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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAMS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRACTICE
AUGUST 1991
HELPING YOUR CHILD LEARN SCIENCE
FOREWORD
This book provides examples of a few simple activities we can do with
our children. It is an introduction to the wealth of material in many
other books available in libraries and bookstores. It might also
inspire us to make up our own experiments to see why and how things
turn out the way they do.
Science is not something mysterious. Being "scientific" involves
being curious, observing, asking how things happen, and learning how
to find the answers. Curiosity is natural to children, but they need
help understanding how to make sense of what they see.
Parents help their children learn--by reading to and with them, by
helping them learn to count and calculate, by helping them begin to
write, and in many other ways.
Most parents, though, say they do not--or cannot--help their children
with science. But we don't need degrees in chemistry or physics to
help our children. All we need is a willingness to observe and learn
with them, and, above all, to make an effort and take the time to
nurture their natural curiosity.
Achieving a higher degree of skill in science and math is one of the
national education goals. AMERICA 2000, the long-term national
education strategy designed to accomplish these goals, and which was
announced by President Bush on April 18 of this year, points out how
important our role as parents is:
Most of all, it will take America's parents--in their schools,
their communities, their homes--as helpers, as examples, as
leaders, as demanding shareholders of our schools to make the
AMERICA 2000 education strategy work--to make this land all it
should be.
AMERICA 2000 reminds us that "For schools to succeed, we must look
beyond their classrooms to our communities and families."
We can use this book to have fun with our children while they learn.
Whether we're baking a cake, filling the bathtub, or walking through
the park, we can invite our children into the wonders of science.
Often when we least expect it, a moment for learning will occur: a
dollop of ice cream drops on the sidewalk and ants appear.
Our national education goals made becoming literate in science
important for all Americans. The President and the Governors have set
these challenging goals, and it is up to all of us to do our best to
help our children learn what they will need to know in order to live
and work in today's world and in the next century. As always, starting
early is important--and perhaps never more so than with science.
As U.S. Education Secretary Lamar Alexander has said, "There are new
World Class Standards in math, in science, in history, in geography,
and in English that we must meet today, standards that were not
necessary to meet even 10 or 20 years ago."
So, let's get started by finding an activity in this book and trying
it.
Bruno V. Manno
Acting Assistant Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
The Basics
Important Things To Learn
Activities at Home
The Big Picture
Attack of the Straws
Soap Power
Bubbles
Bugs!
It Floats!
Slime
Celery Stalks at Midnight
Sticky Things
Splish Splash
Hair Raising Results
Moldy Oldies
Plants
Crystals
Cake!
Television
Activities in the Community
Zoos
Museums
Planetariums
Aquariums
Farms
People Who Use Science in Their Work
Nature Hikes
Science Groups and Organizations
Science Camps
Other Community Resources
Learning from Toys
In the Library and the Bookstore
Appendices
Parents and Schools
Concepts
Notes
Resources
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
Why is the sky blue?
Why do things fall to the ground?
How do seeds grow?
What makes sound and music?
Where do mountains come from?
Young children ask their parents hundreds of questions like these. In
search of answers, we use science to both enlighten and delight.
As parents, we must prepare our children for a world vastly different
from the one in which we grew up. In the next century, this country
will need citizens with more training in science and technology than
most of us had in school.
Even children who don't want to be scientists, engineers, or com-
puter technicians will need science to cope with their rapidly
changing environment. But without our help, our children will not be
prepared for these changes.
This book suggests ways you can interest your children from about 3 to
10 years old in science. It includes:
o Some basic information about science;
o A sampling of activities for children to do --some alone, some
with supervision--in both the home and the community; and
o An Appendex with practical tips on how to encourage schools to
develop good science programs, a brief description of nine
scientific concepts, and a list of recommended science books and
magazines.
Many of the activities cost little or nothing and require no special
equipment.
Science Starts at Home
We play a crucial role in determining how much science our children
learn. Our enthusiasm and encouragement can spark their interest.
Fortunately, youngsters of all ages are curious and love to
investigate. And the earlier we encourage this curiosity, the better.
Scientific knowledge is cumulative, so children need to start learning
early--at home. Many of us assume that children will learn all the
science they need at school. The fact is that most children,
particularly in elementary school, are taught very little science.
How You Can Help
As parents, we don't have to have a strong background in science to
help our children learn science. What's far more important than
knowing what sound is or how a telescope works, is having a positive
attitude about science.
Every day is filled with opportunities to learn science--without
expensive chemistry sets or books. Children can easily be
introduced to the natural world and encouraged to observe what goes on
around them.
Together, parents and children can--
o See how long it takes for a dandelion or a rose to burst into full
bloom; or
o Watch the moon as it appears to change shape over the course of a
month, and record the changes; or
o Watch a kitten grow into a cat.
o Bake a cake;
o Guess why one of your plants is drooping; or
o Figure out how the spin cycle of the washing machine gets the
water out of the clothes.
Learning to observe objects carefully is an important step leading to
scientific explanations. Experiencing the world together and
exchanging information about what we see are important, too.
A nasty head cold can even be turned into a chance to learn science. We
can point out that there is no known cure for a cold, but that we do
know how diseases are passed from person to person. Or we can teach
some ways to stay healthy--such as washing our hands, not sharing
forks, spoons, or glasses, and covering our nose and mouth when we
sneeze or cough.
Questioning and Listening
We should encourage our children to ask questions. A friend once asked
Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel prize winner in physics, "Why did you become a
scientist, rather than a doctor or lawyer or businessman, like the
other immigrant kids in your neighborhood?" Rabi responded:
My mother made me a scientist without ever intending it. Every
other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school:
"So? Did you learn anything today?" But not my mother. She always
asked me a different question. "Izzy," she would say, "did you ask
a good question today?" That difference--asking good questions--
made me become a scientist!
If we can't answer all of our children's questions, that's all right--
no one has all the answers, even scientists. And children don't need
lengthy, detailed answers to all of their questions. We can propose
answers, test them out, and check them with someone else. The library,
or even the dictionary, can help answer questions.
We can also encourage our children to tell us their ideas and listen to
their explanations. Being listened to will help them to gain confidence
in their thinking and to develop their skills and interest in science.
Listening helps us to determine just what children know and don't know.
(It also helps the child figure out what he or she knows.)
Simple activities can help to demystify science--and we will suggest
some of these later. But children also need to learn some basic
information about science and about how to think scientifically. The
following section contains information for parents that can point our
children toward this goal.
THE BASICS
What Is Science?
Science is not just a collection of facts. Facts are a part of
science. We all need to know some basic scientific information: water
freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (or 0 degrees celsius), and the earth
moves around the sun. But science is much more. It includes:
o Observing what's happening;
o Predicting what might happen;
o Testing predictions under controlled conditions to see if they are
correct; and
o Trying to make sense of our observations.
Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov describes science as "a way of
thinking," a way to look at the world.
Science also involves trial and error--trying, failing, and trying
again. Science does not provide all the answers. It requires us to be
skeptical so that our scientific "conclusions" can be modified or
changed altogether as we make new discoveries.
Children Have Their Own Ideas
Children develop their own ideas about the physical world, ideas that
reflect their special perspectives. Below are some perceptions from
some sixth grade students:
"Fossils are bones that animals are through wearing."
"Some people can tell what time it is by looking at the sun, but I
have never been able to make out the numbers."
"Gravity is stronger on the earth than on the moon because here on
earth we have a bigger mess."
"A blizzard is when it snows sideways."
Children's experiences help them form their ideas, and these often
don't match current scientific interpretations. We need to allow our
children to ask questions and make mistakes without feeling "stupid."
We can help our children look at things in new ways. For instance, in
regard to the blizzard, we could ask: "Have you ever seen it snow
sideways? What do you think causes it to move sideways sometimes?"
