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Tagged with 'Science'

Smarts & Crafts: Making Moons, Learning Science

One thing we can count on for sure is that kids love painting and exploring different textures. With this textured paint full moon crafting project, Moms can help turn a love of crafting into an early love of science! Use this arts and craft project as a launching pad for discovery about the June Strawberry Moon, the moon’s phases and how it impacts the Earth.strawberry moon crafting

Making a "strawberry moon" 

It’s June, the month of the Strawberry Moon. No, the moon won’t suddenly mimic a delicious, ripe strawberry and cast a pink or scarlet glow. The June full moon was called the “Strawberry Moon” for generations by Native American tribes who used the moon to track seasons and time.
Each full moon throughout the year had a different name, often describing the month or the season. For example, the full moon in September was called the “Full Corn Moon” and coincided with the fall corn harvest. December’s full moon was called the “Full Cold Moon”. The full moon in June, was the time to gather ripened spring fruit – namely strawberries – hence the name “Strawberry Moon.”
Even after America was colonized, newly arrived settlers began to apply some of the lunar calendar titles to the Gregorian calendar, including the Strawberry Moon.

Moon fun facts

Beyond adding a bright glow to the night sky, the moon also plays some very important roles for planet Earth. Did you know that...
  • The moon is about a quarter of Earth’s diameter
  • It lies 238,855 miles from Earth
  • It’s the only celestial body humans have visited outside of Earth
  • Every 27 days, the moon make a full trip around Earth
  • The moon is shaped like an egg. It’s an oval, not a circle.

How the moon impacts Earth

The moon orbits around the Earth as Earth orbits around the sun. The moon’s centre of gravity constantly pulls at the Earth, and so does the sun. This causes a couple of things to happen.
First of all, the moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans causes the tides to rise and fall.
Secondly, the moon makes Earth a liveable planet. As the moon and the sun each offer a gravitational pull towards the Earth, it keeps the world spinning on its axis. The moon keeps this spinning consistent and steady which stabilizes Earth’s climate, contributes to making the seasons, and makes our planet liveable.
That of course, brings us back to the Strawberry Moon! We enjoy the spring season and can pick all those strawberries because the moon is hard at work keeping Earth spinning around the sun.
Celebrate the June Strawberry Moon with this fun textured painting craft.
 
What you’ll need:
  • Black cardstock or construction paper
  • White paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Flour
  • A bottle or a cup for stamping and adding texture to the painting
Getting started:
  1. Mix one part paint with one part flour. The flour adds texture to the white paint making it grainy and a bit clumpy.
  2. Trace a large circle on the paper.
  3. Use a paint brush to paint the full moon with the textured paint.
  4. Using the bottom of the bottle or cup, stamp the paint. The combination of the texture of the paint and the stamping will create a simple moons
strawberry moon arts and craft project
Smarts & Crafts: Making Moons, Learning Science
One thing we can count on for sure is that kids love painting and exploring different textures. With this textured paint full moon crafting project, Moms can help turn a love of crafting into an early love of science! Use this arts and craft project as a launching pad for discovery about the June Strawberry Moon, the moon’s phases and how it impacts the Earth.strawberry moon crafting

Making a "strawberry moon" 

It’s June, the month of the Strawberry Moon. No, the moon won’t suddenly mimic a delicious, ripe strawberry and cast a pink or scarlet glow. The June full moon was called the “Strawberry Moon” for generations by Native American tribes who used the moon to track seasons and time.
Each full moon throughout the year had a different name, often describing the month or the season. For example, the full moon in September was called the “Full Corn Moon” and coincided with the fall corn harvest. December’s full moon was called the “Full Cold Moon”. The full moon in June, was the time to gather ripened spring fruit – namely strawberries – hence the name “Strawberry Moon.”
Even after America was colonized, newly arrived settlers began to apply some of the lunar calendar titles to the Gregorian calendar, including the Strawberry Moon.

Moon fun facts

Beyond adding a bright glow to the night sky, the moon also plays some very important roles for planet Earth. Did you know that...
  • The moon is about a quarter of Earth’s diameter
  • It lies 238,855 miles from Earth
  • It’s the only celestial body humans have visited outside of Earth
  • Every 27 days, the moon make a full trip around Earth
  • The moon is shaped like an egg. It’s an oval, not a circle.

