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Terrific Websites for Science | Common Sense Education

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Terrific Websites for Science is a Top Picks list of 46 apps and websites curated by Common Sense Education edtech editors.

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"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke quotes from BrainyQuote.com

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Hear tips from experienced teachers about how they organize for the school year. Tips to stay organize.

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Classroom Organization Tips from Veteran Teachers

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Use these tips from experienced teachers to get your classroom organized and keep it that way for the whole year.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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This is a good source to get kids engaged into science at a young age.m

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20 science projects that will wow preschoolers!

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20 Science Projects for Preschoolers

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This website has many fun challenges to go your students engaged in STEM.

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In this STEM challenge for kids, children will create a paper plate marble maze game inspired by pinball machines using a paper plate and a marble. This engineering activity is great for kids from kindergarten age up through 4th, 5th and 6th grades!

Follow our STEM for Kids Pinterest board!
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This post was originally published May 24, 2016 and has since been updated.
In our most recent science club, I challenged my students to create a pinball-like marble maze game using a paper plate, some basic craft supplies, and marbles. Kids created all kinds of cool structures on their paper plates for their marbles to go through as they tilted the plate different directions using their hands.

See it in action here:

Materials for Paper Plate Pinball Challenge

Directions for Paper Plate Pinball Challenge
If your students are not familiar with pinball machines (yes, we're that old!), watch some pinball machine YouTube videos together. Notice the different ramps, bumpers, and other pinball machine parts.
1. Provide each child with one paper plate and access to various craft supplies. I demonstrated how to create some simple arches using strips of construction paper. I also provided each student with their own individual pack of Wikki Stix. (You can also buy them in large quantities.) You can do this activity with just construction paper and tape, or try other materials as well, like pipe cleaners or straws.

2. Let the kids get busy creating and testing out their pinball machines with marbles.

The kids loved using Wikki Stix to create paths for their marbles.

Some kids used construction paper to create ramps and pockets in their pinball games and even designated point values for different arches!

The kids had a blast with this science project and even got so excited about the activity, they were trading finished pinball plates for their friends to try!

Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!

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STEM Challenge for Kids: Design a Paper Plate Marble Maze - Buggy and Buddy

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In this STEM challenge for kids, children will create a paper plate marble maze game inspired by pinball machines using a paper plate and a marble. This engineering activity is great for kids from kindergarten age up through 4th, 5th and 6th grades! Follow our STEM for Kids Pinterest board!

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Fun ideas and ways to teach the food chain to elementary school.

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Food Chain

A food chain shows how living things rely on each other for food and how energy is moved from one living thing to another. A food web is a group of connected food chains. In this movie, you'll learn how producers and consumers are living things that need each other to survive. You'll learn about herbivores, which are animals that eat plants, and carnivores, which are animals that eat other animals. An omnivore eats both plants and animals. You'll also find out the difference between predator and prey, and what might happen if a living thing becomes endangered or extinct. How might the food chain change?

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Food Chain Lesson Plans and Lesson Ideas | BrainPOP Educators

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A food chain shows how living things rely on each other for food and how energy is moved from one living thing to another. A food web is a group of connected food chains. In this movie, you'll learn how producers and consumers are living things that need each other to survive.

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"The science of today is the technology of tomorrow." - Edward Teller quotes from BrainyQuote.com

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Play Nature Bingo at a Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary near you! Print out the cards & see if you can be the first to find all the items in a row, or a column - or corner to corner! We have different Bingo cards for each season of the year.

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7 ideas to teach students about the moon.

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Misconceptions
Here are some common misconceptions I've heard from students.
1. You can only see the moon at night.
2. The shape of the moon changes.
3. The moon does not rotate.

My Massive Fail
Who has sent home the moon calendar where students are supposed to draw what the moon looks like every night? Who has ever had 1/4 of their students complete it? I would have been thrilled at 1/4. I tried my first two years teaching and I think maybe 2 out of 120 students did it. The third year, I made it optional for extra credit (the ONLY time I've done extra credit). One student took me up on that.

