Assessment
Best Practices
Learning Activities and Games
Lesson Planning
FAQs
Ask a Question or Share an Idea
Assessment—Tools to assist in the evaluation of student readiness, ability, and achievement:
- Tests
- Rubrics
- Benchmarks
- Checklists
Best Practices in Science Instruction—Current educational research for professional development:
- Instructional strategies
- Professional resources
- Periodical and journal articles
Learning Activities and Games—Instructional games, worksheets, and activities:
- Enhancing instruction
- Enrichment
Lesson Planning—Tools for planning and development of science instruction:
- State content standards
- Teaching tips
- Lesson plan ideas
Teacher Support—Ideas and resources to assist teachers:
ACSI/Purposeful Design Publications does not endorse these resources and recommends that each one be evaluated for usefulness and appropriateness prior to use in the classroom. ACSI does not guarantee the functionality of the resource links, since each link is maintained by each individual website developer.
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Assessment—Tools to assist in the evaluation of student readiness, ability, and achievement.
All Grades
► Ideas for Science Assessment
Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center: Provides links to a wide variety of assessment ideas which include all grades.
Powerful Classroom Assessment: A Power Point teaching presented by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction Science Assessment Team for Washington State shows what productive assessments will reveal.
Saskatchewan Assessment Ideas: For the elementary classroom, are provided at this site. Ideas include conferences, interviews, contracts, portfolios, performance station assessments, group and peer assessments. Templates for the above evaluations are also available on this site, as well as topical performance station worksheets.
Saskatchewan Assessment and Evaluation: This Saskatchewan Education site presents different types of assessments that can be used as alternative testing. It evaluates the importance of assessments offering a wide variety of ways to accomplish the task. This site also details the different dimensions and factors of scientific literacy.
► Standards, Benchmarks and Sample Standardized Science Tests
Assessment in Science Education: Through National Science Education Standards, this chapter introduces components of the assessment process, lists the standards, and examines characteristics of district, state and national level assessments.
Science Net Links, Benchmark Index: For math and science divided by topics and age groups.
Quizzes and Tests
All Grades
► Life Science—The Human Body
Teacher Vision: Presents quizzes for various topics about the human body for grades 2–5.
► Earth and Space Science
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Presents Owlie Skywarn’s Weather book on all types of weather, especially emphasizing what to do in inclement weather. The entire book contains forty-four pages. However, each subject is only about six pages making it easy to use. Also, quizzes on each separate topic, puzzles and resources are provided at the end of the book.
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Grades 3–5
► Earth and Space Science
Raw Materials: This site offers an extensive fifty problem elementary test on rocks and minerals. (Test #103)
► Rubrics
Chicago Public Schools: This site offers information about rubrics; how to make them from scratch, sample rubrics and why they are useful.
The Discovery Channel: This excellent site about rubrics includes how-to’s and many samples as well as graphic organizers that can be used for assessments.
The College of Saint Benedict, St. John’s University: A large collection of links to Rubrics for Science is provided at this site.
The University of Wisconsin: Provides a variety of rubrics for science and math including rubrics for a science report, a science WebQuest and physics lab.
Generated Rubics by Teachnology: All you need to do is choose a topic and fill in the title and it will computer generate a rubric.
The State of Kansas: Presents this Individual Student Response Scoring Rubric for Elementary Science Assessment.
Grades K–2
► Standards, Benchmarks and Sample Standardized Science Tests
Education World: Provides the National Standards in an easily understood format with links to the specific in-depth National Standard requirement details. This site divides the K–4 standards into topics such as inquiry and physics.
► Rubrics
Project Based Learning Checklists: Provides this self-assessing Science Project checklist for use with class projects. Designed for grades K–4, it can be easily customized.
Grades 3–5
► Ideas for Science Assessment
State of Kansas Elementary Project: Ideas for assessing science listed by grade level for levels 3–5. Assessments are in the form of investigations varying from simple ones in the school yard to ones that could require additional research for the students. Applicable additional literature is listed with each topic.
► Standards, Benchmarks and Sample Standardized Science Tests
Education World National Standards, for Grades K–4: Links to the specific in-depth National Standard requirement details in an easily understood format. This site divides the K–4 standards into different science categories.
Education World National Standards, for Grades 5–8: Links to the specific in-depth National Standard requirement details in an easily understood format. This site divides the 5–8 standards into different science categories.
