homeschool science Archives

Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals Sorting Activity

July 13, 2020 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Have you ever seen a possum in real life?

Growing up in the country, I knew that they existed. But it took several years before I actually saw one scurrying away in the early morning hours.

It was like catching sight of Bigfoot.

I knew that there were animals that were awake when I was asleep at night, but to actually see one was memorable.

If you’re teaching students about animal sleep habits, this printable and digital Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals Sorting Activity can help!

Most kids love to learn about animals and my students are no exception.

So when we were starting to learn about these kinds of animals, I wanted to find a way to make a simple, hands-on activity they’d love to do.

Read on to see how to get your copy of this Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals activity!

And, for more fun with science, don’t miss our All About the Solar System unit!

Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals Sorting Activity

I remember learning about nocturnal animals when I was a kid, but we didn’t talk much about diurnal animals (at least not using the term “diurnal”).

So in case this term is fairly new to you as an educator, “diurnal” simply means that they are active during the day like you and me!

The printable activity is super duper easy. You’ll only need the following supplies: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Color printer with ink
Printer Paper
Scissors
Laminator (if you want to make a set that lasts)

It contains flashcards (pictures and labels) of 16 animals: eight are nocturnal and eight are diurnal.

Some of the animals in the product include:

Hawk
Gorilla
Bee
Raccoon
Elephant
Possum
Butterfly
Dog
And 8 more!

At the back are four sorting mats for kids to separate the nocturnal animals from the diurnal animals.

Plus, there’s an answer key included as well as a full set of instructions.

You can also use this for a one-time learning Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals Sorting activity.

Just skip the laminating and have students cut and paste the animals on the correct mat.

If you use it at science centers, add hook and loop sticky dots to the back of the cards and onto the mat squares for easy reuse.

Scroll down to get your copy of our print or digital Nocturnal and Diurnal Animal Sorting Activity!

Kids’ Books about Nocturnal Animals:

Read more about nocturnal animals with these books for kids!

1. Daylight Starlight Wildlife by Wendell Minor
2. Where are the Night Animals? by Mary Ann Fraser
3. Moonlight Animals by Elizabeth Golding
4. Night Animals by Gianna Marino

Resources about Nocturnal Animals:

Learn more about these animals with these helpful websites!

1. The Great Nocturnal Hat Hunt Game – PBS Kids
2. Nocturnal Animals from Around the World – World Wildlife Fund
3. Seek and Find Nocturnal Animals Game – Sheppard Software
4. Nocturnal Animals Lapbook – Homeschool Share

And don’t miss these other science activities!

To get your copy of the printable Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals Sorting Activity, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>>Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals Sorting Activity<<<

Want to use this as a digital activity that students can complete from home?
Click the image or the link below to grab the digital Nocturnal Animals Sorting Activity for use with Google Slides!

>> Digital Nocturnal Animals Sorting Activity <<

Or get them both in a print and digital BUNDLE!

>> Print + Digital Nocturnal Animals BUNDLE <<

Be sure to check out all of the great Nocturnal Animal Posts from the 2nd Grade Blogging Team!

Bat Science Experiments: Echolocation Activities from Preschool Powol Packets

Creating Growing Patterns with Nocturnal Animals from Life Over C’s

Nocturnal Animal Report: Hedgehogs from Crafty Kids at Home

Bats in a Cave Sight Word Game from Creative Family Fun

Nocturnal Animals Writing Tray and Word List from Lemon Lime Adventures

Simple Science Experiments: Floating Egg Experiment

March 18, 2020 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

It’s time for another one of our simple science experiments!

This time, we’re learning about salinity and floating with a simple floating egg experiment.

My boys are entering first and second grade, respectively.

These are excellent ages to introduce science experiments – especially ones that are low-prep, inexpensive, and simple to do, right?

Check out how we learned about salinity by making an egg float!

This would also be a great science lab for small groups or science centers.

If you enjoy this activity, don’t miss our colorful celery experiment or our superhero states of matter experiment!

Simple Science Experiment: Floating Egg Experiment

Like all of our science experiments, this one is super easy and requires absolutely no scientific expertise.

To complete this easy science activity, you’ll need the following:

Clear glass
Egg
Salt
Spoon

We started by cracking open the Usborne First Encyclopedia of Science. (This is an affiliate link.)

It’s an excellent, hands-on introduction to scientific concepts for kids in grades 1-4.

The boys and I read the section about floating together.

We learned that there are places on Earth where water is so salty you can actually read a newspaper while you float along!

In the book, we read the instructions to learn how to recreate the same type of environment that allows human beings to float in salty water.

Then, we were off and running!

