Details
| Type of Product: | e-Book (our e-books are in PDF format and can be viewed on your computer or any compatible reading device) (also see print version of this book) |
| Publication Date: | 6/1/2011 |
| Pages: | 136 |
| Stock Number: | PB293Xe |
| ISBN: | |
| Grade Level: | Elementary School, Middle School, High School |
Description
With 101 easy and inexpensive activities to do on school grounds, Schoolyard Science can help students develop their observation and inquiry skills as well as an appreciation of their outdoor environment. Covering topics such as lower plants, gardens, insects and other invertebrates, energy, and Earth science, Thomas Lord and Holly Travis provide activities that will help teachers become more comfortable with incorporating the outdoors into their curriculum. The activities have been tested successfully in K–12 classrooms, youth camp programs, and science education classes in teacher preparation programs, so teachers can feel confident when using this book in their classrooms.
The book’s teamwork focus will allow students to improve their critical-thinking skills and ability to work with other students. Each activity includes a list of the relevant standards and the suggested grade levels; however, the activities can be adapted to other grades as well, allowing teachers to think outside the box. The activities mostly make use of easily accessible materials, but Lord and Travis note any non-schoolyard materials that will be needed in a particular activity. Engaging and thoughtful activities make Schoolyard Science a great starting point for teachers as they inspire students to appreciate learning in their own schoolyard.
Additional Info
| Intended User Role: | Elementary-Level Educator, High-School Educator, Middle-Level Educator, Teacher |
| Educational Issues: | Educational research |
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Chapter 1: Introduction
Inquiry in Science Education
About This Book
How to Use These Ideas
Practical Fieldwork Consideration
Some Notes on Outdoor Safety
Final Thoughts from the Authors
Chapter 2: Introduction to Nature
Activity 1. Exploring the Human Senses in Nature
Activity 2. Animal Signs
Activity 3. Camouflage in Nature
Activity 4. Nature Walks
Activity 5. Magnifying Nature Items
Activity 6. Weights and Measures
Activity 7. Biodiversity Activities Within a Small Area on the School Grounds
Activity 8. Biodiversity Activities in a Larger Tree or Shrub Area on the School Grounds
Activity 9. Biodiversity in a Rotting Log
Activity 10. Comparing Flowers
Activity 11. Comparing Features of Trees
Activity 12. Determining the Age of a Tree
Chapter 3: Creative Arts With Natural Materials
Activity 13. Making a Nature Treasure Chest
Activity 14. Nature Photography
Activity 15. Capturing Delicate Items in Nature With Spray Glue
Activity 16. Making Tracings of Plants
Activity 17. Pressing Soft-Stemmed Plants
Activity 18. Drying Plants
Activity 19. Making Plaster Molds of Animal Footprints
Activity 20. Recycling
Chapter 4: A Look at Lower Plants
Activity 21. A Look at Diversity in Lower Plants
Activity 22. Observing Lichens
Activity 23. Observing Fungi
Activity 24. Observing Mushrooms
Activity 25. Growing Mushrooms
Activity 26. Observing Shelf or Bracket Fungi
Activity 27. Observing Ferns
Chapter 5: More Complex Plants
Activity 28. A Close Look at Diversity in Higher Plants
Activity 29. Comparing Features of Monocots and Dicots
Activity 30. Comparing the Anatomy of a Dicot Root With a Dicot Stem
Activity 31. Comparing a Soft-Stemmed Dicot With a Hard-Stemmed Dicot
Activity 32. Comparing the Leaves on Soft-Stemmed Plants
Activity 33. Dissecting Flowers
Activity 34. Sprouting Seeds
Activity 35. Studying Plant Tropism
Activity 36. Seed Dispersal Techniques
Activity 37. Locating the Numbers and Kinds of Seedlings in a Field: Succession
Activity 38. Studying Transpiration in Plants
Activity 39. Studying the Flow of Water in Soft-Stemmed Plants
Activity 40. Comparing Structures of Aquatic Plants and Land Plants
Activity 41. A Close Look at Roots
Chapter 6: Schoolyard Gardens and Nature Areas
Activity 42. Planting a Garden on the School Grounds
Activity 43. Composting
Activity 44. Making a Scarecrow to Chase Pests From the Garden
Activity 45. Counting Dominant and Recessive Traits in a Vegetable Garden
Activity 46. Investigating Self-Pollination and Cross-Pollination in Plants
Activity 47. Planting Trees
Activity 48. Creating Other Nature Areas on the School Grounds
Activity 49. Water Baths and Birdhouses
Activity 50. Bird Feeders
Chapter 7: Insects and Other Invertebrates
Activity 51. A Closer Look at Diversity in Invertebrate Animals
Activity 52. Observing Insects
Activity 53. Collecting, Rearing, and Experimenting With Flatworms
Activity 54. Studying Worms and Creating a Worm Habitat
Activity 55. Studying the Movements of Slugs and Snails
Activity 56. Capturing Invertebrates From Soils
Activity 57. Capturing Invertebrates in Shallow Streams and Ponds
Activity 58. Trapping an Insect for Study
Activity 59. Cover Board Invertebrate Studies
Activity 60. Studying Ants and Creating an Ant Habitat
Activity 61. Spittle Bugs
Activity 62. Racing Harvestmen or Daddy Longlegs
Activity 63. Observing and Experimenting With Isopods: Sow Bugs and Pillbugs
Activity 64. Examining Insect Galls
Activity 65. Observing Insect Metamorphosis
Chapter 8: Studying Vertebrates
Activity 66. A Closer Look at Diversity in Vertebrate Animals
Activity 67. Establishing Feeding and Defecation Stations
Activity 68. Safely Trapping Animals
Activity 69. Observing Decomposition
Activity 70. Dissecting Animals
Activity 71. Incubating a Bird or Reptile Egg
Activity 72. Fish and Amphibians
Activity 73. Examining Skeletons
Activity 74. Studying Fish Anatomy
Activity 75. Studying Squirrels
Activity 76. Studying Birds
Chapter 9: Experimenting with How Animals Work
Activity 77. Comparing Jumping Ability in Insects
Activity 78. Exploring Jumping in Frogs
Activity 79. Exploring the Strength of Insects
Activity 80. Comparing the Eyes of Invertebrates and Vertebrates
Activity 81. Fish Behavior
Activity 82. Fish Buoyancy
Activity 83. Studying Circulation in the Webbing of Frog Feet
Activity 84. Altering the Breathing Rate of a Frog
Chapter 10: Exploring Energy
Activity 85. Wing Shapes and Aerodynamics in Birds
Activity 86. Heat Absorption in Various Natural Materials
Activity 87. Comparing Heat Reflection With Various Natural Materials
Activity 88. Make a Solar Oven
Activity 89. A Water Cycle Model
Activity 90. Effects of Acid Rain
Activity 91. Water Flow
Activity 92. Water Control
Activity 93. Exploring Erosion Control
Chapter 11: Earth Science
Activity 94. Monitoring Weather in the Schoolyard
Activity 95. Building Your Own Watershed
Activity 96. Getting to Know the Rock Cycle
Activity 97. Comparing Pebbles, Stones, and Rocks
Activity 98. Identifying Types of Minerals and Rocks
Activity 99. Telling Time With a Sundial
Activity 100. Our Solar System
Activity 101. The Universe
Resources
Content Resources
Index
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