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Includes CER

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A science notebook is a detailed record of a student's engagement with natural phenomena. It is a personal representation of experiences, observations, and thinking- an integral part of the process of doing scientific work. A science notebook is a continuously updated history of the development

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Lessons to bring science to notebooking

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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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NGSS Lessons

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Teachers love using picture books to teach science!

Introducing Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons!

Students love learning through inquiry!

Teachers rave about Picture-Perfect Science Workshops!

Teachers love Picture-Perfect Science workshops!

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Teachers love using picture books to teach science! Introducing Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons! Students love learning through inquiry! Teachers rave about Picture-Perfect Science Workshops! Teachers love Picture-Perfect Science workshops!

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Ecosystem Example

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Guest Post Written By Sockmonkey Science

Science comes naturally to most elementary students. After all, observing phenomena and problem solving is the way their young minds develop. However, I notice that although my students are able to tackle big issues and come up with creative solutions, they have difficulty articulating their conclusions scientifically. They can't tell me WHY or HOW. Justifying their work logically is a huge part of what they should be learning in my class, but it always seems to be the area we are most lacking in.

For a long time, I tried following the scientific method to help students explain their thought processes. However, the steps aren't always clear and also seem to vary from publisher to publisher, causing confusion for students (and teachers) as they advance to higher grade levels. Recently, I stumbled across the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) model, and I feel like this simple graphic organizer based approach is something that will really help my students write scientifically and prepare them for more rigorous lab reports in high school.

What is CER?

CER is a writing strategy that helps students analyze information and experiences in an organized, concise manner. The process for elementary students usually starts with a question or prompt from the teacher relating to a scientific concept they are familiar with. The students then use the CER method to answer the question (or make a claim) providing both evidence and reasoning. Seems simple, right? That's because it is! Well, it should be, anyway. Students generally have NO problem making a claim, or even stringing together some evidence to support it, but when it comes to providing the reasoning that connects the claim and evidence students tend to freeze up.

The good news is with proper introduction, scaffolding, and practice, CER should dramatically improve your students' scientific reasoning and writing skills. The GREAT news is that you can turn almost anything into a CER moment. In fact, many educators suggest introducing the concept with something that ISN'T science-related.

One of the best examples I have seen of this comes from Trevor Register, who shows an Audi television commercial, "My Dad's an Alien" to introduce using CER. The commercial shows a young girl listing the evidence of why she believes her father is an alien, and students must decide for themselves if he is indeed an alien. The commercial is pretty straightforward, and the content leads to some thought-provoking and creative discussion from students.

OK, OK...That's great, but how do you use this with actual scientific concepts you are teaching?

Here is an example.

Juan brought his lunch to school in a brown paper bag. Once he has finished, there is nothing left in the bag. However, his friend Mia disagrees. She believes the bag contains air. Who is correct?

So, this option leaves two ways to use CER. The first option is to simply provide students with a data table showing the physical properties of the bag (like mass and volume) when it is full of lunch as opposed to when it is only full of air. The second option, which I prefer, would allow students to conduct the investigation and gather the data. Have students measure the mass of the bag when it is full of lunch, when it is open and empty, as well as when it is inflated with air and closed. Then allow them to make a claim based on their own data, and provide the evidence and reasoning to substantiate their claim!

If you aren't sure how to start incorporating CER into YOUR classroom, Model Teaching has a great article, checklist, and graphic organizer available to download free here.

I have also started creating some CER prompts to tackle real-world science issues! Check it out!

If you like this post, you may like these:

About the Author: Mary is the mother of two amazing little boys. When she is not changing diapers, she is mom blogging, teaching elementary science and creating science resources to share with other teachers. She will complete her M. Ed. later this year, and hopes to become a school counselor in the near future! You can find her on Sockmonkey Science, TPT, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and even subscribe to her blog by email for some cool surprise freebies!
If you like it, then pin it!
Thanks for reading!