We gathered the supplies and got to work.

We poured each glass half full of water.

Then we added 10 teaspoons of salt to one of the glasses.

(Don’t put any salt in the other glass of water.)

Like so.

When we placed an egg into the glass that didn’t have salt in it, the egg sank right to the bottom like normal.

But when we added an egg to the glass filled with salty water, it floated right to the top.

The kids got a kick out of watching me push it down, only to see it pop right back up!

And that’s how salinity works! Salty water is denser (heavier) than plain water.

So heavy, in fact, that it can support the weight of heavier objects like an egg.

Neat!

This entire floating egg experiment took about 10 minutes from start to finish.

So if you’re looking for a super quick science experiment, this one’s perfect!

Stop by to see our other science learning ideas!

$Study the properties of light with this simple light refraction experiment!$

How to Plan a Science Summer with Your Kids

April 8, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Science is one of those homeschool subjects that I always end up putting off.

When I first started homeschooling, I would push it towards the end of the day when we’d finished all of our other subjects.

Science takes a while, because you have to gather up your supplies, set up any experiments, conduct them (which takes a considerable amount of time with kids), and then discuss what you learned.

After a few years, though, I really wised up and started saving science until after the homeschool year ended. So, instead of having school from August to May, we became year-round homeschoolers and planned a science summer with the kids.

I love saving science for summer, because I don’t have to worry about rushing through it after we’ve done our other subjects.

And what’s more, we have more time in the summer to explore the kids’ scientific interests with summer camps, field trips, and outdoor experiments.

Read on to see how you can plan a science summer with the kids this year!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Images c/o: Wavebreakmedia & pressmaster / depositphotos

How to Plan a Science Summer

Choose simple science experiments to try.

Is anyone else out there a chronic overplanner? I am. I can spend countless hours trying to research experiments for the kids to try and then run out of steam right when it’s time to actually do them.

That’s why I love BookShark. All of the science experiments are already planned for you. And what’s even better is that the experiments are age-appropriate, so you won’t have to test it and see if it’s too advanced for your child.

Plus, the experiment instructions are on DVD and you can see the experiment performed, which will give you an idea of what to expect after it’s done. A great way to avoid unexpected messes!

Schedule your experiments by week or concept.

Once you’ve chosen your simple science experiments, it’s good to plan how many you want to do each week or how many you want to for each scientific concept.

The BookShark InquisiKids science curriculum (for Level 1) has 100 different science experiments for kids to try, which is a LOT. So we’ll be narrowing down our choices to about 25 or so.

That way, we can conduct two science experiments per week of our science summer.

Do a science experiment supply check.

Now that you have all of your science experiments planned, you’ll need to do a quick supply check. It’s always better to have your supplies set aside now than try to do it right before you conduct an experiment.

Trust me on this. I’ve had to shelve several science activities over the years because I *thought* I had something that turned out to be missing.

With BookShark, you receive the needed supplies for your experiments along with your science curriculum, which is super handy.

But if you’re using a different program or your own experiment ideas, make a quick list of your needed supplies and head to the store before you get started. You’ll thank yourself later.

Ready to tackle a science summer with your kids? Take a look at BookShark’s complete curriculum options, including science, to make summer science planning a snap!

Don’t miss these other science learning ideas for the kids!

And see even more ways to make science fun on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson

December 20, 2018 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

It’s time for another of our second-grade activities this week and today is all about states of matter for second graders.

Superheroes are all the rage right now and Pooh is a huge fan of them as well. So, when it was time to talk about states of matter in science, I thought I’d add a little “superpower” to our lesson. And I’m sharing it with all of you today!

Read on to see how we learned about states of matter with our Superhero States of Matter Printable Pack! By the way, be sure to grab our free Superhero Student Planner Pages as well!

Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson

To use this superhero states of matter for second graders activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This printable second grade science lesson includes everything you need to demonstrate the three states of matter with a simple experiment.

The supply list tells you what you’ll need and the instructions, which are written to students, explain how to perform each step.

Printable observation sheets allow students to analyze the experiment’s results.

How to Use the Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson

In the second grade, one of the science objectives to cover involves discussing the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. To help Pooh see how matter can change state and to help him grasp the concept, we did a simple science experiment with water.

The prodcut explains exactly how to do the experiment – step by step. It’s written in a way that second-graders should be able to understand the directions on their own.

But a couple of the steps require adult supervision, so this activity should not be done independently.

We started by observing how water changes from a liquid to a solid after freezing.

Then Pooh wrote down his observations.

After the ice melted, we observed how the water had changed (once again) into a liquid.

