Grade School Archives - Page 23 of 27

Apple Science- STEM Amazing Apple Weight Loss Exploration

August 9, 2017 By Deirdre

This STEM apple science exploration looks at ways an apple can lose weight. Before you start this apple science activity, you will want to brainstorm ways your children think the apple will lose weight. I am sure that they will come up with wonderfully creative ideas. Once you have recorded their responses, you will have even more ways to test out weigh loss. I think they will like looking at the two ways I am going to share below. They will love exploring their ideas when those explorations are done.

Apple Science Weight Loss Explorations

Before you start these scientific explorations, you will need to print out the STEM Apple Weight Loss Exploration. Then you will need to gather the following supplies.

Supplies

Links below are affiliate links.

Apples
Student Balance or Scale (This one isn’t the one we used but will do a great job.)
Apple Peeler (My mom used this one in her classroom for years!)
Wooden Cubes (I used these in my classroom.)

Starting the Apple Science Exploration

As I mentioned above, you will want your children to help you brainstorm ways they can make the apple lose weight. You may want to record their ideas to explore later.

Weighing the Apple with Skin

You will need to weigh the apple with its skin on. They can keep adding blocks to the side of the scale without the apple on it until both sides are balanced. Your children can record that number on their exploration sheet.

Removing the Skin

Your children may never have seen this type of peeler before. You may want to walk them through it various parts and how they work. Then you could have them take turns turning the handle. It will be fun to see if they can keep the peel in one long strip. It is okay if they don’t.

Weighing the Apple without Skin

Now it is time to weigh the apple without its skin. If you kept the blocks on the scale from the last time you weighed the apple, you children will notice that they need to remove a few blocks. If you removed the blocks, you can add them one at a time until both sides are balanced. Then record the number of blocks you used on the recording sheet.

Weighing the Apple Later in the Day

Leave the apple and blocks on the scale for a few hours. Then look at the scale. Your children will notice that the two sides are not balanced anymore. The difference isn’t huge, but there is a difference. Count how many blocks lighter the apple is and have your children record it on the recording sheet.

We decided at my house that some of the juice from the apple evaporated. It will be fun to see if your children agree!

If you like this apple experiment, here are some more wonderful STEM explorations.

How to Sharks Float Activity

Do Crackers Make Good Pinhole Cameras?

Three Blind Mice LEGO Braille Activity

Apple Taste Test with Editable Printables and Place Cards

August 8, 2017 By Deirdre

This apple taste test in the first of two STEM apple explorations created for the 5 Days Apple Printables week. This set includes an apple recording sheet for preschoolers, a grade school version of the apple taste test, and apple place cards. Each of these has a place where you can type in the variety of apples you are taste testing.

Apple Taste Test Printables

Before you get started with this STEM activity, you will need to print out STEM Apple Taste Test Printables. You may want to print the apple taste test pages off on printer paper. The place cards will last longer and stand better if you print them out on cardstock.

Let’s Look at the Apple Place Cards

You can type in the name of each of the varieties of apples on one of the place cards. I thought you would like that better than having to write the name of each variety of apple on the place card. The place cards have a medium size font so that varieties like Golden Delicious or Jonathan Gold will find on them.

Let’s Look at the Preschool Version of the Taste Test

The preschool version STEM Apple Taste Test Printables has places where you can type the variety of apples you are exploring right on the PDF. There are is a place to show the color of each of the apples. Your children will also find an area to rate the taste, smell, and texture of each type of apple.

Your children can circle around or an X on the face that shows how they feel about each apple.

Let’s Look at the Grade School Version of the Taste Test

This version of the apple taste test is more of a STEM exploration. Children are asked to describe in a word or two the taste, smell and texture of each of the apple varieties.

They are also asked to rank the apples from most favorite to least favorite.

Finally, they are given a space to write a sentence or two reflecting on that they thought about the challenge. They could share how they felt about doing the challenge, about something they learned, or about what made their favorite apple their favorite.

Oh! You can also type the name of each in these. I know I mentioned it earlier I just thought I would mention it again.