Christine Weis is a passionate educator, classroom management coach, wife, and mom of two busy boys. She enjoys teaching, writing, and creating resources for teachers.

Filed Under: Blog

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Claim Evidence Reasoning: Using the C.E.R. Model for Scientific Writing in Elementary - For The Love of Teachers

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CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) is a writing strategy that helps students analyze information and experiences in science.

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Audi Commercial using CER

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Audi Advertisement Audi A6 Commercial Alien

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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning

Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards

THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE LEARNING

Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

Crosscutting Concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design.

When these concepts, such as "cause and effect", are made explicit for students, they can help students develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them.

Science and Engineering Practices describe what scientists do to investigate the natural world and what engineers do to design and build systems. The practices better explain and extend what is meant by "inquiry" in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Students engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge of core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.

More about 3D Learning

GET TO KNOW

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K-12 science content standards. Standards set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The NGSS were developed by states to improve science education for all students.

A goal for developing the NGSS was to create a set of research-based, up-to-date K-12 science standards. These standards give local educators the flexibility to design classroom learning experiences that stimulate students' interests in science and prepares them for college, careers, and citizenship.

Get to Know the Standards

IMPLEMENT

The NGSS call for a three-dimensional approach to K-12 science instruction. This represents a significant transition from previous state standards. That's why effective implementation demands a great deal of collaboration and patience among states, districts, schools, teachers, and students.

Thoughtful and coordinated approaches to implementation will enable educators to inspire future generations of scientifically literate students. That is the vision of the NGSS. This website provides a range of high-quality resources that empower educators, administrators, parents, and the general public to help bring this vision to life.

Find Tools and Resources

WHY

Science-and therefore science education-is central to the lives of all Americans.

A high-quality science education means that students will develop an in-depth understanding of content and develop key skills-communication, collaboration, inquiry, problem solving, and flexibility-that will serve them throughout their educational and professional lives.

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Home Page | Next Generation Science Standards

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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

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2016 Science Framework - Science Framework (CA Dept of Education)

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The curriculum framework was adopted by the State Board of Education on November 3, 2016. This is the final published version.

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EQuIP Rubric for Science | Next Generation Science Standards

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The EQuIP Rubric for Science provides criteria by which to measure how well lessons and units are designed for the NGSS.

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NGSS Evidence Statements provide educators with additional detail on what students should know and be able to do. These Evidence Statements describe a detailed look at the NGSS performance expectations.

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The Wonder of Science website aggregates the work of Paul Andersen around the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)

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Shows an example of her interactive notebook and how it can benefit the students

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Science Interactive Notebooks for Independent Learning

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What Is Science? For Kids | Next Generation Science Lesson (NGSS) | Grades 3-5

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Covers a variety of science topics, mostly for 2nd grade and up

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science scienceforkids education scishow "hank green" kids elementary ngss cartoon animation puppet biology chemistry physics engineering stem steam

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From the team behind the YouTube series SciShow comes SciShow Kids! Join Jessi, Mister Brown, Squeaks the Robot Lab Rat, and all their friends at the Fort as they conduct experiments, research new questions, and talk with experts to learn about the science-filled world around us.

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Informational videos and covers many different topics

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Quick videos with lots of information

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Welcome to Crash Course Kids! This bi-weekly show from the producers of Crash Course is all about gradeschool science. We'll look at Earth, Habitats, Space, Chemical Reactions, Engineering, and much much more with host Sabrina Cruz. So, join us every Tuesday and Thursday for new uploads.

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Explains the 5E's with teacher and student strategies

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Welcome to the SDCOE Science Resource Center

The San Diego County Office of Education Science Resource Center has been developed to guide educators as they implement the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). This website contains information about the three dimensions of the standards, searchable versions of the CA NGSS Performance Expectations, descriptions of the various K-12 course models for CA NGSS, a framework for planning and monitoring quality science programs, and other tools to support professional learning in science.