Then it was time to learn about the third state of matter: gas! (This is where kids need adult supervision.)

As the water slowly boiled away, Pooh was excited to learn that it was evaporating – converting itself to steam (a gas). He wrote down his final observations and reviewed the experiment’s results.

Look! An actual gap-toothed smile!

Pooh had a blast with this and it was a “super” way to learn about the three states of matter in an hands-on manner.

Scroll down to get your copy of our Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson!

Like this post? Stop by and see these other science experiments you can try!

$Study the properties of light with this simple light refraction experiment!$

And get more tips for teaching science in your homeschool on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>> Superhero States of Matter Science Lesson <<<

Don’t forget to visit this week’s posts by the rest of the 2nd Grade Blogging Team!

Super Math Skip Counting from Sugar Aunts

Free Math Printable for Inequalities with Addition from Life Over C’s

Superhero Pattern Stones from Rainy Day Mum

Super Hero Reading Logs from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

I am a Super Hero! Writing Prompt from Creative Family Fun

Superhero Contractions Memory Game from School Time Snippets

Superhero Cityscape Art Project with Van Gogh from Preschool Powol Packets

Create your own Superhero Comic-Photo-Strip from Crafty Kids at Home

Super Hero Self Portrait from Still Playing School

Simple Science Experiments: Simple Light Refraction Experiment

December 28, 2017 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

We’re continuing with our simple science experiments this week by taking a look at light refraction. I found a great light refraction experiment video on YouTube and decided to try it with Tigger.

Full disclosure: I didn’t know that refraction was what this experiment demonstrated. I actually had to look it up first. But the experiment is super easy and quick, so that’s a big plus!

$Simple Refraction of Light Experiment$

Check out this easy way to teach kids about light with this simple light refraction experiment!

And, if you like this one, try some of our other science activities, including how to make an egg float and our easy heat conduction experiment!

$Study the properties of light with this simple light refraction experiment!$

Simple Light Refraction Experiment

Watching the original light refraction experiment on YouTube will give you a great look at what’s involved in this activity. But you really only need four things:

A sticky note (I used a Post-It)
A marker
An empty transparent bottle
Water

$Experiment on Refraction of Light$

Draw two arrows on a sticky note. Make sure that each arrow points in a different direction. Stick the note to a blank wall.

Next, fill up the water bottle. Oh – put the lid on before you do this too! You don’t want water spilling out when you move the bottle around…lol.

$Simple Refraction Experiment$

The alternating arrows on the note point to the left and the right. Let the kids gradually move the water-filled bottle in front of the sticky note. As the bottle moves in front of the sticky note, something amazing happens.

$Investigating Light Refraction$

The arrows appear to change direction! The top arrow, which points to the left, appears to point to the right. And the bottom arrow, which points to the right, appears to point to the left!

Move the bottle back to see the arrows return to their original directions.

So what exactly is going on? We learned that refraction occurs because light bends when it passes through substances, such as water and plastic.

As the light travels through a substance, it becomes concentrated into a focal point, usually near the center. After light passes through the focal point, the rays cross over each other and cause images to appear reversed.

Turns out you can’t believe your eyes after all! 🙂

Books with Simple Science Experiments:

If you liked this simple science experiment, take a look at these books with even more easy activities! (Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Don’t miss the rest of our Simple Science Experiments!

For more science homeschooling ideas, follow my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

P.S. Get more fun learning ideas in our email newsletter!

Learning How to Use a Microscope in Middle School with Real Science-4-Kids

August 30, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My new middle schooler has always been interested in science. She loves examining nature and conducting basic experiments. One thing we had yet to introduce her to, though, was the microscope.

When I took college biology last year, I had my very first experience with a light microscope and it was awesome. So I was excited to show her how to use it as well.

But I wasn’t quite sure how to teach her microscope basics. After all, my college textbook was a little too advanced. I still wanted her to have a chance to learn it without me hovering somewhere nearby.

Enter Real Science-4-Kids! This homeschool science program for grade 6 offers plenty of hands-on biology lessons and experiments!

Read on to see how we used Real Science-4-Kids to teach our child how to use a microscope in middle school!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

What’s Included in the Real Science-4-Kids Grade 6 Curriculum?

Real Science-4-Kids offers its science program, Exploring the Building Blocks of Science, in several grades, including grade 6.

The Grade 6 program includes the following materials:

Need a higher grade level? Exploring the Building Blocks of Science Book 7 will be released just in time for the new school year!

Initially, I didn’t think that I would need all three books. But as I examined them, I was extremely impressed at how clearly everything is written and how thorough (but not overwhelming) the program is.