Hands-On Works Best
Children, especially younger ones, learn science best and
understand scientific ideas better if they are able to investigate and
experiment. Hands-on science can also help children think critically
and gain confidence in their own ability to solve problems. Some
science teachers have explained it this way:
What engages very young children? Things they can see, touch,
manipulate, modify; situations that allow them to figure out what
happens--in short, events and puzzles that they can investigate,
which is the very stuff of science.
But, hands-on science can be messy and time consuming. So, before you
get started, see what is involved in an activity--including how long it
will take.
Less Is More
It's tempting to try to teach our children just a little about many
different subjects.
While youngsters can't possibly learn everything about science, they do
need and will want to learn many facts. But the best way to help them
learn to think scientifically is to introduce them to just a few topics
in depth.
Finding the Right Activity for Your Child
Different children have different interests and need different science
projects. A sand and rock collection that was a big hit with an 8-year-
old daughter may not be a big hit with a 6-year-old son.
Fortunately, all types of children can find plenty of projects that
are fun. If your child loves to cook, let him or her observe how sugar
melts into caramel syrup or how vinegar curdles milk.
Knowing our children is the best way to find suitable activities. Here
are some tips:
o Encourage activities that are neither too hard nor too easy. If in
doubt, err on the easy side since something too difficult may give
the idea that science itself is too hard.
o Age suggestions on book jackets or toy containers are just that--
suggestions. They may not reflect the interest or ability of your
child. A child who is interested in a subject can often handle
material for a higher age group, while a child who isn't
interested in or hasn't been exposed to the subject may need to
start with something for a younger age group.
o Consider a child's personality and social habits. Some projects
are best done alone, others in a group; some require help, others
require little or no supervision. Solitary activities may bore
some, while group projects may frighten others.
o Select activities appropriate for the child's environment. A
brightly lighted city isn't the best place for star-gazing, for
example.
o Allow your children to help select the activities. If you don't
know whether Sarah would rather collect shells or plant daffodils,
ask her. When she picks something she wants to do, she'll learn
more and have a better time doing it.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO LEARN
Basic Concepts
Elementary school children can be introduced gradually to nine basic
scientific concepts--ones that all scientists learn. These concepts are
listed at the end of this handbook. The concepts provide a framework
into which scientific facts can be placed.
We will introduce three of these concepts (in this section) that you
can easily introduce to your children at home or in the community. The
activities described in the next two sections of this book are based on
these concepts, as are many other simple science-related projects.
1. Organization
Scientists like to find patterns and classify natural occurrences. We
can encourage our children to think about objects according to their
size or color--for instance, rocks, hills, mountains, and planets. Or
they can observe leaves or insects and group the ones that are similar.
2. Change
The natural world changes continually. Some objects change rapidly;
some at a rate too slow to observe. We can encourage our children to
look for changes in things:
o What happens to breakfast cereal when we pour milk on it?
o What happens over time when a plant isn't watered or exposed to
proper sunlight?
o What changes can be reversed? Once water is turned into ice cubes,
can it be turned back into water? Yes. But if an apple is cut into
slices, can the slices be changed back into the whole apple?
3. Diversity
Even very young children know that there are many kinds of objects.
One thing to do is help your child explore and investigate a pond.
Within and around a single pond (depending on the size and location of
the pond), there may be tremendous diversity: insects, birds, fish,
frogs, turtles, other water creatures, and maybe some mammals. Looking
at a pond is a great way to learn about the habits, life cycles, and
feeding patterns of different organisms.
Integrity
The early years of elementary school are a good time to start teaching
children scientific ethics. We should tell them how important it is to
be accurate about their observations. They need to know it's all right
to make mistakes--we all make mistakes, and we can learn from them. But
explain that important discoveries are made only if we are willing and
able to correct our mistakes.
Help your children understand that we can't always take someone else's
word for something. That's why it's important to find out for
ourselves.
ACTIVITIES AT HOME
This section contains a sampling of science activities-- organized
roughly from easiest to most difficult--suitable for children from
preschool through the early elementary grades. In a box near the end of
each activity are a few facts and explanations for those who want them.
But exploring, questioning, and having a good time is more important
than memorizing facts. And, although your children may be able to do
the following activities alone, we encourage you to join them.
Grown-Up Alert!
The activities in this book are safe with the appropriate
supervision. Some require help from an adult. Others can be carried
out by children alone, if they are old enough. Look in the
instructions for the Grown-up alert! It will highlight an activity
that may need supervision. Be sure your children who can read know
which activities you do not want them to try by themselves.
Young children may not fully understand that bad things can happen to
them. We don't want to scare our children away from science, but we
must:
o Provide supervision when it is appropriate--for example, when
using heat or mixing chemicals;
o Teach children not to taste anything unless they know it is good
for them and is sanitary;
o Insist children wear goggles whenever fire or splatter could
endanger eyes;
o Teach children to follow warnings on manufacturers' labels and
instructions;
o Keep toxic or other dangerous substances out of the reach of young
children;
o Teach children what they can do to minimize the risk of accidents;
and
o Teach children what to do if an accident occurs.
Results
Keeping records is an important part of science. It helps us remem-
ber what didn't work as well as what did work. Someone asked Thomas
Edison if he weren't discouraged after trying thousands of
experiments--without results--to make the incandescent light bulb work.
He replied:
Results! Why, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several
thousand things that won't work.
So before starting, get a notebook for recording observations. If your
children cannot write yet, they can draw pictures of what they see, or
you may want to take notes for them.
We should remember, too, that seeing isn't the only way to observe.
Sometimes we use other senses; we hear, feel, smell, or taste some
things (children should be careful, of course, about what they taste).
Let's Go
Science can be learned in many places and environments and just as
easily from everyday experiences as from formal projects and
experiments. We can get our children interested in science with simple
toys, books, and objects around the house and have fun while we're
doing it.
So, flip through the following pages and find something that looks
like fun.
THE BIG PICTURE
Looking at objects closely is an important part of science, and a
magnifying glass lets us see things we don't even know are there. It
also helps us see how objects are similar or different from each
other.
What you'll need
A magnifying glass
Your science journal
What to do
1. Use your magnifying glass to see:
What's hidden in soil or under leaves;
What's on both sides of leaves;
How mosquitos bite;
Different patterns of snowflakes; and
Butterfly wings.
How many different objects can you find in the soil?
2. Draw pictures, or describe what you see, in your notebook.
If you were able to examine a mosquito, you probably saw how it
bites something--with its proboscis, a long hollow tube that
sticks out of its head. Snowflakes are fascinating because no two
are alike. Powdery scales give butterfly wings their color.
ATTACK OF THE STRAWS
Can a paper straw go through a raw potato? Here's an easy way to
learn about inertia and momentum.
What you'll need
A raw potato
One or more paper straws
Your science journal
What to do
1. Put a potato on the table or kitchen counter and hold it firmly
with one hand, making sure the palm of your hand is not underneath
the potato.*
2. With a fast, strong push, stab the potato with the straw.
3. What happens? Did the straw bend? The straw should go into the
potato. If it didn't, try again with another straw--maybe a
little faster or harder.
*If the potato is old, soak it in water for about half an hour before
trying this activity.
An object remains at rest (the potato, in this case) or keeps
moving (the straw, in this case) unless it is acted upon by some
external force.
SOAP POWER
Have you ever tried using soap to power a boat? This simple activity
works because of "surface tension."
What you'll need
1 index card
Scissors
A baking dish (or sink full of water)
Liquid dish detergent
Your science journal
What to do
1. From an index card, cut out a boat like this. Make it about 2 1/2
inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.
2. Place the boat gently on the water in the dish.
3. Pour a little detergent into the notch in the end of the boat.
What happens?
If you repeat the experiment, wash out the baking
dish carefully each time you use detergent, or your boat won't go.
