Science Activities

Welcome to the Science File Cabinet. Here you'll find over dozens of free printables for the upper elementary classroom. If you have problems viewing or printing the files below, please read the Helpful Hints on my Adobe Acrobat Reader Help Page.

Featured Science Freebies

 

General Science PDF Files

• Science Experiment Lab Write-Up
• Science Safety Rules (small 8.5" x 11" poster)
• Science Safety Rules (half page to glue in journal)
• Lab TV Graphic Organizer (use with www.labtvonline.org)
• Science Password Game
• Science Password Terms
• Science Password Blank Cards
• States of Matter Game
• Bouncing Ball Experiment
• Microscope Directions
• Microscope Pictures (Recording Sheet)
• Energy Investigation
• Steps of the Scientific Method
• Ideas for Simple Experiments
• Energy Ball Questions
• Science Video Report Form
• Ice Cream in a Bag

Environmental Science

• Rain Forest Resources
• Tropical Treasure Hunt
• Biome Booklet Note Page
• Animal Adaptations Chart
• A - Z Animal Website
• Edible Earth Rounds
• The Story of Stuff Lesson (Grades 5 and up)

Force, Motion, and Simple Machines

• Simple Machines Activity on Edheads.org
• Scoring Summary for Edheads Simple Machine Activity
• Link to web page of Examples of Simple Machines
• Online Activity: Forces in Motion
• Engineering Interact Website (Great Interactive Games for Force and Motion)

Landforms, Weathering, and Erosion

• Quakin' Questions (for Scholastic Earthquake Article)
• Google Earth Landforms Activity Letter
• Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition Sorting Activity
• The Rock Cycle Animation
• Modeling Clay Recipe for Topo Map Lesson below
• How to Make a Topo Map (outside link to NASA Space Place)
• Making a Topo Map Lesson Suggestions
• Create and Print Topo Maps Online (outside link)

Weather Files and Links

• Weather Survey Data (Note: Weather Data was collected on January 4, 2012 by asking Facebook fans to share their location, the outside temperature, the genral weather conditions, and the time & zone. The Weather Survey Data page is a list of the raw data collected without the names and photographs of those who participated.)
• Cloud in a Jar Water Cycle Demo
• The Water Cycle Animation (Basic Terms)
• Water Cycle Animation (Advanced Terms)
• Weather Resources for Teachers and Students (Based on NC 5th grade curriculum; compiled by Tiff Britt)
• Weather Front Animations
• Water Cycle Reader's Theater from Enchanted Learning
• BrainPop Water Cycle Video
• Water Cycle Simulation Game Directions
• Water Cycle Simulation Game Visuals
• Water Cycle Activity for Versatiles (See Versatiles demo on Cusenaire site)
• Water Cycle Test (online self-scoring quiz)
• Cloud Viewer Card (Cloud Types)
• Weather Activities at Edheads.org (Reporting and Predicting Weather)
• Weather Observation Chart
• Water in the Air (Team Investigation)
• Climate Comparison Charts
• Cloud Type Presentation (link to outside program)
• Weather Wiz Kids Website
• Destination Climate Zone Webquest

Sample Lessons From Laura's Science Books

Note from the publisher: Sample blackline masters are intended solely for classroom use, not to be transmitted or reproduced. Copyright Kagan Publishing. All rights reserved.

• Tropical Treasure Hunt (from Exploring the Rain Forest) - This lesson is an Internet treasure hunt structured for students working in teams of four. The file is large, so you'll have to wait several minutes to download it to your computer. If you have trouble printing the entire lesson, try printing each page separately.
• Creeping Colors Take-home Activity (from Science Buddies) This activity is designed to be completed at home, with a cooperative learning follow-up lesson in the classroom. You'll also find complete directions for the student activity and the cooperative follow-up.
• Science Buddies Letter to Parents
• Science Buddies Lab Report