How the moon impacts Earth

The moon orbits around the Earth as Earth orbits around the sun. The moon’s centre of gravity constantly pulls at the Earth, and so does the sun. This causes a couple of things to happen.
First of all, the moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans causes the tides to rise and fall.
Secondly, the moon makes Earth a liveable planet. As the moon and the sun each offer a gravitational pull towards the Earth, it keeps the world spinning on its axis. The moon keeps this spinning consistent and steady which stabilizes Earth’s climate, contributes to making the seasons, and makes our planet liveable.
That of course, brings us back to the Strawberry Moon! We enjoy the spring season and can pick all those strawberries because the moon is hard at work keeping Earth spinning around the sun.
Celebrate the June Strawberry Moon with this fun textured painting craft.
 
What you’ll need:
  • Black cardstock or construction paper
  • White paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Flour
  • A bottle or a cup for stamping and adding texture to the painting
Getting started:
  1. Mix one part paint with one part flour. The flour adds texture to the white paint making it grainy and a bit clumpy.
  2. Trace a large circle on the paper.
  3. Use a paint brush to paint the full moon with the textured paint.
  4. Using the bottom of the bottle or cup, stamp the paint. The combination of the texture of the paint and the stamping will create a simple moons
strawberry moon arts and craft project
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History on Dinosaurs for Kids
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Jurassic Spark!

What better way is there to help get kids interested in science than with dinosaur toys? Boys and girls love the ideas of dinosaurs and their intriguing back story… and they’ll soak up dino info at a truly awe-inspiring rate.

Ready to create a Jurassic spark of learning in your home? Here’s a few ways to help your little paleontologists get started…

Keep your museum member pass at the ready

Nearly every community, big or small, has a museum devoted to its natural or local history. If you live in North America, your museum will most likely include narration on local fossil discovery. Explore your museum’s summer or holiday break offerings for camp or workshops. And famous paleontologists, like Dr. Scott Sampson, often tour the country’s museums, giving lectures on how experiences with science and nature are critical to a child’s development.

Game on, Pteranodon!

Educational games that bring together your child’s love of dinosaurs and STEM-related subjects are the best! Turn family game night into a prehistoric adventure with fun board games geared toward their age and skill level.dino toys can help kids get interested in science

Pretend play

Ever hand a child some dinosaur figurines? Watch the magic happen. Those lucky dinosaurs will go on adventures from the backyard to bathtub. You’ll see entire prehistoric civilizations pop-up on your child’s bedroom floor. But watch where you step! You don’t want to be the one to wipe out the dinosaur population again.learning with dino toys

Books are power

Similar to adults, if you give a child books about a subject matter he or she is interested in, total captivation can happen. A little one will soak up dino facts read to them, and the beginning reader will take more interest in reading when he cares about the book’s contents. Get friendly with your library and load ‘em up!Dino toys and books

Your child isn’t the only one learning

So apparently the long-necked brontosaurs you heard about in school 30 years ago is now called the Apatosaurus? The best part of your child making discoveries about the Earth’s history is the new things you get to learn. If you take an active interest in your child’s curiosities with dinosaurs, they feel free to discuss their wonder in a supportive place.

Who knows? Maybe this might turn into something?

It goes without saying that a healthy love of something as a child might very well turn into a career as an adult. Be sure to foster your child’s interest in fossils, dinosaurs, and the prehistoric world because you might never know where it might lead!

Jurassic Spark!

What better way is there to help get kids interested in science than with dinosaur toys? Boys and girls love the ideas of dinosaurs and their intriguing back story… and they’ll soak up dino info at a truly awe-inspiring rate.

Ready to create a Jurassic spark of learning in your home? Here’s a few ways to help your little paleontologists get started…

Keep your museum member pass at the ready

Nearly every community, big or small, has a museum devoted to its natural or local history. If you live in North America, your museum will most likely include narration on local fossil discovery. Explore your museum’s summer or holiday break offerings for camp or workshops. And famous paleontologists, like Dr. Scott Sampson, often tour the country’s museums, giving lectures on how experiences with science and nature are critical to a child’s development.

Game on, Pteranodon!

Educational games that bring together your child’s love of dinosaurs and STEM-related subjects are the best! Turn family game night into a prehistoric adventure with fun board games geared toward their age and skill level.dino toys can help kids get interested in science

Pretend play

Ever hand a child some dinosaur figurines? Watch the magic happen. Those lucky dinosaurs will go on adventures from the backyard to bathtub. You’ll see entire prehistoric civilizations pop-up on your child’s bedroom floor. But watch where you step! You don’t want to be the one to wipe out the dinosaur population again.learning with dino toys

Books are power

Similar to adults, if you give a child books about a subject matter he or she is interested in, total captivation can happen. A little one will soak up dino facts read to them, and the beginning reader will take more interest in reading when he cares about the book’s contents. Get friendly with your library and load ‘em up!Dino toys and books

Your child isn’t the only one learning

So apparently the long-necked brontosaurs you heard about in school 30 years ago is now called the Apatosaurus? The best part of your child making discoveries about the Earth’s history is the new things you get to learn. If you take an active interest in your child’s curiosities with dinosaurs, they feel free to discuss their wonder in a supportive place.