Your boat should zip across the water. Water molecules are strongly
attracted to each other and stick close together, especially on the
surface. This creates a strong but flexible "skin" on the water's
surface that we call surface tension. Adding soap disrupts the
arrangement of the water molecules and breaks the skin, making the boat
go forward.
BUBBLES
Who doesn't enjoy blowing bubbles? You can make bubbles at home, and
they can be beautiful shapes and colors!
What you'll need
8 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid
1 quart water
1 drinking straw
A shallow tray
Grown-up alert!
1 tin can, open at both ends
Your science journal
What to do
1. Mix the dishwashing liquid with the water. Fill the shallow tray.
2. Blow through your straw as you move it slowly across the surface
of the solution. How big are the bubbles you get?
3. Try making a very big bubble that covers the surface of the tray:
Dip one end of the straw into the sudsy solution then hold the
straw slightly above the surface of the solution. Blow into it
very gently. You may have to try several times to make a really
big bubble.
When you have made a bubble, touch it gently with a wet finger.
What happens?
Make another big bubble. Touch this one with a dry finger. What
happens?
4. Try making bubbles with a tin can (don't cut yourself) open at
both ends. Dip the can into the soapy solution so that you get a
soap "window" across one end when you pull it out. Blow gently on
the other end to form a bubble. You can use wider tubes such as
coffee cans to make still bigger bubbles.
5. Look closely at the bubbles you make. How many colors can you
see? Do the colors change?
6. If you have a wand at home that is left over from a bottle of
bubbles you bought at the store, you can use it with this bubble
solution.
Bubbles are bits of air or gas trapped inside a liquid ball. The
surface of a bubble is very thin. Bubbles are particularly fragile
when a dry object touches them. That's because soap film tends to
stick to the object, which puts a strain on the bubble. So if you
want your bubbles to last longer, keep everything wet, even the sides
of the straw.
BUGS!
Some bugs help us, some annoy us, and some are downright dangerous.
But you can learn a lot from bugs.
What you'll need
An insect guide and a spider
guide from the bookstore or
library--preferably ones
with pictures
Your magnifying glass
Your science journal
What to do
1. Search your home and neighborhood for bugs.
Grown-up Alert!
Look:
Around your front door
In cracks in the sidewalk
On lamps
On lights hanging from the center of the room
On plants
In crevices in drawers
In corners of rooms
2. Identify types of bugs using the guides. Did you find:
Ants?
Spiders?
Fleas?
Silverfish?
Moths?
Flies?
Ladybugs?
3. Ants can teach us how some insects work together as a community.
Watch ants scurry in and out of their ant hills or find some
spilled food on the sidewalk.
Do they eat their food on the spot, or carry it back to their
anthill?
When an ant finds food, it runs back to the hill to "tell" the
others. As it runs, it leaves a trail that other ants in the hill
can smell. The ants find the food by smelling their way along the
trail.
4. Find out what the difference is between an insect and a spider.
Why do spiders spin webs?
What are webs made of?
5. Write down possible answers to all these questions in your journal
or draw pictures of what you see.
Bugs do what they do to survive. They are constantly looking for food.
Some bugs are both good and bad. Termites, for example, have a nasty
reputation because they destroy peoples houses by eating the wood. But
they also break down old trees, keeping the forest floor from becoming
too cluttered with dead trees.
IT FLOATS!
We don't usually stop to wonder why a big cruise ship can float as
well as a feather. This activity helps to explain.
What you'll need
1 solid wood building block
1 plastic cap from a bottle
2 pieces of aluminum foil (heavy duty if you have it)
1 chunk of clay
Grown-up alert!
1 pair of pliers
1 bathtub (or sink) filled with water
Your science journal
What to do
1. Hold the wood block in one hand and the plastic cap in the other
hand.
Which one feels heavier?
Do you think the wooden block will float,
or will it sink?
Will the plastic cap float, or sink?
2. Put both of them on the water to test your predictions. What
happens? Put both of them under the water. What happens now?
3. Take a piece of aluminum foil and squeeze it into a solid ball
with the pliers. Drop it in the water. Does it float or sink?
4. Get another piece the same size and shape it into a little boat.
Place it on top of the water. Does it float now?
5. Try the same experiment with clay. Make a ball and drop it in the
water. What happens?
6. Shape the clay into a boat and put it on the water. Does it float
now?
The clay and foil balls sink because they are squeezed into small
shapes, and only a small amount of water is trying to hold up the
weight. When you spread out the clay or foil, it floats because the
weight is supported by a lot more water.
SLIME!
Oil the hinges of a door and it will stop squeaking. Rub petroleum
jelly on lips to prevent them from becoming chapped. These slippery
substances are called lubricants. They are very important in modern
technology.
What you'll need
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
Square baking pan
A mixing bowl
Liquid dish detergent
Vegetable oil
2 bowls
A watch with a second hand
Grown-up alert!
A table knife
8-ounce cup
Your science journal
What to do
1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the 4 envelopes of gelatin in 2 cups
of hot tap water.
2. Coat the inside of the pan with vegetable oil. Pour the gelatin
mixture into the pan and put it in the refrigerator until firm
(about 3 to 4 hours).
3. Use the knife to cut the gelatin into cubes about 1 x 1 x 1 inch.
You should have about 64 cubes.
4. Place 15 cubes into a bowl. Place the second bowl about 6 inches
(about 15 centimeters) away from the cube bowl.
5. When your parent or a friend says "go," start picking up the
gelatin cubes one at a time with your thumb and index finger
(don't squeeze!). See how many cubes you can transfer to the
other bowl in 15 seconds.
Grown-up alert!
Do not eat the gelatin cubes after they have been handled or after
they are covered with lubricant.
6. Put all the cubes back in the first bowl. Pour 1/4 cup dish
detergent over the cubes. Gently mix the detergent and the cubes
so that the cubes are well-coated.
7. Use the same method as before to transfer as many cubes as
possible in 15 seconds.
8. Throw away the cubes and detergent and wash and dry both bowls.
Put about 15 new cubes into one bowl and pour 1/4 cup water over
the cubes, again making sure the cubes are thoroughly coated. See
how many cubes you can transfer in 15 seconds.
9. Throw away the cubes and water. Put about 15 new cubes into one
bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of vegetable oil over the cubes. Make sure
they are well coated. See how many cubes you can transfer in 15
seconds.
10. With which liquid were you able to transfer the most cubes? With
which liquid were you able to transfer the fewest cubes? Which
was the best lubricant (the slipperiest)? Which was the worst?
Cars, trucks, airplanes, and machines all have parts that rub against
one another. These parts would heat up, wear down, and stop working if
we didn't have lubricants. Lubricants reduce the amount of friction
between 2 surfaces that move against each other.
CELERY STALKS AT MIDNIGHT
Did you ever wonder how a paper towel can soak up a spill, or how
water gets from a plant's roots to its leaves? The name for this is
"capillary action."
What you'll need
4 same-size stalks of fresh celery with leaves
4 cups or glasses
Grown-up alert!
Red and blue food coloring
A measuring cup
4 paper towels
A vegetable peeler
A ruler
Some old newspapers
Your science journal
What to do
1. Lay the 4 pieces of celery in a row on a cutting board or counter
so that the place where the stalks and the leaves meet matches up.
2. Cut all 4 stalks of celery 4 inches (about 10 centimeters) below
where the stalks and leaves meet.
3. Put the 4 stalks in 4 separate cups of purple water (use 10 drops
of red and 10 drops of blue food color for each half cup of
water).
4. Label 4 paper towels in the following way: "2 hours," "4 hours,"
"6 hours," and "8 hours." (You may need newspapers under the
towels).
5. Every 2 hours from the time you put the celery into the cups,
remove 1 of the stalks and put onto the correct towel. (Notice
how long it takes for the leaves to start to change.)