So clearly, students wouldn't be making these observations on their own at home and joyfully bringing in their observation sheets with their expert analysis to discuss. Fine. So, I took a new approach the next years.

A Different Approach
1. StarDate Website
This website will flat out show you the moon phases for each date: http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon. You can use the site to make observations and analyze patterns.

2. Oreo Vocabulary Introduction
To introduce the names of the phases, I love the Oreo activity. Be sure that students correctly have "Light start on the right" and label "waxing" and "waning" correctly. I have additional information in Hands-On Science Vocabulary Instruction (on TPT) about introducing new terms.

3. Moon PowerPoint and Styrofoam Ball Model
I love this Moon PowerPoint and Activity from TpT. This is an old-school activity, but it sticks around because it's a good one. You go through some basic information about phases of the moon and observe changes using a model (styrofoam ball on a pencil).

4. Visual Interactive Notebook Explanation
I love this notebook activity from Grade 5 NGSS Interactive Science Notebook Activities on TpT. These illustrations show two things: the part of the moon that is lit by the sun at any given time AND how the moon appears from Earth. Students need to understand that half of the moon is always lit, we just can't always see that half.

5. More Than One Cycle
Students need to understand that once the moon goes through the phases once, it begins again. This cut and paste activity from Super Science Test Prep Lessons on TPT is great. You can also just have students draw circles in their notebooks to show the changes in the appearance of the moon.
6. Making Predictions
In Texas, students in 4th and 5th grade need to be able to make simple predictions in the lunar cycle. The math is pretty simple because these are just approximations, but some of my students have struggled with this. I teach students how to make predictions for new moon, full moon, first quarter moon, and last quarter moon.

While I worked with some struggling learners on making predictions, I challenged my other students with more complicated situations.

7. Clock Approach
So in the middle of an evaluation lesson my third year teaching, we were using styrofoam balls to look at a model of the lunar cycle, and a student asked, "Why is it called first quarter when we see half of it?" Legit question, bro. By some miracle, I was quick on my feet that day (while sweat beads dripped down my neck). I drew a clock and showed them why we might refer to phases as "first quarter" and "third quarter" or "last quarter".

Note: Be careful with this because you don't want to confuse students as to which direction the moon revolves around Earth. It's just an explanation as to why some phases are called "quarters".

I hope these activities help you and your students in your study of the lunar cycle!

Pin it!

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7 Ideas to Teach Students about Moon Phases - The Science Penguin

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Misconceptions Here are some common misconceptions I've heard from students. 1. You can only see the moon at night. 2. The shape of the moon changes. 3. The moon does not rotate. My Massive Fail Who has sent home the moon calendar where students are supposed to draw what the moon looks like every night?

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"The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge." - Thomas Berger quotes from BrainyQuote.com

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science channels every teacher should know these videos are great for students to learn science in a student friendly way.

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Uncategorized
YouTube is huge. It's the second most used search engine online. Everyone I know uses YouTube for help and information. I once had a teacher friend YouTube how to assemble a drawer organizer from Ikea. No need to try to decipher the cryptic Ikea directions...she just watched a video!
If you're a science teacher check out these five channels to bring video content to your lessons.

1.) Bill Nye - Of course I had to include Bill. He's a cult classic. His videos are effective and kid-friendly. I use Bill Nye videos for science skills that are hard to create demonstrations for. My science curriculum covers physical and chemical changes. There are some demos and labs I can do, but ultimately my principal isn't too keen on using open flames in class. Bill Nye's channel offers viewing opportunities of labs I can't do in a classroom setting.

2.) It's Okay To Be Smart - Part of the PBS brand, this channel is all things science. They start with an essential question and then explain the answer with appealing graphics and fun narrative.

3.) NASA - Kids love space. I get a ton of questions during my Earth and Space unit. I have used the NASA YouTube channel to answer questions and show my students incredible footage of our universe. My absolute favorite part about this channel is the videos they have from the ISS. My kids go insane when I show them a glimpse of what it's like being an astronaut in space.

