science Archives - Look! We're Learning!

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

A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

May 11, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Growing up out in the country, I didn’t see many frogs. We saw a lot of toads.

Which, to me, are some of the cutest animals ever.

Once I moved to the suburbs, though, frogs were a much more common sight.

They’re usually sticking to the door of our back patio. In fact, when we walk up to the door, we can almost see through their bellies and make out their internal organs.

It’s pretty cool.

Frogs go through an incredible life cycle, transforming from water animals to land animals in the process.

Which makes this hands-on frog life cycle sequencing activity a fantastic science lesson for kids!

Fun Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity for Kids

This is a simple way to teach students about how animals develop and how frogs, in particular, transform from living in one environment to another.

It’s also a good activity for teaching early learners how to remember sequence of events.

Keep reading to find out how to get your copy of this lesson as a print activity or a digital activity for distance learning.

And, for more life cycle lessons, don’t miss our Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Activity!

A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

To use this frog life cycle sequencing activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity for Kids

This product includes:

Two frog life cycle mats (one color and one line art)
Two pages of frog life cycle circles (one color and one line art)
And two completed life cycle mats (one color and one line art)

Let students cut out the life cycle sequence circles and then use the completed mat to learn the correct order.

Then they can glue the steps in the right sequence to show how frogs grow over time!

Printable Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity for Kids

If you use the line art version, kids can color the steps as they go along.

Printable Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

Or turn this into a reusable activity for science centers!

Just laminate the pages and then add hook and loop sticky dots so that students can move the steps around as needed.

Scroll down to get your copy of this Frog Life Cycle activity!

Try these other science learning ideas for early elementary students!

To get your copy of A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

> A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Science Activity <

Prefer to use this science lesson as a digital activity? Get the digital version below!

Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity Digital Product

>> Digital Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Lesson <<

Free Bug Printables Pack for Kids

April 29, 2020 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Happy spring everyone! I love this time of year.

The warmer weather, the longer days, the brighter skies – it’s all great stuff! It’s just the BUGS that bother me.

When I was a child, I was deathly afraid of almost everything that had more than four legs. (Except potato bugs. They’re adorable.)

But I’ve been learning to love bugs along with my kids, who think they’re awesome. So I thought I’d share a free Bug Printables Pack with all of you!

This would make a great science resource to cover before heading out on a nature walk.

You could also pair it with a unit about insects, spring, summer, or ecosystems!

Read on to get your copy! And don’t miss our fun list of kids’ activities about insects!

Free Bug Printables Pack

This free Bug Printables Pack has over 25 pages of insect-themed fun!

To use this set of insect identification printables, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (if you want to reuse the flashcards in the future)

This resource includes:

A set of bug flashcards (labeled and blank)
Bug identification pages with color pictures and traceable names
And insect coloring pages

Students can practice reading the correct names for each insect and then tracing the names themselves.

Use the insect identification flashcards to help kids learn how to quickly spot common insects in the neighborhood.

And don’t forget to use the coloring pages for a quick art activity!

If you want to reuse this activity later, laminate the pages and let students write on them with dry erase markers. Perfect for science centers!

Scroll down to get your free Bug Printables Pack!

Don’t miss these other spring activities for kids!

To get your copy of our free Bug Printables Pack, click the image or the link below to download it!

>>> Free Bug Printables Pack <<<

15 Science Experiments You Can Do In 15 Minutes

March 20, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

There’s nothing that keeps kids interested in learning like a great science experiment!

But if a science activity requires a lot of supplies or if it takes a super long time to show results, it can be tough to keep the kids interested long enough to observe it all the way through.

Plus, who has time or space to work on a science experiment for days on end?

And that’s why I love these easy 15 minute science experiments!

These activities are simple, quick, and educational – perfect for learning at home or in small groups!

Read on to see the list below.

If you’re looking for a quick science lesson plan you can use with kids, don’t miss our Superhero States of Matter activity! It’s a science lesson, an experiment, and an observation journal in one!

15 Science Experiments You Can Do In 15 Minutes

1. Gather a few supplies and let the kids learn how to make an egg float!

2. This seed jar experiment does need a few days to complete, but it only takes a few minutes to set up! And the kids won’t mind watching their seeds sprout!

3. Get the kids outside with this super cool colorful exploding baggie experiment!

4. Your kids will go nuts for this awesome hot ice experiment! And it only takes about 10 minutes!

5. Ever wonder how pinecones open in the fall? Set up this easy science experiment to learn how pinecones open!

6. Did you know that light can actually change direction? Try this simple activity to observe how light refracts in water!