Elementary Science Examinations: Standardized types of tests for fourth grade are offered from the University of the State of New York State Education Department.
State of Illinois: An actual fourth grade Sample Standardized Test Booklet, which has thirty four full-color questions with an answer key that also provides the assessment objective for each question.
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Best Practices in Science Instruction—Current educational research for professional development.
► Scientific Method and Hands on Teaching
Curious Observation from Scientifc Method: This piece relates that the Scientific Method uses a wide variety of thinking skills including higher thinking skills such as differences, patterns, problematic situations, inferring and interpreting.
Science Research and the Process of Science: This article from Science Service describes the scientific processes and how the various areas of science use it differently. It also has a guideline for doing a science project.
Best Teaching Practices: From the Akron Global Polymer Academy, this site contains many brief articles about researched techniques for teaching science in the classroom including probing questions, wait time and inquiry approaches.
Creation Science Website Articles: Included in the articles is one that addresses the scientific process and how it affects the two beliefs. This group specifies that creationists do have varying schools of thought about time.
Science Can Be Fun: This article, by Kanchan Bodas, examines how hands-on learning and self-discovery promote long-term memory.
► Parental Involvement
Science-Project: The article on this site: Helping Your Child Learn Science, offers ideas for helping children learn science and includes such subtitles as: Hands-On Works the Best and Finding the Right Activity for Your Child.
Try Science Parent Page: Provides a great resource for parents who are interested in learning how to get involved in their child’s science education.
The University of Michigan: Proposes ways parents can help their students do well in school. This article has simple ideas as well as many resources.
U.S. Department of Education: This is a excellent resource that covers the basics of science, contains hands-on activities from pre-kindergarden through 5th grade, community resources, recommendations on working with teachers and schools and lists many other resources.
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► Creationism Education
All About Creation: This article answers fundamental questions about the creationism versus evolution debate.
Legalities of Teaching Creation in the Science Classroom: Presents several articles that address questions about teaching creationism and includes the Student Bill of Rights.
Supreme Court Rules on Teaching Creationism: By Hugh Ross, PhD discusses the Supreme Court ruling of a 1981 court case which does not actually ban creationism from being taught but rather clarifies the conditions under which it can be taught.
► Secular Articles about the increase of teaching creationism as an alternative theory of the origin of the earth in secular classrooms
Washington Post: Article entitled "Battle on Teaching Evolution Sharpens," By Peter Slevin (March 14, 2005; page A01), observes the growing movement in various states to challenge the evolution theory.
CNN: This article, "GA School Board OKs Alternatives to Evolution" (September 27, 2002), discloses that the second largest school board in the state of Georgia agreed to allow teachers to present different views regarding the origins of life in order to help provide a balanced education.
New York Times: This article "Teaching of Creationism Is Endorsed in New Survey," by Laurie Goodstein (August 31, 2005), reviews the results of a Pew Research Center Poll about how Americans desire the origins of life to be taught.
English People’s Daily On-line: This article announces the adoption of pro-creationism science standards by the Kansas State Education Board (November 09, 2005)
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Learning Activities and Games—Instructional games, worksheets and activities.
All Grades
► Simple Science Experiments for School or Home
Steve Spangler Science: Presents Making Science Fun!, which offers this collection of simple science experiments that give an explanation of what occurred in each experiment.
KidZone: This Super Simple Science Section presents easy-to-do experiments as well as fun science facts.
Ozemail: Quick to read and do experiments for the home or classroom are offered at this site. Each experiment also offers an explanation.
Hunkin’s Experiments: Provides interesting experiments that are hand drawn with cartoons, like How to Make an Onion Glow.
Scholastic, Magic School Bus: Offers a variety of simple science experiments, where students can write in their results.
Scifun: Home Experiments presents such investigations as a candy chromatographer and floating raisins. Some of these interesting experiments are not as simple, but they use everyday materials.
Science at Home: Provides experiments in several areas of science. Each experiment is rated for difficulty, danger and show. Many also include photos and a video.
Scifiles: This site from NASA contains simple experiments, worksheets and at-home experiments. Each site listed leads to more results. This is a worthwhile site.
Madsci: This Edible/Inedible Experiments Archive offers experiments in astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science and physics. Age appropriateness is given at the beginning of each experiment.
Science Bob: Furnishes these home experiments: make a balloon rocket, homemade slime or make a paper clip float.