4.) SpanglerScienceTV - Ok this guy is amazing. He has the best science labs EVER. Just go check out his channel. You'll thank me later.

5.) TED-Ed - Just like their professional development videos for teachers, TED-Ed is all about bringing knowledge to kids in a cartoon format.

What YouTube channels do you use in your classroom?

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5 YouTube Channels Every Science Teacher Should Be Using

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Uncategorized YouTube is huge. It's the second most used search engine online. Everyone I know uses YouTube for help and information. I once had a teacher friend YouTube how to assemble a drawer organizer from Ikea. No need to try to decipher the cryptic Ikea directions...she just watched a video!

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Looking for a fun and educational activity to do at home with your kids? These easy science experiments for kids are sure to be a hit.

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

Kids are natural-born scientists. They love to experiment, ask questions, and see how things work. So why not indulge their curiosity? There's no need to schlep to a science museum or sign your kids up for a pricey afterschool class. You can do these fun, easy science experiments for kids right at home in your kitchen or backyard. The best part: You'll have as big a blast as they will.

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6 Easy and Fun Science Experiments for Kids

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Looking for a fun and educational activity to do at home with your kids? These easy science experiments for kids are sure to be a hit. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

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This is a video that could help students understand that the moon changes over time through out the month.

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The Moon: an hour-by-hour Time Lapse Visualization for a Full Year!

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Wanna know what the Moon will look like over the course of an entire year? The folks at the NASA GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio created this amazing animation showing our view of the Moon over the entire year with time resolution of *one hour*!

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This website gives you resource that are factual. This also lets you see the science standards.

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Congratulations to the National Winners!

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This website is good for engineering activities and getting kids involved within the classroom.

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Reach out to Engineering For Kids to learn more about the after-school activities, camps & other programs we have to offer. You'll be glad you did!

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This gives teachers a guide on how to plan field trips for the science Museum depending on the grade you teach. This also lets you know this special activities that are going on through out the year.

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This is a good resource to have your kids in your classroom explore. There are both educational games and videos. This website also has many articles that are kid friendly.

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This is a good website that has a bunch of different science topics you can choose from. This website includes a lot of informational videos you could use in your classroom.

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These will be fun ways to get your kids attention. You could have the kids in the beginning of the year vote which one they want to use for the year, or switch it up a few times a year.

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(teacherspayteachers.com) If your students are like mine, they struggle with powers of 10. With this fast-paced game, students have fun practicing and mastering

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Resource- decorations for your classroom 

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Resource- decorations for your classroom 

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Decorate your classroom in a way that encourage science learning

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Best 25+ Science classroom decorations ideas on Pinterest | Science classroom, Hanging classroom decorations and Science room decor

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Find and save ideas about Science classroom decorations on Pinterest. | See more ideas about Science classroom, Hanging classroom decorations and Science room decor.

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This link leads you to the home page for school field trips. It tells you who to contact, what the expectations are and even gives a few field trip lesson plans you could use in your own classroom.

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A visit to the New England Aquarium is a fun and engaging way to reinforce lessons learned in the classroom.

Planning a Field Trip

Our step-by-step field trip planning guide includes chaperone policies, pricing and payment policies, reservations, additional programs to augment your Aquarium field trip, and more. We also cover check-in and parking, planning your choice of presentations and shows, lunch and gift shop options.

Making the Reservation

Please make your reservation at least two weeks in advance to qualify for the group rate. Book your field trip or program with Central Reservations at 617-973-5206, email groupsales@neaq.org or complete a group inquiry form.

Getting Ready to Visit the Aquarium

If you already booked a class to visit the New England Aquarium and want to plan your visit beforehand, teachers may present your field trip confirmation letter or your free teacher pass at the Aquarium Box Office to gain free admission to the Aquarium. In addition, we offer free pre-field trip workshops of the Aquarium to teachers preparing for a field trip.

Sharing these engaging videos with students and chaperones to help your group get acquainted with the Aquarium and one of our most popular exhibits before you even step off the bus. The orientation video is also available in Spanish and Portuguese.

