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activity Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Taylor Made Science

ChemistryInteractions of Matter

Cooking Up a Chemical Change

Chemical change can be a hard concept for children to understand. It's much easier to explain a physical change. Water freezes into ice. The ice is still water and can be melted back into liquid water. Tear a piece of paper in half, and you still have the same paper. Both are physical changes. But how do you demonstrate chemical change? The easiest example of a chemical change is burning a piece of paper. The…
Cheryl Taylor
April 11, 2014
BiologyEcology - Ecosystems

Backyard Ecology

No matter whether you live in the country or the city, your child can observe nature close to home. Help your child be a nature detective to discover the ecosystem existing right in their own backyard. First, help your child identify what types of plants and animals they are realistically likely to see. If you have land in the country they're likely to observe large mammals such as deer and racoons. If you have a…
Cheryl Taylor
April 7, 2014
EnergyPhysics

Outdoor Activity Explains Energy and Work

Energy is defined as the "ability to do work." Energy and work are really different forms of the same thing, but to a child, they are very different. Try this simple outdoor summer activity to demonstrate the relationship between gravitational potential energy and work. First, children need to understand gravitational potential energy. Explain to your child that a ball on the floor has no potential energy because it won't move by itself. But, a ball…
Cheryl Taylor
April 7, 2014
ChemistryProperties of Matter

Periodic Table Basics

If your child has already learned about the parts of an atom (proton, neutron, and electron) they can understand the basics of the periodic table. From a basic periodic table, a young student can find: 1) the abbreviation for the element's name, 2) how many protons an atom of the element has, 3) how many neutrons an average atom of the element has, 4) the number of electrons a neutral atom of the element has.…
Cheryl Taylor
April 4, 2014
PhysicsWaves

Make Waves in the Tub

Light waves . . . sound waves . . . it's all pretty hard for a younger elementary student to understand. They can see light and hear sound, but the wave part just isn't something they can perceive with their senses. A good way to begin to introduce the topic of waves is with water waves. A wave that is visible and moves slowly enough for them to observe the actual wave itself. Use bath…
Cheryl Taylor
March 31, 2014
ForcesPhysics

Understanding and Measuring Friction

For elementary children, the topic of "opposing forces" can be hard to understand. Friction is an opposing force that children can "feel." Here's a lab on measuring and comparing friction that's appropriate for older elementary children. You will need one piece of "science equipment" to get the most out of the lab . . . a spring scale. A spring scale with small increments will be easier for elementary children to use. Here's what to…
Cheryl Taylor
March 30, 2014
MotionPhysics

Calculate Speed While Encouraging Exercise

We all know that kids have a lot of energy. Put that energy to good use by combining a physics lesson, a math lesson, and some good exercise! All you'll need is an energetic kid, a tape measure, a stopwatch, and a safe place for your child to run. Calculating Speed 1. Pick out a "track" that your child can run safely. Select a distance appropriate for your child to run several times. 2. Help…
Cheryl Taylor
March 28, 2014
Earth's AtmosphereGeology

Cotton Cloud Model

If you're teaching your kids about the different types of clouds, have them make a model to show cloud structure and the different levels of the atmosphere where clouds form. Here's a good website that covers the basics of cloud classification. There's a good diagram of different types of clouds and the atmospheric levels in which they form. For younger children you might want to let them use the image as a guide for their…
Cheryl Taylor
March 28, 2014
AnimalsBiology

Bug Collection – Go Digital!

Remember having to do a "bug collection" project when you were in school? There is a lot of value in observing animals in their natural environment and learning how to identify them based on physical characteristics. But, is it really necessary to catch, kill, and mount them? If your kids are afraid of crawly things or squeamish about killing live creatures, why not have them do a "virtual bug collection"? Armed with a digital camera,…
Cheryl Taylor
March 28, 2014
Acids and BasesChemistry

Red Cabbage as a pH Indicator

pH is a hard concept for younger children to learn. Add a little excitement to the subject of acids and bases by using a natural pH indicator. First, the science . . . an indicator is a chemical that "indicates" or shows the presence of a substance, usually by a color change. There are many pH indicators, each working for a different range on the pH scale. A wide-range indicator detects substances on the entire…
Cheryl Taylor
March 24, 2014