6. Each time you remove a stalk from the water, carefully peel the
rounded part with a vegetable peeler to see how far up the stalk
the purple water has traveled.
7. What do you observe?
Notice how fast the water climbs the celery.
Does this change as time goes by? In what way?
8. Measure the distance it has traveled and record this amount in
your science journal.
9. Make a list of other objects around your house or in nature that
enable liquids to climb by capillary action.
Look for paper towels, sponges, old sweat socks, brown paper bags,
and flowers.
What other items can you find?
Capillary action happens when water molecules are more attracted to the
surface they travel along than to each other. In paper towels, the
molecules move along tiny fibers. In plants, they move through narrow
tubes that are actually called capillaries. Plants couldn't survive
without capillaries because they use the water to make their food.
STICKY STUFF
Adhesives are used to stick things together. Many adhesives we use
every day are made in factories. Others occur in nature and have
important uses for plants and animals.
What you'll need
Baking flour
Measuring cup
Egg white
Food coloring
4 small bowls
4 plastic spoons
Aluminum foil
Cotton balls
Toothpicks
Bits of cloth
Glitter
Blunt-tip scissors
Colored yarn or ribbon
Colored paper
Your science journal
What to do
1. Search your home to track down everything you can that is sticky.
See how many of the following you can find:
Grown-up alert!
Tape
Postage stamps
Car bumper sticker
Envelopes containing glue
Honey
Wall paper with glue
A decal on a t-shirt
Spackle
A bicycle tire patch
Glue for fake fingernails
Peanut butter
An adhesive bandage
2. Make a list of everything you can find in nature with an adhesive.
For example:
Barnacles that stick to boats, ships, and rocks
Spiders that use sticky threads to create webs
that trap their food
Pine trees that produce sticky sap
3. What adhesives can you think of that are used
in hospitals?
in offices?
in auto repair shops?
4. Make a poster or collage using adhesives.
Make 3 bowls of flour-and-water paste. In each bowl, add 1/4 cup
water to 1/2 cup flour and mix until smooth. Add a different
colored food coloring to each of the 3 bowls and mix.
Crack open an egg and separate the white into a bowl. Throw away
the yolk. The white is your clear glue.
Make shapes on your poster or collage out of the colored flour and
water paste. Use the egg white to attach aluminum foil, cotton
balls, toothpicks, cloth, glitter, ribbon, yarn, and colored
paper.
What makes glue, paste, or tape stick to things? Wood, paper, and many
other materials have tiny cracks and holes in them. When we glue
things together, sometimes the glue seeps into the tiny openings and
hardens, making the materials stick together. Other times, the
molecules on the surface of an object get tangled up with the glue
molecules, making the objects stick together. Finally, glue may stick
because of a chemical reaction.
SPLISH SPLASH
There are many ways to measure things. At bath time, use different
sized containers to measure volume.
What you'll need
Measuring spoons and cups of different sizes
Milk containers of different
sizes--for example, pint,
quart, half-gallon, and
gallon (or 1 liter, 2 liter,
and 4 liter)
A funnel
2 containers that hold the
same amount (such as a 1
or 2 quart pitcher and
storage bowl), but are
different shapes--one tall
and thin, and one short
and squat
Grown-up alert!
1 bathtub or sink filled with water
Your science journal
What to do
1. Fill a small container (such as a quart) with water. Then pour
the water (using the funnel, if necessary) into a larger container
(a half-gallon or gallon). How many small containers does it take
to fill one large one?
2. How many tablespoons does it take to make half a cup? And how
many cups to make a quart?
3. Find out how many quarts (or liters) it takes to fill a gallon (or
a 4-liter container).
4. Next, fill the gallon (or 4-liter) container, and use the funnel
to pour the water into the little containers. How many times will
it fill the pint (or 1/2-liter) container?
5. Fill the short, squat container with a given amount of water--3
cups, for example.
Pour this water into the tall, thin container.
Do your eyes try to tell you the tall, thin container holds more
than the short, squat one? Does it hold more?
Can you write all this in your science journal?
Water and other liquids take the shape of whatever container they are
in. Containers of certain sizes have names--cup, pint, quart, liter,
or gallon, for example. This activity provides an introduction to
volume and measurement.
HAIR-RAISING RESULTS
Have you ever been shocked when you walked across a rug or touched a
light switch? Wait until a cool, dry day to learn about static
electricity.
What you'll need
A cool, dry day
2 round balloons (inflated and tied)
2 20-inch pieces of string
1 wool or acrylic sock.
1 mirror (or more)
1 friend (or more)
Your science journal
What to do
1. Tie a string to each inflated balloon.
2. Rub a balloon on your hair for about 15 seconds. Be sure to rub
around the whole balloon.
What happens to your hair?
What happens when you bring the balloon back close to your hair?
3. Rub the balloon on your hair again and have a friend (or parent)
do the same with the other balloon.
4. Each of you hold the string to 1 balloon, letting the balloons
hang freely, but without letting them touch anything.
5. Slowly move the 2 balloons toward each other, but don't let them
touch.
What do you see?
Do the balloons push away from each other, or do they pull toward
each other?
6. Place your hand between the two hanging balloons.
What happens?
7. Place a sock over 1 hand and rub 1 balloon with the sock. Then let
the balloon hang freely. Bring your sock-covered hand near the
balloon.
What happens?
8. Try rubbing both balloons with the sock and then let them hang
near each other.
What happens now?
9. Look for other examples of static electricity around the house.
Have you ever felt a shock when you touched a metal doorknob on a
cold winter day? What often happens when you remove the clothes
from the dryer?
All materials contain millions of tiny particles, called protons and
electrons, that have electric charges. Protons have positive charges,
and electrons negative ones. Usually, they balance each other, but
sometimes when two surfaces rub together, some of the electrons rub off
one surface onto the other and we can have static electricity.
Materials with like charges (all positive or all negative) move away
from each other; those with opposite charges attract each other.
MOLDY OLDIES
Molds are tiny microscopic plants that can help or hurt us. Molds like
some environmental conditions better than others. Find out which ones
they prefer by watching mold grow.
What you'll need
Grown-up alert!
3 cups containing a little
coffee or leftover food.
Your magnifying glass.
Your science journal.
What to do
1. Put 1 cup with coffee or leftover food on a sunny windowsill, 1 in
the refrigerator, and 1 in a dark cupboard.
Look inside the cups every day for several days and write down
what you see. Your magnifying glass will help. (It may take a few
days for the mold to start growing.)
2. Does temperature affect the mold's growth? See if the cup left on
the windowsill grows mold
more slowly,
more quickly, or
at the same rate as the one in the refrigerator.
3. Does light affect the growth of the mold?
Does the cup on the windowsill grow mold at the same rate as the
one in a dark cupboard?
4. Look around your home for other molds. Inspect:
Pickles in a jar
Cottage cheese
Bread
Paint on the walls
Oranges
House plants
Tiles around the bathtub or shower.
6. Are the molds all the same color, or are they different?
We can find molds in all sorts of unexpected places. Unlike green
plants, they can't make their own food from sunlight. Instead, they
live directly off of what they are growing on.
Molds can be a nuisance when they settle on our food or possessions.
But molds are also useful. The green spots on old oranges are
penicillin mold. This is what the medicine is made from.
PLANTS
Plants are the only things on earth that turn sunlight into food.
They do it through a process called photosynthesis, which is explored
in this activity.
What you'll need
Some household plants
A book on plant care from a store or the library
Grown-up alert!
Plant fertilizer
Paper
Scissors
Your magnifying glass
Your science journal
What to do
1. Look in your plant-care book, or ask a grown-up, to find out how
much water each plant needs. Some may need to be watered more than
others.
2. Take two clippings from one plant. Put one in a glass of water.
Put the other one in a glass with no water. Check each day to see
how long the one without water can survive.