Field Trip Orientation Video

Meeting the Sharks and Rays

A Visual Tour Prezi

Share this presentation with chaperones or a group of students before your visit. You'll find out where bathrooms are or see what kind of animals to expect in our exhibits!

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A visit to the New England Aquarium is a fun and engaging way to reinforce lessons learned in the classroom. Our step-by-step field trip planning guide includes chaperone policies, pricing and payment policies, reservations, additional programs to augment your Aquarium field trip, and more.

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This website has many worksheet that are factual accurate that you can use in your classroom.

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Understanding Science - How science REALLY works...

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Understanding Science - How science REALLY works...

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This gives you a bunch of free posters or ideas to put on your wall in your classroom. This website also has a wide variety of posters.

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If you have a student who gets wild up in class find a place where he or she can go to outside of the classroom. Make a sign for the student fro example a thumbs up. This way the student can calm down.

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This is another text book that give you activities and curriculum to use within your classroom.

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Read "Ready, Set, SCIENCE!: Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms" at NAP.edu

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Read chapter 2 Four Strands of Science Learning: What types of instructional experiences help K-8 students learn science with understanding? What do scien...

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This is a great resource to find information on marine like and the ocean in general. There is also a teacher section that gives teachers ideas and tips on teaching about the ocean.

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Living organisms fill our ocean, estuaries, and coastal areas. These organisms take many forms from the tiniest single-cell plankton, to the largest mammal on Earth, the blue whale, and the largest colonial organism, the coral reef. Expanding our knowledge of the life cycle, habits, habitats, and inter-relationships of marine life is important to our understanding of the planet.

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This will help you get ideas on how to use science notebooks in your classroom. This also gives you strategies for reflections.

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Sample our easy-to-implement strategies and lessons to bring science notebooking into your classroom or home!

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This would be a fast way to have you students get into partners. The clock would also allow the students in the classroom to work with a wide variety of their peers.

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I was at a conference once and they told us about using clock partners to team up students in the class. The concept is that students walk around and set an appointment time with other students and record their appointment on their clock (example: I go to you and ask if you have a five o'clock open. You tell me yes and I write your name in for 5 p.m. and you write my name in your 5 p.m. slot). You can specify that you can only list a persons name once or you must have equal number of boys and girls to keep it fair.

I found a template on the internet and recreated it on my own (feel free to email me if you want me to send it to you). I had my students get their clock partners at the beginning of the year and they glued it to the back inside cover of their science notebook. If I need to group students I just say, "Get with your two o'clock partner" and they know what to do.

I don't use them as often as I should. I've been trying to correct this recently. The other day I had students get with their three o'clock partner to work on the two worksheets in the post below. I did not want that activity to take a long time and I figured if I paired students up that I could get it done quickly. As always you get the mismatched, "I dislike you" kind of pairing. I never change partners. Instead I say that they have the option of doing the entire activity by themselves, as long as they check their answers with each other at the end of the activity. They are also not allowed to ask me for help until they have asked their partner for help. That helps reduce the complaining.

As always students come and go throughout the year. If a person has a partner that has left the school they automatically get any new student to the class in that time slot...so always have students write names in pencil (although I can see middle and high school students erasing names to put their friends name for a called time slot so gauge that how you see fit).

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I was at a conference once and they told us about using clock partners to team up students in the class. The concept is that students walk around and set an appointment time with other students and record their appointment on their clock (example: I go to you and ask if you have a five o'clock open.

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this would be a good representation on how the water is held in clouds and then lets it go as rain.

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How many drops of water can a cloud hold before it rains? This hands on science experiment is a first grade favorite!

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This would be a good experiment to go with a plant unit because the students will be able to see through the clear bag how the seed grows over time.

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. By clicking on these links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Germinating seeds in a bag is a fun way for kids to view how seeds transform into plants right before their eyes. Seeds don't need soil to start germinating, so you can place them in a sunny window and they will start sprouting right away. This allows kids to watch how seeds sprout, which is a process normally hidden by dirt. There is a lot to learn in this experiment, yet it is so simple to do! As long as you have dried beans and some plastic bags, you can make these seed germinating bags.