The Teacher’s Corner: This page gives a simple but affective kinetic energy experiment with an apple. Select Experiments to find many more.
Exploratorium: Great simple experiments in all areas of science are offered on this site. A brief synopsis of each experiment and time required is provided.
Women in Mining: Offer this site with lessons about minerals. Though the lessons are not rated for grade levels, they have free downloadable hands-on minerals activities.
Neuroscience for Kids: Offers many experiments and activities about the senses. They are briefly written, use simple materials, and list grade levels.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Provides excellent simple activities such as studying small things without a microscope and dust.
Scholastic: This Dirtmeister’s Science Lab site offers several experiments in physical, earth and life science. Each experiment includes a short teaching and an experiment.
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► Games
• Printable Games
Jefferson Lab: A collection of printable puzzles, worksheets and lab pages are available—such as hangman, bingo and cryptographs.
Kids Do Science: Supplies a variety of science puzzles and games including hidden pictures, mazes, word searches, and codes.
Discovery School: Puzzlemaker enables you to create a variety of puzzles on-line.
Kaboose: Printable puzzles, coloring sheets and worksheets for all elementary grades can be found at this site.
• Internet Interactive Games
Jefferson Lab: On-line Science games and puzzles are provided at this site.
Jefferson County Schools: This site includes activities for all science areas. Choose your science and your age group. Very good site.
BBC: This site has interactive activities for ages 5–11 on all types of science areas. Very good.
♦ Life Science—The Human Body
BBC: This site furnishes a variety of interactive games for all ages. After choosing an age group, the student can pick from a variety of sciences. Human body categories include health, ourselves, moving and growing, and hearing and sight.
♦ Physical Science
BBC, Solids and Liquids: This is an Internet activity about solids and liquids.
♦ Earth and Space Science
Mr Nussbaum: Simulate the Northern lights by causing a variety of gases to collide at this site.
BBC, Habitats: This site includes a quiz for eight to nine year olds.
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Grades K–2
► Simple Science Experiments for School or Home
Aggie Horticulture: This site provides a long list of simple activities about plants for primary children.
Jefferson County Schools: Offer these ready made Game Board templates and cards for use in making simple classroom board games.
► Games
• Internet Interactive Games
Primary Games: These on-line science games for primary grades are carefully organized by grade level and topic.
♦ Life Science
BBC, Living Things: presents ten interactive activities about living things. Each topic includes an activity, additional information and a quiz. Grades 2–3.
♦ Physical Science
Edheads, Simple Machines: Brings an interactive game about simple machines and compound machines.
Edheads, Compound Machines: Supplies an Internet game about compound machines that introduces how forces work together with simple machines to make compound machines.
BBC, Materials and Matter: Offers seven interactive activities on materials and matter. Each topic includes an activity, additional information and a quiz. Grades 2–3.
BBC, Motion: Another excellent BBC Internet activity, on motion teaches how weight and friction affect motion. Grades 2–3.
Mikids: This is an Internet activity on simple machines, other lessons are offered by grade level. Grades 2–3.
♦ Earth and Space Science
A Kid’s Heart: This site has several ocean activities for primary students, one is a paint site—paint your own ocean scene using stamps.
Harcourt School Publishers: A Food Webs Interactive site is good for review. This site includes meadow, arctic and pond food webs.
First School Years: Supplies primary worksheets for various science topics including a sun experiment, identifying day and night animals, a foil investigation and vocabulary words.
Grades 3–5
► Simple Science Experiments for School or Home
HotChalk’s Lesson Plans Page: Shows how to build an edible atom for grades 4–6. Click on the left hand tool bar for more science ideas.
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► Games
• Printable Games
Jefferson County Schools, Game Board and Card Templates: Offer these ready made Game Board templates and cards, for use in making simple classroom board games.
Jefferson Lab: Science games and puzzles can be downloaded and printed.
• Power Point Games
Hardin County Teachers: An entire selection of ready made Jeopardy games is offered at this site, which is well organized and well done.
• Internet Interactive Games
Woodlands Science Zone: Contains on-line science questions about plants, food chains, the human body and includes SAT questions.
♦ Life Science
BBC, Living Things: Presents ten interactive activities about living things. Each topic includes an activity, additional information and a quiz. Grades 2–3.
