Tips Archive » Content » Science

• Experiments and Simulations (10 tips)
• Integrated Science Activities (2 tips)
• Health and Nutrition (6 tips)
• Diagramming Skills (2 tips)
• Classroom Pets (2 tips)
• Enriching the Curriculum (9 tips)

Experiments and Simulations

Chemistry Moles

From Wayne Miller, a chemistry teacher at Mount Ararat High School in Topsham, Maine:

"Here's a tip for chemistry teachers wanting to get their students interested in the measurement unit mole (6x10^23 particles). Every year as I begin the unit dealing with moles, I hand out a pattern for sewing a basic mole, encouraging students to use their imagination in creating a unique mole to share with classmates. We have seen Supermole", "Batmole", "Groucho Mole", "Hula mole", "Road-kill mole", " Moley the Goalie" and dozens of other original ideas. The moles are worth extra credit on the unit test, but the students are more interested in entering their moles in the "Mole Farm" at our annual science fair, where voting for the most popular mole takes place."

Percentage of Water

From Golda Condron, a fourth grade teacher at Ochoco Elementary School in Prineville, Oregon:

"Here's an activity that I use when we discuss the percentages of water and land on the earth and when we discuss water content of the human body and the foods we eat. I bring in a slice of bread, a carrot, an apple, popped popcorn, a potato, celery, an orange and a banana. We make a 7-column chart to record our data. The column headings include food, estimated and actual fresh weight, estimated and actual dried weight, difference and percentage of water. We estimate, weigh, slice, dry and re-weigh each food. Lastly, We graph the fresh and dried weights on a bar or line graph and the students write a summary of their findings."

Exoskeletons

From Darlene Smith, an inclusion specialist at Amelia Elementary School in Amelia, Ohio:

"I teach my students about exoskeletons with raw shrimp. I split my class into four groups so I only need to get about six shrimp. The students examine the headless shrimp's legs, exoskeleton and body then they carefully pull off the exoskeleton and examine the interior."

Stinging Celled Animals

From Darlene Smith, an inclusion specialist at Amelia Elementary School in Amelia, Ohio:

"This experiment requires balloons and yarn. Give students a balloon and ask them to blow it up and tie off the end. Give them a 5-12 inch piece of yarn and ask them to tie it to the end. When the students hold the balloon (animal) by the top and let the stinging cells (yarn) hang down, they can sweep the stinging cells across their arms. Their arms will become paralyzed for consumption. If the students turn the balloon upside down, the yarn will fall down to show the knot which is a good example of what the mouth looks like on a stinging celled animal."

Important Household Compounds

From Elena Maldonado-Vargas, a chemistry teacher at The University of Puerto Rico High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico:

"When I teach compounds in chemistry, I make stations in my lab where students work with different household products. They make a list of all the compounds in common products such as toothpaste, soap, ketchup, mayonnaise, soup, spaghetti and aspirin. Then, they make a presentation on the compounds they know and the elements they can identify. Most students are surprised when they find out that sulfur soap exists, toothpaste has sodium hydroxide and the compound in vanilla gives it its characteristic odor. The students learn to appreciate the role and importance that chemistry plays in every day life."

Circuits in Physics

From Peter Pasero, a physics and chemistry teacher at Newton Community High School in Newton, Illinois:

"When my students do electrical experiments in physics, the wires and electrical components of the circuits slide all over the place, making it difficult for my students and me to compare the circuits the students assemble with the really neat-looking diagrams in the manual or on the board. So I give each student group a piece of masking tape. They tear it into smaller pieces to hold the wires down in some semblance of the diagrams, making it easier for them and for me, when I check problems."

Volcanic Plate Movement

From Haley Hinthorn, a newly certified teacher from Independence, Kansas:

"When I discuss plate movement in my volcano unit, I do a hands-on activity that gives the students visuals and a tasty treat. I give each child a piece of wax paper with a tablespoon of frosting on it and a graham cracker. The students break their graham crackers into segments. They put two segments on the frosting and move them like the plates of a volcano move. After the discussion, let the kids eat their plates. The students love this lesson and it adds variety and visuals to a sometimes complicated lesson."