7. Penguins are ingeniously designed. They swim around all day, but manage to keep themselves dry! Help the kids do this activity to learn how penguin feathers stay dry!

8. Add some glittery fun to your science lesson with this DIY sparkly explosion!

9. Plants will be growing all over the place over the summer. Try this colorful experiment to study how plants take in nutrients!

10. Let the young learners get involved with this cute expanding marshmallows experiment! And be sure to let them sneak a few as a snack.

11. Learn how cold air and water interact and create your own condensation!

12. Have you ever found an old penny on the ground that looked green? See how this happens with this turn a penny green activity!

13. It won’t be long before we’re watching the beautiful fall leaf colors in the neighborhood. Get ready for fall with this experiment that demonstrates how leaves change colors!

14. Heat is a powerful form of energy. It can even travel through solid matter! Set up this easy experiment to learn how heat conducts energy through metal!

15. Shock your kids by showing them how leaves “breathe” with this leaf respiration experiment!

I hope you love using these simple 15 minute science experiments! Let me know which one you loved the most!

Need more fun science activities for kids? Don’t miss these!

This list of easy 15 minute science experiments is part of the Useful Tasks You Can Do in 60 Minutes linkup at iHomeschool Network! Stop by to see even more quick activities you can accomplish in your homeschool!

Butterfly Life Cycle Activity for Kids

March 19, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Butterflies are some of the most incredible creatures around.

They’re one of the few species that undergoes a complete change as part of the growth process.

It’s really awe-inspiring.

So a butterfly’s life cycle is an excellent science lesson for early grades. And that’s why I’m sharing this fun butterfly life cycle activity with all of you today!

Fun Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

This is a wonderful activity for science centers! And you can make it reusable too!

Read on to see how to get your copy. And keep reading to see how you can get this as a digital product!

Be sure to check out our Apple Life Cycle Sequencing Activity too!

Butterfly Life Cycle Activity for Kids

To use this butterfly life cycle sequencing activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printable Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

This product includes:

One color butterfly life cycle mat
Five color butterfly life cycle picture cards
One color butterfly life cycle mat with color picture cards
One line art butterfly life cycle mat
Five line art butterfly life cycle picture cards
And one line art butterfly life cycle mat with line art picture cards

Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing for Kids

Simply cut the circular picture cards out and let students practice placing them in the correct sequence on the life cycle mat.

Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

For a one-time lesson, students can glue the picture cards in place.

For a reusable center, laminate the pages and affix hook and loop sticky dots.

If you use the line art version, students can color in the pictures too!

Scroll down to get this Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Activity!

Take a look at these other science activities!

This easy oak tree life cycle activity is such a fun way to teach kids about how trees grow during fall! Take it with you on a nature walk or use at fall centers!

This printable apple life cycle sequencing activity is perfect for helping students learn how apples grow! Use it at science centers or in morning tubs!

To get your copy of this Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Activity, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Prefer to use this as a digital activity? Get both the print and digital version!

Learn about how butterflies grow with this fun and interactive butterfly life cycle sequencing activity! Available in print and as a digital activity!

>>> Print + Digital Butterfly Life Cycle Activity Bundle – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Simple Science Experiments: Floating Egg Experiment

March 18, 2020 by Selena Robinson 3 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!

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

Animal Diagram! Habitat and Diet Animal Sorting Activity

July 17, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve learned quite a bit about animal diets and behavior with our kids. But it can be tough to keep all the information straight in your head afterward.

Who lives where?

Who eats what?

And, once you learn that some animals live on both land and water and that some animals eat both meat and plants, it can get really confusing.

So we’re sharing a fun and simple animal science lesson for keeping up with animal diets and habitats – a Venn diagram animal sorting activity!

This is such a cute animal science activity for early grades! Plus, it can work as a science center activity you can reuse!

See how to get your hands on a copy below! And, for more ways to learn about animal behavior, take a look at our nocturnal and diurnal animal sorting activity too!

Habitats and Diets Animal Sorting Activity

To use this printable animal sorting activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes a cut and paste animal diet activity, as well as a cut and paste animal habitat activity.

For the animal habitats lesson, kids can cut out each animal and then practice sorting them according to whether they live in water, on land, or both!

For the animal diets activity, they can cut out the animals and then practice sorting them according to their diet.