♦ Life Science—The Human Body
Medtropolis: Presented in both English and Spanish, this site, The Virtual Body, includes activities for the brain, skeleton, heart and digestive tract. Each topic offers choices of activities including narrated tours, identifying parts, and puzzles.
BBC, Moving and Growing: In this activity, students label the parts of a skeleton. When the puzzle is completed, they can continue to label parts from other animals such as a horse, fish and ant.
Kathi Mitchell: Select a bone of this hand-drawn skeleton to zoom in and discover its name.
♦ Life Science—Animals and Habitats
Oncampus: Mission: Project Rescue—this interactive website is a project in which the students learn about the habitats of five lost animals so that they can return them to their correct habitat. The worksheet involved is available on the teacher’s page. Some of the links don’t work so you may have to have a couple new ones ready. But the project itself is impressive, using good research and thinking skills. It also includes a rubric for grading.
The Ocean Adventure: This is an outstanding internet ocean expeditions site. Each expedition has been chronicled complete with photos, data and daily journals, as well as additional resources such as a vocabulary list, maps, and additional reading. Excellent site. The journals are long but written well so that upper elementary would enjoy them.
Sir Robert Hitcham’s Primary School: Presents an interesting site on invertebrates created by students which covers life cycles, living key, invertebrate groups and habitats. This interactive internet site is well done.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles: Lets you dive into the ocean in the Sea Mobile. This fun activity also comes with downloadable researcher notebooks and classroom activities.
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♦ Life Science—Plants
Nature Grid: This nature explorer page contains a variety of plant interactive sites.
The University of Illinois Extension, The Great Plant Escape: Is an upper elementary educational game. There are six different cases to solve — each one is in-depth and covers several different topics. There are also print-outs to go with the games. Great technology integration activity.
♦ Physical Science
BBC, Materials: Offers seven interactive activities on materials and matter. Each topic includes an activity, additional information and a quiz. Grades 2–3.
BBC, Weight and Friction: Another excellent BBC internet activity, teaches how weight and friction affect motion. Grades 2–3.
Mikids: This internet activity is about simple machines. Other lessons are offered by grade level. Grades 2–3.
BBC, Physical Processes: On this site there are ten different interactive internet games on physical processes including circuits and conductors, changing sounds, and light and dark. Each topic includes an activity, additional information and a quiz.
The Museum of Science: At Leonardo’s Mysterious Machinery site, figure out about each of DaVinci’s inventions.
♦ Earth and Space Science
NASA, Star Child: This is not so much a game as an interactive site about space. Choose a topic and learn information, view pictures and answer questions. With regard to time in history, it states, Scientists think that the solar system is more than four billion years old, thus presenting this concept as an idea rather than a fact.
Edheads: Another good site in which the student reports and predicts weather.
Windows to the Universe: This site provides mostly on-line puzzles and games, but also has some printables.
Glencoe Earth Science: Under chapter resources you will find interactive games, quizzes and worksheets.
NASA, Earth Science Enterprise: Provides a variety of internet puzzles and games for children.
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Lesson Planning—Tools for planning and development of science instruction.
Education World National Standards, for Grades K–4: Links to the specific in-depth National Standard requirement details in an easily understood format. This site divides the K–4 standards into different science categories.
Education World National Standards, for Grades 5–8: Links to the specific in-depth National Standard requirement details in an easily understood format. This site divides the 5–8 standards into different science categories.
Purposeful Design Science Scope: For Grades 1–6, which is divided into science disciplines and skill sections.
All Grades
► Lesson Plans
EdHelper: Offers lesson plans, theme units and daily open-ended science questions. This site requires registration.
Lesson Plans Page: Numerous lesson plans in all areas of science are presented on this webpage. First, choose your grade level and then pick a topic.
The Educator’s Reference Desk: Offers a multitude of lesson plans. When you choose a topic, it describes the lessons available and indicates the grade level for each.
Cloudnet: Science Lesson Plans and Resources offers lesson plans in all science areas. A brief description of each idea is provided as well as age appropriateness.
Youth Net: One hundred thirty mini lessons in science are offered at this site for K–5. Each lesson provides grade level appropriateness, an overview, objectives and activities.
ProTeacher Directory, Science and Technology: Offers a variety of science lessons and other resources. They are sorted by topic, not age.
Discovery Education: This lesson plan library for K–5 offers science lessons, which include the grade level, standards met, bench marks and vocabulary at the end of each lesson.