Miniature Bungee Jumping and Physics

From Bill Hill, a high school math and physics teacher at Casey County High School in Liberty, Kentucky:

"I have found a good use for those stretchable name tag cords that are used at most conferences these days. It is easy to make two holes on opposite sides, near the top, of a pill bottle. I then push the metal tips of the cord through the holes (from the inside). The tips pivot so they will not pull back through the hole, but I make sure by placing a small piece of tape around the outside neck of the bottle once I have the cord in position. Now I use nickels (about 5.5 grams each) to simulate different weights of bungee jumpers and collect data with the Calculator Based Laboratory (CBL) Motion Detector and graphing calculator. I usually tape an index card to the bottom of the bottle to give the motion detector a nice target. I have my students find the equilibrium height and then do a drop to find the maximum fall distance and recoil height for each mass."

Crime Lab Science

From Jim Hurley, a chemistry and physics teacher at Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly, Iowa:

"n my many years of teaching chemistry and physics, I observed that the laboratory investigations that created the most enthusiasm were those that cast the student in the role of crime lab analyst. Rather than lockstep procedures to verify expected outcomes, I present experiments as criminal case descriptions which require careful evidence analysis. Questions like 'Was the anesthesia administered in too great a concentration?' or 'Does the index of refraction of the glass chip imbedded in the robbery suspect's shoe match the glass from a broken store window?' frame experimentation in a real world context. This approach became so popular that I now teach four sections a year of a class titled 'Criminalistics--Introductory Forensic Science.' I have also assisted teachers regionally in establishing crime lab courses. English instructors are particularly enthusiastic about this approach and often initiate cross-curriculum mystery writing units."

Insect Collection

From Joe Moore, a vocational agriculture teacher in Verona, Missouri:

"I have my students do an insect collection as part of an entomology unit. They are required to collect insects (no more that two individuals of the same species) and group them according to order. They also must mount each insect with a pin and a small label on each pin giving the location of capture, climate (or ecosystem, i.e. grassy area, wet marshy area, dry w/sparse vegetation, in a tree canopy, etc.), and give the common and scientific name for that individual insect. I use a rubric to evaluate. I have my students do a minimum of 5 orders with at least 20 species represented. I count for quality as well as quantity. This activity could be adapted in that students could study population densities of certain types of insects that are sensitive to climate and temperature changes. My students find this activity challenging but enjoyable."

Fish Raising Project

From Carol Robb, a teacher at Alvord High School:

"Here's a great field study or service learning project for biology students. Check with your local fly fishing clubs or the Federation of Fly Fishers, and see if there is a local equivalent to California's Trout in the Classroom program. Students receive the aquarium and chillers from the local fly fishing club; the State Dept. of Fish and Game provides the eggs. Trout are raised and studied until they are big enough to be released in a local stream designated by Fish and Game. We've done it at my high school for several years and the kids love it."

Integrated Science Activities

Advertising the Elements

From Elena Maldonado-Vargas, a chemistry teacher at The University of Puerto Rico High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico:

"When studying the Periodic Table, my students make a newspaper or a television advertisement for an element. Each group must show how the properties of the elements are useful to human beings. They can sell their product by using comedy, drama, rap or poems. This activity gives meaning to studying the Periodic Table."

Linking Drama to Chemistry

From Susan Smith, a chemistry teacher at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California:

"I always encourage my students to see our school drama productions. This semester they are putting on a production of Winnie the Pooh. If a student wishes to receive extra credit in my class, they must not only submit their admission ticket, but also a two-page report on the chemistry of honey. It's a fun integration and I have received some wonderful papers. The students who do this are astounded at the hidden secrets of honey."

Health and Nutrition

Four Stars for School Lunch

From Karen Lovell, a child nutrition teacher at Virgil I. Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama:

"National School Lunch Week is October 11th-15th. To celebrate this, my students plan and carry out a menu for the school. We plan and analyze menus using the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Food Guide Pyramid and do research on the American School Food Service Association web site, http://www.asfsa.org. After the students have sufficiently learned about nutritious meals, they break into groups and plan a week's worth of menus. They can only use food items on the school purchasing form and the foods they choose must meet the federal regulations of being a reimbursable meal, have nutritious integrity and be cost effective. The Child Nutrition Program chooses menus from the groups for School Lunch Week and actually serves them in the cafeteria. The planners' photos are posted on the bulletin board outside the serving area along with the menu and the groups' themes."

