Great Scientific Reads!

 

1.       Through the Milky Way on a PB&J By: James McDonald

This book is about the journey that two children take through the solar system. It is useful to introduce planetary science and for children to get a larger picture of our galaxy as a whole. The book includes great pictures and valuable information about planets. Children will enjoy this book at any age.

 

 

2.       How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning By: Rosalyn Schanzer

How did Ben Franklin steal lightning? This book brings to life a colonial and scientific concept of electricity. Children will learn about the famous innovator of light through a colorful book full of entertaining text and concepts that are applicable to the world, even today.

 

3.       Michael Recycle By: Ellie Bethel

This entertaining story is about the polluted town of Aberdoo Rimey, where garbage was left to grow rotten and slimy. But not to fear, Michael Recycle helps save the day by cleaning up the town using a few techniques. A great introduction to concepts of reducing, reusing, and recycling, this short tale is great for second grade and up.

 

4.       Polliwog By: Tammy Carter Bronson

A bilingual picture book, this engaging account of Polliwog’s growth into a frog and the challenges she must face. This book introduces concepts of reproduction, growth, amphibians and pond life, and other life processes. This book is a scientific treasure for children because it includes lovely pictures to illustrate the process of Polliwog becoming a frog.

 

5.       The Cloud Book By: Tomie dePaola

What types of clouds are you familiar with? This book details the basic types of clouds in the sky in a kid-friendly manner. This book introduces weather patterns, earth science, and the structure and cloud observations. Students will really enjoy learning about clouds and making their own observations.

 

6.       Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird By: Stephanie Spinner.

This is the amazing story of ALEX (Avian Learning EXperiment) originally conducted by Irene Pepperberg in the 1970s. Disproving the theory that the bigger the brain, the smarter the creature, Alex outshined his other neighboring bigger brained species with his knowledge in various areas and ability to learn quickly. Children will learn to respect animals’ intelligence.

 

7.       Faces From the Past By: James M. Deem.

Have you ever wondered how humans migrated to North America? Children will learn about our changing facial structures overtime, nomadic behaviors, and what happens to skeletons and bones over time. This book introduces historical and scientific concepts simultaneously.  This book is great for whole group reading with third or fourth grade.

 

8.       Waiting for Ice. By: Sandra Markle.

This picturesque book is about a cub that loses his Mother and his path. He must try to find food for himself, despite the rising global temperature and the struggles that ensue. Kids of all ages will enjoy this great read.

 

9.       Track that Scat! By: Lisa Morlock.

We all know how much children enjoy learning about scat! This book offers readers the chance to take a look at the different types of scat as Finn and Skeeter take a hike and examine different specimens. Children love to try these types of explorations!

10.   The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind By: William Kamkwamba.

After a drought, crops begin to stop growing in a Malawi village. Read this beautifully illustrated book about a young boy who has the will to build a wind mill to save the town. This book introduces knowledge about the elements, what plants need to grow, and electricity.

 

Science Activities for Children

http://www.jumpstart.com/parents/activities/science-activities

The JumpStart website contains various science activities for children to try at home! Grouped by age group and concept area, this website details age appropriate science activities.  Along with activities, this website offers further helpful activities and resources for parents. It even provides educational online games and mobile apps to try!

 

http://www.kidpointz.com/kids-activities/science-activities

The KidPointz website includes a variety of safe and easy scientific activities for children to try at home. These activities foster a lifelong love of science and discovery. The experiments are hands on and create an atmosphere of inquiry.

 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/section.cfm?id=bring-science-home

Scientific American offers fun science related activities for children to try at home. Organized in a user friendly format, parents and children can select any activity to try from the list. The materials list and background information is included with each activity to make directions easy to follow.

 

http://www.billnye.com/for-kids-teachers/home-demos/

Who doesn’t love Bill Nye the Science Guy?? His website is packed with activities for parents and children to try at home, organized into three general categories: life science, physical science, and planetary science. Learn about nerves, what makes something float, or the moon! The activities are endless.

 

http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2011/09/more-science-at-home.html

Dinosaur excavations and hot lava volcanoes! This website offers exciting activities for families to try at home. From toddlers to elementary aged children, they will be amazed by these simple experiments! These activities provide a great opportunity to build relationships, ask questions and find answers!

