daisylou Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 My child's school has a wonderful science lab donated by parent volunteers. It really is a great lab area! But, I'm afraid the teachers are so busy teaching what "has" to be taught that this room is underutilized. I have a science background and think this could be a wonderful resource to get the kids excited about math and science at a young age. The teacher has given me the go ahead to find different lessons/experiments that I can teach or help her teach every other week. Does anyone know of any resources that would be good for 1st and 2nd graders? Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I am curious as to what the science lab has for materials. I have the book 730 Easy Science Experiments. It uses everyday household objects and is divided by the materials needed (as opposed to subject). For example the first section is "Clutching at Straws" and has 11 activities/experiments ranging from making a straw, to making a water trombone, to finding the center of gravity. You don't need a science lab for these experiments but it would be easy to organize. http://www.amazon.com/730-Easy-Science-Experiments-Materials/dp/1579126138/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357757672&sr=8-1&keywords=730+easy+science+experiments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisylou Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 Thank you, I'll check that out:-) It has several lab tables, a teacher's table with water and an air supply. As for what materials it has, I have seen weights and scales, tons of globes, blocks, I'm sure there are incline planes. I haven't opened the cabinets to see what they house, but from just quickly looking around there is plenty of stuff to do some fun learning experiments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen. Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Why don't you get a copy of the science book the teacher is using and do labs based on what the students are learning. The teacher's book may already have experiments or some kind of activities in it. This will reinforce what the kids are doing and you will be seen as necessary to the teacher. Find out how often you'll meet with the students, how long the class is and try to create a lesson plan. Make this have meaning for the kids and the the volunteers that gave up their own money so their kids can have something better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Steve Spangler has a lot of good experiment videos on his website, and we have His Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes book. I started doing experiments from it with my younger DD when she was in K, and the explanations are good and not too difficult for younger kids to grasp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tdb1166 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I wish my children went to your school. They don't do any science experiments at school. I just wanted to encourage you to go for it -- the kids will love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisylou Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 I will check out Steve Spangler! Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement:-) I ended up asking the teacher for her upcoming topics and she sent me her 9 week plan. I looked though my 2nd grader's book (I'm doing the lab for 1st graders and I don't think they have books) and pulled out experiments that corresponded to the topics. I also found a great book by Robert Gardner. I'm going to look for more of his books at the library. I wrote up several labs sent them to the teacher and she picked a few. The kids and I had a great time in the lab. We talked about models, made a model of the earth with a hard-boiled egg, made a model of plates moving with books and colored water, and the made a volcano erupt with colored vinegar. Hopefully I can do more in the future. I have a passion for science and I think the kids enjoy touching, seeing, experiencing science more so than sitting and listening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qtkimi Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 My 6yo just got a book from the library called Science Rocks it is full of experiments and he is excited and wants to try them all. Guess I need to go shopping for some supplies this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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