3. Water the rest of the plants each week for several weeks.
Fertilize some of the plants but not others during this time.
Label the ones you fertilized.
4. Record the following in your science journal for those plants that
got fertilized and for those that didn't:
Did any of the plants start to droop?
Did any of the plants have yellow leaves that fell off?
Did the plants grow toward the light?
5. See what happens when a plant (or part of a plant) doesn't get any
light:
Cut 3 paper shapes about 2 inches by 2 inches. Circles and
triangles work well, but you can experiment with other shapes,
too.
Clip them to the leaves of a plant, preferably one with large
leaves. Either an indoor or an outdoor plant will do. Be very
careful not to damage the plant.
Leave one paper cutout on for 1 day, a second on for 2 days, and a
third on for a week.
How long does it take for the plant to react? How long does it
take for the plant to return to normal?
Photosynthesis means to "put together using light". Plants use
sunlight to turn carbon dioxide from the air, and water into food.
Plants need all of these to remain healthy. When the plant gets
enough of these things, it produces a simple sugar, which it uses
immediately or stores in a converted form of starch. We don't know
exactly how this happens. But we do know that chlorophyll, the green
substance in plants, helps it to occur.
CRYSTALS
A crystal is a special kind of rock. Different crystals have different
beautiful shapes and colors.
What you'll need
Your magnifying glass
Table salt
Epsom salt
Honey jar
Measuring cups and spoons
Paper cut into circles
Scissors
Pencil
String
1 3/4 cups of sugar
2 or 3 paper clips
A glass jar or drinking glass
Your science journal
What to do
1. Use your magnifying glass to look for crystals. Inspect:
The table salt and Epsom salt;
The honey jar (particularly if it has been open for awhile); and
The walls of the freezer (if it's not the frost-free kind).
2. Draw pictures of what you see in your science journal.
3. Do all of the crystals look the same?
If not, how are they different?
4. Try dissolving salt crystals and forming new ones:
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water.
Grown-up alert!
Heat the mixture over a low flame to evaporate the water.
What's left?
What shape are these crystals?
5. Snowflakes are made of ice crystals and are beautiful, but they
are hard to see clearly. You can make paper snowflakes.
Take a circle of paper (use thin paper) and fold it in half. Then
fan fold it.
Make cuts along all the edges. Unfold them.
6. Grow rock candy crystals from dissolved sugar.
Grown-up alert!
Pour a cup of boiling water into a dish and add 1 3/4 cups of
sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Prepare a jar
or glass as shown.
Wash the paper clips and use clean string. When the sugar water is
cool, pour it into the jar and put it where no one will move it.
Hang the paperclips in the water and put the pencil on top of the
jar.
Some crystals may form in a few hours. Some may grow to be half an
inch on each side. To save them, take them out of the water and
keep them dry. But they may disappear--they are good to eat.
When certain liquids and gases cool and lose water, crystals are
formed. Crystals are made up of molecules that fit neatly together in
an orderly package. All crystals of the same material have the same
shape, regardless of the size.
CAKE!
Learn about chemical reactions by baking 4 small cakes, leaving an
important ingredient out of 3 of them. The ingredients are only for 1
cake, so you'll need to measure and mix 4 times.
What you'll need
A small soup or cereal bowl
Several layers of aluminum foil
A pie pan
Cooking oil to grease the "cake pans"
Measuring spoons
A cup or small bowl for the egg
A small mixing bowl
Your science journal
Ingredients (for one cake)
6 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
2 or 3 pinches baking powder
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Part of an egg (Break egg into a cup, beat until mixed. Use 1/3 of it.
Save the rest for 2 of the other cakes.)
What to do
1. Wrap several layers of aluminum foil around the outside of a
cereal or soup bowl to form a mold.
2. Remove your foil "pan" and put it in a pie pan for support.
3. Oil the "inside" of your foil pan with cooking oil so the cake
doesn't stick.
Grown-up alert!
4. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees.
5. Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Add the wet ones (only use 1/3 of the egg). Stir until smooth
and all the same color.
6. Pour batter into the "pan."
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Bake 3 more cakes:
Leave the oil out of one.
Leave the egg out of another.
Leave the baking powder out of the third.
Cut each cake in half and look at the insides.
Do they look different?
Do they taste different?
9. Write about, or draw pictures of, what you see and taste.
Heat helps some chemical reactions to occur as the cake bakes:
It helps baking powder produce tiny bubbles of gas making the cake
light and fluffy (this is called leavening).
It causes protein from the egg to change and make the cake firm.
Oil keeps the heat from drying out the cake.
TELEVISION
Science can be learned from television. Even though the quality varies
a lot, some programs provide a marvelous window on science. What to do
What you'll need
A television set
A VCR, if you have one
Your science journal
What to do
1. Look on the regular networks, public television stations, and
cable channels (The Discovery Channel, for example) for science
programs such as 3-2-1 Contact, Reading Rainbow, Nature, Nova,
Newton's Apple, The Voyage of the MIMI, Mr. Wizard's World, and
National Geographic, Jacques Cousteau, Cosmos, and Smithsonian
Institution specials.
2. Look for reports of scientific discoveries and activities on
regularly scheduled news programs, and for TV characters with
science-related jobs--doctors, for instance.
3. If you have a VCR, tape science shows so you can look at them
later and stop--or replay--parts that are particulary interesting
or hard to understand and so you can talk to someone about them.
4. Watch some of these programs with an adult so you can ask
questions.
Some TV programs give misleading information about science as well as
about scientists. It is important to know which things on television
are real and which ones aren't.
ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY
Our communities provide still more opportunities to learn science.
Zoos
Almost all children enjoy a trip to the zoo. We can use zoos to
encourage our child's interest in the natural world and to introduce
children to the many fascinating forms of life.
o Guessing games can help your child understand structure and
function. "Why do you think the seal has flippers?" (The seal
uses flippers to swim through the water.) "Why do you think the
gibbons have such long and muscular arms?" (Their arms help them
swing through the trees.) "Why does the armadillo have a head
that looks like it's covered with armor, as well as a body that's
covered with small, bony plates?" (The armor and the small, bony
plates protect it from being attacked by predators.) "Why is the
snake the same brown color as the ground on which it spends most
of its time?" (As snakes evolved, the brown ones didn't get eaten
as quickly.) As your children mature, they will understand more
complex answers to these questions.
o Children can learn about organization by seeing related animals.
Have them compare the sizes, leg shapes, feet, ears, claws,
feathers, or scales of various creatures. Ask them, "Does the
lion look like a regular cat?" "How are they the same?" "Does
the gorilla look like the baboon?"
Here are a few suggestions to help make your visit worthwhile:
Discuss expectations with your children ahead of time. What do they
think they'll find at the zoo? Very young or insecure children may go
to the zoo with a more positive attitude if they are assured that it
has food stands, water fountains, and bathrooms.
Don't try to see everything in one visit. Zoos are such busy places
that they can overwhelm youngsters, particularly preschoolers and
those in primary grades.
Try to visit zoos at off times or hours (in winter, for example, or
very early on a Saturday morning). This provides some peace and quiet
and gives children unobstructed views of the animals.
Look for special exhibits and facilities for children, such as "family
learning labs" or petting zoos. Here, children can touch and examine
animals and engage in projects specially designed for them. For
example, at the HERPlab (derived from the word herpetology) at the
National Zoo in Washington, D.C., visitors can learn about reptiles and
amphibians by doing everything from assembling a turtle skeleton to
locating the different parts of a snake.
Plan follow-up activities and projects. A child who particularly
liked the flamingos and ducks may enjoy building a bird house for the
back yard. One who liked the mud turtle may enjoy using a margarine
tub as a base to a papier-mâché turtle.