Provide Feedback on CA NGSS in Spanish

The documents below are draft versions of the CA NGSS in Spanish and may contain errors in spelling, grammer, and/or phrasing. They are provided to gather public feedback. Please complete the CA NGSS in Spanish Feedback Form to help make this resource as accurate as possible.

To aid in the review and feedback process, the performance expectations documents are organized by Disciplinary Core Idea. They are not in final form or organization.

Classroom Posters for the SEPs and CCCs Available
Use the Science Icon Posters order form to purchase a set of these posters for your classroom or school.

Updates and revisions to the SDCOE Resource Center have been funded partially through the Standards Implementation Project and made possible by a collaboration between CCSESA, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

contact us

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Home - San Diego County Office of Education

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Home - SDCOE serves our county's most vulnerable students and supports school leaders, teachers, and students across the county.

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Briefly runs through a lesson that focused on the 5E's

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PrimaryConnections - Linking Science with Literacy

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Quick debrief of the model

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STEMscopes' 5E + IA model empowers students by helping teachers transfer control of learning over the lesson cycle. Try it in your classroom and see how engagement grows, depth of learning increases, and behavior problems decrease.

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Provides a number of ways to check for understanding

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Student Learning: Observing and Assessing

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Below are links to assessment tools and techniques along with specific geoscience examples and resources. Concept Maps - A diagramming technique for assessing how well students see the "big picture". ...

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These are available for purchase. Science assessments created by other teachers

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Science Tools Assessment Teaching Resources | TPT

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Browse science tools assessment resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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An online application for teacher to use to check student understanding

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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An online application, is seen more as a game, that keeps student engaged as they answer questions

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Quizizz | Free Online Quizzes, Lessons, Activities and Homework

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Motivate every student to mastery with easy-to-customize content plus tools for inclusive assessment, instruction, and practice. Engage students with Quizizz today!

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Learning games that test student knowledge

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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Gives a number of activities to do with students

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The subject of science is vast and there are many different branches of the field to explore. Teaching kids about science when they're young is important because it helps them build the foundation needed to comprehend the world around them. As they grow, they develop problem-solving skills, gain awareness about technology and conserving natural resources and will eventually advance from preliminary principles to pursue higher levels of scientific understanding.

There are scores of exciting science activities for kids out there. Some are more elaborate and time consuming than others. So we made it our mission to gather a sample of simple ideas that will have your child laughing and learning.

Check out our carefully curated list of science activities for kids. Sit back and enjoy the view as your youngster gets inquisitive and involved in the wonder of science.

16 simple science experiments for kids

1. Lime juice & baking soda

This idea from P is for Preschooler could potentially be the easiest of all preschool science experiments. Fill a pie tin or baking pan with baking soda, squeeze in some food dye or grate some chalk for color, grab the lime juice and you are all set for a fizzy science experiment. Kids will learn about the combinations of bases and acids and how they react together.

2. Walking on raw eggs

Will the break? Will they explode? Ask your kids what they predict will happen if they walk over a crate of raw eggs. All you need for this experiment suggested by Steve Spangler Science is a few cartons and some plastic to lie out over the floor. Children will learn about how the eggs' shape and the carton's shape helps protect the fragile eggs as weight is evenly distributed across them.

3. Evaporating water

This experiment from Learn Play Imagine is about as simple as it gets. All you need is water, salt, a spoon and a container of some sort. Simply mix the water and salt in the container and ask your child what he or she thinks will happen to it over time. Then, it's a waiting game. After several days, your youngster will be in awe when the container is left with only salt!

4. Melting ice

Have you ever wondered how ice trucks get the ice to melt after a snowstorm? Gather some ice, food coloring, a few bowls, a large tray and some salt, and you've got the makings for both an artful and scientific experiment that teaches kids how the city keeps our streets safe in the winter. Head over to The Artful Parent for the full details.