Be careful! Some animals eat both plants and meat!

And, if you need a little refresher on which animal goes where, there’s an answer key included for each activity!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Diets and Habitats Animal Sorting Activity!

Want to learn more about animals with the kids? Check out these other learning ideas!

For more ways to teach science, be sure to follow my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our Animal Diagram! Habitats and Diets Animal Sorting Activity, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

Animal Diets and Habitats Sorting Activity

>>> Venn Diagram Animal Sorting Activity <<<

All About the Solar System Printable Unit

June 27, 2019 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Are you ready for a printable unit that is out of this world?

We love sharing printable units with you guys! So far, we’ve shared several, including All About Snowflakes, All About Flowers, All About Beaches, and All About Leaves.

This time, though, we’re heading up into the universe to learn All About the Solar System!

This solar system printable unit is packed with awesome outer space learning activities for elementary-aged students!

This is an excellent science unit for helping students get to know more about the planets that are in the solar system along with our Earth.

Read on to see how to get your copy! And, for more ways to learn about science, try some of these super cool water science experiments!

All About the Solar System Printable Unit

To use this All About the Solar System printable unit, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Glue
Pencils
Laminator (if you want to keep and reuse the flashcards)

This printable science lesson includes over 25 pages of activities!

Inside, you’ll find the following:

An introduction to each member of the solar system, with a fun mnemonic device for remembering the planets in order
A trace and write page for each planet in the system, as well as the sun and moon
A cut and paste solar system diagram activity where kids can label the planets in order (with answer key)
A solar system word unscramble activity (with answer key)

Kids can learn about each member of the solar system with this science unit.

Along with the introduction to each planet, kids can practice writing the names of each planet they learn.

A fun solar system jumble activity is included too!

Break out the scissors and glue for this solar system diagram!

If students are unsure which planet goes where, the introductory lesson is a great reference for them to use as they work!

Plus, our Solar System flashcards are inside!

Scroll down to get your copy of our All About the Solar System Printable Unit!Love this printable unit? Don’t miss these posts!

$These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!$

See more ways to teach science at home on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our All About the Solar System Printable Pack, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>> All About the Solar System Printable Unit <<<

25 Awesome Books about the Solar System

June 17, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We just posted a fun solar system unit study a couple of weeks back, so while there are a few weeks of summer left, I thought I’d share some wonderful books about the solar system for kids of all ages!

I love videos and technology, but there is just nothing like turning the pages of a book with your child. It’s indescribable. 🙂

So, when it comes to learning, I will always come back to books, which is why I love these solar system books for kids.

These solar system stories are filled with gorgeous illustrations, fun facts, and awesome activities that kids will love! They’d make a wonderful addition to a space or solar system unit.

Read on to get the full list. And for more ways to learn about outer space, take a look at All About the Solar System – a printable science unit for elementary grades!

25 Awesome Books about the Solar System for Kids

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. National Geographic Kids: First Big Book of Space

2. There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System (The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library)

3. Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System and Beyond (National Geographic Kids)

4. Hello, World!: Solar System

5. Smithsonian: The Planets (DK Books)

6. Solar System Scratch and Sketch: An Activity Book for Inquisitive Artists and Astronauts of All Ages

7. Chasing Space: Young Readers’ Edition

8. Let’s Explore the Solar System (Planets)

9. The Planets in Our Solar System (Let’s Read and Find Out Science)

10. What’s Out There?: A Book about Space

11. The Magic School Bus 3-D: A Journey Through the Solar System

12. The Everything Kids’ Astronomy Book: Blast Into Outer Space with Stellar Facts

13. Astronomy: The Solar System (Super Smart Science)

14. A Journey Through Space

15. Exploring the Solar System: A History with 22 Activities

16. 13 Planets: The Latest View of the Solar System (National Geographic Kids)

17. Scholastic Reader Level 2: Solar System

18. Our Solar System: Revised Edition

19. Smart Kids Space: For Kids Who Really Love Space!

20. Let’s Explore the Solar System (Planets)

21. Astronomy for Kids: How to Explore Outer Space with Binoculars, a Telescope, or Just Your Eyes!

22. A Trip Into Space: An Adventure to the International Space Station

23. Basher Basics: Space Exploration

24. First Space Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to Our Galaxy and Beyond

25. Space Kids: An Introduction for Young Explorers

After sharing these amazing books about the solar system with your family, don’t miss these other planetary posts!

Want more great book lists for kids? Check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

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!