If you like this STEM activity, here are some more you will love.

Free Printable Constellation Mats for Kids

How to Grow a Space Garden

Making Metamorphic Rock Candy

Leap Frog Straw Rockets

5 Days of Apple Printables for Preschoolers and Grade Schoolers

August 7, 2017 By Deirdre

You are going to love each of the printable sets I am sharing with your during the 5 Days of Apple Printables. There are activities like the reading comprehension pages, number activities and some of the STEM exploration pages that can be used by younger children. There are also STEM exploration pages and addition sheets for grade school students.

I will not be alone in sharing apple printables with you. 3 Dinosaurs and Royal Baloo with be sharing apple printable all week too. You will find links to each of their posts as well as to mine later on in this post.

Many of you start the school year with an apple unit. Below you will find some of my favorite apple crafts and activities. Along with the apple printables that will great to add you the activities you already share with your children at home or students at school.

Apple Printables and Activities from the Past

Ten Apple Up on Top Muffin Tin Counting Printable

Apple Tree Letter Matching Game

Apple Basket Counting Muffin Tin Numbers

Woven Apple Craft

Building Word Families with Apples and Worms

Five Little Apples Rhymes and Craft

Apple Core Puzzles

Apple Printables New This Week

Monday

Making An Apple Pie Sequencing Activity

Apple Themed Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Tuesday

Roll and Graph Addition and Multiplication Pages

STEM Editable Taste Test Pages

Apple Fraction Worksheets

Wednesday

Double Digit Addition Puzzles

Amazing Apple Weight Loss Exploration

Apple Beginning Reading with CVC Words

Thursday

Fun Apple Tic-Tac-Toe Writing Prompts

Apple SoDoKu Puzzles

Apple Themed Two Digit Addition Printables

Friday

Apple Skip Counting Puzzles

A Fun Apple Long Division Sorting Activity

You will find even more apple activities on my Apple Crafts and Activities board on Pinterest. Please take a moment and check them out.

STEM Chocolate Chip Cookie Excavation with Printable

August 1, 2017 By Deirdre

Whether you are studying geology or paleontology, this chocolate chip cookie excavation activity would be fun to do with your children. While they would have fun just picking out each of the chocolate chips, this activity will also let them work on a number of other learning concepts. The printable I created to go along with the chocolate chip excavation, that will invite them to work on mapping skills, predicting and counting skills.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Excavation Activity

Getting Ready

You will need to gather together a chocolate chip cookie, a toothpick, and the Chocolate Chip Cooke Excavating Activity Printable for each of your children.They will also need a paper plate, napkin or piece of wax paper to work on.

Starting the Chocolate Chip Cookie Excavation

Predicting the Number of Chips

The first thing your children will need to do is look the cookie over carefully on the top and the bottom. Then they will need to predict just how many chips are on each of the sides. They will need to record their prediction on the activity printable.

Mapping the Chips

Next, they will need to create a top view picture or map and bottom view picture or map of the cookie. It will help your children remember what the cookie looked like before it was excavated.

Excavating the Chips

Now it is time to excavate the chips. Children can start at the top of the cookie or on the bottom. When they have finished one side or the other, they will need to record how many chips they found on that side.

Then they can start excavating on the other side. When they have all the chips from that side of the chocolate chip cookie they can record that number too.

Drawing Conclusions

There is a space on the activity printable to record their conclusions. There are a number of things they could write about. They could share how accurate their predictions are. Children could explain why one side had more chips than the other. Children could share the hardest or easiest part of this STEM activity.

If you like this STEM activity, here are some more you will love:

Coding for Beginners

Creating Cup Stacking Algorithms

ABC’s of Binary Code

Do Crackers Make Good Pinhole Lens?

STEM Sunscreen Experiment- Spray vs. Lotion

How to Make Egg Geodes

STEM Challenge- Sedimentary Rock Model

STEM Shark Activities for Kids – How Do Sharks Float?