From Clare Delano, a fourth grade teacher:

"In September, we define a 'good' breakfast and talk about how important it is to start our day. Each morning I ask how many students had a 'good' breakfast and we make a line graph to show how many 'good' breakfasts the class ate. Every student is allowed to miss one good breakfast a month. There is a reward at the end of the month for every one who did not miss two good breakfasts. I bring the class breakfast (bagels, cream cheese, butter and juice or milk) one morning a month. This has really unified the class, taught the students the value of a good breakfast and nutrition, and they have learned to line graph along the way."

Growing Pineapples

From Fern Byrd, a third grade teacher at Pleasant Hill School in Grantsville, West Virginia:

"Several years ago my class planted the top from a fresh pineapple that we had eaten. After seven years, that plant grew a pineapple! Those students came back to my class and ate their pineapple. Then, my class at that time, planted the top to that pineapple. Now it's five years later and we have a new pineapple growing! So pineapples do grow in West Virginia!"

Encouraging Healthy Snacks

From Maggie Bensen, a sixth grade teacher at Barre City Middle School in Barre, Vermont:

"When we arrive at school our team focuses our first unit on nutrition. We encourage healthy snacks and provide incentives for those who participate in the monthly program (an extra two-hour recess, volley ball game, movie if weather is inclement, etc.). Students generate a healthy snack list which is sent home to parents. Students chart their snacks daily and tally their progress toward the end of the month. We also purchase apples for the month of September for those students who are unable to bring in a snack - or those who want to save the 'junk food' for lunch. We have generous, local farmers who donate to our endeavor (at our annual welcome back barbecue, fresh corn is always available thanks to Mr. Paquet!) so the lesson is not only hands-on but healthy! Our success has been GREAT the past seven years."

Heart Healthy

From Kathy Brekke, a family and consumer education teacher at Riverbluff Middle School in Stoughton, Wisconsin:

"When studying heart healthy nutrition, two school nurses come to my class to review the importance that normal blood pressure has in a healthy lifestyle. They take the blood pressure of every student in the class while the rest of the class is doing another group activity. If their blood pressure is high, it will be retaken later. This activity is part of our unit on heart healthy living. Students plan a heart healthy meal for their families, using all the information they learned in our study of the effects of a high fat and salt diet. It is a great way for family members to see what wonderful work their young people can do. Great PR!"

Tobacco Awareness

From Lucy DeMaris, a fourth grade bilingual teacher at Palm School in Orosi, California:

"We were asked to spend some time on Tobacco Awareness and I came up with the activity, 'Making a Cigarette' using this short list of poisons emitted when smoking a cigarette:

arsenic (found in rat poisons)
ammonia (used to clean toilet bowls and floors)
carbon monoxide (found in car exhaust)
tar (used in roofing and waterproofing)
nicotine (an addictive drug)

We discuss and ask for descriptions of each to make sure everyone knows what each ingredient is. On an 18" x 24" piece of white construction paper, my students write and illustrate the ingredients list. We discuss each item again, turn the paper over and holding it lengthwise, draw a straight line about 2-4" from one end and a curvy line about the same distance from the other end. We color one end like a burning end and the other like a filter. We then roll the paper with the writing to the inside and tape the roll to resemble a large lighted cigarette. The students could now go home and share with their families what is found in cigarettes. We then have an oral pop quiz and Tobacco Awareness stickers are given to the students for correct answers. If you have a more extensive list of poisons, please share it with me."

Diagramming Skills

5-Minute Diagrams

From Susan Edge, a sixth grade math and science teacher at Hanes Middle School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina:

"Our curriculum includes important diagrams -- parts of a leaf, rock cycle, layers of the sun, etc. As a quick review we do an activity I call 'Five by Five.' The students work in groups of five. When I ring a bell, the first student begins to draw and label the diagram. After one minute I ring the bell again and the first student passes the paper to the next student. Students offer encouragement and helpful hints, but only designated students may work on the diagram during their minute. The process continues for five minutes. The table with the best diagram gets a small prize. This is an effective review. It is quick, non-threatening and fun. For the teacher, it doesn't require any preparation or grading! The technique works for almost any grade or subject matter."