5. Air pressure game

This science experiment doubles as a fun game, recommended by Kids Activity Blog. Place two kitchen sponges inside of a plastic zip-top bag and position a drinking straw in between the sponges. Put one side inside of the bag and one side poking out of the open part of the bag. Seal up the bag and blow it up. By squeezing on the bag to blow a cotton ball or pom pom ball around, kids learn about air pressure and have a blast while doing it.

6. Make ice grow

Freeze regular water or colored water in water bottles until it's not quite ice but is still really cold. Pull out a cup of ice and pour over your ice mound. Watch as the ice stacks up and continues to grow! This activity from Teach Preschool helps children learn about how quickly and slowly ice can form.

7. Watch plants drink

How fast does a plant drink water, anyway? This experiment from Buggy & Buddy will help you find out. Just grab a cup of water, some red food dye, some leaves and find out! By snipping a leaf and placing it directly into the red-colored water, you'll be able to watch as the dye spreads throughout the veins of the leaf.

8. Two-color oil & water bottles

Everyone knows that oil and colored water don't mix, but what happens when you add colored oil? Besides your basic ingredients of water, oil and food coloring, you'll also need candy colors (oil-based food coloring) to color oil. Watch the fascinating separation and have fun adding beads or other small objects to see where they land. Find the full instructions at Play Trains.

9. Balloon candy experiment

Here's another fun idea from Learn Play Imagine. Pour pop rocks and nerds into a deflated balloon using a funnel. Then attach the mouth of the balloon to a soda bottle and let the candy pour into the pop. The balloon will expand and kids can learn about chemical reactions between different substances.

10. The science of sound waves

Teach your child how sound travels with this experiment from Edventures with Kids. All you need is a ruler, a spoon and some string. Tie a knot around the spoon leaving two long ends of string on each side. Wrap each end around your child's pointer fingers and have them hold their fingers to their ears, letting the spoon hang below their waist. Gently hit the ruler against the spoon and watch the priceless look on your child's face!

11. Make music with water

Fill several vases with different levels of water-color the water to make it more fun if you'd like! Using a wooden spoon or mallet, tap the vases to here the difference in tones. Challenge your child to identify how the water level affects the tone. Use this activity from PreKinders to teach your little one how sound is made by a vibration.

12. Color flowers using science

This age-old experiment does require a white carnation or two, so swoop a couple up next time you're at the supermarket. For the rest of the experiment suggested by Science Bob, simply slice the bottom part of the stem and place into two separate cups of colored water. Watch one part of the flower turn one color and another part of the flower turn another color. Kids will learn how plants absorb nutrients and how substance can affect color.

13. Swimming spaghetti

In a glass, combine water, two teaspoons of baking soda and one-inch pieces of uncooked spaghetti. They will sink to the bottom. Then add the vinegar and watch what starts to happen to the spaghetti. This is a great experiment from to help explain carbon dioxide and chemical reactions to kids.

14. Dancing balloons

Make a tube out of poster board by taping the sides together to form a cylinder. The size of the cylinder you make should match the size of your fan because you want the cylinder to sit on top of it as you tilt the fan directly toward the ceiling. Blow up balloons, turn on the fan and watch as the cylinder holds the balloons directly above it. This experiment shows what a vortex-a mass of rotating air or water-will do! Head over to Babble Dabble Do for the full description.

15. Apples & handwashing

This experiment from Growing in Pre K is super simple. Pass an apple slice back and forth between the two of you or amidst a group of children. Place this in a sealed jar and then in another sealed jar, place an apple slice that has not been handled by everyone. Watch the difference in mold and bacteria that develops on the handled apple slice after a week. Use this activity to explain germs and bacteria-and the importance of handwashing!

16. Write a secret message

Another winner from , this experiment will help explain water molecules and surface tension. Drop a bit of dishwashing detergent into a cup of water and stir it to mix well. Next, dip a cotton swab into the mixture and write a message with your "invisible ink" on a mirror. Once it dries, you won't be able to see it. Next time your tot takes a bath, show them what happens when the mirror gets fogged up!