MATERIALS NEEDED TO CONDUCT THE GERMINATING SEEDS IN A BAG EXPERIMENT:

You don't have to purchase sees specifically for planting for this experiment. We used beans sold in the grocery store for human consumption for our seeds in a bag, and they sprouted right up with any problems at all!

Before starting the experiment, soak your bean seeds overnight in water. This will sort of "wake up" the seeds and get them ready to germinate. You'll get faster results if you pre-soak your bean seeds this way. Drain the seeds before placing them in the bag.

Dampen a paper towel and fold it into the bag.

Place the seeds along one side of the bag, pressing them against the paper towel. Seal the bag tightly, and hang in a window using tape.

Make sure the beans are visible on the side of the window where the kids will be observing their seeds sprout.

Wait 24 hours. You should be able to see the seeds start to pop open and sprout after this time.

Within 3 days to a week, you'll have fully sprouted seeds!

In a few more days, you'll see the leaves start to emerge.

At this point, your beans are ready to move to soil. Plant them in a rainboot garden, or another small planter and watch them continue to grow!

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. By clicking on these links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Germinating seeds in a bag is a fun way for kids to view how seeds transform into plants right before their eyes.

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good books to get for lesson plans or just have in your library. you can find these books in your libary or buy them for your classroom.

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Even though my son loves to read non-fiction science books I don't post much about it. Primarily this is because he reads them to himself and I am not one to make book lists of books I haven't read. Also, I don't find as much pleasure making non-fiction book lists as I do for fiction. That's my personal bias but I am trying to change that for YOU.

The Common Core standards and STEM have increased interest in finding fun, quality non-fiction books to share in the classroom as teaching tools, but these books are great for home reading, too. This book list isn't meant to be exhaustive and I hope it will encourage you to search out more books about your children's favorite subjects, or engage your kids in some science projects.

I'm doing things a bit differently this time, not as much reviewing ( remember the bias?), but rest assured, these are books I have picked up and enjoyed. I've chosen books for a variety of ages, from preschoolers, kindergartners on up through 5th grade and beyond. There are 5 books on 11 fascinating topics and I'd love to hear your suggestions for favorite non-fiction science books in the comments. (Note: Book covers are affiliate links.)

MY LATEST VIDEOS

Interesting side note: I actually intended for this to be a list of 50 books, but accidentally included 11 topics instead of 10. I didn't have the heart to delete 5 books!

DINOSAUR PICTURE BOOKS

How Big Were the Dinosaurs? Lita Judge has written one of my favorite fiction picture books, Red Sled, so it was natural that I would pick up her dinosaur book. I love it.

Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs. Remember the Brontosaurus? This book goes beyond just the facts about dinos as we know them now, but how our scientific understanding changes over time.

Barnum's Bones. This is a playful look at the man who discovered the first T-Rex, every kid's favorite dinosaur.

Inside Outside Dinosaurs. If many of these books seem a bit advanced for your kids, then Inside Outside Dinosaur is a good choice for your preschooler. Munro's oversized book is simple: alternating pages display the inside and outside of dinos! It's a perfect read before heading off to your local natural history museum.

My First Big Book of Dionosaurs is a longer, more in-depth book, but still great for preschoolers on up.

PLANT WORLD PICTURE BOOKS

Celebritrees: Historic and Famous Trees of the World. An interesting look at famous trees and what makes them so special.

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table. A former basketball star turns an abandoned lot into a community garden. This is a great way to teach kids that not all farms need tractors.

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard. A story of two kids planting and reaping a harvest will encourage kids to become little scientists in their own gardens.

Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life. Because I am an arts & literature type of person I love science books that describe their subjects in poetic terms. The text is marvelous. I guarantee your will be inhaling and exhaling deeply by the end! Plus, Molly Bang's illustrations are simply illuminating.