Creative Map Making

From Judy Greenberg, a fourth grade teacher at Tye River Elementary in Nelson County, Virginia:

"Some of Virginia's Standards of Learning cover the knowledge of physical features, regions, directions and the states bordering Virginia. After instruction in these areas, we make physical maps in two different ways. One way is using clay dough on boards. The other way is by decorating T-shirts. We purchase colored T-shirts for each student. Each of our fourth grade classes has a different color. The students trace an outline map of Virginia onto the shirts and then use T-shirt paints to show the differentiations between the three regions. Bordering states and directions are also labeled. These T-shirts reinforce learning, give pride, and also make a great school shirt for a trip. You should see our five classes each with its own color when we arrive in Jamestown for a tour!"

Classroom Pets

Hatching Sea Monkeys

From Rachel Sandhorst, a biology and zoology teacher at East High School:

"I like to hatch sea monkeys with my class and observe them as representatives of crustaceans. They can still be bought in toy stores everywhere. As a class, we watch them grow in their container. We also inspect them through microscopes, comparing and contrasting them with other arthropods. The book that accompanies the sea monkeys explains how one can train them to do certain tricks, which leads to a discussion about the real meaning of these tricks. They were developed in a laboratory so we discuss hybrid breeding and creating new species. Sea monkeys are fun classroom pets!"

Feeding Fish

From Cynthia Bordash, BORDASH@prodigy.net, a sixth grade science teacher at Stanton Middle School in Hammondsville, Ohio:

"Setting up a fish tank provides great enrichment in a classroom. Although I attempt to make the students responsible for feeding the fish, I find they can often be heavy handed in giving the pets just a pinch. My solution was to purchase a pill reminder box that has separate lidded compartments labeled for each day of the week. I fill each day with the exact amount necessary and place it next to the tank. A student helper opens that day's compartment and feeds the fish. I can easily check to see if they've been fed, I'm certain of the amount and every student gets a turn at feeding."

Enriching the Curriculum

Science With Mrs. Frizzle

From Anne Craighead, a second grade teacher at Penn Forest Elementary School in Roanoke, Virginia:

"Here's a tip on how to look like Mrs. Frizzle of the Magic School Bus without having to spend a lot of money on your wardrobe. Cut out designs in felt (like trees showing the four seasons, the water cycle, life cycle of a frog, etc.) and spray bonding glue on the backs. Let the glue set up for at least five minutes. Apply the designs to an old apron and voila, you're Mrs. Frizzle! The designs can be removed and stored on waxed paper so one apron is sufficient for all your science units. The children will love it and will be able to guess what you'll be teaching next."

The Water Cycle

From Michael Szewczyk, a fourth grade teacher at Berkeley Terrace School in Irvington, New Jersey:

"Poetry that rhymes helps readers to remember scientific concepts from September to September. Elementary school children will absorb the water cycle through this memorable word song."

The Water Cycle

Let's take a ride on the water cycle,
The water cycle, the water cycle,
Let's take a ride on the water cycle
And see what goes round and round.

When water gets too hot
it evaporates
Where it chills in the clouds
and it condensates,
If it collects too much,
it precipitates
And flows back into the ground.

Let's take a ride on the water cycle,
The water cycle, the water cycle,
Let's take a ride on the water cycle
And see what goes round and round.

The Ecosystem

From Michael Szewczyk, a fourth grade teacher at Berkeley Terrace School in Irvington, New Jersey:

"In the beginning of the school year, I introduce food chains to the students by having everyone, including myself, recite "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." We all have a good time with that humorous poem. Now that the class is exploring tropical rainforests, our poems have become a little more serious and mysterious like this one that I created in direct connection to one of the pages in our science textbook.

Eek! Eek! The Ecosystem!

The plants eat the sunshine
and the water,
The beetle dines on leaves
beside her daughter,
The furry spider eats both insects
like she ought to,
A boa swallows them in one gulp
for nutrients and water,
And as the chubby snake rests,
a hawk awaits the slaughter.