Inspire your little scientist

Watching kids discover what makes the world tick is incredibly rewarding. And who knows? You might learn a little something along the way too! Bookmark this list and save it for a rainy day.

If helping young kids learn brings joy to your heart, it may be a sign you should make a career in the classroom. Read up on other signs you should be teaching preschool.

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16 Simple Science Activities for Kids that Will Pique Their Curiosity

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The subject of science is vast and there are many different branches of the field to explore. Teaching kids about science when they're young is important because it helps them build the foundation needed to comprehend the world around them.

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Science activities to do with students

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We love fun science activities and science experiments. We have a whole list of fun ways to learn and explore today with your little scientist. These fantastic activities were inspired by Buggy and Buddy.

15 Fun Science Experiments for Kids

1. Build a bridge with two plastic cups and construction paper and test your hypothesis of how many pennies it can hold before the bridge collapses.

2. Explore sound with a homemade kazoo made with simple items you've got in your kitchen!

3. Perfect for the spring, learn about plant growth spurts and how seeds spread from plants to grow new ones.

4. Create a marble run to learn about physics. Make predictions about what will happen each time you make a change to the track.

5. Explore the relationship between a lever and fulcrum by launching ping pong ball with a homemade lever. This is perfect for all ages.

6. Use a wire hanger and a string to make this simple activity to teach sounds waves.

7. Try this experiment with milk and food coloring to see what happens when you add in grease-cutting dish detergent. Make predictions and discover what happens!

8. This fun and colorful experiment teaches chemical reactions with just a few ingredients you've got in your kitchen!

9. Talk about water absorption with your kids then test their theories by taking items around your house and placing them in water.

10. Here is one of the most simple fun science activities you can do with your kids. Grab a few things from around the house and a bucket of water and guess which will sink and which will float.

11. Learn about more chemical reactions by turning a penny green. There is also a free printable to track your observations!

12. Observe a plant bulb growing by watching it slowly grow in your house for a month.

13. Mesmerize your kids by making raisins dance! See what happens when you add carbonated water to raisins.

14. Explore chromatography using coffee filters and markers. Your kids will love this!

15. Using recycled materials and a tea bag, you can make your own rocket!

Did you know? We wrote a science book!

Our book, The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments, features tons of awesome activities just like this one that will keep your kids engaged while they learn. How awesome is that?!

Science Kits

These science kits make it simple and easy to start experimenting right away! Here are a few of our favorites! (affiliate links)

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15 Fun Science Activities For Kids - Kids Activities Blog

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We love fun science activities and science experiments. We have a whole list of fun ways to learn and explore today with your little scientist. These fantastic activities were inspired by Buggy and Buddy. 1. Build a bridge with two plastic cups and construction paper and test your hypothesis of how many pennies it can hold before the bridge collapses.

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Video explaining how to make a terrarium

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Build a Tiny Plant World! | Science Project for Kids

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Physic Experiments to do with students

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Rolling, bouncing, racing, zipping, squishing, and more! Physics is fun, and these simple physics experiments are perfectly fun physics for kids! Whether you are exploring laws of motion, sound waves, or light, physics is everywhere! Make sure to check out all of our simple science experiments and STEM activities for all year round learning and play!

EASY PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

FUN PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS

Can physics be playful? Absolutely, and we will show you AMAZING physics experiments for kids that are easy to set up, budget-friendly, and of course playful! Hands-on is the way to go with our young scientists, explorers, and engineers.

From catapults to rockets and ramps to light and sound, you will find a little bit of everything to start enjoying physics at home or add to your classroom lessons with your kids. We even have some free fun printable packs to help you get started at the bottom of this page.

Oh and if you are looking for an equally awesome collection of simple chemistry experiments for kids, we have that too!

Physics is most simply put, the study of matter and energy and the interaction between the two . How did the Universe begin? You might not have the answer to that question! However, you can pull off these cool physics experiments to get your kids thinking, observing, questioning, and experimenting.