Planting a Wild Garden is a lovely and large book that uses the narrative of a family planting a garden to describe the natural propogation of plants through seed distribution.

Space Picture Books

Pluto's Secret: An Icy World's Tale of Discovery. Pluto's had a rough time of it these last few years. It's about time he got his own book. It's a fun and playful story, with loads of facts about the little guy.

National Geographic's Big Book of Space. I think I could put a "Big Book" in each of these categories for which there is a relevant title. I usually am put off by books displaying brand merchandising, but this is an excellent series that grows with the child. ( Besides, NG is a pretty high quality "brand".) I recommend it.

The Mighty Mars Rover: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity is for ages 8 and up but my younger son loves looking at the photographs. You won't get any closer to Mars than this book.

Moon Shot. Brian Floca's detailed illustrations tell the story of Apollo 11.

A Black Hole Is Not a Hole. For ages 8 and up. This book is so good. It actually made me understand black holes... and made me laugh.

ANIMAL PICTURE BOOKS

Frog Song. Splendid illustrations, splendid onomatopoeic text you can practically feel and splendid facts about these interesting creatures threatened with extinction.

Eat Like a Bear. Little known fact: I really like bears! Share the love of bears with this simple, playful book about how and what bears eat all year long. Includes an end note about different kinds of bears. Great for little ones.

The Little Book of Sloth. Honestly. Just look at the cover. What else is there to say?

Can We Save the Tiger? More than a book about tigers, author Martin Jenkins examines several extinct species, what led to their extinction, and how we can work to save endangered animals.

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives is a fun look at animals for kids who also love numbers.

LAND PICTURE BOOKS

A Rock Is Lively. Kiddo is really into rocks and gems these days. I'm looking forward to when he and his uncle the geologist get together next. He's been reading books for older kids, but this is a lovely illustrated book for kids just starting out.

Volcano Rising. A dramatic look at volcanos using paper collage illustrations that will have your kids "hissing" and "pop!-ing" and shouting "volcano rising!" by the end.

Redwoods. Perhaps I should have listed this under the "plant" category above, but redwoods seem like more than just mere plants to me.

Earthquakes (Let's Read and Find Out). I would have liked to have found a book with more interesting illustrations, but this is a good introduction to the rattle of the plates.

The Sun, The Wind and the Rain. This is a lovely book that uses a child building a sand castle as a parallel to the way mountains form. The simple explanation makes it a good choice for younger children.

OCEAN PICTURE BOOKS

Coral Reefs. Once again Jason Chin hits the mark with his awesome illustrations. A girl in the New York Public Library starts reading about the ocean only to find herself swept away on an adventure of scientific discovery.

Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas. Be sure to read this as a companion to Living Sunlight, above.

All the Water in the World is a wonderfully poetic look at the water cycle.

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Science is not just about the elements, it's also about people.

Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea. When I was a kid I was a little obsessed with the tiny sea horse. They seemed so magical to me. John Lawrence's illustrations from wood cuts and engravings perfectly capture that magic.

HUMAN BIOLOGY PICTURE BOOKS

Who Has What? All About Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies is an excellent book for kids who are starting to notice that not everyone is the same.

The Human Body Factory is for kids ages 7 and up who like books with lots of little information blurbs!

What's Eating You?: Parasites - The Inside Story. Moms will be grossed out, kids will be rivited.

The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts. Honestly, are you sensing a theme here? This one is great for preschoolers, by the way. ( Includes non-humans, too!)

What Makes a Baby? was one of my favorite picture books of 2013. It's a not-dumbed down version of how things work and a celebration of families. Excellent.

ENVIRONMENT PICTURE BOOKS

Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World. Hold onto your hats. The story of how the Danish island of Samsø became completely energy efficient will inspire your kids.

Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story was a particularly interesting book for my kids since we live close by. I'm quite pleased that the name "Meadowlands" is no longer synonymous with football in their minds!

What's So Bad About Gasoline? In general, I find the "Let's Read and Find Out" series of leveled science books to be an excellent series. You will easily find them at your local library. My son found this to be a fascinating book. It's a good start to learning about fossil fuels.