Museums
Museums are designed today to interest visitors of all ages. Science
and technology museums, natural history museums, and children's museums
can be found in many middle-sized and smaller communities like
Bettendorf, Iowa, and Worland, Wyoming, as well as in large
metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
Museums vary in quality. If possible, seek out those that provide
opportunities for hands-on activities. Look for museums with:
o Levers to pull;
o Lights to switch on;
o Buttons to push;
o Animals to stroke; and
o Experiments to do.
Natural history museums sometimes have hands-on rooms where children
can stroke everything from lizards to Madagascan hissing cockroaches.
Many museums offer special science classes. Look for omnitheaters.
These enable visitors to see movies on subjects ranging from space
launches to rafting on the Amazon projected on a giant screen. The
sounds and sights of the experience are extremely realistic.
If you are unfamiliar with museums in your area, consult a librarian,
the Yellow Pages of your telephone book, a local guidebook, or the
local newspapers, which often list special exhibits.
Many tips for visiting the zoo are also helpful when you visit museums
or other community facilities. For example, don't try to cover too
much on one visit, and do try visiting at off hours when the crowds
won't seem overwhelming.
Planetariums
Planetariums have wonderful exhibits and activities for youngsters.
There are about 1,000 planetariums in the United States, ranging from
small ones that hold about 20 people to giant facilities with 300 or
more seats. These facilities are particularly useful for children in
urban areas, where metropolitan lights and pollution obstruct one's
view of the solar system. Inside planetariums, children often can:
o Use telescopes to view the rings of Saturn;
o See the "sky" with vivid clarity from inside the planetarium's
dome; and
o Step on scales to learn what they would weigh on the moon or on
Mars.
To find the nearest planetarium, call the astronomy or physics
department at a local college, your local science museum, or the
science curriculum specialist or science teachers in your school
district.
Aquariums
Aquariums enable youngsters to see everything from starfish to
electric eels. Children particularly enjoy feeding times. Call ahead to
find out when the penguins, sharks, and other creatures get to eat. And
check for special shows with sea lions and dolphins.
Farms
A visit to a farm makes a wonderful field trip for elementary school
youngsters. But parents can also arrange visits. If you don't know a
farmer, call the closest 4-H Club for a referral. Consider dairy farms,
as well as vegetable, poultry, hog, and tree farms.
On a dairy farm, see the cows close up, view silos, and learn what
cows eat. Find out from the farmer:
o Up to what age do calves drink only milk?
o When do they add other items to their diets? What are they?
o Why are the various foods a cow eats nutritious?
A visit to a farm also enables children to identify the difference
between calves, heifers, and cows; to watch the cows being milked; to
see farm equipment; to sit on tractors; and to ask questions about how
tractors work.
If you visit a vegetable farm, encourage your children to look at the
crops and ask questions about how they grow. If your children grew up
in an urban area, they may have no idea what potatoes or beans look
like growing in a field.
People Who Use Science in Their Work
See if your children can spend part of a day or even an hour with a
park ranger, pharmacist, veterinarian, chemist, engineer, or
laboratory technician. This can teach the importance of science for
many jobs. Before the visit, encourage your children to read about the
work so they will be able to ask good questions during the visit.
Nature Hikes
Many communities have parks, forests, or nature areas in which to
walk. Some of these have centers where visitors can do everything from
observe beehives to learn about flora and fauna. If these facilities
are unavailable, walk around your neighborhood and help your children:
o Collect and identify leaves or rocks;
o Observe pigeons, squirrels, butterflies, ants, or spider webs;
o Observe differences among the dogs and cats you see; and
o Talk about the special features of the birds and flowers you
encounter.
Science Groups and Organizations
There are special groups and organizations for children in many
communities. Check out:
o Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or Camp Fire, Inc.;
o Y.M.C.A.s or Y.W.C.A.s;
o 4--H groups; or
o The National Audubon Society.
Some groups focus solely on a particular science activity--ham radios,
for instance, or computers. Schools sometimes organize groups for
students with special science interests.
Science Camps
Contact the National Audubon Society, which runs ecology camps, the
National Wildlife Federation's Ranger Rick Wildlife Camp in North
Carolina (which is a good choice for children who love nature); or the
U.S. Space Camp at Huntsville, Alabama. (See Notes section.)
Other Community Resources
Look into botanical gardens, weather stations, hospital
laboratories, sewage treatment plants, newspaper plants, radio and
television stations, and after school programs such as Hands On
Science Outreach, Inc., (HOSO) or a Challenger Center.
Learning from Toys
Children don't need fancy science toys or kits to learn science. But
if you want to buy some for your children, plenty are
available. Look in toy stores, hobby shops, other specialty shops, or
in catalogs. It is beyond the scope of this booklet to recommend
specific toys. However, these tips can guide you:
o Children may not benefit if a toy or activity is a poor match for
their interests or temperaments.
o Learn what the toy can and cannot do before you buy it. Many
youngsters have looked through a toy telescope and been
disappointed when they couldn't see bumps and craters on the moon.
o Read instructions carefully so you gain everything possible from
the toy.
In the Library and the Bookstore
Libraries and bookstores have a growing number of books to teach
children science. Many are educational, beautifully illustrated, and
fun to read. But science can also be learned from "non-science" books,
such as fiction, biographies, autobiographies, and history books.
When selecting books, remember that recommended reading levels printed
on the jackets or backs of books are not always helpful. After the
third grade, what children read is usually based as much on interest as
it is on reading level.
The National Science Teachers Association asks a range of questions
when evaluating books for young people:
Is the author reliable? Does the author have a good background and
reputation? Is the content interesting to children? Is the sequence of
events logical? Is the material accurate? Is the format pleasant? Are
the illustrations accurate, and do they match the text? Is the
vocabulary appropriate? (Big words are OK as long as they are explained
and used in context.) Are biases evident (biases against race, sex, or
nationality)? Does the book glorify violence? Are controversies handled
fairly?
Are the suggested activities safe? Practical?
If you need help in selecting books, consult a children's librarian or
bookstore clerk.
The appendices of this booklet list some of the science books
appropriate for elementary school children, and suggests places to
find still more. The appendix also lists magazines and periodicals
for elementary school children that focus on science.
PARENTS AND THE SCHOOLS
Educators and policymakers are working to improve elementary school
science, but parents also can help. Here's how:
1. Visit your child's elementary school and see what kind of
science instruction is available. During your visit, look for
clues as to whether science is valued.
o Do you see displays related to science? Science learning
centers?
o Are science-related drawings on the bulletin boards? Are
there plants, terrariums, aquariums, or collections (of
rocks or insects, for example)?
o Do you see any science equipment in evidence? Are there
magnifiers? Magnets? Pictures? Films?
o Does the school library contain science books? If so, ask
the librarian if the children are encouraged to read them.
o Is there enough space in the classrooms or elsewhere in
the school for students to conduct experiments?
o In science classes, do students work with materials, or is
the teacher always demonstrating? Do students discuss their
ideas, predictions, and explanations with each other as well
as with the teacher?
2. Ask questions about the science program at parent-teacher
conferences or PTA meetings. Or set up an appointment with the
school principal. This provides you with information about the
science program and lets educators know you think science is
important. Educators are more apt to teach subjects they know
parents are interested in. Here are some things to find out:
o What facilities and resources are available to teach science?
If the school budget for science is inadequate, has the
school or district tried to obtain resources from the
community, particularly the business community?
o How often is science taught? Every day, once a week, or
only once in a while?
o Do the school and/or your children's teachers have clear
goals and objectives for teaching science?
o Can students do hands-on science projects?
o Are activities available that parents can use at home to
supplement class instruction?
3. Take action.
o If the science program is inadequate, talk with your child's
teacher or meet with the principal. If that brings no
results, write to or meet with school board members. You
might get better results if you organize with other parents
who have similar concerns.
o Volunteer your services to improve the science programs.