Let's keep it basic for our younger scientists. Physics is all about energy and matter and the relationship they share with one another. Like all sciences, physics is all about solving problems and figuring out why things do what they do. Keep in mind that simple physics experiments can involve some chemistry too!

Kids are great for questioning everything, and we want to encourage...

In the following easy physics experiments and activities, some of the things you are going to learn a little bit about are static electricity, Newton's 3 Laws of Motion, simple machines, buoyancy, density, and more! And all with easy household supplies, so you can still do awesome physics projects on a budget!

Encourage your kids to make predictions, discuss observations, and re-test their ideas if they don't get the desired results the first time. Science always includes an element of mystery that kids naturally love to figure out! Learn more about using the scientific method with young kids here..

We have a brand new series surrounding the NGSS science standards so you can work all these great ideas into your lesson plans. Click here to read more.

SIMPLE PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

You will love these neat physics project ideas we have to share with you. I handpick my selections based on what I think my son would enjoy, what supplies are needed, and what amount of time needs to be dedicated to each activity.

Click on each link for the full descriptions of each of the experiments and activities.
Looking for easy science process information and free journal pages? We have you covered...
Whoa! A physics experiment in under 10 mins and all you need to do is go raid the computer printer! Make simple air foils and learn about air resistance.

Make your own homemade air cannon and blast down dominoes and other similar items. Learn about air pressure and the movement of air particles in the process.

Can you balance an apple on your finger? We explored balancing apples and gravity with real apples for our Ten Apples Up On Top basic physics experiment and it was pretty challenging! Now let's try to balance a paper apple (use our FREE printable template to make your own).

There are I am sure many ways for you to come up with a balloon car of your very own. I have two balloon car design suggestions to get the creative juices flowing! You can make a LEGO balloon car or you can make a cardboard balloon car. Both work off of a similar principle and really go! Find out which makes the fastest balloon car,

Explore fun forces with an easy to set up balloon rocket project. See it here along with more easy physics ideas. Although theme for a holiday, this simple experiment can be turned into any fun theme. You can even race two balloons or set it up outside!

Pennies and foil are all you need to learn about buoyancy. Oh and a bowl of water too!

Check out our mess-free version of a classic science experiment. This egg drop challenge is a great way to introduce younger kids to the scientific method as you test out ideas to protect your egg from cracking.

Here's an egg drop project suitable for older kids by Lemon Lime Adventures.

Let the egg race experiments begin! Which egg will roll to the bottom of the ramp first? Help your kids make predictions as to what will happen with different size eggs and different angles of ramps. Older kids may also find learning about Newton's 3 Laws to be interesting, and explore how they can apply those ideas to their egg races.

Can you make oobleck jump? Learn about static electricity with this fun cornstarch and oil experiment.

Can you lift a bottle of rice with a pencil? Explore the force of friction with this easy physics experiment.

Or why is it that sharks don't sink in the ocean? Learn about how these great fish coast around through the ocean and buoyancy with this simple physics activity.
Check out more awesome shark week activities here.
Learn how to create a kaleidoscope for summer STEAM. This simple physics activity for preschoolers encourages the sense of sight! We spent a fun morning designing and crafting our DIY kaleidoscope for kids. This kid's kaleidoscope uses every component of STEAM to create a cool, homemade science toy.

If your mini-figure was about to go skydiving, would they have a LEGO® Parachute? And would their parachute actually work and carry them safely to the ground? Experiment with different materials to see what makes a good LEGO parachute.

Can you set up a LEGO® Zip Line and see how well it holds up when in motion? This LEGO® building challenge is also a great way to introduce gravity, friction, slope, energy, and motion while getting creative with your LEGO® design. You could also add a pulley mechanism like we did here for this toy zip line.

