Science Curriculum Resources

as always, please feel free to share ones that you think are great!

On-line resources

ScienceHouse on-line science experiments:

http://www.sciencehousefoundation.org/videoscience-experiments.html

Robotics program (free kits for participating schools):

http://www.terrabotic.org/schools/blog/

Intro to Epidemiology:

http://www.cdc.gov/excite/classroom/index.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/excite/disease_detectives/index.htm

Science News for Kids:

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/

SUMMER & YEAR-ROUND SCIENCE PROGRAMS:

Year-round science program through NASA for students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM):

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/INSPIRE_Project.html

Science Olympiad Summer Camp:

http://www.soinc.org/summer_camps

ADDITIONAL SCIENCE RESOURCES:

http://videoclips.mrdonn.org/science.html  (some sources are a little older, but still good references)

PROJECT IDEAS that I used for my son’s 4th Grade Science Club (perhaps can be used as a basis for other developing science clubs or science enrichment with your child:

(rough draft)
Long-term Environmental Improvement Project–something the children choose & is on-going, perhaps something the children consider a current environmental problem and then can address by writing letters/getting involved/problem-solving

Aquatic Chemistry- look at Colorado River Watch data(according to LCRA a volunteer currently collects data at Shoal Creek near our school and we can access past data by looking at the River Watch website, visit environmental lab?, secchi disk conference, kids water conference, water chemistry kits are available for $30(unfortunately LCRA no longer loans kits for school projects, I am signed up to take a training and receive a kit for regular data collecting, but it looks like it is not likely to happen this year)

Conservation Biology/Restoration– project with CAMN(Capital Area Master Naturalists-I used to belong to, they also have great restoration projects and environmental education projects that are on-going), Wildflower center, plant trees, remove invasives, visit UT plant library?,campus Go Green project?

Aquatic Ecology–collections with nets, kick nets, microscopes, access to microscopes–at ANSC?, or UT, /kit,   (city of Austin Watershed Protection has nets, magnifying glasses we can borrow and I’m in touch with someone who occasionally takes elementary groups out on macroinvertebrate collections, hopefully I can convince her to take our group out)

(find UT professor willing sponsor group)

Engineering–Robo Lab

Electronics–designing with simple circuits, Electronic Circuit kit at home, ask other parents for others to be loaned, other simple electricity experiments

Gardening–Ecology of the garden: bees, butterflies, insectivores, herbivores, (garden Scavenger Hunt), plants, Composting, Recycling projects around school–help with Go Green program?

Astronomy–star-gazing event, Austin Astronomical Society

Chemistry–simple,safe chemical reactions

Bird Watching–get a CAMN volunteer or Audubon society member to lead

Amphibian Watch–listen to frog calls CD, (FRog Call bingo)

Nature Hikes-keep nature journals, visit Nature Exchange center at Austin Nature and Science Center

Palentology/Archeology–

dinosaur dig at Austin Nature and Science Center, there is a Palentology group in Austin, and recently Zach & I did fossil sorting at the UT labs(I’m not sure the kids would like that, Zachary didn’t really, but perhaps we could do a simplified, more fun, fossil sorting of our own)Physics–fun & simple physics experiments, using balls, slinkiesGeology–rock collections, field trips, visit one of Austin’s volcanos, create our own Austin Geological diaoramaComputer Programming–share SCratch website for children, list of children’s computer resources in Austin, other?Resources: be a resource for our school so that learning goes beyond scope of group–books, resources for children/teachers/parents–perhaps we can donate to library?  I have a few Janice VanCleaves Science Experiment books that I am willing to donate, handouts of Austin Nature events(in monthly format/newsletter–perhaps the children create so they also have an opportunity to share with rest of school and can get writing experience); nature/science websites for kids (NASA, TPWD, LCRA, city library Dell partnership website)

Currently I’ve contacted GirlStart, Austin Nature & Science Center Environmental Education Program, LCRA Texas Watch Program(aquatic data collection), City of Austin Watershed Protection Program

I’ve yet to contact Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, Keep Austin Beautiful, TPWD, a UT professor, and

Final Draft:
November 3rd(parent will lead hands on Aquatic Ecology collections and studies with resources provided by Keep Austin Beautiful and possibly City of Austin Watershed Protection)

November 17th(a Field Trip to Austin Nature and Science Center to go on a Habitat Hike–discussing Ecology and Biology. The children will begin nature journaling, visit the center’s Nature Exchange, and check out the  Habitat Hike backpacks to use on the trails.  An off-campus field trip means each child’s parent will have to accompany their child in order for the child to participate–due to liability.  These field trips allow us to use the city’s wealth of resources and to keep our budget minimal and so are necessary occasionally.

December 1st (Electronics with electrical engineering parent- and possibly we can get one other engineer dad/mom to help guide the kids during their activity? Resources: we currently have one electronics kit(does anyone else know of some more that we can borrow for the day?

December 15th( Physics–based on simple webelo activities for physics badge, parent leads)

Science/Technology Presentation–GirlStart will do a presentation on forensics(CSI-style)/microbiology/ or computer technology

Restoration/Conservation Biology–Capital Area Master Naturalists will likely send someone out and Keep Austin Beautiful can provide tools, the kids will learn what invasive plants are and we will remove them and plant native, beneficial species

Gardening/Garden Ecology–Master Gardeners seemed interested in helping us with this one as did Austin Green Art(they talked about doing a Keep Austin Growing Weird Garden), also, the Wildflower Center has great on-line curriculum we can use there(I’ve already emailed requesting reduced entrance fees) or we can use on our campus; we are also hoping the kids can help with turning the compost and other Go Green initiatives around campus, and how can we best serve the school’s current garden?

Geology–Again, Capital Area Master Naturalists/ or UT geology professor/parent leads

BirdWatching–I spoke with Austin Audubon Society and they said that they had someone interested in elementary education, also, this might be another great field trip to Hornsby Bend,  a wonderful Austin resource

Astronomy– the Austin Nature and Science Center has an AMAZING inflatable planeterium for rent for $250, I would love if we could find a way to bring this to the kids in the Science Club

Chemistry–aquatic chemistry, City of Austin has very simple chemistry kits(as does LCRA’s River Watch program) –can do still very simple chemistry analyses
of Shoal creek

Resource wish list:  Microscopes, or a microscope with videoflex attachment(so it can be hooked up to a television–perhaps teacher has in classroom & we can borrow?), binoculars for birdwatching, robo labs(I know some parents have these at our school!!!), more electronic kits, simple chemistry test tubes and holders,

Finally, for fun and another great resource our city has—-from a parent who works with UT’s Environmental Science Institute(this is a great outing for the family & if you get there early, they often have hands-on activites related to the topic):

Hot Science- Cool Talks Lecture :http://www.esi.utexas.edu/outreach/ols/lectures/Wheeler/