Science Lesson Plans

These lesson plans and activities are great for teaching children about science in a fun and engaging way!

Solar System Lesson Plan: This lesson is valuable to teach students in grades 3-5 about the solar system using the inquiry approach. The lesson will teach students about the object in space, the size of each planet, the vastness of space, and other important aspects of the solar system. By the end of the lesson, students will complete research to find interesting facts about the solar system and design a poster that compares two aspects of the solar system.

Constellation Lesson Plan: The objective for this lesson is for students to be able to locate and identify major constellations. The lesson would begin with a discussion about constellations while using a star chart as a reference. The students will then use the star charts to create the constellation patterns in the bottom of clean, empty soda cans that they can look through to find the constellations in the sky. 

Invisible Ink Activity: This activity can be used by students at any age with the help of a parent or teacher. Students can write or draw a message using the invisible ink, and with help, heat the paper to make the message appear. This activity can be used to introduce children to the idea of chemical reactions in a fun and exciting way.

Life Cycles Lesson Plan: This lesson is designed to help students in grades 1-4 understand about life cycles of both plants and animals. The lesson should begin with a trip to a place where students can observe both a young and adult animal (for example, a tadpole and a frog) if possible, as well as plants at varying stages (for example, a pine cone and a pine tree). Students will use this first-hand knowledge to be able to share their findings with other students and learn to identify the stages of life cycles. 

Effects of Mulch Type on Plant Growth Lesson Plan: This hands-on lesson is designed to last at least a week. Students will be given a plant of the same type, and be able to choose between different types of mulch. As a class, determine a hypothesis for the experiment. Students will measure their plants and create individual graphs of the growth. At the end of the allotted experiment time, the results can be compared as a class to decide which type of mulch led to the greatest and least plant growth. 

Fireworks Activity: This activity uses water, cooking oil, and food coloring to create "fireworks" in a jar. This activity will mesmerize young children, and children can hypothesize about why this event occurs. 

Bird Beaks Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students will explore how different types of beaks help birds to find food and survive. Students will begin by exploring and observing different birds. They will then complete an activity using "beaks" such as tweezers and chopsticks to try to pick up different types of "food," such as glass marbles or toothpicks. Students will record, graph, and analyze the results of the activity to help understanding of how bird beaks have a role in the diets of different bird species. 

The Power of Magnetism Lesson Plan: This lesson allows students to experiment with magnets to discover what types of objects are magnetic and which are not. Students will learn about attraction and repulsion through hands-on learning and make predictions about how objects will interact with magnets. Students will also gain knowledge on the idea that magnets have separate poles.

Camouflage Lesson Plan: In this lesson designed for early elementary students, students will learn about what camouflage is and how it helps animals. The lesson will begin by scattering different colored toothpicks outside and allowing students a few minutes to find them, followed by a discussion on why the students found fewer green toothpicks. Students will then compare how a cutout of a polar bear can be seen against a white paper background and a colored background, and discuss how this helps polar bears in their typical environment. 

Absorption Activity: This activity is designed for younger children to learn about object absorption. Different objects can be placed in an ice cube tray, and children can be given a water dropper along with a cup of water. Children can transfer the water slowly to determine which objects can absorb water and which objects do not.

Science Websites and Blogs

These websites and blogs provide a variety of fun and interesting science activities for children!

ScienceBob Experiments:

 Children can use this website to explore many fun and interesting science experiments that can easily be completed at home, such as creating color changing liquid, a film canister rocket, and creating lava in a cup. The individual experiments provide a list of materials needed, what to do, and the reasons behind why the experiments work. This website can be easily used and navigated.

Science Monster Website:

This website explores science topics including astronomy, earth science, life science, physical science, and technology. This website contains many facts and statistics, as well as activities and games. One really interesting feature on this website is the option to enter your weight to find out how much you would weigh on other planets!

National Geographic Science Experiments:
This website provides a variety of science experiments, such as balancing eggs and creating "fizzy fun." The experiments have easy to read materials lists, directions, and explanations of the experiments. These experiments could easily be completed by elementary aged children at home with the assistance of an adult.

Science Kids Website:
Children can explore many different science related activities using this website. Children can explore science content based on topic, or explore the many other resources available. There are a variety of experiments, games, videos, pictures, and longer-term projects available. Children can use this website to explore specific interests, or find and explore new interests. There is a lot of information that can be discovered by using this website.

PBS Kids: Zoom Activities: 
This website contains science-related activities for children from the television show Zoom. The activities are separated into categories such as chemistry, engineering, and life sciences, so the activities can easily be explored by the areas of science they focus on. A list of necessary materials and directions are included, as well as results that were sent in by other children who have completed the experiments. This allows you to see how the experiment turned out for others before attempting it, which can be helpful for parents and children alike.

The Weather Channel Kids Website:
In this website for children created by The Weather Channel, children can explore a variety of weather related activities. This website contains both resources for teachers and parents, as well as fun games and videos. There is also a section on the climate that children interesting facts, activities, and information on the climate, global warming, and ways to go green.

Discovery Kids Website:
This website contains a variety of different science activities that are great for children. There are facts and information, games, puzzles, experiments, and other activities available on a wide variety of science related topics. There are also crafts and quizzes available. 