You can:
Assist teachers and students with classroom science
projects;
Chaperone science-related field trips;
Offer to set up a science display in the school's front
hallway or in your child's classroom;
Lead hands-on lessons (if you have a good science
background yourself);
Help in a computer laboratory or other area requiring adult
supervision; and
Volunteer to raise funds for computers, a classroom guinea
pig, or field trips.
CONCEPTS
The National Center for Improving Science Education recommends that
elementary schools design curricula that introduce nine scientific
concepts. Many of the activities described in this handbook teach
these concepts, which are drawn from the center's recent report,
Getting Started in Science: A Blueprint for Elementary School Science
Education. The nine concepts are:
1. Organization. Scientists have made the study of science manageable
by organizing and classifying natural phenomena. For example, natural
objects can be assembled in hierarchies (atoms, molecules, mineral
grains, rocks, strata, hills, mountains, and planets). Or objects can
be arranged according to their complexity (single-celled amoeba,
sponges, and so on to mammals).
Primary grade children can be introduced to this concept by sorting
objects like leaves, shells, or rocks according to their
characteristics. Intermediate grade children can classify vegetables
or fruits according to properties they observe in them, and then
compare their own classification schemes to those used by scientists.
2. Cause and effect. Nature behaves in predictable ways. Searching
for explanations is the major activity of science; effects cannot
occur without causes. Primary children can learn about cause and
effect by observing the effect that light, water, and warmth have on
seeds and plants. Intermediate grade children can discover that good
lubrication and streamlining the body of a pinewood derby car can make
it run faster.
3. Systems. A system is a whole that is composed of parts arranged in
an orderly manner according to some scheme or plan. In science,
systems involve matter, energy, and information that move through
defined pathways. The amount of matter, energy, and information, and
the rate at which they are transferred through the pathways, varies
over time. Children begin to understand systems by tracking changes
among the individual parts.
Primary children can learn about systems by studying the notion of
balance--for example, by observing the movements and interactions in an
aquarium. Older children might gain an understanding of systems by
studying the plumbing or heating systems in their homes.
4. Scale refers to quantity, both relative and absolute.
Thermometers, rulers, and weighing devices help children see that
objects and energy vary in quantity. It's hard for children to
understand that certain phenomena can exist only within fixed limits of
size. Yet primary grade children can begin to understand scale if they
are asked, for instance, to imagine a mouse the size of an elephant.
Would the mouse still have the same proportions if it were that large?
What changes would have to occur in the elephant-sized mouse for it to
function? Intermediate grade children can be asked to describe the
magnification of a microscope.
5. Models. We can create or design objects that represent other
things. This is a hard concept for very young children. But primary
grade children can gain experience with it by drawing a picture of a
cell as they observe it through a microscope. Intermediate grade
children can use a model of the earth's crust to demonstrate the cause
of earthquakes.
6. Change. The natural world continually changes, although some
changes may be too slow to observe. Rates of change vary. Children
can be asked to observe changes in the position and apparent shape of
the moon. Parents and children can track the position of the moon at
the same time each night and draw pictures of the moon's changing shape
to learn that change takes place during the lunar cycle. Children can
also observe and describe changes in the properties of water when it
boils, melts, evaporates, freezes, or condenses.
7. Structure and function. A relationship exists between the way
organisms and objects look (feel, smell, sound, and taste) and the
things they do. Children can learn that skunks let off a bad odor to
protect themselves. Children also can learn to infer what a mammal
eats by studying its teeth, or what a bird eats by studying the
structure of its beak.
8. Variation. To understand the concept of organic evolution and the
statistical nature of the world, students first need to understand that
all organisms and objects have distinctive properties. Some of these
properties are so distinctive that no continuum connects them--for
example, living and nonliving things, or sugar and salt. In most of
the natural world, however, the properties of organisms and objects
vary continuously.
Young children can learn about this concept by observing and arranging
color tones. Older children can investigate the properties of a
butterfly during its life cycle to discover qualities that stay the
same as well as those that change.
9. Diversity. This is the most obvious characteristic of the natural
world. Even preschoolers know that there are many types of objects and
organisms. In elementary school, youngsters need to begin
understanding that diversity in nature is essential for natural systems
to survive. Children can explore and investigate a pond, for instance,
to learn that different organisms feed on different things.
RESOURCES
Listed below are a few of the many excellent science books available
for elementary school children. A special thank you to the American
Association for the Advancement of Science for its recommendations,
many of which received positive reviews in its publication SCIENCE
BOOKS & FILMS. Suggestions also came from SCIENCE FARE, by Wendy Saul
and Alan R. Newman; from THE NEW YORK TIMES PARENT'S GUIDE TO THE BEST
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, by the National Science Resources Center; and from
Phyllis Marcuccio at the National Science Teachers Association.
The Consumer Information Center (CIC) has many booklets and pamphlets
available free or for a small fee. For a free catalog, write to
Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, CO 81009.
There are many local, county, state, and federal offices that can help.
Contact your state energy or environmental office or state department
of education; the county cooperative extension service; or a county,
state, or national park near you for information and literature. Also
try the U.S. Department of the Interior (Fish and Wildlife Service,
National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management), the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (Forest Service, Cooperative Extension System), and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
1. Dinosaur books (particularly suitable for children in primary
grades):
Aliki, (1981). Digging Up Dinosaurs, Thomas Y. Crowell, New York.
Aliki, (1985). Dinosaurs Are Different, Thomas Y. Crowell, New York.
Lauber, Patricia, (1987). Dinosaurs Walked Here and Other Stories
Fossils Tell, Bradbury Press, New York.
Richler, Mordecai, (1987). Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur. Knopf, New
York.
Sattler, Helen (1981). Dinosaurs of North America, Lothrop, Lee &
Shepard, New York.
2. Animal and wildlife books:
Arnold, Caroline, (1982). Animals that Migrate. Carolrhoda,
Minneapolis.
Arnold, Caroline, (1988). Penguin. Morrow Junior Books, New York.
Coldrey, Jennifer, (1987). Discovering Flowering Plants. Bookwright,
New York.
Cutchins, Judy, and Johnston, Ginny, (1989). Scoots the Bog Turtle.
Atheneum, New York.
Lerner, Carol, (1987). A Forest Year. Morrow Junior Books, New York.
McClung, Robert, (1988). Lili: A Giant Panda of Sichuan. Morrow
Junior Books, New York.
McClung, Robert, (1988). Major: The Story of a Black Bear. Shoe
String Press, Inc., Hamden, Conn.
McNulty, Faith, (1986). Peeping in the Shell: A Whooping Crane Is
Hatched. Harper & Row, New York.
Powzyk, Joyce, (1988). Tracking Wild Chimpanzees. Lothrop, Lee &
Shephard, New York.
Pringle, Laurence, (1977). The Hidden World: Life Under a Rock.
Macmillan, New York.
Scott, Jack Denton, (1976, 1978). Discovering the American Stork, and
Discovering the Mysterious Egret. Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, New
York.
Selsam, Millicent, (1984). Where Do They Go? Insects in Winter.
Scholastic, Inc., New York.
Spencer, Guy J., (1988). A Living Desert. A Troll Question Book,
Mahway, N.J.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Take Pride in America with Mark Trail.
Acitivty book listed in the CIC catalog.
3. Astronomy and physics:
Adler, Irving, (1980). The Stars: Decoding Their Message. Thomas Y.
Crowell, New York.
Arnold, Caroline (1987). A Walk on the Great Barrier Reef.
Carolrhoda, Minneapolis.
Asimov, Isaac, (1988). How the Universe Was Born. Gareth Stevens,
Inc., Milwaukee.
Asimov, Isaac, (1989). Is There Life on Other Planets? Gareth
Stevens, Inc., Milwaukee.
Bronowski, Jacob (1987). Biography of an Atom. Harper Junior, New
york.
