to the garden. As they do, they will observe many aspects of nature and learn what all plants need to grow and thrive. They will be doing something with real, purposeful results, and get to make science connections the entire way. 

Thrifty Science (Good Read 9)

www.naeyc.org/tyc/files/tyc/file/V4N5/Thrift%20Shop%20Finds%201011.pdf

This article doesn't relate exclusively to science, but since I have a natural love of thrift store shopping, it caught my eye. The author says that for just a few bucks at thrift stores, she was able to purchase measuring spoons and cups, cylinders and tubbing, magnets, seashells, rubber snakes and reptiles, garden tools, and binoculars, all which could be used by the children at school to enhance their experience with the sciences. The items were new and exciting when she brought them in, they were able to be applied to the science lessons she was teaching about wildlife and the outdoors, and they only cost a couple of bucks at thrift stores.

Getting Science in the Air in Early Childhood Classrooms! (Good Read 8)

www.naeyc.org/tyc/files/tyc/file/V4N5/Science%20in%20the%20Air.pdf

This article from NAEYC is all about creating the right kind of classroom environment, routine, and practices that encourage children to think about science. Since science is really a part of our everyday lives, there are plenty of opportunities to bring it into the classroom, but teachers need to be active facilitators, asking open-ended questions, using science vocabulary, and building on children's natural curiosity.

Using Movement to Foster Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (Good Read 7)

www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201109/Moving%20Bodies_Russo_Marigliano_Online_0911.pdf

I recently started working in a preschool classroom and it is amazing how much those kids like to move! They seem to have energy in leaps and bounds and love exploring and learning through movement. I think preschool teachers should take advantage of that energy in every way possible and this article talks about how skills important to science like critical thinking and problems solving can actually be fostered through the use of creative movement.

Teaching Science Process Skills (Good Read 6)

www.scienceinschool.org/2006/issue1/play

This article discusses the importance of play in teaching science process skills. They explain how inquiry can be the most appealing aspect of science for young children and that being able to use their imagination can allow them to carry out the abstract processes needed for success with science. They also suggest several activities to do with children to engage the process of inquiry in science, like creating triangular arrays with bottle caps and looking for patterns.

A New Way to Teach Science? (Good Read 5)

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120405131435.htm

This article from Science Daily reports that a new study out of The University of Michigan has concluded that U.S. schools need to change the way they teach science in order for students to improve. Instead of teaching the sciences as isolated disciplines, and having students memorize longs lists of facts, teachers need to help students build understanding within and between the subjects, and encourage students to ask questions like, "What are things made of? "How do systems interact?" and "How do things change?" I think this is a good idea for all students, but especially for students in the elementary grades because it is more developmentally appropriate for young children to experiment and question, and think of different subjects making up an interrelated whole, rather than to sit and memorize seemingly unrelated facts.

A Good Read for Parents (Good Read 4)

sciencewithme.com/10-tips-for-teaching-kids-science/

This is an article that I might recomend the parents of the children in my class read. It has 10 tips for teaching science at home, like creating a science kit, having a science word of the day, and making time to go outside and experience nature.

After School Program Brings Science to Kids (Good Read 3)

www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-west/labratz-teaches-science-after-school-in-cornell-630026/?p=2

This school in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania takes part in an afters chool science program run by a private company called LabRatz. LabRatz also works with area homeless shelters and day camps during the summer months, but for this school, it is a great way to expose kids to science that they wouldn't ordinarily have time for during the regular school day. I think all schools should consider implementing a program like LabRatz.