Smithsonian Education: Lessons at this site are very detailed, and include an introduction to the topic and give experiments that can be done. Grade levels are listed right away. Some Smithsonian items take an evolutionary stance.
CanTeach: Provides numerous simple lessons by topic and grade level.
Reach Out! Michigan: Presents a large collection of elementary science lessons divided by topic or grade level.
Easy Fun School: A Christian Home Schooling site, has many science lesson plans including many from a creationist point of view.
Teach-nology: Offers numerous lesson plans for science divided both by subject and grade level. They also supply links to additional resources.
Internet4Classrooms: Is a website designed to help teachers effectively use the internet in the classroom. Choosing a topic leads to numerous links for lessons, activities and informational sites. Many of these would also be good for research projects, some even for the younger grades. It also includes a wide variety of activities. Choose the topic at the top of the page, or grade level sites at the bottom of the page.
Berrien County Intermediate School District: Best Practices of Technology Integration—this site lists grade levels, benchmarks, lessons and additional resources.
Lesson Plan Search: Presents lesson plans and units for science that are divided into primary, intermediate and middle school age groups.
Education World: Compiled these science lessons from teachers all around the country. Seven science topics include agriculture, chemistry, history of science, life science, process skills, physical science and space science.
Lesson Plan Central: Offering nearly thirty science topics to choose from, this site is an excellent resource for lesson plans. Handouts, worksheets, and video clips are presented as well.
The Teacher’s Corner: Offers lesson plans for earth, life, and physical sciences as well as thematic units, seasonal items, and printable worksheets.
Canada Online: Presents varied elementary science lessons about the five senses, magnets, planting, simple machines and weather..
Teachnet: Lesson plans in ten science topics are offered at this site.
Franklin Institute: Presents science lessons in bioscience, communications, computers, earth science, energy, oceanography and more for grades K–8. Grade levels are listed right away.
Scholastic: Offers over one hundred and fifty lessons related to the books they sell. Each lesson lists the grade levels, time required, a brief synopsis of the book, and an activity that coincides with it. No purchase is necessary. These lessons would be good to use independently or as an excellent way to expand the books that are mentioned. Many of these will already be in your library.
Lesson Planz: Offers an extensive collection of science lesson plans divided by age group. The specific science topic can be typed into the search box.
Treasures at Sea: Presents several well done lessons for grades K–8. Interactive games and puzzles, writing activities, ocean art projects and books can also be accessed.
Zwolle Elementary School: Ocean lessons, ideas and activities are offered at this site. Though the grades are not listed, this is a worthwhile site to browse.
The Teacher’s Guide: An extensive collection of biology lesson plans for elementary students are offered at this site from Teacher Created Resources.
Annenberg Media: Presents Journey North, a unit study about migration. Students from K–12 examine wildlife migration and seasonal changes. Lessons, activities, and information are available. On-line instruction for students is also provided as are teacher pages. Outstanding pictures with thought provoking questions are featured.
The Teacher’s Guide: Teacher Created Resources presents a large assortment of lesson plans about the weather. Ages are not always given.
Geological Society of America: Lesson plan links are divided into elementary, intermediate and secondary levels for nine geological topics.
Geology: Earth Science lesson plans for all ages are divided by topic. Each lesson gives the appropriate grade level, objectives, materials and procedures.
ProTeacher Directory, Solar System: Presents primary lessons and activities on the solar system.
NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Offers Solar System Exploration, which gives activities related to the planets. Grade levels are listed.
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► Worksheets
• All Sciences
The Science Spot, Index of Worksheets: Contains an entire index of science worksheets plus access to puzzles, trivia, an idea factory, and tech corner. This is an excellent resource.
Science-Teachers: Offer Space Science Teaching resources for life science, space, earth, and physical science. This site contains several crossword puzzles, word searches, and constellation maps.
First School Years: Supplies primary worksheets for various science topics including a sun experiment, identifying day and night animals, a foil investigation and vocabulary words.
Teach-nology: Is an excellent site for finding and producing free worksheets. Though it is a membership site, much of what it offers is free.
Awesome Library: Provides various sources and links offering science worksheets for all ages.
Jefferson Lab: Presents hands-on activities, worksheets, puzzles and games as well as interactive games and puzzles on a variety of science topics.
Sciencespot: Provides a Scientific Method Review crossword puzzle for upper elementary students.