Moral:

A rainforest rule that helps species survive,
it's better to pray to eat prey
than to pray while being eaten alive.

One thing I remind students is that humans are not in any other animal's food chain. We just have to be careful not to whet a shark's or lion's appetite."

Effects of Deforestation

From Anonymous:

"My class studied the rainforest and decided that we wanted to educate others about how deforestation affects us all. I divided the class into groups, which researched various aspects, such as foods, plants, medicines and characteristics of the rain forest. All children were required to retell what they learned to me and put it in a newsletter format on the computer. We then decided to bake desserts with ingredients from the rain forest, such as coconut, chocolate, vanilla, etc. We had a bake sale, with our huge rain forest mural as a backdrop, and made $75.00, which we used to adopt 2 acres of rain forest from the Nature Conservancy. We are also in the process of putting our research up on our own website, so we accomplished our goal, by informing others of the importance of the rain forest, through our newsletter, website and bake sale. It was a very valuable project."

Counting Birds

From Lois Weber, a retired teacher who works with Linda Daniel's first grade class at Sutherland Elementary in Palm Harbor, Florida:

"Each year Linda Daniel's class participates in the Cornell/Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count. She sends home a copy of Mark Trail, a cartoon that announces the competition, and a 'Might See List' of birds from the Palm Harbor Garden Club. Each student counts birds with their families, draws pictures and writes stories on their experiences. The collaboration of pictures and stories is mailed into the competition. Another bird activity is Project Feeder Watch. Students hang bird feeders in the schoolyard and keep a scrapbook of all the different birds they see. Students also make posters using pictures cut from magazines and newspapers. The students enjoy the activities and can't wait to count birds."

Exploring the Titanic

From Lisa Marvin, a fourth grade teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"My students read Exploring the Titanic by Robert Ballard as part of our oceanography unit. The students are asked to pretend that they were hired to design a brochure advertising the ship's features prior to its voyage. This demonstrates what the students have learned about the structure and the features of the Titanic. After reading several chapters, the students design paper and pencil sketches of their brochures. They include many facts and bits of information about the Titanic. Once they finish their paper draft and proofread it, they create the brochure using Print Shop on the computer. Students can add pictures to their brochures too. We then print them on paper that's specifically designed for brochures and display them."

Science Timelines

From Miriam Wilson, a science teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"As a way to teach science as an ever-changing body of knowledge, I have the students do a science timeline along side of a personal timeline. They thoroughly enjoy the research we do on the Internet and in the library. They get experience doing searches and using almanacs and other reference books and magazines. The discoveries and changes that have occurred during their lifetimes fascinate them. They are thrilled to share their personal timelines with others because they have the opportunity to show pictures of themselves as they have grown and changed. We hang our science and personal timelines in the hallway and share our findings."

Famous Scientists

From Elena Maldonado-Vargas, a chemistry teacher at University of Puerto Rico High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico:

"I put my students into small groups to select a scientist that contributed to the atomic theory. They must creatively represent the work of these scientists and their contribution. They use music, commercial spots, comedy and dress like the years in which the scientist lived. After the presentation, the small groups formally discuss and use audiovisuals to explain the most important and relevant things their scientist contributed to the atomic theory with the whole class."

Science & Science Fiction

From John J. Fatuzzo, a science teacher at Eric S. Smith Middle School in Ramsey, New Jersey:

"In order to get students hooked on science, I use SciFi video tapes. These classics from the 1950s to the 1990s are used not only to motivate the student, but also to enrich and enhance the curriculum. This approach has interdisciplinary applications and can be adapted to grades 6-12."

Hurricane Season

From Luz E. Cardona Perez, a science teacher at Ricardo Arroyo Laracuente Bilingual Intermediate School in Dorado, Puerto Rico

"In the beginning of the school year, I introduce hurricanes in Puerto Rico to the students. The class explores weather conditions in the tropic using the Internet. We discuss the research we do on the Internet and complete the research by using the newspaper weather news. The students are asked to complete a family emergency plan during hurricane season. They build a model of their house showing safe and non-safe areas. Most students are surprised when they realize their house might not resist a hurricane. After the presentation, the students share the information with their families in order to prevent a possible disaster during a severe storm or hurricane."