Make Science
Meaningful!
I hear, and I forget.
I see, and I remember.
I do, and I understand.
Knowledge comes easily to those who
understand. Proverbs 14:6
Ocean Movement
Tape an index card on 5 volunteers with one of the following words:
sun, air, wind, water, waves.
Teacher can teach through each step of how ocean movement is made.
Have students make motions as you place them in the correct order.
While students are doing motions at the front of the room, also have
students in their desks actively doing the motions too. Repeat steps and
act out how ocean waves are formed. At the end of the lesson, try
mixing the cards up and seeing if the students can place the steps in the
correct order.
1. Sun: arms over head in a circle. What do you know about the sun?
(It's hot). The sun radiates heat to the earth.
2. Air: hands making vertical waves (hot air rising like heat waves
coming off of pavement in the summer). When the sun heats the earth,
what happens to the air? (It moves)
3. Wind: hands making a loop (like a cursive "e") as wind moves along.
What happens when the air moves a lot? (The wind begins to blow)
4. Water: hands rippling back and forth. What might the wind move as
it blows across the sky and the ground? (Key is to get to water as the
answer)
5. Waves: make big up and down waves with hands. As the water
moves higher and higher, what does it create? (waves)
Heat & Thermal Energy
Conductors and Insulators: For higher grade levels, you can extend this
activity to discuss density, conductors and insulators. Have students
pretend to be molecules standing very close (shoulder to shoulder
touching) for dense objects like a metal frying pan and far apart (arms
spread out barely touching) for less dense objects like a Styrofoam cup.
Call on another student to pretend to be heat, they bump the first
student in the chain. The students representing conductors should be
able to easily bump each other without moving their legs...thus
illustrating the properties of how quickly heat travels. The insulators
should not be able to easily bump each other because they are spread
out far apart. Their molecules are spread far apart and not wildly
moving on their own until the heat touches them (moving very slowly).
Motions for terms relating to thermal energy:
Conduction: "the transfer of thermal energy through solids." Place left
palm up (representing frying pan). With your right hand (representing
heat energy from stove), slap the bottom of your left hand, then make
the smoke/steam coming up through the left hand, going through the
object that is a conductor. Say the word "conduction" as you do the
motion every time.
Convection: "the transfer of thermal energy through liquids or gases."
Move hand in a circular motion and move hips/body like you are
keeping a hula hoop up. This is to represent how heat moves through a
bathtub, or how soup gets hot when cooked on a stove.
Radiation: "heat energy travels in waves through air or space." Move
hands in a wave motion up and down to represent radiation waves.
Molecules in Motion
Introduction: Students act as molecules moving based on
temperature...fast for hot and slow for cold
Extension: After the definition of temperature has been taught
(the measure of how much heat energy an object has),
randomly call out objects and have students act as a molecule
in that object might act, keeping in mind that even molecules in
solid or cold objects sill move.
Example: lava, Jello, tree, water, iceberg, sun, table, etc.
Play Dough Activities
1. Make a model of the ocean floor (younger levels: continental shelf,
trench, undersea mountain, and islands; higher levels: continental
slope, continental rise, etc.). Think of a relief map where students can
demonstrate the differences in elevation.
2. Make a model of an insect. Include 3 body parts (head, thorax,
abdomen), 6 legs, wings, antennae, etc.
3. Make a model of a spider and compare/contrast it with a model of an
insect.
4. Make a model of a cell and the parts of it. Use different colored play
dough for different parts.
Blood Models
Divide students into groups of three. Give each group one ball
of red, white, and yellow play dough. Each student should have
only one ball of clay. Instruct the students with the red ball to
pinch off small amounts of clay about the size of grapes. Then
form them into round disks and push the center inward.
Instruct the students with the white clay to divide it into two
pieces and form them into balls. Then have them pinch the clay
all around the dies of the balls to give it a rough texture.
Instruct the students with the yellow balls to pinch off small
amounts of clay about the size of raisins. Shape them into
ovals. Have students put the pieces of formed clay into the
middle of their table and refer to them as you discuss the solid
pieces in their blood and their function in our body.
Red = red blood cells; carry oxygen around the body
White = white blood cells; help defend against sickness, viruses,
bacteria
Yellow = platelets; help our blood to clot when our skin is cut
Well/Sick Students
Make an index card for each student in your class. On ¼ of the cards,
draw a face with a mask over the mouth showing they are sick. On ¾ of
the cards, draw a happy face. Fold each card or put them in an
envelope. Pass one to each of the students.
Instruct students to open their index card and stand if they have a
happy face. State that these students did not get Henry’s cold. Read
one of the reasons from the list below (etc.) for students, and then
have the other students reiterate a reason they did not catch the cold.
-Washed hands before eating
- Washed hands before touching his or her eyes
- Did not drink out of Henry’s cup
- Used Henry’s ruler and washed hands afterwards
- Washed hands after using a computer in the classroom
Then have students with the mask cards (sick) stand. State that each of
these students got a cold from Henry. Have students state a reason
they caught Henry’s cold, helping as needed.
- Threw away Henry’s tissue and did not wash their hands
- Borrowed Henry’s pencil and did not wash their hands
- Took a bite of Henry’s sandwich after he took a bite
- Sat at Henry’s desk and did not wash hands
- ADD ON – Put glitter into hand lotion and shake hands with
your students before you begin science class. As you go
through the lesson, students will see the glitter getting on their
clothes, desk, pencil, etc. Share that this is a visual of how
easily germs are spread. Demonstrate to students how to
properly wash their hands.