The teacher’s manual is a sort of guideline for which lessons and resources to use and when. The student textbook is written directly to the student, so I was able to give the book to my daughter and let her read the lessons, define the terms, and follow the instructions herself. It’s a really great way to reinforce independent learning at this level.

The laboratory notebook is for students to write down and draw their observations as they conduct the experiments in the book. After all, the goal here is to raise scientists. 🙂

Want to learn more about Real Science-4-Kids? Listen to the program author, Dr. Keller, explain more about how the program works!

Learning How to Use a Light Microscope

Okay. Microscope time!

Ours is the My First Lab Ultimate Digital Microscope, which is monocular. But if you’d like a binocular model, the OMAX Binocular Compound Microscope looks pretty good as well. The student textbook contains a nice summary of the features to look for when choosing a good light microscope.

Unit 7 in the program deals with microscope basics. I assigned section 7.1 through 7.3 as reading. Then we started working with our microscope.

As you can see, my child was basically waiting for me to shut up so she could get her hands on the microscope.

To help her identify the parts of the device, we grabbed a few Post-Its and wrote the name of each part (corresponding to the diagram in the textbook) and then labeled them.

After that, it was easy peasy to fill in the diagram in the textbook!

As part of the science lesson, we looked at various biological samples under the microscope, including pencil markings and blood. Since we already had prepared microscope slides with a sample of frog blood, we didn’t have to prepare them, which saved time. But if you want to make your own slides, you’ll need to pick up some blank slides to get started.

First, we wrote down letters in pencil and examined them at 4x magnification and 10x magnification. Tigger wrote down her observations afterward and surprised to see how different the markings appeared at a higher magnification.

Next, it was time to examine a drop of blood under the microscope. This was really, really neat. At 4x magnification, we could see a pink mass with circles inside (the individual blood cells).

As we increased the magnification to 100x, though, we could see even more detail, including colors inside the individual blood cells. Following the experiment instructions, Tigger drew pictures of how the sample changed as the magnification increased.

I basically had to tear her away from the microscope afterward.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive (and affordable) grade 6 science curriculum, stop by and visit Real Science-4-Kids to pick up the Grade 6 Science bundle today! And science isn’t the only subject offered by Gravitas Publications! Visit the homepage to browse all of the company’s homeschooling helps!

Want to score this program for 30 percent off? Click the image below to get a discount on your science purchase through September 30! Or visit my referral link to get your savings! (Once you buy, you can also sign up to get your own referral link and get rewarded when your friends buy the program!)

Learn more about Real Science-4-Kids and Gravitas Publications by following the company on social media!

Get more ideas for teaching homeschool science from my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Learning about the Solar System for Kids

July 8, 2016 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

For our latest post in the Homeschool Unit Studies series, we’re talking planets with a lesson on teaching the solar system for kids!

Many kids are fascinated with space. I know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. We’re from Florida originally and I really, really, really wanted to go to space camp. But, alas, it never happened. I did ride one of those anti-gravity swings at Church Street Station in Orlando, though. Not quite the same somehow. 🙂

Now that my kids are developing an interest in space, I thought I’d put together a few resources for learning the solar system. There are videos, books, and activities below that make learning about the solar system even more fun!

Learning the Solar System for Kids

Watch the YouTube video and have your kids answer the following questions:

(Note: The last two minutes of this video include a hypothesis that states the solar system will cease to exist in 500 million years. Personally, I don’t think that’s true. And really how would any human even think they know what will happen that far into the future? But I just wanted to give you a heads-up in case you want to skip it. None of the questions below are about that part of the video.)

How old do scientists think the solar system is? Answer: 4.5 billion years old
How often does the solar system circle the galactic center? Answer: Once every 250 million years
Name the four terrestrial planets in our solar system: Answer: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Name the four gas giants in our solar system: Answer: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Why does Mercury experience large temperature fluctuations? Answer: Because a Mercury year is shorter than a Mercury day.
How hot does temperature get on Venus? Answer: Up to 497 degrees Celsius
Why is Earth able to sustain life? Answer: Because temperatures are moderate enough to retain a water supply.
Name the largest mountain on Mars: Answer: Olympus Mons (It’s also the largest mountain on any planet in the solar system.)
What two gases comprise most of Jupiter? Answer: Hydrogen and Helium
How many moons does Saturn have? Answer: 62
What makes Uranus unique? Answer: Its axis of rotation is tilted sideways.
How long is a Neptune year? Answer: 164 Earth years
How much of the solar system’s mass is made up by the sun? Answer: 99.86%
Where is Pluto located? Answer: In the Kuiper Belt at the edge of the solar system