Ready-To-Use Elementary Science Activities

With Halloween around the corner, what better time to investigate something extra scary…STEM? But STEM doesn’t have to be spooky! We’ve put together simple elementary science activities for teachers to weave STEM into their classrooms. Uncover the process of erosion with your youngest elementary scientists, or electrify upper elementary students’ curiosity about lighting systems in the Light Bright activity. We’ve got you covered with elementary science activities, classroom strategies, activities, resources, and graphic organizers.

Looking for different level and subject-area activities? 

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES: Making STEM Accessible

Middle Level Science: Alternative Sources of Energy

High Level Science: Timeline of the Earth

SOCIAL STUDIES ACTIVITIES: Exploring Hispanic Heritage

Elementary Level Social Studies: Life in Mexico (Grades PreK-2) AND Mayan Exploration (Grades 3-5)

Middle Level Social Studies: Latin American Travel Agent

High Level Social Studies: Biographies of Independence

In each activity, I share suggested resources from Britannica’s newest classroom tool, LaunchPacks: Science. You can get free 30-day access now by taking a Packs: Science free trial, or you can use the activity, questions, and free, downloadable graphic organizer with your own classroom resources.

Grades PreK-2 Science Activity: 1, 2, 3…Erosion!

Overview: Students identify the factors that cause erosion to gain an understanding of this process over time.

 Suggested Resources:

• LaunchPacks Science: Erosion and Deposition for Grades Pre-K-2

• Graphic Organizer: Sequence

Strategy: Sequence

Activity: Students will read text, interpret images, and view videos within the Pack. Using Graphic Organizer: Sequence, students will draw one type of erosion process.

Suggested Questions:

• What is erosion?

• Where do we see the effects of erosion?

• How does erosion happen?

• What different types of erosion are there?

• Are there any places around town where erosion has happened?

Possible Extension: Use Skittles, water, an eye dropper, and a cup to demonstrate erosion. Place a Skittle in the cup. Drop 10 drops of water on the Skittle and have the students observe the change caused by the water. Drop another 10 drops on the Skittle and observe the changes again. Do this until there is a noticeable change in the Skittle.

Grades 3-5 Science Activity: Light Bright!

Overview: Using the KWL reading strategy, students will gain an understanding of lighting systems.

Suggested Resources:

• LaunchPacks Science: Lighting Systems for Grades 3-5

• Graphic Organizer: KWL

Strategy: KWL

Activity: Using Graphic Organizer: KWL, ask students to use the content in this pack to work through the suggested questions.  Students may want to use the annotation tools to respond to questions and develop questions while using the resource text.   

Suggested Questions:

Before using the resource:

• What do you already know about this topic?

• What questions do you have about the topic?

• What adjective would you use to describe this topic?

While using the resource:

• What additional questions did you think of?

• What words in the resource helped you understand the topic better?

• What words in the resource caused you to think of more questions?

After using the resource:

• What did you learn about the topic?

• What words in the resource be to connect to the topic?  Why?

• What new or remaining questions do you have about this topic?  Where might you find answers to these questions?

• How does this activity help your understanding?

Possible Extension:  Interview an electrician.  Have students find a community member who works in the electrical field.  After they review the content of this pack, have them develop several questions to ask about the individual’s career and experience.  Ask students to make connections to the content.