• Life Science—The Human Body
First School Years: Provides a variety of worksheets about the human body such as Teeth and Eating, Health and Growth and Label the body Parts. Most of the worksheets apply to the primary grades, but some could be used for upper elementary students as well.
• Life Science—Animal Ecosystems and Habitats
The Wellington Zoo: Has produced an excellent four-page booklet about animal groups which could be used for most elementary grades
• Life Science—Plants
Teaching Ideas, Downs CE Primary School: Provides this worksheet for ages 7–11 on which the students Label the Plants. The webpage includes both the worksheet and a teacher’s guide.
Zwolle Elementary School: Presents a list of internet resource links for plants including sheets, activities, and crafts. This is an excellent resource.
Abcteach: Provides this worksheet, to use in making a comparison between two plants.
• Physical Science
Educational Technology Center, Kennesaw: This informative site contains many links about Simple Machines.
• Earth and Space Science
Exploratorium: This site will figure a scale size solar system for you. When you set the size of the sun, it will configure the size of the rest of the solar system for you.
Picadome: This site offers many activities regarding the water cycle. Some are on-line activities, while others like The Water Cycle-information Primary Level, offer research resources as well as worksheets.
Teach-nology: Offers Weather Teaching Theme activities, games, worksheets and lesson plans.
• Research Resources
Internet4Classrooms: Presents Elementary Science Topics, and refers to many topics, which would be good for research projects. This site also includes a wide variety of activities.
Missouri Botanical Garden, Habitats: Offers an interesting research site about habitats. Choose a habitat to find basic information. More in-depth information can be found by selecting from the tool bar on the left.
Missouri Botanical Garden, Biology of Plants: Provides an excellent resource for researching plants. This site includes short video clips of seeds germinating.
Grades K–2
► Lesson Plans
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles: Presents Exploring Mammals. Scroll down the left side on this site to find information on a variety of topics. Often following the paragraph is a link to a lesson plan and activity that coincides with the subject. The information could be used by upper elementary for research. Most of the lesson plans are for K–3.
University of Arizona: Presents insect lesson plans for grades K–3. Each lesson provides teacher preparation plans, lesson plans, and extensions.
► Worksheets
• Life Science—The Human Body
Scholastic: Produce The Body Book in which students assemble a booklet which introduces them to the various systems in the body.
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• Earth and Space Science
US Envioronmental Protection Agency, Drinking Water & Ground Water Kid’s Stuff: Provides several water activities which would work well for reinforcement as well as a BLM of the water cycle.
US Environmental Protection Agency, Thirstin’s Wacky Water Adventure: Presents a fifteen-page booklet for K–3 about drinking water and treatment plants. The pamphlet includes diagrams and several games.
•Research Resources
Harcourt School Publishers: Offers Animal Communities. This is an African animal resource for primary grades. Very basic descriptions are given of nine different animals from Africa.
Grades 3–5
►Lesson Plans
Science Spot: Lesson plans for ten different science topics can be explored at this site. Any needed worksheets for the lessons are also supplied. Clicking on Lesson Plan Links at the bottom left of the page will bring forth numerous additional links for the topic. Ages are not always listed.
Strange Matter Exhibition: Discover the Secrets of Every Day Science at this interesting site. This would be an excellent site to display on a screen in your classroom. You can zoom in on objects, transform things, watch different items get crushed or improve things. An extensive teacher’s guide is available that includes lessons, activities and corresponding worksheets.
Texas State Energy Conservation Office, Infinite Power: Seven separate unit studies about Renewable Energy are offered, each unit study is very thorough.
► Worksheets
• Life Science—Animal Ecosystems and Habitats
Schoolnet: This site offers twelve well illustrated worksheets on vertebrates for upper elementary students which could be used as a test or research activity. Authored by Norman C. Borg, the worksheets cover information about each classification of vertebrates.
Boggles World, ESL: Studying amphibians This helpful ESL site offers a frog crossword puzzle, life cycle diagram, and reading comprehension sheet.
• Life Science—Plants
Laika: This page provides a worksheet on labeling plants as well as a link to the answer key.
Science-Teachers: Create a crossword puzzle on photosynthesis for upper elementary students.
•Physical Science
Gravity Discovery Centre, Types of Energy Worksheet: This webpage offers a two-page worksheet about potential and kinetic energy. This activity would apply to upper elementary students.