Who knows? Maybe this might turn into something?

It goes without saying that a healthy love of something as a child might very well turn into a career as an adult. Be sure to foster your child’s interest in fossils, dinosaurs, and the prehistoric world because you might never know where it might lead!

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Let's Make Slime!
It’s slime, the DIY craft-meets-science-experiment is so popular that Elmer’s can’t keep up.
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Space & Kids: Inspiring Intergalactic Fascination
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The Magic of Matter Experiment!

Welcome to STEMuaryHelp us celebrate STEM-uary with a hands-on STEM experiment designed for you to do with your preschoolers at home! It's so much fun… your little ones might not even realize that they’re learning.Preschoolers are natural observers. Plus, they love scooping, pouring, mixing, and blending. In other words, they love science! You can encourage your child’s scientific curiosity and introduce some early scientific concepts with simple science experiments, like the concept...

Solids, Liquids, and Gas

Understanding the various states of matter is a key scientific concept. There are actually five states of matter, but we’ll leave the other two, plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates, for another time. Say, college.

Materials:

  • Ice cube
  • Measuring cup
  • Stove-safe pot

Step One – Solids

To share this concept with your kiddo, start with an ice cube. Show them how hard (solid) the ice cube is by having her tap it on the side of the measuring cup. Then have her rub her hands together to generate some heat, place the ice cube in her hands and have her roll the cube around, catching the dripping water in the measuring cup as the cube melts. (Note – if the cube is too cold for little hands, set it in the cup and put the cup in the sun for 15 minutes.)STEM science experiments

Step Two – Liquids

Check the measuring cup. It was empty when she started, but now there’s water in it! Explain to your child that heating the solid ice cube with her hands (or the sun) caused it to melt and change into its liquid form—water. Look at the markings on the side of the cup to see how much water is there, then pour the water into a pot.at home science experiments that teach STEM

Step Three – Gasses

Place the pot of water on the stove and turn the heat on low. Explain to your mini-scientist that the third state of matter is gas. The ice cube that started out as a solid and then melted into a liquid is now going to magically disappear, evaporating into a gas form. Let the water boil, then evaporate, and show your little one that the pot is empty. What happened to the ice cube?Science projects you can do at homeNow that your pint-sized smarty understands the concepts of solids, liquids, and gasses, take a lunchtime challenge!Point to her cup of milk and ask if what’s inside is a solid or a liquid. Now point to the PB & J (crusts cut off) on her plate and ask if that’s a solid or a gas. Finally, have her breathe out into a cupped hand and ask what’s there. She can’t see it, but her breath is a gas!If your little one loved this STEM-uary science experiment, let us know about it by emailing us at blog@learningresources.com.
The Magic of Matter Experiment! Welcome to STEMuaryHelp us celebrate STEM-uary with a hands-on STEM experiment designed for you to do with your preschoolers at home! It's so much fun… your little ones might not even realize that they’re learning.Preschoolers are natural observers. Plus, they love scooping, pouring, mixing, and blending. In other words, they love science! You can encourage your child’s scientific curiosity and introduce some early scientific concepts with simple science experiments, like the concept...

Solids, Liquids, and Gas

Understanding the various states of matter is a key scientific concept. There are actually five states of matter, but we’ll leave the other two, plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates, for another time. Say, college.

Materials:

  • Ice cube
  • Measuring cup
  • Stove-safe pot

Step One – Solids

To share this concept with your kiddo, start with an ice cube. Show them how hard (solid) the ice cube is by having her tap it on the side of the measuring cup. Then have her rub her hands together to generate some heat, place the ice cube in her hands and have her roll the cube around, catching the dripping water in the measuring cup as the cube melts. (Note – if the cube is too cold for little hands, set it in the cup and put the cup in the sun for 15 minutes.)STEM science experiments

Step Two – Liquids

Check the measuring cup. It was empty when she started, but now there’s water in it! Explain to your child that heating the solid ice cube with her hands (or the sun) caused it to melt and change into its liquid form—water. Look at the markings on the side of the cup to see how much water is there, then pour the water into a pot.at home science experiments that teach STEM