Pool noodles are amazing and cheap materials for so many STEM projects. I keep a bunch on hand all year-long to keep my kid busy. I bet you didn't know how useful a pool noodle could be for physics projects. Learn about gravity, friction, energy and more with hands-on physics fun!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Cardboard Tube Marble Run
Want to learn how to make a catapult with popsicle sticks? This Popsicle stick catapult design is an easy physics experiment for kids of all ages! Everyone loves to launch stuff into the air.

We have also made a spoon catapult, LEGO catapult, pencil catapult, and a jumbo marshmallow catapult!

We made a simple LEGO® Rubber Band Car to go along with our favorite superhero book. Again these can be made as simple or as detailed as your kids would like to make them, and it's all STEM!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Rubber Band Car

This easy to set up salt water density experiment is a cool variation of the classic sink or float experiment. What will happen to the egg in salt water? Will an egg float or sink in salty water? There are so many questions to ask and predictions to make with this easy physics experiment for kids.

Kids love their shadows, love to chase shadows, and love to make shadows do silly things! There's also some fun things to learn about shadows for physics. Make simple animal shadow puppets and learn about the science of shadows.

Use items straight out of the kitchen for our sink or float experiment. You could also test peeling your vegetables or slicing them. Plus I am sure your child will be able to come with other fun things to test! This is a simple physics experiment and totally engaging for young kids.

Kids love to make noises and sounds is all a part of the physical sciences. This homemade xylophone sound experiment is truly a simple physics experiment for kids. So easy to set up, it's kitchen science at it's finest with plenty of room to explore and play!

Balloons are a must for this one! This simple experiment explores the fun physics that kids love. I bet you've even tried it yourself. Although it's themed for Valentine's Day, you can make it your own!

Test the viscosity or "thickness" of different household liquids with this easy physics experiment for kids.

Learn about water displacement and what it measures with this simple physics experiment for kids.

5 simple physics experiments with a Valentine's Day theme including a balloon rocket, static electricity, buoyancy and more!

MORE COOL PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

Magnet Powered Car | Science Kiddo

Rocket Building Station | Lemon Lime Adventures

Exploring Light with Prisms | Buggy and Buddy The Science of Sound Waves | KC Edventures

Gravity Art | Artful Parent

FUN STEM ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

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SIMPLE PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS MAKE LEARNING A BLAST!

Make sure to bookmark all of our resources to make your science and STEM planning a breeze.
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive science experiments? We have you covered... Click below to get your quick and easy science activities.

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Simple Physics Experiments For Kids | Little Bins for Little Hands

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Rolling, bouncing, racing, zipping, squishing, and more! Physics is fun, and these simple physics experiments are perfectly fun physics for kids! Whether you are exploring laws of motion, sound waves, or light, physics is everywhere! Make sure to check out all of our simple science experiments and STEM activities for all year round learning and play!

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A beautifully-illustrated tale of a girl and her dream to become a great engineer.

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﻿ NEWS FLASH! Rosie Revere is on the International Space Station! Learn more!

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Read Aloud

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Iggy has one passion: architecture. His parents are proud of his fabulous creations, though they’re sometimes surprised by his materials. But hey! What’s wrong with a tower built of diapers? (Even dirty ones!)

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"There are worse things to do when you're in grade two than to spend your time building a dream."
- Iggy Peck

by Andrea Beaty
illustrated by David Roberts
Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 978-0810911062

Iggy has one passion: architecture. His parents are proud of his fabulous creations, though they're sometimes surprised by his materials. But hey! What's wrong with a tower built of diapers? (Even dirty ones!)

Dear Ig has it made until second grade. That's when he meets his match. His teacher, Miss Lila Greer, frons upon architecture. Banned from building in school, second grade becomes a bore until one day a fateful field trip lets Iggy Peck show the world his true talents!

When an Iggy Peck fan meets Rosie Revere, Engineer

Iggy Peck, Architect makes friends everywhere . . .