 

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/funscience/

This national geographic website is comprised of numerous activities children can try at home. Check it out! Create a motion ocean, or a groovy lava lamp! The scientific opportunities are boundless.  

 

http://pinterest.com/craftymischief/kid-stuff-science-experiments/

Pinterest is home to limitless activities. By searching science experiments, all sorts of ideas come to light on this page. From Jell-O to dry ice to homemade bouncing balls, you and your small scientist will never grow bored! Surf around the website to explore more.

 

http://kids.discovery.com/activities/science-experiments

Discovery Kids will help you learn how to light up Lifesavers and turn milk into rubber! Try some of these experiments at home to enhance science experiences. What about fungi? Rock candy? Acid rain? Explore them all!

 

http://www.babble.com/crafts-activities/25-at-home-science-experiments/

Courtesy of Disney, this Babble blog contains twenty five interesting and exciting scientific ideas to try at home with your young one. Try one each day! Even you will be amazed by some of these experiments.

 

http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_experiments/index.html

From wind speed to putty, mummies to genetics, this scientific website has it all! Try some of these experiments at home to enhance scientific discovery opportunities. You will be amazed at your child’s discoveries! Foster a love for science early!

 

http://www.funology.com/science-experiments/

Create your own Jurassic Park! Make gumdrop architecture! This website contains thrilling scientific ideas to try at home. What will you learn today?

Science Lesson Plans

http://www.pbs.org/parents/eekoworld/lessonsk_1.html

This lesson is great for kindergarten aged children and up! Students will compare and contrast the amount of waste that humans create on a daily basis while simultaneously learning about recycling. This lesson is great because it provides an early foundation for environmental awareness. We are always striving to make our children more environmentally conscious and better consumers! From popcorn to soda bottles, students will enjoy exploring the themes of recycling, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”!

http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/parents_educators/animals_have_feelings_too_lesson_plan.pdf

Animals Have Feelings, Too! This lesson, sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States introduces children to humanity and our responsibility to respect animals and nature. Great for preschool and kindergarten, this lesson entails reviewing empathy and reverence for all types of organisms on Earth, which is vital to creating compassionate citizens. In this lesson, children will read books, prepare finger puppets, sing, explore and share feelings on a chart. It is important for children to learn how to respect other forms of life on Earth at an early age. Animals and creatures of all kinds deserve our respect and we must remind children of their duty to respect others.

http://education.usgs.gov/lessons/schoolyard/RockActivity.html

Have you ever wondered about a rock’s properties? Find answers in the exploration included in this exciting lesson plan about geological rock properties. By simply stepping outside, a world of experiments awaits! Rocks and chemical properties like rust are found almost everywhere. In this lesson, students will answer the question, “What is this rock’s story?” What is evident based on the sediment found within each individual rock? Introduce great vocabulary words like ‘conglomerate’ and ‘boulder’. This lesson is perfect for a second or third grader, but can be modified for kindergarten or first grade!

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/bugconnection/teaching/A-Z%204-5.pdf

Perfect for fourth grade, this lesson is all about INSECTS!! By incorporating technology, students will be able to research and discover etymological science. This lesson is an ideal literacy review, specifically rehearsing the alphabet because students will be finding an insect type for each letter. Students will compare common and scientific names, explore the similarities and differences between bugs, and begin arranging Kingdoms, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.

http://smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/journals/smithsonian_siyc_fall06.pdf

Do you know how important keeping a nature journal is? Some of the greatest advances in science were due to the careful notations of observers of nature. In this lesson, the Smithsonian Institute walks students through an overview of the importance of nature journaling, an introduction to zoology, a helpful discussion on some early examples of nature journals, and details on different types of birds. The lesson provides a beautiful template for children to begin their note taking and observations. This lesson is intended for third or fourth graders, but could be adapted for first or second.

