Weird Science - Kindergarten through fifth grade
Theme: Fireworks
Materials needed: Fireworks in a Bowl or shallow plate, food coloring, dish soap
Books: Henry’s Fourth of July by Holly Keller 4th of July Mice! By Bethany Roberts
Happy 4th of July by Jenny Sweeney Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet Wong
Red, White and Boom! by Lee Wardlaw
Paint and Marble Fireworks: Box or coffee can, plain white paper, paint, glitter and marbles
Fireworks in a Dish Follow the directions below and we did this multiple times. I also gave them the information below in a handout.
By Mom Unplugged, March 6, 2011 4:35 pm
Angela Young, M.S.L.S. Kids Library Programming
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Made EasyPaint and Marble Fireworks
1. Place a piece of paper in a box or inside a coffee can (Large Can).
2. Then squeeze two or three different colors into the can and sprinkle some glitter in as well.
3. Drop in a few marbles and place lid on securing everything inside.
4. Then let the children roll the can or shake the can for about a minute.
5. Open up the can carefully and pull out the painting.
6. Let dry a little while before the children head home .
Paper Airplanes: Kindergarteners through fifth graders with caregiver
Materials needed: Lots of paper, markers, crayons, scissors, tape, Projector, internet access
Refreshments: Donuts, juice, milk, coffee and graham cracker angry birds, cups, small plates and napkins
Books: The Gliding Flight: 20 excellent fold and fly paper airplanes by John Collins
Mr. Magorium’s Paper Airplane Designs by Scholastic
World Record Paper Airplane Book by Ken Blackburn
5 Steps to drawing Aircraft by Pamela Hall
Planes & Helicopters by Clive Gifford
Website to visit and use: http://www.funpaperairplanes.com/
Templates for easy to hard airplanes are available and they are numbered so you know how and where to fold them. It also provides tutorials on the steps to fold your paper airplanes.
1. Set up Refreshment table
2. Set up Books to check out table for display
3. Have Markers and Crayons, scissors and tape on each table.
4. Set up projector and connect to computer to show how to make paper airplanes with the above website.
5. Give everyone the same airplane template then show the movie clip. We showed each one 3 times in order to give everyone a chance to see each step.
6. I have included some of these in additional files for you as well.
After everyone had a chance to make the planes I gave time for them to fly them. Then we would start the next plane. We made about 6 different planes and the kids loved it. Girls and boys with fathers and grandfathers.
Mad Scientist
Date: Saturday, Nov 1
Theme: Mad Scientist Alien Autopsy
Each of these experiments will have direction signs posted along with an explanation of why the science experiment works the way it does. Some require volunteers others can just have the parents assist them. My costume was to look like a mad scientist with crazy hair and darkened eyes. The program starts with everyone working on experiments then after about a half hour the Alien Autopsy begins. Paper mache alien and lots of food for the guts and body parts. Pans, Utensils, plates, napkins, forks, spoons, carafe, and science related beakers, etc. decorate the front with a spotlight and a drawn model of the alien on a white board.
Experiment #1: Flubber Blubber (Use volunteer to make)
Supplies: Cornstarch & Water
Mix and create. Is it a liquid or a solid or both?
Activity #2: Sand Trap
Supplies: sand, magnetic items, magnetic wand
Directions:
Find objects that are magnetic and write down in magnetic column. Write down others in non-magnetic column
Craft #1: Lab Gear
Supplies: Lab coats made from white plastic bags cut to resemble lab coats, cardboard bow ties, circle stickers, safety pins
Directions:
Decorate bowties with round stickers then put on along with the lab coat.
Activity #3: Electricity Ball Experiment
Supplies: Balloons
Directions:
Each child will blow up balloon and rub it on their head then try to get it to stick to the wall or friend, or another balloon.
Activity #4: Vomiting Monster (Assistant needed)
Supplies: paper mache monster face made out of small pop bottle, butter cups, etc.
Baking soda, vinegar, funnel
Directions:
Using a funnel put a little bit of baking soda into the bottle. Then using another funnel put in
a little bit of vinegar and watch the vomiting monster.
Activity #5: Rising Raisins
Supplies: cups, raisins, 7 up
Directions:
Have 7-up in the cups. Kids can take turns dropping raisins into the cups and watching the raisins rise after a short time.
LEGO
Easy program would be to just let the kids build. Give idea books or create from imagination. But if you want some structure and to cover other areas of S.T.E.M. here are some great ideas.
Offer Lego Math worksheets Divide Lego’s by color and/or by size
Which color has more and put them in order most to least.
Add with Lego’s
Fractions
Summer, Health, Fruit Theme
Have these watermelons made and ask the children to show you half, whole, quarter of the watermelon. This is a great way to introduce them to the definition of the words and start teaching them math terms.
Here are some more ideas
Made with felt Time program
Cookie Fractions
Cut the cookie in Half
Cut the cookie in quarters
How many M&M’s are in the half?
In the quarter?
Curious Kids - Kindergarten through Fifth grade
Building -Engineering
Set up: Set up tables with materials for each group. See Activity tables listed below.
Books: True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Three Little Rigs by David Gordon
Three little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara
The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone
Three Little Wolves & the Big Bad Pig by Eugenios Trivizas
Non-fiction books - Lego's, houses, buildings, sky skyscrapers, Eiffel tower, etc.
Table One: Build with Cups
Challenge- Work together to build a structure as high as you can go with the cups provided.
Table Two:
Challenge-Work together and build a structure as high as you can go using mini marshmallows and glue.
Table 3
Challenge- Work together and build a structure as high as you can use wooden Popsicle sticks.
Table 4
Challenge- Work together and build a structure as high as you can with large marshmallows.
Table 5
Challenge- Work together and build a structure as high as you can use mega blocks.
After 15 minutes each group was finished and we talked about each structure. Then we measured them and made predictions on which ones would stand if there were a strong wind came through. We talked about what could destroy buildings or houses and then I asked who had heard of the Three Little Pigs story? We then talked about what happened in the story and I shared the True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieska.
The last activity was to have each group move one table over and huff and puff and see if they could knock down their friend’s structure by blowing it down. We first predicted with a raise of hands if yes it would stand or no it would fall down. See the pictures below. The children left right after they assisted with clean up and were allowed to check out the books on display.
Building
It is easy to do and I often will drag out various materials for every program that gives the children an opportunity to build.
Empty boxes wrapped in paper related to the theme.
Stack cans to knock down Using Magic Wet-n-Stick Noodles
Wrap in paper or tape Marshmallows
If you are very brave you could also offer rope and Sheets for kids to build forts.
Resources for finding Non-fiction and literature
Common Core Non-fiction titles:
The Common Core includes a list of exemplar texts to illustrate the level of complexity and quality that students should engage with in a given grade band.
You can go beyond the exemplars and help your students build comprehension and fluency with our list of great nonfiction, including informational texts, arranged according to grade level bands and themes.
http://www.scholastic.com/commoncore/common-core-book-list-nonfiction.htm
Common Core literature titles:
http://www.scholastic.com/commoncore/common-core-book-list-literature.htm
Gail Gibbons
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bookwizard/books-by/gail-gibbons
Exploring with Gail Gibbons Non-fiction
http://www.gailgibbons.com/pdf/explore_1008.pdf
Lois Ehlert
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bookwizard/books-by/lois-ehlert
Robert F. Sibert Award
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. ALSC administers the award.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal/sibertpast/sibertmedalpast
Angela Young, M.S.L.S. Kids Library Programming