Weather Wiz Kids Website:
Created by a meteorologist, this website contains information on many different weather topics. In addition to the information written for children to understand, the website also contains lesson plans for teachers, activities, experiments, and games. There are many resources on this website that are useful in teaching children about the many different weather topics and questions that they may be interested in.

 

NASA for Kids Website:

This website contains interesting information, such as current NASA missions and Mars explorations. The website also has a variety of games, videos, and pictures for children to explore of space and space missions.

Brain Pop Jr: Science Website:
Although this website requires a paid subscription, it is a wonderful resource for educators. This website includes interactive and interesting videos, quizzes, and lesson ideas. These videos explore a variety of science related topics that are taught about in elementary school. There are some resources available for free, along with a free trial that is available before paying for a subscription.

Science Books for Children

These books are all great for teaching children about different topics related to science!

What Is the World Made Of? by Kathleen Zoehfeld

This book introduces children to the idea of solids, liquids, and gases in an easily understandable manner. Children will likely also find this book to be funny and entertaining, as it answers questions such as why children cannot walk through walls and have never drank a glass of blocks.

The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn Branley

This book helps to teach children about the changes of the moon. The book shows pictures along with corresponding names of the different phases of the moon, and explains why these phases occur. Parents and children could use this book as a reference to find the current phase of the moon as well!

Shapes in the Sky by Josepha Sherman

This book is written to help young readers learn about the different types of clouds. This book shows pictures along with the names of clouds and can be used by children to identify the types of clouds that they see in the sky.

 

What is a Scientist? by Barbara Lehn

This book answers the question of "what is a scientist?" in terms that are easy for children to understand. This book shows children being scientists, which helps to provide the message that all children can be scientists as well. 

Will it Float or Sink? by Melissa Stewart

This book provides real pictures and simple text to describe a variety of objects that will float or sink in water, such as boats, rocks, and a variety of liquids.

The Reasons for Seasons by Gail Gibbons

This book is written using simple text to explain the concept why there are different seasons. This book touches on the topics of equinoxes and solstices, as well as how the seasons are caused by the tilt and orbit of the Earth.

Science Kids: Weather by Caroline Harris

This book explains the reasons for different types of weather in simple terms for children to understand. This book also includes a few different weather-related activities that children could complete as well.

Is It Living or Nonliving? by Rebecca Rissman

This book is a great introduction to the concept of living and nonliving things. The book describes the characteristics of living and nonliving objects, and it also provides a few questions that children can ask to determine if something is living or nonliving.

Rocks: Hard, Smooth, Soft, and Rough by Natalie Rosinsky

This book describes the characteristics of different types of rocks and how they are formed. This book would be useful as an introduction to a unit on rocks, or to identify rocks that the children have found.

Composting: Nature's Recyclers by Robin Koontz

This book helps to explain the topic of compost to children. This book includes information about items that can be turned into compost, how to create compost, and how you can use compost at home. This book helps to illustrate a concept that many children are unfamiliar with.

All images from google.com

Plant Discovery Box

The purpose of this discovery box is to help students explore and learn more about the different components of a plant.

 These are the three books that I have chosen to include in this discovery box.

From Seed to Plant by Allan Fowler helps to provide students with vocabulary about plants, along with both real life and drawn pictures of the different plant parts. From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons provides information about the plant life cycle in simple terms for children. Eyewitness Books: Plant provides students with more in-depth vocabulary and plant information. These books can be used to help build knowledge of plants and to help students complete the activites in the discovery box.

Activity One: Plant Parts Matching Game
 

 The first activity I would include in this discovery box would be a matching game based off of the parts of plants. The students would be able to use the books as guidance to help them match the plant parts if needed. I would also include other important plant parts such as seeds and pods in this matching game. The picture and the words would be placed in separate Ziploc bags, and the students would match the picture with the appropriate word. Students would take a picture of the completed matches so the teacher  could check for understanding at a later time.

Activity Two: Seed Sorting

For this activity, the student will have a bag containing four different common types of seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, and apple seeds. The student will have a graphic organizer divided into four sections. In each section, the student will draw and then describe each of the different seeds. The student will then try to identify which seed is which by comparing the seeds to pictures of the four types, and the student will write this information on the graphic organizer as well.

 

Activity Three: Build A Flower

For this activity, the student will have a choice of drawing their own flower or creating one using a template. The student will draw the flower on construction paper or cut out a template and paste it on construction paper. The student will make sure that the drawing includes the four important parts of a flower: the roots, stem, leaves, and the flower/petals. The student can decorate the flower however they wish using the materials provided, and will then label the different parts of the flower.

Additional Resources

I would also choose to include the books The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle and How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan to allow children to further explore reading about plants if interested. The Tiny Seed also provides a fictional view of flowers and seeds that may be of interest to some students.
 

 

I would include these two charts that show the process of photosynthesis and what plants require to grow as well. Students who wish to further explore plants may find these to be interesting and could further explore these concepts that are important to plants.

 











 I would also include stuffed flowers in the discovery box as a 3D model of what flowers look like, and the students could interact with them as they wish.

 

Literature List

 From Seed to Plant by Allan Fowler
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Eyewitness Books: Plant by David Burnie
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan

All images from google.com