July 15, 2017 By Deirdre

Every year I try to come up with a couple activities to do during Shark Week at the end of July. There was a shark hockey game, a paper plate shark mask, and a shark made from a pool noodle! This year I have a shark Nerf target and some STEM shark activities for kids.

STEM Shark Activities for Kids

Fish have a gas-filled swim bladder that keeps them afloat in the water. Sharks stay afloat or stay buoyant due to an oily liver and some fat. The oil in a shark’s liver is lighter than water. It gives a shark some buoyancy. The oil is still heavier than water and if the shark doesn’t keep moving it will sink. will sink.

Getting Ready

Making the Sharks

Before you can start the shark activities for kids, you will need to cut two sharks out of a plastic blue file folder. You will need to find a shark online or in a book. Then we traced it onto the front of the file folder. Finally, we cut shark traced onto the folder out while holding the back of the folder to the front of the folder. That allowed us to cut out two sharks at the same time.

Gather Materials

Now that you have the sharks ready you will need to gather a few more materials.

You will need:

Two Strong Ziplock Plastic Bags
Vegetable Oil
Water
Large Plastic Tub or Box

Filling the Bags and the Tub

You will need to fill the tub almost up to the top with water. Don’t feel it all the way the top! When you children place their hands in the tub, they will displace some of the water! It may then spill out of the tub!

One of the plastic bags will need to be filled about 2/3 of the way with water. The other bag needs to be filled 2/3 of the way with vegetable.

Then you will need to place a shark into each of the bags. If you want to place duct tape over the top of the bag to keep the liquids in you totally can.

Activity One – Adding the Bags Vertically

Have your children place each of the bags into the water vertically. Watch what happens to the bags. The bag with the oil will probably flip on its side. The bag with the water in it will probably sink down a little.

Activity Two – Adding the Bag Horizontally

Have your children place each of the bags into the water horizontally. They may find that both of the bags float at first. The bag with the water in it may sink a little after a short time.

Activity Three – Pushing Down the Bags

Children will place both of the bags in the plastic tub or box horizontally. Then they will place on hand on each bag and try to push it down.

If you like this activity, here are some more shark activities you will love.

How to Draw a Shark with an Algorithm

How to Make a Pool Noodle Shark

Pool Noodle Shark with Rubberband Launcher

If you try these activities, please share a picture with me on Facebook.

Coding for Beginners – LEGO Algorithm STEM Activity

July 9, 2017 By Deirdre

All week I have been sharing with your coding for beginners activities. At the beginning of the week with amazing programming and games online. Next, we looked at offline coding games for kids that you are going to want to try right now. Then I shared an activity called ABC’s of How to Read Binary that featured beads and a fun recording sheet. The last post I shared used cup stacking and a planning printable to create algorithms. Today’s post shares the final activity in the coding for beginners series. It looks at using LEGO to create algorithms.

Coding for Beginners LEGO Activity

Gathering the Activity Materials

The links below are affiliate links.

Before you get started you will need to print out the Coding for Beginners- LEGO Algorithms recording sheet. Your children will also need a collection of Lego 2×2 Bricks and 2 crayons for this activity. Each child will need a set of two or three LEGO in two colors. They will also need crayons that match the colors of the LEGO they are working with.

Getting Started

You will need to explain to your children that an algorithm is a series of events or steps that a computer uses to complete a task. They will be creating a path with LEGO and then creating an algorithm that could be used to recreate their path.

The first thing they will do is place their LEGO on the grid on the recording sheet. They will want to leave at least one square between their LEGO.

Once they have their LEGO where they want them, they will decide which one will start their path. Then they will draw arrows in the boxes connecting their start LEGO to the LEGO closest to it.

They will continue the arrow connecting process until they have created a path from the first LEGO to the last LEGO on their grid.

Finally, they will draw a LEGO under each LEGO that is the same color of that LEGO. They can color in the box and add the bumps to make it look like a real LEGO.

Checking Their Algorithm

Your children will need to invite another child to follow their algorithm or LEGO creation path by placing LEGO on the grid in the right order.