Step Three – Gasses

Place the pot of water on the stove and turn the heat on low. Explain to your mini-scientist that the third state of matter is gas. The ice cube that started out as a solid and then melted into a liquid is now going to magically disappear, evaporating into a gas form. Let the water boil, then evaporate, and show your little one that the pot is empty. What happened to the ice cube?Science projects you can do at homeNow that your pint-sized smarty understands the concepts of solids, liquids, and gasses, take a lunchtime challenge!Point to her cup of milk and ask if what’s inside is a solid or a liquid. Now point to the PB & J (crusts cut off) on her plate and ask if that’s a solid or a gas. Finally, have her breathe out into a cupped hand and ask what’s there. She can’t see it, but her breath is a gas!If your little one loved this STEM-uary science experiment, let us know about it by emailing us at blog@learningresources.com. READ MORE
5 Classroom Projects with a Digital Microscope

5 Classroom Projects with a Digital Microscope

Sometimes a fresh perspective is all that’s needed to make a familiar school subject seem new and exciting. That’s what makes a digital microscope so cool! It magnifies objects so students can see details missed by the naked eye.Sound like a new way to get your classroom engaged? Check out these project ideas for Science and Math to get you started.digital microscope

Explore Melting Ice (Grades 2-3)

  • Place two ice cubes on a plate. Ask students to predict what will happen when salt is placed on one of the ice cubes.
  • Sprinkle some salt on one ice cube. Place the digital microscope above the salted ice cube and have students observe for one minute.
  • If possible, take pictures of both ice cubes and label them. Have students discuss and write what they see.
  • Then, after four minutes and eight minutes, have them take pictures. They can again discuss and write what they see.
  • Have students generate conclusions about the effects of salt on ice.

The Skinny on Skin (Grades 2-4)

  • Have a volunteer come to the front of the class.
  • Use a digital microscope to get a close look and picture of the child’s skin on the back of their hand. Discuss what is observed.
  • Ask students if they think the skin will look different on the palms of the child’s hand.
  • Discuss possible reasons why they are different.

Counting Change (Grades 2-3)

  • Hold several coins in your hand under the digital microscope. Adjust the focus then slowly move your hand so the students see  part of each coin.
  • Have the students write an estimate of the total value of the coins.
  • Show the students the coins and calculate the actual amount as a group. Students write actual amounts next to their estimates.
  • Have students whose estimates were closest to the amount explain how they determined their answers.
  • Repeat the process with varying amounts and types of coins.

Micro Measures (Grades 2-3)

  • Place a ruler under the digital microscope so the students can see a full centimeter. .
  • Place a paper clip under the Twist and ask students to predict if the paper clip will measure a full centimeter, more than a centimeter, or less than a centimeter.
  • Place the ruler beside the paper clip and focus the microscope so the students can read the measurement.
  • Repeat with other small objects found in the room.

5 Classroom Projects with a Digital Microscope
5 Classroom Projects with a Digital Microscope
Sometimes a fresh perspective is all that’s needed to make a familiar school subject seem new and exciting. That’s what makes a digital microscope so cool! It magnifies objects so students can see details missed by the naked eye.Sound like a new way to get your classroom engaged? Check out these project ideas for Science and Math to get you started.digital microscope

Explore Melting Ice (Grades 2-3)

  • Place two ice cubes on a plate. Ask students to predict what will happen when salt is placed on one of the ice cubes.
  • Sprinkle some salt on one ice cube. Place the digital microscope above the salted ice cube and have students observe for one minute.
  • If possible, take pictures of both ice cubes and label them. Have students discuss and write what they see.
  • Then, after four minutes and eight minutes, have them take pictures. They can again discuss and write what they see.
  • Have students generate conclusions about the effects of salt on ice.

The Skinny on Skin (Grades 2-4)

  • Have a volunteer come to the front of the class.
  • Use a digital microscope to get a close look and picture of the child’s skin on the back of their hand. Discuss what is observed.
  • Ask students if they think the skin will look different on the palms of the child’s hand.
  • Discuss possible reasons why they are different.

Counting Change (Grades 2-3)

  • Hold several coins in your hand under the digital microscope. Adjust the focus then slowly move your hand so the students see  part of each coin.
  • Have the students write an estimate of the total value of the coins.
  • Show the students the coins and calculate the actual amount as a group. Students write actual amounts next to their estimates.
  • Have students whose estimates were closest to the amount explain how they determined their answers.
  • Repeat the process with varying amounts and types of coins.

Micro Measures (Grades 2-3)

  • Place a ruler under the digital microscope so the students can see a full centimeter. .
  • Place a paper clip under the Twist and ask students to predict if the paper clip will measure a full centimeter, more than a centimeter, or less than a centimeter.
  • Place the ruler beside the paper clip and focus the microscope so the students can read the measurement.
  • Repeat with other small objects found in the room.

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Teacher Tuesday: 6 Digital Microscope Projects
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