No Monkeys, No Chocolate is an interesting look at how monkey behavior is integral to the continued existence of chocolate. This is a great conversation starter about the interconnectedness of life on earth and how important it is to maintain balance in the environment.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind mixes social studies, engineering and environmental issues. Learn how a fourteen year old changed his community.

EVOLUTION PICTURE BOOKS

Island: A Story of the Galápagos. Jason Chin's marvelous illustrations tell the story of evolution on "Darwin's Island" from its geological beginnings to the present. Fascinating.

Older than the Stars. I love, love, love this book. Like several other books on this list it has a sort of "double text". You can read the large text straight through as a story to younger kids, but the sidebars will interest older kids looking for answers to their burning questions. This beautiful look at how the universe evolved ties all living things to the beginning of time.

Lucy Long Ago is for kids ages 8 and up. It is a fascinating look at the discovery of "Lucy" in 1974 by paleontologists and how it changed the way we view our human ancestry. There is a lot of information in this book but it's very approachable ( even for grown-ups like me!).

Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution is a kid-friendly approach to a huge subject. You can read a little or a lot of this book because each page has small asides about various animals or evolutionary traits.

Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story is a good book to explain a complicated subject to kids ages 4 and up.

ENGINEERING PICTURE BOOKS

Toilet: How It Works. Many of David Macaulay's books about engineering and structures are for middle grade on up, but this leveled easy reader will entice kids into the world of mechanics with their favorite subject: the bathroom. ( This is part of the How It Works easy reader series. Be sure to check out the other books!)

If You Lived Here: Houses of the World is a combination of architectural science and social studies.

Brooklyn Bridge. It's true that we have a teensy-weensy bias towards books about New York City. Can you argue, though, about the awesomeness of this bridge? This book is not just about engineering science of the bridge, but the history of the time, the persons involved, and it contains stellar illustrations, maps and diagrams.

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building. Kids at play mirror great feats of engineering around the world. Fantastic for preschoolers. I definitely would have put this one on my list of picture books for little engineers and inventors had I discovered it earlier!

Engineering the ABCs. Teach your kids ages 4 and up about all the ways engineers contribute to the world.

MISCELLANEOUS SCIENCE PICTURE BOOKS

The Secret Pool is completely fascinating! Did you know about vernal pools? They are their own little temporary eco-system.

Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard. This book encourages your kids to get involved in nationwide observations through organizations like FrogWatch USA.

Seeing Symmetry. Math, art and science come together. Fabulous for younger kids! Buggy and Buddy has a wonderful nature activity to do in conjunction with the book.

The World is Waiting for You teaches kids about amazing and adventurous careers in scientific fields.

Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable. I'm pretty sure my kids have read every poop book there is. I should probably make a list.
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Even though my son loves to read non-fiction science books I don't post much about it. Primarily this is because he reads them to himself and I am not one to make book lists of books I haven't read. Also, I don't find as much pleasure making non-fiction book lists as I do for fiction.

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This is a great resources for lesson plan ideas if you work for the Boston Public Schools

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Still using a legacy edition of FOSS?

Legacy editions of FOSS are no longer supported on FOSSweb. These editions include:

FOSS K-6 Second Edition© 2005

FOSS Middle School First Edition© 2001-2005

FOSS California© 2007

FOSS Texas© 2013

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Still using a legacy edition of FOSS? Legacy editions of FOSS are no longer supported on FOSSweb. These editions include: FOSS K-6 Second Edition© 2005 FOSS Middle School First Edition© 2001-2005 FOSS California© 2007 FOSS Texas© 2013

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Curriculum Framework for Massachusetts for pre K-12. within the framerwork it includes

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This is a list of a lot of field trips ideas that you could take your kids in Boston.

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School Trip Ideas in Boston I Educational Field Trips

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Directory of fun field trip ideas to science centers, museums, aquariums, amusement parks, zoos in Boston. Free lesson plans for preschoolers, elementary, and middle school students.