10 "Good Reads" about Science

Here are 10 great science books for children to read or for a parent to read to children.  Some of them will answer many questions students have about certain things.  Others are just fun, informative books to read.  There are a few books that even have experiments in them for children to try.

1) It's Raining Cats and Dogs by Franklyn M. Branley

This book is about weather.  It gives facts, folklore, experiments and weather events.

2) I Wonder Why I Blink by Brigid Avison

This book talks about the body and answers many questions about why things happen with your body.  For example, some questions are, "Why do I get hiccups?," "What makes me sneeze?," and even "What is sleepwalking?"  This book is also part of the "I Wonder Why" series, which answers many questions about other topics.

3) A Day in the Woods by Ronald M. Fisher

This book gives information about plants and animals in the woods.  It tells you what they do in order to survive in the woods.

4) Six-Minute Nature Experiments by Faith Brynie

This book has fifty fun experiments for children to do.  It ties in other subjects as well, such as math with the experiment of finding out if unpopped popcorn is heavier than popped popcorn and why.  There are many other experiments in this book and most of the materials you will need are found around the house.

5) Shivers and Goose Bumps: How We Keep Warm by Franklyn M. Branley

This book gives information on how animals and humans stay warm.  It also gives facts on how certain clothing and dwellings aid in heat retention.

6) Natural Disasters by Kathleen M. Reilly

This book explores what makes hurricanes, blizzards, tornados, and many other natural disasters.  It even talks about lesser-known events, such as exploding lakes, and solar flares.  There are key terms, fun experiments, and additional resources for further education.

7) When the Wind Stops by Charlotte Zolotow

This book tells a story about a boy who wonders, "Where does the wind go when it stops?"  His mother answers him by telling him it doesn't stop, it just moves to another place.  It also talks about why other things happen, such as waves.

8) The Best Book of Endangered and Extinct Animals by Christiane Gunzi

This book talks about animals that are extinct, such as the dodo, which animals are endangered, such as the panda, and what people are doing to try to help save them.

9) From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

This book investigates how plants grow from a little seed into a big, beautiful plant.

10) Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn M. Branley

This book shows how the seasons come and go based on the position of the sun.  It's interesting to know why each season is different from all the other ones.

10 Science Activities for Students

If you ever want to try something new with your children, here are some cool science activities to try.  A lot of the materials for these activities can be found right in your own home!

1) Kid Pointz Fun Science Activities: This website has many fun activities for kids to do at home or even in school.  They are hands on and and encourage curiostiy among children.

2) Funology Science Experiments: This is another website with fun activities to do at home.  Many of the objects you will need are found lying around most homes.  There are Physics Experiments, Weather Experiments, Biology Experiments, and Chemistry Experiments.

3) "Saltwater Density Investigation": This is a blog about using saltwater to show how density works.  It also gives a link to her bigger blog which is "A to Z Science," which gives an experiment for each letter of the alphabet.

4) Using Paper Plates to Explore Science: This website gives a lot of different fun science activities to do with paper plates.  It's set up as an A to Z tutorial.

5) "25 At-Home Science Experiments": This blog uses eggs, toothpaste, bubbles, sunscreen, CDs, candles, and many other household objects to explore science in all kinds of experiments.

6) Color Experiment: This website is dedicated to the experiment of "Color Changing Milk."  Using milk, food colors, dish detergent, and cotton swabs, it shows how colors spread out and swirl in the milk.  It gives an explanation for why this is happening and gives some vocabulary to learn as well.

7) "E is for Explore": In this blog, Steve Spangler shows how to skewer a balloon without popping it and also how to poke pencils through a bag filled with water without it leaking out.

8) Science in the Spring: This eHow website gives activities to do outdoors in the spring.  Children can help garden, hunt for bugs, and just observe nature and learn about what's going on.

9) Using Candy to Experiment: This blog gives experiments to do with candy that, in school, could be done closer to the end of the year.

10) Science with ScienceBob: This is a blog that has many fun experiments where you can make something, learn how/why something works, making things float, etc.

10 Fun Science Lessons

These are 10 science lessons that can either be done at home or in the classroom.  Some of them give vocabulary for the students to use when they are experimenting.  They will need adult supervision, so make sure your child is safe.

1) Making Quicksand: Have you ever wondered how quicksand works?  In this lesson, students will be using maize cornflour and water to make quicksand and they will learn how to do it.  When they are mixed together, the students will see that it is a liquid by stirring slowly, lifting the spoon up, and letting it drip back down.  It can get messy so try to do it outside, if possible.

2) Camouflage Animals: Isn't it interesting that you can't see certain animals in their habitats?  In this lesson, students will be learning about why animals are colored the way they are, and why some blend in with their surroundings.  There are some fun activities to go along with this lesson as well, such as creating an animal to blend in with the classroom.

3) Fun With Bubbles: What makes a bubble?  Why can't we make bubbles with just plain water?  With this lesson, students will be learning about what it takes to make a bubble.  They will also be making a bubble on their own.  The main vocabulary in this lesson is surface tension.

4) Making a Rain Gauge: How can we find out how much rain we got?  To help students learn how meteorologists determine how much rain has fallen, you will be making a rain gauge.  The next time the rain comes and the students want to know how much we got, just check the rain gauge.

5) Gravity Free Water Experiment: If a cup is flipped upside down, is there a way the water will not fall out?  In this lesson, students will learn about air pressure and how it affects certain things, like water in a cup.

6) Styrofoam Experiment: What happens when styrofoam and nail polish remover are mixed.?  In this lesson, students will be turning styrofoam back into a polymer.  Students can also compare and contrast the original piece of styrofoam with the polymer.

7) Making Plastic: How are plastics made?  In this lesson, students (with the help and supervision of the teacher) will be making plastic.  For the younger students, it's best to do as a whole group with the teacher doing the experimentation; the students can record what they see happening.

8) Making Glue: What can we use around the house to make glue?  In this lesson, students will use milk and vinegar to make glue.  They will learn terms such as curds (solid) and whey (liquid).  Once the glue is made, students can test it out on crafts or anything else that needs glue.

9) Mixing Oil and Water: We know the age old saying "oil and water don't mix," but is there a way to mix them?  In this lesson, students will try to mix oil and water using dish detergent.  They will learn a new term, emulsion, and how it works.

10) Recycling: What does it mean to recycle?  Students will learn what can be recycled and how they can recycle.  They will also learn about reduce, reuse, and reinvent.  There are some activities to do as well.