Teaching Weather – Science-Lessons.ca http://www.science-lessons.ca Teaching Elementary Science Tue, 07 Nov 2017 19:23:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8 http://www.science-lessons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/cropped-sciencetearcher-copy-32x32.png Teaching Weather – Science-Lessons.ca http://www.science-lessons.ca 32 32 Making Your own Orgonite Generator http://www.science-lessons.ca/making-orgonite-generator/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/making-orgonite-generator/#respond Wed, 29 Jan 2014 03:49:32 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/?p=1751 First, a bit about What is Orgone?  And What is an Orgonite Generator?  Orgone energy is a hypothetical universal life force that was first known coined by a 1930’s scientist named Wilhelm Reich.  An Orgonite Generator is a homemade device using a container of inorganic and organic materials, that is designed to turn negative energy into positive uplifting energy, in general.  http://www.orgonite.info/what-is-orgonite.html.   Reich was experimenting with collecting different forms of energy to make positive generators.  In its final conception, developed by Reich’s student Charles Kelly after Reich, Orgone was conceived as the anti-entropic principle of the universe, a creative substratum in all of nature comparable to Mesmer’s animal magnetism. Orgone is regarded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as a type of “putative energy. There is no empirical support for the concept of orgone in medicine or the physical sciences, and research into the concept ceased with the end of the Institute.  www.orgonite.info  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgone.  Though it is notable, however, that famous scientists such as Galileo, Hypathia, Tesla and  Pythagoras, but to name a few, were also refuted as having no empirical support – including all those who first claimed the Earth to be round and not flat!

Making your own Orgonite Muffins are Easy to Make at in-class or at home, Materials needed are:

Beezwax or EcoEpoxy Resin

Large Stir Spoon

Small crystals, even the smallest is great

2 kinds of scrap metals such as copper shavings (look around in your Mom and Dad’s garage or ask your teacher or local welder for some scraps)

a bit of paper and tape

Muffin Pan

For more instructions, visit here:  http://beeswax-orgone.com/make-an-orgone/; and here:  http://www.orgonite.info/how-to-make-orgonite-hhgs.html.

Orgonite Generators are said to turn negative energy into positive energy, purify the atmosphere, detoxify water, ends drought, help plants grow better, repel pests, require less water, Inspire a pleasant demeanor and balanced, happier moods, and help awaken your innate senses.  We first made one with paper and a bit of goldleaf, our compass, ruler and marker – drawing on the paper, a geometric flower of life, adding positive words.  We felt it generating positive energy and so thought it was an orgonite generator.  To truly test our generator we would have to first make a blank one with the gold, one with the flower of life, one with tiny words on it, and one without, and test each one in the garden to see if it attracts life, or if the flowers around it perk up!  Then, to document all of that!  But then, we read that Reich’s devices were said to “generate” only when in a container.  Otherwise they only “accumulated” the energy – hence, we believe what we made is an orgone accumulator (adding together inorganic and organic materials). Besides not being contained in a container with beeswax or EcoEpoxy, ours only had one kind of metal, and had no crystals.  So our next step is to make the Eco-Epoxy muffins!

Here is a photo of one of Reich’s generators designed to do cloudbusting and make rainfall.  (Photo: Extracted January 28, 2014 from: www. Wikipedia. Org / wiki / orgone.)  People who make homemade orgonite generators have we believe, good intentions – putting positive feelings into our environments.  Though, unfortunately, most generators have been made with epoxy fiberglass resin, that is reportedly not very good at all for the environment, in general.  Thus, our personal concern is whether crystals “like” being encapsulated in epoxy (as it is also apparent that crystals are living and have feelings!  Our sense is they would not like being encapsulated in a non-eco-friendly substance.  So…..we searched and found alternatives that are earth-friendly.  3 Eco-alternatives:

1. Beeswax.  Yellow Gold in color. http://beeswax-orgone.com/make-an-orgone/.

2. EcoEpoxy.  Clear in color and others.  http://www.earthsafefinishes.com/EcoEpoxy.html.

3. Ecopoxy.   Amber in color. http://ecopoxysystemscanada.com/.

http://www.westwindhardwood.com/products/ecopoxy/intro.php.

Our friend who makes generators at home, says, if you are wondering if an orgone device works or not try testing it on something that can re-act to your orgone device like a plant or lizard or other animal.  Testing may take minutes, hours, days or a week for optimal results.  Try taking digital pictures of the subject being tested to document it.  He says his generators makes his plants grow faster and greener and attracts interesting wildlife like frogs and lizards.  He also writes words on his like Love Peace Harmony Compassion Forgiveness Happiness and Oneness.

And we like this person’s Kirlian photos (infrared photo-technology), also forwarded to us by our friend Kevin.  Way cool.   http://www.orgoniseafrica.com/blog/improving-orgonite.  Are we, as human beings, orgonite generator? If we have contained within our bodies, more than one metal, organic and inorganic material, would we not also orgonite generators?  We would say yes, to an extent, though we do not contain non-carbon based crystals.  Crystals, are a different kind of life form on Planet Earth.    What about if wear a crystal, then?  Hmmmmm.  Good Science Questions.  Be sure and clean and care for your crystal, if you choose to wear one.  We believe Crystals have Feelings too!

