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Ideas for Elementary
BiologyPlants

Leaf Prints – Science meets Art!

Use an old standby in kids art projects to teach some plant science! The Art Remember making leaf prints when you were a kid? Here's a short procedure: 1. Collect a variety of fresh, green leaves. 2. Provide a large sheet of clean paper. Thin paper works best. You'll also need some old crayons with the paper peeled off. 3. Place a leaf under the paper. Use the side of the crayon to rub across…
Cheryl Taylor
March 17, 2014
Earth in SpaceGeology

How much would you weigh on different planets?

What is weight? Your weight would be very different if you lived on another planet. Assuming your size didn’t change, why would your weight change? To understand this, you have to know what the term “weight” really means. A term that’s often confused with weight is “mass.” Mass is the amount of matter (stuff) that something is made of. Your mass wouldn’t change no matter what planet you happened to be standing on. But “weight”…
Cheryl Taylor
March 17, 2014
Earth in SpaceGeology

How old are you on a different planet?

What is a year? We measure age in years. A year is a unit of time equal to the number of days it takes the planet to travel all the way around the Sun and return to its same location along its orbit. Earth takes 365.25 days to make a trip around the sun, so our calendar year is usually 365 days. Once every four years, one day is added to the calendar at the…
Cheryl Taylor
March 17, 2014
ChemistryWater and Solutions

Separating Colors with Chromatography

What is Chromatography? Chromatography is the process of separating a mixture into its individual components. The easiest way to show this process to children is by using chromatography to separate inks. Waterproof inks in permanent markers and ball point pens require a chemical solvent, but the ink in washable markers can be separated with water, making for an easy and safe experiment. Materials: washable markers, coffee filters, pie pan Procedure: 1. Flatten a coffee filter…
Cheryl Taylor
March 17, 2014
ChemistryWater and Solutions

Popsicle Science – Turn a Summer Snack into a Science Lesson!

Do you make popsicles for your kids during the summer? Involve them in the process and turn it into a science lesson! Materials: juice, plastic cup, ruler, waterproof marker, popsicle stick (or plastic spoon), index card Procedure: 1. Fill a small plastic cup about ½ full of juice. (Cups with the straightest sides work best.) 2. Cut a slit in the middle of an index card and place it over the cup. Insert a Popsicle…
Cheryl Taylor
March 17, 2014