Glencoe’s Science Voyages, Worksheets for Energy: Provides fifth grade enrichment and reinforcement worksheets about how energy changes, thermal energy and chemical energy.
Glencoe Science Voyages; Worksheets for Light, Mirrors and Lenses: Presents more ideas for 4–6 grades about light, mirrors, lenses and microscopes/telescopes. Ideas include planning a fun house with mirrors.
• Earth and Space Science
US Environmental Protection Agency, Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids’ Stuff: Offers a water site for 4th–8th graders. The site incorporates puzzles, experiments, on-line activities, and diagrams.
NASA, Welcome to the Planets: Provides photos and brief stats on each of the planets.
Science-Teachers, Volcanoes: A printable crossword puzzle about volcanoes for upper elementary students is available.
Science-Teachers, The Solar System: A printable crossword puzzle about the solar system for upper elementary students is available.
Science-Teachers, Kinds of Rocks: A printable crossword puzzle about the kinds of rocks for upper elementary students is available.
Glencoe, Earth Science: Under chapter resources, you will find an abundance of interactive games, quizzes and worksheets.
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• Science Fair Ideas
Science Fair Center: This site offers water testing kits for examining water as well as science fair information for students, parents, and teachers.
Proteacher, Scanning Electron Microscope: Build a microscope using the Teacher Resources at this site. Also offered are outstanding photos of microscopic objects such as a deer tick and a fly’s foot. Additional resources and experiments are available.
ProTeacher, Directory: Presents great resources for science fair projects and simple science experiments.
Weller Elementary School: Supplies an excellent Science Fair Project Planner and checklist that will help guide a student through the scientific process.
Athena Consolidated School, Everything You Need to Know about Doing an Elementary Science Fair: Supplies an overview, plus project ideas and a checklist for setting up a science fair.
Kids Science Fair Projects Research Report: Provides ideas, strategies and guidelines on how to write a student’s science fair research report.
Project Based Learning: Provides an excellent Science Project Checklist for use with class projects. This checklist can easily be customized.
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• Visuals for the Classroom
Arachnoid, Why is the Sky Dark at Night: This Elementary Physics webpage demonstrates how heated molecules work, an excellent but simple visual that could be used in a classroom situation. The site also offers other related topics.
Janus, Astonomy Workshop: This site provides good classroom visuals for the orbits of the planets, which are brief, but give a comparative perspective of the speeds and paths of the planets. Other activities are provided as well that illustrate distances in outer space.
National Air and Space Museum, Exploring the Planets: Offers pictures and information about each planet and comets for upper elementary students.
Space, The Most Amazing Galactic Images Ever: Presents beautiful and unique pictures of outer space.
Good Earth Graphics, The Virtual Cave: Displays outstanding pictures of different types of caves.
National Geographic; Naica Crystal Caves in Chihuahua, Mexico: Can see some great photos by clicking to the left of the story of the Giant Crystal Cave Come to Light. For more information, click on the related story of Giant Crystal Cave’s Mystery Solved.
Plants-In-Motion: Presents short time-lapse video clips of things like seeds germinating and plant growth. Though the screen is small, these videos are worth viewing.
Scientific Method: This Steps of the Scientific Method poster can be printed as a visual for the classroom.
•Research Resources
Chem4Kids: This site offers a variety of science topics from which to choose. The brief descriptions would be suitable for upper elementary students.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles: Scroll down the left side on this site to find information on a variety of topics. Often following the paragraph is a link to a lesson plan and activity that coincides with the subject. The information could be used by upper elementary for research.
Discovery: Your Digestive System site offers good research information about the human body for upper elementary.
Medtropolis: Presented in both English and Spanish, this site, The Virtual Body, includes activities for the brain, skeleton, heart and digestive tract. Each topic offers choices of activities including narrated tours, identifying parts, and puzzles.
MathMol: What is Matter is a thorough information page for upper elementary.
Kidport Reference Library: How Plants and Flowers Grow presents information on several plant topics such as different types of pollination seeds and bulbs. Other links are also available.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):
1. Where can I learn how best to teach the Purposeful Design Science series?
Listen to our “Teaching the Science Series” webinar.
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2. What would you suggest as a method for transitioning to Purposeful Design Science?
First, we recommend slowing down and trying not to cover too much information in too little time. Also, in the front matter of the Teacher Edition, we suggest that schools consider covering only one chapter per unit if they have limited time for science. Rushing through the material is only going to make both teachers and students frustrated.