International Editions:

French, Slovenian, Mandarin, Korean, Hebrew

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Time Magazine Top 10 Picture Books Architect World - Top 10 Parents Choice Silver Friends of American Writers Bank Street College Best Book E.B. White Read Aloud nominee _

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With the same spirit of curiosity and perseverance as her classmates, Ada is sure to inspire young readers to pursue their own passions. Ada Twist’s head is full of questions. Like her classmates Iggy and Rosie, Ada has always been endlessly curious. But when her fact-finding missions and elaborate scientific experiments go too far, her frazzled parents banish her to the Thinking Chair. Will all that thinking change Ada’s mind?

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We all know there are four seasons in a year. But HOW do we know? Join intrepid young scientist-adventurer Joulia Copernicus on a journey around the world as she explains with humor and wit how we know what causes the seasons.

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The Reason for the Seasons book. Read 21 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. We all know there are four seasons in a year. But HOW do...

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Five Kinds of STEM-themed Nonfiction Books for Kids

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It's a great time for children's nonfiction! In recent years, these books have evolved into five distinct categories. Learn more about the characteristics of traditional nonfiction, browse-able nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, expository literature, and active nonfiction.

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Tips on interactive notebooks

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Are you new to using Interactive Notebooks? After 6 years of trial and error, I made a list of 12 things I wish I had known that very first year.

Set up 4 pages for the Table of Contents. Instead of drawing sloppy lines on the page, I just use the red lines already provided in the notebook. I choose to include the date, entry title, and page number. I model completing it until they've got it, then filling out the TOC becomes part of their setting up process. Make this work for your personality!

I would go crazy if I tried to keep every student on the same page in interactive notebooks, so I let go of that practice. Students just start their new entry on their next empty page.

My expectations have changed over the years. The notebook should be organized enough to use as a learning tool. Quality work is always expected.

Glue sticks weren't sticky enough. Regular glue bottles dried up. Then I found Tap N Glue caps! Discount School Supply and School Specialty usually have them for $0.97 to $1.40 each.

Input is the activity the teacher chooses for science notebooks- your main activity. Here are 10 of my go-to options for input. Learn more about Input.

It's important that students have time to reflect on their learning. Here are 10 strategies I teach students to use at the end of a science lesson. Want to learn more? Sign up for an exclusive guide!

You have all of these fold-up templates... Now what? Find out!

While we're working in our science notebooks, I offer time for students to turn and talk about the new content. Communication is key!

To turn note-taking into notebooking, we do 3 main things:
1. Students get a whole page for each activity to reflect on their learning in the way they choose.
2. Students communicate with each other using Whole Brain Teaching.
3. Instead of copying everything I write, students have input into what is written and drawn.

Read more about turning note-taking into notebooking.

Sometimes students just don't know where to begin. We use sentence stems to promote written and verbal communication. Learn more and download a notebook freebie.

To communicate scientifically, we use Big Money Word$. We have them on a Word Wall all year and students have a copy in their notebooks. The Word Wall is on TpT and you can download the free student page on my blog.

I don't do examples of output all year! Once students have seen various options, I stop and use that time to check in with students. I keep one notebook for all of my classes. For the first few weeks, though, I keep an extra notebook on hand to model output for each class and not allow mine to fill up. 🙂

Want even more advice and materials for Interactive Science Notebooks? Check out Setting Up Your Science Notebook on TpT. This file is included in the All in One Science Interactive Notebook Bundle, a resource with over 220 templates with photo examples that are ready to print and use.

Pin it. Remember it!

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12 Things I Wish I Had Known About Interactive Science Notebooks - The Science Penguin

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Are you new to using Interactive Notebooks? After 6 years of trial and error, I made a list of 12 things I wish I had known that very first year. Set up 4 pages for the Table of Contents. Instead of drawing sloppy lines on the page, I just use the red lines already provided in the ...

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Browse through science lessons

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Browse Science Lesson Plans | Education.com

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Browse Science Lesson Plans. Award winning educational materials designed to help kids succeed. Start for free now!

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Mini lessons of science

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Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

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Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you. Less prep, more learning.