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/how_things_fly/lesson2_main.html

How do things fly? This lesson details how creatures fly and explores velocity and things speeding up and slowing down. Ideal for first and second grade, students can explore two activities involving balloons, string, cookie sheets, and a sink or a tub. How does water change? Students will gain an understanding of the properties of air and water and how they function together to serve our world.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/lessonplans/biology/growaplant.html

Grow your own plant! This lesson plan provides an important exploration of how plants grow and how living things survive. Perfect for pre K-4^th grade, children will enjoy watching their plants grow and begin to understanding how variables effect the growth.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/lessonplans/biology/brain.html

How does your brain work? How does your body respond to movement and different situations? Students will learn fast facts about their brain, body, and motion. Using paper clips and partners, students will explore their senses and where our bodies are sensitive to touch. Students can also explore how the human brain is different from other species brains. This lesson plan is useful for second grade through fourth grade.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/lessonplans/biology/rottingfood.html

Why does food rot? What happens when you forget to empty your lunch box? Students will explore bacteria, fungi, and variables that make food rot. Students will be experimenting with a moldy piece of bread, examining it under a microscope. How does the mold grow? What kind of observations can we make about the mold? This lesson is intended for second through fourth grade.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/lessonplans/chemistry/makeglue.html

How is glue made? This lesson explores the properties of glue, how it was used in history, and what materials it takes to create the sticky substance. This lesson is great for a whole group demonstration, as it requires the teacher or a responsible adult to heat milk in a beaker and add ammonia. Students can test homemade glue to regular glue, and experiment with which one works better and what the similarities and difference are. Ideal for third or fourth grade, students can use their observations to draw conclusions about glue.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/lessonplans/water/colderthanice.html

Does salt have an effect the temperature of cold water? Students will explore the properties of ice, water, and salt in this lesson. Through making observations, students in first through fourth grade could measure temperature and practice using a thermometer. It is important for children to have awareness of temperature in order to understand why certain seasons are cooler compared to others.  

Discovery Box: Remains of Living Things—Investigating Fossils and Animal Tracks

 

I created this science discovery box for my science methods class. Below, you will find photos of materials to include in your box and a brief explanation of how to use them in activities. All the materials can be compiled together to create a discovery box for students. The activities that I included in my discovery box are:

1. "Make Your Own Fossil!" Students will use plaster of Paris and shells or other items.
2. "Archaeologist Exploration!" Students will use a sandbox to uncover hidden items with a hand brush like archaeologists do and make recordings about their findings.
3. "Which Animal Made That Print?" Students will go outside and explore using a clipboard to record their observations. Can you find an animal track outside? What kind of animal made the track?
4. "Sandbox Footprints!" Students will use a sandbox to make footprints. They will compare their footprints, or "track", to animals and to their classmates. How are they the same? How are they different?

By incorporating hands on activities, students will be more motivated and engaged while they learn.
I chose three books for my discovery box books to enhance students' experiences and engage background knowledge. A literature connection provides a foundation for children to begin their investigations, activities, and learning.  

What Kind of Living Thing Is It? By: Bobbie Kalman introduces the concept of living versus nonliving things. Students will benefit from a review of the difference between living and nonliving things.

 

Fossils Tell of Long Ago By: Aliki is a great introduction to fossils and how they occur naturally in the environment.

Big Tracks, Little Tracks: Following Animal Prints By: Millicent E. Selsam introduces the theme of the entire discovery box. Students will enjoy learning about animal prints and why they differ in size and shape.

 

Additional Discovery Box Materials:

 

A makeshift sandbox and water: Students will be able to make a copy of their own “track” footprint and compare their own footprint to their classmates. Water will dampen the sand to make a better footprint. Students can explore how their own footprint is different from an animal’s track.  

 

A hand brush: On a different day with a dry sandbox and a hand brush, students can pretend to be archaeologists. Items like shells or rocks could be hidden in the sand and students would explore what they find in the sandbox, make a drawing and make notations and recordings like real archaeologists on a recording sheet.

 

A clipboard: Students can explore outside to see if they can find their own animal tracks. When they find an animal track, they can take notes on a clipboard and make a book about their observations and findings Just like Charles Darwin, children could make a nature journal to share with the class. Animal tracks are all over and with careful observations, children will be able to decipher the different tracks and learn a lot about the environment and different animals’ habits.

 

Fossil Specimens: Students will really enjoy learning about how living things create fossils and leave them for later generation’s discovery. Students can touch, smell, and look at the fossils to engage their sensory learning.

 

Plaster of Paris and Shells: Students can create their own fossils using plaster of Paris! Using shells or other items, students can experiment with creating their own fossil and reviewing the process of how fossils are created naturally in our environment.

An animal tracks sheet: This sheet displays different types of animal tracks. Children can refer to this chart as they begin their exploration outside to find animal tracks.