STEM Coding for Kids – Cup Stacking Algorithms

July 7, 2017 By Deirdre

Coding is a precise set of instructions a computer can understand. The instructions or steps are called an algorithm. This STEM coding for kids activity invites students at school or children at home to create a cup stacking design and record the steps needs to build it as an algorithm. I have created a printable planning and recording document for you.

Coding for Kids- Cup Stacking

The first thing you are going to need to do is to download the STEM Coding for Kids – Cup Stacking Algorithm printable.Your children can record their design on it and record the algorithm need to build their design.

The link below is an affiliate link.

You will need to provide cups for your children to test their design out with. They can later use the same cups to follow their algorithm and make sure that it is accurate. We used mini red cups when we explored this coding for kids activity. If you prefer your children use larger cups, that is totally fine.

Starting the Activity

Children or students will need to draw their design at the bottom of the STEM Coding for Kids – Cup Stacking Algorithm printable. Before they start their drawings, you will want to let them know how many cups they can use. If you want them to use a particular number of cups, that would be fine. If they can use less than that number of cups, you will need to share that with them.

Creating the Code

You will need to go over what each of the algorithm symbols means. There is a start the stack here cup symbol along with symbols for go up, go down, go left and go right. They may need to use some or all of these symbols for their design.

Reflecting

They are almost finished the coding for kids activity. The final step is to reflect on the challenges they encountered by doing creating their cup stack and cup stacking algorithm. This will give them an opportunity share what they learned about coding an algorithm.

Here are some more coding for kids activities you will love:

Amazing Offline Coding Activities

Little Miss Muffet Coding Activity and Printable

Coding Activity- Going on a Bear Hunt

Coding the Planets in Order

Exploring Binary Number While Making Jewelry

ABC’s of How to Read Binary with Printable

Building Binary Code with LEGO

ABC’s of How to Read Binary STEM Activity with Printable

July 6, 2017 By Deirdre

It is easy for your children at home or your students at school to learn how to read binary code. They just need to have the opportunity to have some hands-on learning. That is exactly what this How to Read Binary STEM activity will let them do.

Wait! What is binary? It is the code used by a computer to understand letters, number, symbols, and commands. The code uses groups of 8 numbers to represent each letter, number, symbol, and command. The only numbers that the computer can use to create the code are 0’s and 1’s.

How to Read Binary Activity

Getting Ready

The first thing you will need to do is download and print out the ABC’s of How to Read Binary printable. It focuses on building and coloring the binary code for the letters A, B, and C.

Then you will need to get bead box or bags of beads that contain two different colors. You will also need to have crayons available that match those colors. If you don’t want to give your children a choice of colors, you can just put out the colors you want them to use.

Beginning the Activity

Children will start by selecting the colors that they want to use for the 0 and the 1. They can record their colors in the Building Requirement area of the printable.

Next, they will need to place the correct color of beads on the 0’s and the 1’s in each letter’s code. Tactilely holding and placing each bead on the numbers will help children make learning how to read binary become part of their muscle memory.

Then children will color in the circles beside each binary number to match the beads that are on the numbers. Once they have done that, they can return the beads to you to use in another activity.

The final step of this how to read binary activity is to reflect on the challenges they had with the activity. If they can’t think of any challenges, they can record what they would have done differently or what they liked about the activity.

If you like this coding activity, here are some more on and offline activities you will love:

Amazing Programming Games and Activities Online

Gruffalo Coding Sheet

Coding for Kids- The Day It Rained Hearts

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Coding Printable

Super Hero Computer Coding

Help the Pirate Find His Treasure

Computer Coding Free Printable STEM Activity

Cup Stacking Algorithm Activity with Printable

Amazing Coding Games and Activities to Try Right Now

Amazing Offline Coding Games To Try Right Now With Your Kids

July 4, 2017 By Deirdre

Here are some amazing offline coding games and activities to try right now with your kids. They will help your children learn about binary code, building algorithms, and so much more. You will be amazed at how much even your young children will learn about coding as they explore these coding games.

