Elementary Science
Young children learn science best by living and exploring the world around them. Come and get some great resources, tips, and ideas for teaching elementary-aged children science and discovery.
Elementary Science Teaching Tips & Ideas
How I Teach a Large Family in a Relaxed, Classical Way: Science
Family style learning is a great way to tackle lots of different subjects, including science.
Things to See & Do in Wisconsin
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
Calm or dancing waters surrounded by shades of green, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway provides 252 miles of recreational opportunities. Canoe amid the northwoods, where wolves, deer, otter and porcupine can be seen or boat surrounded by wooded bluffs and historic towns. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 created a thin narrow corridor of protection for the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers. This corridor provides scenic views and a haven for wildlife. The clean, sparkling river water shelters native mussels, dragonflies, and fish. Overhead, eagles, osprey, kingfisher and warblers fly and nest. Closer at hand raccoons, fox, and bear may be glimpsed. Color bursts forth from trilliums and marsh marigolds, followed by asters, cardinal flowers and the changing fall colors. A wealth of wildlife viewing awaits those who seek it. A glimpse of the River's past can also be seen on the landscape. A stone wall, a steel ring, a cabin or a metal bridge recalls earlier times. Dakota, Ojibwe, voyageurs, loggers and settlers have all known this river.
Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo
The Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo is located 11 miles northwest of Green Bay, within the Brown County Reforestation Camp. The NEW Zoo and Brown County Reforestation Camp together function as a 1560-acre recreational area serving over a half million visitors each year. The miles of trails, picnic areas, trout ponds, and animal exhibits provide fun and enjoyment for the whole family. Visit the observation tower to see a good portion of the animal exhibits and lush habitat.
Racine Zoological Gardens
The Racine Zoological Gardens is one of only 11 free admission accredited zoos left in the entire country. Covering 32 acres, the Zoo is home to over 250 animals representing 76 species. Here you will find giraffes, lions, rhinos, orangutans, kangaroos and more, living in exhibit spaces designed to imitate natural surroundings.
Henry Vilas Zoo
Adventures with animals from all over the world await you at Dane County's Henry Vilas Zoo, located in the heart of Madison. Highlights include the Discovery Center/Herpetarium,
the Discovering Primates Complex, the Big Cat Complex, and the Tropical Rain Forest Aviary.
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
The Milwaukee County Zoo is located on 200 wooded acres and is home to approximately 2500 animals, representing 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. Offers animal exhibits, special exhibits, and educational programs.
Ice Age National Scenic Trail
Imagine a public greenway meandering across Wisconsin's glacial landscape. Imagine a trail 1,200 miles long leading both to places of glacial beauty close to home and to some of the remotest parts of Wisconsin. That is what the late Ray Zilmer of Milwaukee had in mind in the 1950's when he proposed that an Ice Age Glacier National Forest Park be established along the entire length of the moraines marking the furthest advance of the last glacier in Wisconsin. An avid hiker, he proposed a continuous footpath, similar to the Appalachian Trail, as the central feature of the park so that visitors could explore and enjoy the glacial landscape at their own pace.
International Crane Foundation
The International Crane Foundation is the world's center for the study and preservation of cranes. Located in Baraboo, the ICF features wattled cranes and red-crowned cranes. You will also see the sarus crane--at six feet in height, easily the tallest flying bird in the world. At the AMOCO Whooping Crane Exhibit, you can relax on comfortable seats and watch one of the world's rarest birds, the whooping crane, as our pair hunt frogs and insects, and interact with each other in their tranquil wetland exhibit. Later you may want to visit our art exhibit, or the Chick Exercise Yard and talk with our "Chickparent," or take a walk on a trail that winds through oak savanna, tallgrass prairie, or around a wetland.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Apostle Islands in Lake Superior offer wild landscapes of pine and hemlock. The area is the ancestral home of the Ojibwe people and includes the nation's finest collection of historic lighthouses.
Elementary Science Activities & Experiments
Arbor Day National Poster Contest
Join over 74,000 fifth grade classrooms and home schools across America in the Arbor Day National Poster Contest. The theme chosen will increase your students’ knowledge of how trees produce and conserve energy. The free Activity Guide includes activities to use with fifth grade students to teach the importance of trees in producing and conserving energy. These activities correlate with National Science and Social Study Standards. The Guide also includes all of the information you need for poster contest participation.
ExploraVision
ExploraVision is a competition for all students in grades K-12 attending a school in the U.S., Canada, U.S. Territory or a Department of Defense school. Homeschooled students are eligible to enter. It is designed to encourage students to combine their imagination with their knowledge of science and technology to explore visions of the future. Teams of students select a technology, research how it works and why it was invented, and then project how that technology may change in the future. They must then identify what breakthroughs are required for their vision to become a reality and describe the positive and negative consequences of their technology on society. Winning ideas have focused on things as simple as ballpoint pens and as complex as satellite communications. The student teams write a paper and draw a series of Web page graphics to describe their idea. Regional winners make a Web site and a prototype of their future vision.
Elementary Science Curriculum
Christian Kids Explore Chemistry
These user-friendly, unabashedly Christian, one-year science curriculums for elementary students include teaching lessons, coloring pages, hands-on time, memorization lists, review sheets, creative writing assignments, and a supplemental book list. The Chemistry text is intended for grades 4-8, and includes such hands-on activities as making model atoms, breaking covalent bonds, and making gas expand. It also lists chemistry terms, notations, and rules. The conversational style gives students the basic information they need, making this an ideal first course in life science, especially useful for those following a classical approach.
Featured Resources
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Ideas and Books: The Method of Education
A selection of Charlotte Mason's writings on the topic of the place of ideas and books in the education of children. Mason's teachings on the topic of education required six large volumes to cover. This book makes it simple for homeschooling parents to find exactly what they need to learn about Charlotte Mason's thoughts on ideas and books. The teachings and philosophies of Charlotte Mason, a British educator from the last century, are currently experiencing a revival, especially among American ...
Climb Inside a Poem for Children Big Book of Poems
The poetry anthology, Climb Inside a Poem: Original Poems for Children, uses the writings of contemporary children's poets, whimsical illustrations, and an expansive big book format (14"x 18") to create a 36-page poetry playground. The children's poems crafted expressly for this collection are written by acclaimed children's authors.
Creative Home Schooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families
For a comprehensive guide to home-based education, that does not promote any particular curriculum or religious view, this is one book parents should buy! Parents will appreciate practical advice on getting started, adjusting to new roles, designing curriculum that is both child-centered and fun, and planning for social and emotional growth. Parents will turn to their favorite chapters again and again. Features interviews and tips from many homeschool parents as well as long lists of resources...
The Story of the World
This book series by Susan Wise Bauer is another that is best enjoyed as a read aloud rather than seen as a history textbook. It is full of engaging stories, mixing facts and historical legends. The companion study guides offer questions, narration exercises, activities, crafts, and reproducible pages. There are also lists for each chapter of supplemental books that are easily found at your local library.
Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Volume 1: Ancient Times (From the Ear...
Freedom and Beyond (Innovators in Education)
John Holt looks at the role that schooling in society plays in education.