Another important factor is that the teachers are going to want to read the Content and Directed Instructions portions in the Teacher Edition before they begin any lesson. They will get much more comfortable with the content in a couple of years, but right now they need the background information that is in the TE. There is really no way around it.
Another thing that will give great meaning to the students comes when they complete the Science Notebook pages with their respective lesson. These activities and exercises support and extend what is in the student textbook. Students have hands-on experiences that allow them to become more comfortable and secure with the material they are covering. Yes, it takes a little work to collect the different items, but it will be well worth it when teachers see kids becoming engaged with their learning and the lightbulbs come on.
Additionally, for Levels 4–6, there are the Vocabulary Review and Chapter Review sections at the end of each chapter. These will help students better prepare for the Chapter Test. Also, Additional Assessments are included and can be used as alternative assessments.
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3. What suggestions do you have for using your Science series for our kindergarten students?
We suggest that the kindergarten teachers collaborate with the 1st grade teachers and decide on two or three chapters to teach the kindergarten students from the Level 1 Science series. These chapters would then become exclusively Kindergarten science topics with their corresponding lessons and activities.
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4. Can your Science series be used by homeschoolers?
Yes, although the series has been designed for standard classroom use, it can easily be adapted for homeschool purposes. The primary modification would be to reduce the amount of supplies needed for the hands-on activities. It is important to remember for Levels 4–6 that the Teacher Edition, the student textbook, and the Science Notebook are all integral elements for the students’ success.
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5. Are there more experiments listed in the Teacher Editions in addition to the ones found in the student texts?
There are activities on the Blackline Masters (BLMs), provided with each Teacher Edition. For Levels 1–3, most of the activities are on the BLMs. For Levels 4–6, most of the activities are in the Science Notebook, with backup information/preparation listed on the BLMs. Most often the teachers work through the Science Notebook activities with their students.
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6. What is the best way to collect lab supplies?
Many of the supplies needed for labs and experiments are readily available. Most of them can be collected from home, the grocery store, or hardware store. We strongly suggest purchasing our Science Equipment kit; however, if you can only purchase a few items at a time, your teachers may want to start by focusing on the labs that have more easily acquired materials. If some labs are impractical for the supplies on hand, have your teachers perform the labs as demonstrations. Also, some alternatives are provided in the Alternatives sidebars. You could ask to borrow equipment from another school. As a last resort, skip activities that prove too cumbersome.
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7. Is there a list of materials provided?
There is a materials list provided in each lesson as well as a comprehensive list at the beginning of each chapter in the Chapter Preparation section.
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8. Is the vocabulary at grade level?
We realize the vocabulary terms are challenging, but we want students to begin to hear and learn proper nomenclature. In the Understanding Purposeful Design Science section at the front of the Teacher Edition, teachers are encouraged to go over the vocabulary with the students at the beginning of each lesson, practicing the pronunciations and reviewing the definitions. While a number of the vocabulary words may be new to the students, we believe they are grade level appropriate.
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9. Does the Science series meet national standards?
Yes, the scope and sequence of Purposeful Design Science incorporates the National Science Education Standards (NSES) for K–8. Benchmarks for science literacy from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and science education standards from selected states were also integrated. In addition to meeting science standards, Purposeful Design Science is committed to thoroughly integrating a biblical worldview into all instructional materials. Additional worldview content is provided for teachers, and all instructional materials take a biblical stance toward the natural world and toward the scientific investigation of that world.
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10. I teach a combination class. Which textbook would you recommend if I combine the classes as follows: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6?
If you plan to cover an entire grade level textbook each year, we recommend you use one grade level one year and the other grade level the next; start with the lower grade level textbook. If your school is only planning to complete half of the textbook each year, we would suggest using Level 1 for grades 1–2, Level 3 for grades 3–4, and then challenge the advanced students with the additional activities at the end of the Teacher Edition chapters. For grades 5 and 6, use Level 5 and assign extra Links activities, Challenge Questions, and additional assessments and science activities to the higher level students. The goal of the additional assignments is to engage the higher level students in each class to expand their foundational knowledge of science, not just to be given a greater quantity of work. [BACK TO FAQs] [TOP]
Ask a Question or Share an Idea:
Do you have a question to ask or an idea to share about the Purposeful Design science series?
► Email your question or idea directly to the Science Editorial Team
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