The Interactive Science Classroom
Grades 4-6
Useful Resources
"Let's Talk Science!"
In the “Activities” section of Let’s Talk Science, you can find easy science experiments for every subject, from astronomy to life sciences. Each activity is complete with a materials list, estimated time needed and an explanation of the phenomenon. The website also has a section for educators, which includes K-12 grade-targeted activities for educators, making it easy to search activities based on the level they are teaching.
"National Geographic Kids"
The website is divided into five main sections. One section has videos for students to peruse while another has games on a variety of topics. A section dedicated to animals allows visitors to sort articles and videos by the family they belong to and by their habitat. A fourth section named“World” explores the many components of our universe in a visual and interactive manner. Finally, the “Explore” section allows students to sort their findings by subject or topic, as well as by type (video, article, etc). It is easy to navigate and each article blurb features an image that students can use to enhance their understanding.
"Science Kids"
Science Kids is an information haven for educators and students alike. Its features are varied and extremely useful. I have used it many times in order to get ideas for a science lesson or demonstration. For lesson ideas, check out the “Projects”, “Lesson”, and “Experiments” tabs. These sections hold a wealth of material! Your students can also benefit from the website by exploring the “Games”, “Quizzes”, and “Videos” sections. An additional piece that I absolutely love is the image gallery, which features stunning pictures from nature. They are wonderful for supplementing lessons!
"Discovery Kids"
This website’s format is very similar to that of the National Geographic website. The text is very attainable for young students and the website has a simple yet interactive lay out. For me, the videos are the main draw, as they were created specifically for a young age group.
"Canadian Space Agency"
The website for the Canadian Space Agency is not as interactive for students as it was not designed with them in mind. However, it is good to pull resources and videos from it to show your students. Being familiar with what kind of space program we have in Canada is important for our students and this website offers lots of great ways to approach this topic.
"Wonderville"
This website focuses on physics, engineering and the environment. While it features the usual “draws” (videos, games, etc), it has an added component that is sure to engage your students: comics. In the “Fun Science” section, there are comics for every featured subject. Use the comics as a fun way to promote literacy and science interest in the classroom. As a follow-up activity, have your students create their own science comics! What’s more, the website features a section for teachers that is divided by grade and subject.