Coding Games for Kids

Building Algorithms Based on Children’s Books

Your children can sequence the events from children’s books that you read to them or they read on their own. Then they can use one of the algorithm sheets I have created to connect the events by drawing arrows in the empty boxes connecting the effects. They will learn about using the commands up, down, left and right.

Little Miss Muffet Coding Activity and Printable

Coding Activity- Going on a Bear Hunt

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Algorithm Activity

Gruffalo Coding Sheet

Coding for Kids- The Day It Rained Hearts

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Coding Printable

Building Algorithms Based on Science Concepts

Life cycles and other science concepts follow a sequence. They are great to use to create algorithms for. Your children can make finding the short route to the next step in the cycle a coding game.

Coding the Planets in Order

Life Cycle of a Spider Coding Activity

Plant Growth Coding Sheet

Exploring Binary Code

Binary code is the simple form of computer code. The coding games and activities below are a great way for kids to explore binary.

Exploring Binary Number While Making Jewelry

Building Binary Code with LEGO

Exploring Algorithms and Coding

Each of the coding games below invites kids to build algorithms and explore how coding works.

Table Top Activities

Making a Coding Quiet Book

Coding a LEGO Maze

Cupstacking a Code

Super Hero Computer Coding

Help the Pirate Find His Treasure

Computer Coding Free Printable STEM Activity

STEM Coding for Kids- Building Cup Stacking Algorithms

ABC’s of How to Read Binary with Printable

Coding Games for Critical Thinking

Floor Activities

Coding for Kids- X Marks the Spot

The Orange Game

If Then Backyard Coding Activity

Building and Walking an Algorithm

Amazing Programming Games and Activities Online for Kids

July 4, 2017 By Deirdre

I am getting ready to do a presentation at the Upstate Technology Conference on coding off and online. Today I want to share with you some online programming games I have found. There are a number of programming games and activities online for kids available online. Guess what!? Some of them are free and amazing! Here are some of the free programming games and activities I found.

Amazing Programming Games and Activities

Code.org

This program was designed to be used by children age 4 and up. I have used it with children 6 and up.

Do you have to create a login?

Children can explore the activities in four courses and the Hours of Code without logging into the site. (The Hour of Code is an annual event that children participate in the early winter. There is a number of Hour of Codes you can explore.) The Hour of Code activities feature popular themes like Angry Birds, Frozen and Star Wars.

Why log in?

Teachers and parents can set up logins for their children. When children do activities after logging in, their progress is recorded and they can work toward the end of course certificates.

How will you program?

Puzzle pieces with coding words or symbols on them are put together to create the path or algorithm need to complete a puzzle or maze.

Scratch

This site was designed for children ages 8-16. They can use puzzle command pieces to create animated scenes, music, stories, and activities. There is a Scratch Jr. app you can download for free that looks easy for young children to use.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to log in. You can download it to your computer or explore it online without logging in.

Why log in?

You can save your creations and interact on discussion boards. When you log in can see other people’s creations.

Code Academy

Code Academy has coding and programming activities. It really isn’t a programming game site per se, but its exercises feel like games. It is a great way for older children to learn to write code.

Do you have to create a login?

Yes, you do have to create a log in.

Why log in?

It offers courses on a variety of different codes. Each contains lessons, projects, and challenges.

Crunchzilla

Cruchzilla has programming games and activities for tweens and adults. It invites visitors to explore its four tutorial areas using live code. Kids will change the existing code to move objects around on the screen.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to create a login.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy has an array of programming tutorials and games. It is definitely for kids older than 8. The site mentions it can teach kids to code in an hour.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to create a login.

Why log in?

You can save your progress.

Code Combat

Children play a series of programming games while learning how to code. It appears to be geared toward children age 9 and up. The games are interactive and have fun graphics. Children have a choice of coding in one of four languages.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to.

Why login in?

You can save your progress if you log in and you can interact with others in your clan. Teachers can set up logins for their students or students can set up their own logins. You can access teacher guides.