Getting Kids to Go Green (Good Read 2)

moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/20/6502850-tips-for-going-green-with-kids

This article and video has tips for incorporating environmentally friendly practices in the classroom and inspiring children to save the planet. Everyone knows we all need to make major changes soon to prevent drastic changes to the planet, and this article offers some developmentally appropriate ways to bring these ideas into the classroom.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Bus-Sized Dinosaurs as Fuzzy as Chicks (Good Read 1)

www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/science/dinosaur-dig-in-china-turns-up-largest-known-feathered-animal.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1333767943-+/JS/NAoXTil+X7iEgBvXw#

I just happened to glance at this article on the homepage of The New York Times and after reading realized  it could probably be discussed in some 3rd or 4th grade classrooms. The article explains how recently one of the largest species of dinosaurs was found to have been covered in feathers! The wordiness of the article probably wouldn't be appropriate for most children to read on their own, but it would be a great discussion topic or introduction to a unit on dinosaurs. I believe that for learning to be engaging and meaningful for students, it has be current and applicable to the real world. The fact that real-life scientist are just discovering this information would be exciting for children!

Discovery Kids (Blog/Website 10)

kids.discovery.com

Discovery kids is a website I definitely see myself using in the classroom in the future. My favorite feature is the "Curiosity Corner" which answers questions like, "Is the world too crowded?" "Why do we need trees?" and "Are bats really blind?" These brief but thorough explanations would be great introductions to lessons, or just a really easy way to include reading and writing about content in the classroom. When children are learning about something that's actually interesting to them, they are more likely to work harder and improve their skills needed to use the information.

National Geographic Kids (Blog/Website 9)

kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

I think this website could come in handy when planning all kinds of science lessons in the elementary classroom. Not only does the site contain highly informative pictures and texts, there are also ideas for crafts, recipes, and science experiments. There are also plenty of video clips that would work great as attention grabbers to introduce new science concepts.

Mrs. McDonald's 4th Grade (Blog/Website 8)

This blog from a 4th grade teacher is divided into tabs for the different subject areas and the science tab is loaded with useful games, videos, and activities for teaching 4th grade science! States of matter, types of energy, magnets, weather, and the water cycle are just some of the 4th grade science units that Mrs. McDonald as provided resources for.

Little Miss Hypothesis (Blog/Website 7)

littlemisshypothesis.blogspot.com/

This blog is full of great resources: Advice for aquariums in the classroom, how to make "Earth Day Hats," hand-washing lessons, unit ideas for the five senses, and much much more. I especially liked how each post was specific about what grade it was geared for.

Science Fun Online! (Blog/Website 6)

www.omsi.edu/for-kids

This website offers instructions for many science related activities, including how to make your own flubber!

It also has links to different live camera footage of things like real lab rats, and an infrared camera view of locations in Portland, Oregan.

Teaching Blog Addict (Blog/Website 5)

www.teachingblogaddict.com/search/label/Science

The posts in the science section of this blog include ideas for lessons and downloadable data collecting sheets on a topics like weather, animals, and the scientific method for students.

Internet 4 Classrooms (Blog/Website 4)

www.internet4classrooms.com/science_elem.htm

This website offers technology based activities for a wide variety of elementary science topics. From animals to weather, this website has games and links to online resources for a plethora of science lessons in the elementary school.

The National Science Teachers Association Early Years Blog (Blog/Website 3)

nstacommunities.org/blog/category/earlyyears/

This blog is a great resource from The National Science Teachers Association. Its posts cover topics like integrating science into other curricular areas, involving parents and family in science with their children, and fitting scientific exploration into the daily classroom routine.

NASA Kids (Blog/Website 2)

www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/index.html

This website is awesome! It has interactive games, ideas for lessons, and videos about all sorts of topics, some featuring NASA astronauts themselves talking about science.

Crystal Ball Science (Blog/Website 1)

www.crystalballscience.com/
This website is a great resource for teachers of elementary school science. It has links to helpful sites, graphic organizers to help with lessons, and several PDFs of actual  interactive lesson plans for kids. Most of them seemed to be geared toward about the 4th or 5th grade, but could be adapted for the younger grades with some minor adjustments, like changing the vocabulary, and using a teacher-model presentation style for the experiments before having students conduct the experiments on their own.