Hines, Anna Grossnickle, (1989). Sky All Around. Clarion, New York.
Lauber, Patricia (1987). Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount
St. Helen's. Bradbury Press, New York.
Maurer, Richard, (1985). The NOVA Space Explorer's Guide: Where to Go
and What to See. Clarkson N. Potter/WGBH, Boston.
Radlauer, Edward and Ruth, (1987). Earthquakes. Children's Press,
Chicago.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1988). Stars in Your Eyes: A Guide to
the Northern Skies. Listed in the CIC catalog
4. Anatomy:
Allison, Linda (1976). Blood & Guts: A Working Guide to Your Own
Insides. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Toronto.
Balestrino. Philip, (1989). The Skeleton Inside You, revised edition.
Crowell, New York.
Smith, Kathie Bilingslea, and Crenson, Victoria (1987, 1988). Hearing;
Seeing; Smelling; Tasting; Thinking; and Touching. A Troll Question
Book, Mahwah, N.J.
5. Applied science:
Adkin, Jan, (1980). Moving Heavy Things. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Macaulay, David, (1975, 1981, 1988). Pyramid, Cathedral, and The Way
Things Work. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Marsoli, Lisa Ann, (1986). Things to Know about Going to the Dentist.
Silver Burdett, Morristown, N.J.
Munro, Roxie, (1989). Blimps. Dutton, New York.
Shapiro, Mary J., 1986). How They Built the Statue of Liberty. Random
House, New York.
6. Fiction incorporating science:
George, Jean Craighead, (1972). Julie of the Wolves. Harper & Row,
New York.
Holling, Holling C., (1971). Paddle-to-the-Sea. Houghton Mifflin,
Boston.
Hurwitz, Johanna, (1978). Much Ado About Aldo. Morrow, New York.
Law, Felicia, (1985). Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle. (A
fictionalized account of the voyage to Galapagos), Andre Deutsch,
Bergenfield, N.J.
Scott, O'Dell, (1960). Island of the Blue Dolphins. Houghton Mifflin,
Boston.
7. Biographical Figures:
Look for books about:
Nathaniel Bowditch, the early 19th century American mathematician and
astronomer and author of the best book on navigation of his time;
George Washington Carver, the agricultural scientist who discovered
over 300 uses for the peanut;
Marie Curie, the Polish-born French physicist famous for work on
radioactivity;
Charles Darwin, the English naturalist reknowned for his work on
evolution;
Amelia Earhart, the aviation pioneer;
Louis Pasteur, one of the world's foremost early microbiologist whose
research led to pasteurization;
Sally Ride, the American astronaut and scientist; or
John Augustus and Washington Augustus Roebling, U.S. civil engineers
and designers of the Brooklyn Bridge.
8. Science Experiments:
Allison, Linda, (1988). The Wild Inside: Sierra Club's Guide to the
Great Indoors. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, Toronto.
Barr, George (1986). Science Projects for Young People. Dover
Publications, Inc., New York.
Carson, Mary Stetten, (1989). The Scientific Kid: Projects,
Experiments and Adventures. Harper & Row, New York.
Cobb, Vicki, and Darling, Kathy, (1980). Bet You Can't! Science
Impossibilities to Fool You. Lothrop, Lee & Shephard, New York.
Cobb, Vicki, (1972). Science Experiments You Can Eat. Harper & Row,
New York.
Gardner, Robert, (1989). Science Around the House. Julian Messner,
New York.
Herbert, Don, (1959). Mr. Wizard's Experiments for Young Scientists.
Doubleday, Inc., Garden City, N.Y.
Katz, Phyllis, (1990). Exploring Science Through Art. Franklin Watts,
New York.
Lewis, James, (1989). Learn While you Scrub: Science in the Tub.
Meadowbrook Press, Deephaven, Minn.
Shermer, Michael, (1989). Teach Your Child Science: Making Science
Fun for the Both of you. Lowell House, Los Angeles.
Stacy, Dennis, (1988). Nifty (and Thrifty) Science Activities:
Demonstrations, Experiments, and Learning Labs. David S. Lake,
Belmont, Calif.
Stein, Sara, (1980). The Science Book. Workman Publishing, New York.
Stine, Megan, and seven others, (1989). Still More Science Activities
(from the Smithsonian Institution). Galison Books, GMG Publishing, New
York.
Toney, Sara D., (1986). Smithsonian Surprises: An Educational
Activity Book. Smithsonian Instituion, Washington, D.C.
Van Cleave, Janice Pratt, (1989). Chemistry for Every Kid. Wiley, New
York.
Zubrowski, Bernie, (1981). Messing Around with Drinking Straw
Construction. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Toronto.
Zubrowski, Bernie, (1985). Raceways: Having Fun with Balls and
Tracks. William Morrow and Company, New York.
9. Magazines and periodicals:
3-2-1- Contact, Children's Television Workshop, One Lincoln Plaza, New
York, NY 10023. Provides puzzles, projects, experiments.
Chickadee, Young Naturalist Foundation, P.O. Box 11314, Des Moines, IA
50340. Information, activities about nature-related topics.
Cricket, the Magazine for Children, box 52961, Boulder, CO 80322-2961.
Stories and experiments for elementary school children.
Ladybug, Cricket Country Lane, Box 50284, Boulder, CO 80321-0284.
Stories and activities for preschoolers and beginning readers.
National Geographic World, National Geogrpahic Society, 17th and M
Streets NW, Washington, DC 20036. Excellent photographs, art,
narratives.
Odyssey, Kalmbach Publishing Company, 1027 North Seventh Street,
Milwaukee, WI 53233. Describes concepts and principles of astronomy.
Owl, Young Naturalist Foundation, P.O. Box 11314, Des Moines, Iowa
50304. Answers Children's questions about nature and science.
Ranger Rick, National Wildlife Federation, 1412 16th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20036-2266. Helps children enjoy nature and appreciate
need for conservation through indoor and outdoor activities.
Science weekly, Subscription Department, Science Weekly, P.O. Box
70154, Washington, DC 20088-0154. Focuses on topics in science, math,
and technology.
Scienceland, Scienceland, Inc., 501 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017-
6165. Each volume focuses on a scientific topic.
WonderScience, American Chemical Society, 1155 16th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20036. WonderScience is a science activity publication
for children and parents.
ADDITIONAL TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FROM LIBRARIES, BOOKSTORES, AND FROM
THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) reviews
science books for children in SCIENCE BOOKS AND FILMS. For a
subscription, write to SB & F Subscriptions, AAAS, Room 814, 1333 H
Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Science Fare by Wendy Saul and Alan R. Newman includes listings. It
was published by Harper & Row, New York, in 1986.
The Children's Book Council and the National Science Teachers
Association each year cite outstanding science trade books for
children. A list is available by writing to the National Science
Teachers Association, Public Information Office, 1742 Connecticut
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009. Send a stamped, self-addressed
envelope.
"Books for Children" from CIC is an annual listing from the Library of
Congress of the best books recently published for preschool through
junior high school-age children. It includes books on science and
nature. Send $1.00 to Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, CO 81009.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This booklet has been made possible with help from the following people
who reviewed early drafts, provided materials and suggestions, or both:
Mitchell Pearlstein, Audrey Champagne, Sally Crissman, Joyce Epstein,
Doug Lapp, Susan Loucks-Horsley, Phyllis Marcuccio, Susan Snyder, Kate
Dorrell, Pat Bonner, Annette Duff, Mary Levy, Phyllis Katz, Gene
Vosicky, James Kessler, Carol Boggs, Robin Michael, and many
individuals within the Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Special thanks go to Senta Raizen, Director of the National Center for
Improving Science Education, who provided continuing guidance and
support. Much of the conceptual material in this book is drawn from
the Center's report, GETTING STARTED IN SCIENCE: A BLUEPRINT FOR
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE EDUCATION.
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