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Hello, I am currently studying childhood education and will be interning in a couple semsters. With that being said, I will be teaching a few lessons and would like some advice when it comes to introducing science into the classroom. I was wondering if any of you have a favorite science lesson that was super successful and stress-free in the classroom? How do you keep the students engaged and have fun? Is there any suggestions for a cool experiment that will grab a fourth graders attention? 

Thank you in advance!

Hello Rebecca,

Just recently I did a science lesson/activity that I really liked and can work for a varity of grades. The lesson is about light and the way we can see light, specifically under water. The lesson itself is really easy but you may need to make the items. Mainly all you need is googles that you can put colored gel transfer paper in. Since this particular instance is surrounding water, you would choose blue gel, but you can use any color pretty much. You would ask the children why colorful fish are not eaten a bunch in the ocean. Then would go on to explain that it is because the blue of the ocean combined with how far different colored wavelengths travel will change the color you see. So, with the googles on you can hold up different colored items (could be paper) and ask them to gues the color, then show them teh actual color. This will show them how colors are not what they appear in the ocean. For this, I think an attention grabber would be simply by asking if the students want to see like a fish.

One of my favorites (and a student favorite as well) combines science and art.  I filled an ice cube tray with water and added food coloring to each cube.  The more drops, the more vibrant.  Then lay popsicle sticks in them and freeze.  It's ok that the sticks are laying off to the side.  Give the kids paper and a cube and they draw all over the paper.  Ice painting.  As they draw, the ice will start to melt so you can incorporate the idea of solid vs. liquid, etc.  Easy, little mess and the kids love it!  Have lots of extras on hand and keep them in freezer or in cooler with a lot of ice as long as possible.

Rebecca -

I'm also student teaching, and my host teacher has suggested I do a science center on making Oobleck for our class of 4-year-olds. Oobleck is made from corn statch and water, and it has properties of both liquids and solids (it's called a non-Newtonian fluid). It's like a liquid, but when you squeeze or punch, it feels solid.

The recipe I found calls for 1 cup of corn starch to 1/2-cup water. Since I'm planning to work with groups of 4, I'll have each student make their own Oobleck with 1/4 cup of corn starch + 2 Tablespoons water. (Each student will be given a ziplock bag for taking the Oobleck home.) You can even add glitter if you want.

Anyway, I hope this helps with your science planning. I'll be testing the recipe at home first and taking a wait-and-see approach before committing to this activity in the classroom. It might be a little messy, but I'm told the kids will love it.

Have fun!

Lisa

Here are the measures that you can take to engage students in learning:

Tap into students' prior knowledge.

Learn students' interests.

Organize classroom discussions.

Design highly relevant learning activities.

Integrate Modern Technology.

Hello Rebecca,

It's always difficult to know where to start and you will find some topics will be more interesting to the students than others. Just reflect on each lesson you do and learn from it. I just completed a science lesson on the topic of same and different things about insects, specifically ladybugs and butterflies. I just taught the lesson yesterday to a small group of kindergarteners, but the lesson can be adjusted for older elementary students. I drew a large Venn Diagram on the white board, had students examine diagrams of the life-cycle of both ladybugs and butterflies and introduced them to the term metamorphosis. I asked the students if both ladybugs and butterflies go through metamorphosis before I wrote the term in the common area in the Venn Diagram. Next, I provided them with plastic replicas of a ladybug and a butterfly that they could closely examine as well as charts with a ladybug and butterfly that had the body parts labeled. I proceeded to ask the students questions about what they had in common and what they did not. When a student provided an answer I had them come up to the board and write it in the appropriate spot. All the students in the group had the opportunity to provide an answer and write it on the board. It worked out better than I though it would. I did not even think about how they would be practicing their writing and sounding out the letters in order to spell the words they were writing. I provided guidance when they struggled a few times. I learned a lot from the experience because I am used to teaching 3-year-old children not kindergarteners. I created a collection of the resources I used for my lesson. There is so many ways to extend their learning too. These students will be getting ladybug and butterfly keepers in their classroom soon so they can observe metamorphosis first hand, and also examine their other differences and commonalities.

The NSTA learning center has so many great resources for science teachers. I wish you every success in your teaching endeavors. 

Hi Rebecca, 

I must say that teaching a science lesson for the first time is definitely nerve wrecking but very rewarding when you experience the outcome. I began completing field hours for science this semester and taught a lesson last Thursday on the properties of matter. The best reccommendations I have for teaching a lesson is patience and preparation. My teacher had us make a 5E lesson plan and it was very helpful in keeping everything organized and easy-going. As long as you go in confident and well-prepared everything will flow easily! 

Best of luck!

Hello! While observing during my field experience hours, I observed my field teacher teach a lesson about chemical and physical changes. The students were very attentive to the lesson as she showed different visuals. One visual the teacher provided was a chemical reaction using baking soda and vinegar. The sound and sight of the chemical and physical reaction allowed for the teacher to have the student's attention and this gave the students a better understanding of the lesson because they were able to use their senses. By using their senses, it made the lesson more memorable for the students.

Hopefully, this helps. 

Hi Rebecca!

I am a student teacher and I am on the same boat as you. I am always nervous to implement science because science is my weakest subject. I recently had my fifth students do an experiment to see if a seed can grow without soil. We planted one seed in soil and wrapped another seed in a moist towel and put it in a plastic bag. My students made predictions beforehand and had them measure the seeds growth everyday. My students were super excited everyday to see if it grew and they were very involved. 

Hope this helps!