Other sources of information on Orgone Generators:

For more interesting and Fun Science Activities and Games, feel Free to visit:

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/weather3.html

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/brain.html

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/space.html

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/ocean.html

 

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Schumann Frequency: The Heart Beat of Mother Earth http://www.science-lessons.ca/earth-science-schumann-frequency/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/earth-science-schumann-frequency/#respond Mon, 11 Jun 2012 21:30:26 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/?p=1482 Global electromagnetic resonance phenomenon was first discovered and by Nicola Tesla, who made his first documented observations of global electromagnetic resonance at his Colorado Springs laboratory in 1899. This led to certain thought conclusions about the electrical properties of Earth, making the basis for his idea for wireless energy transmission. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla  Theoretically, it is the natural frequency or rather, Heart Beat of Mother Earth and when we are mostly healthy, our human bodies vibrate to this same frequency.  The lowest “mode” of the Schumann frequency occurs at a frequency of approximately 7.86 Hertz.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schumann_resonance

The following is a very cool animation video clip demonstrating the geometrics of the Schumann Resonance of Mother Earth:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Schumann_resonance_animation.ogv.  By way of transverse and longitudinal waves, Tesla researched ways to transmit wireless power and energy over long distances. He transmitted extremely low frequencies through the ground, and between the Earth’s surface and the Kennelly-Heaviside layer. By this path, he received patents on wireless transmitters that developed standing waves. Through his math experiments, he discovered that the resonant frequency of the Earth was approximately 8 Hertz.

In 1952–1954 Schumann and scientist H. L. König, attempted to measure the resonant frequencies. These researchers confirmed in mid-century, that the resonant frequency of the Earth’s cavity was indeed in this range and later named the Schumann resonance.  Since then, there has been an increasing interest in SRF in many fields of study.

For tracking weather patterns across the globe, observations of Schumann resonances document record keeping of lightning activity. The Earth’s climate and Her connection with lightning activity also show global temperature and water vapor in the upper troposphere. Scientists speculate that extraterrestrial lightning (i.e. lightning on other planets) is also observed by the Schumann resonance signatures. The Schumann resonance is also used in study of the lower ionosphere for exploration on celestial stars. Within our Solar System, there are five candidates for Schumann resonance detection besides the Earth: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and its moon Titan.  The latest usage of observing Schumann patterns have been in predicting potential earthquakes.

According to metaphysician and scientist, Gregg Braden, the Schumann Resonance Frequency of Mother Earth has been steadily rising and will continue to until the end of 2012.  www.2012.com.au/SchumannResonance.html.

The SRF’s occur at several frequencies between 6 and 50 cycles per second; specifically 7.8, 14, 20, 26, 33, 39 and 45 Hertz, with a daily variation of about +/- 0.5 Hertz. As long as the properties of Earth’s electromagnetic cavity remains relatively the same, these frequencies remain the same.  Braden says that “time” appears to speed up as we approach what he calls Zero Point Phenomenon. For example, one 24 hour day seems not 24 hours, but rather about 16 hours or less.

Schumann Resonance is also known as The Heart Beat of Mother Earth.  It has been 7.8 cycles for thousands of years, but has been rising since 1980. Presently it is about 12 / 13 cycles. It stops at 13 cycles and is speculated to come to a complete stop on December 21, 2012, the end of what is known also, of the Mayan Calendar, and the mark of the beginning of a new cycle of consciousness on Mother Earth.

For fun Affordable Learning Games  Teaching Elementary Science in and outdoors of the classroom visit here:  http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/weather3.html

 

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/weatherbingo4.html

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/weather8.htm.http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/planetsbingo.html

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Keeping Warm in Winter http://www.science-lessons.ca/keeping-warm-in-winter/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/keeping-warm-in-winter/#respond Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:46:31 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/?p=19 Over The Decades, we have watched many students come and go, both the young and the elderly, who had a tough time getting warm and staying warm in the winter, especially the international students.  This article is to say Thank you to and share some of The Wisdom of our Northern Elders who taught us many things in our early youth of how to survive in winter – Our Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Mothers, Fathers,  and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Dr.’s, and Phys. Ed. Teachers! – Thank You! Thank you!  http://www.labradorvirtualmuseum.ca/home/people.html

http://www.explorelabrador.nf.ca/home/gallery.php

Warming Herbs to Cook With and/or Make Steeped Tea: Ginger, Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper (Red), and Black Tea  – Grated Fresh Ginger – (powder if you’ve no access to fresh) is essential in cooking or tea for Keeping your Hara (Belly) and Bones warm.  Ginger is also a balancer for all other elements.  It is why sailors make homemade fresh ginger soda if on the water as it strengthens the stomach and keeps one’s balance strong, preventing any kind of nausea or seasickness. Cinnamon – is usually used with cooking in the a.m. but can be used anytime or even made with tea.  It is another blood, bone and body warmer.  When making oatmeal or other hot cereals. Cayenne Pepper (Red) – If you can handle a bit of hot spice, Red Cayenne Pepper, just a sprinkle is great raw over your plate of dinner or while cooking.  Cayenne is one of the spices that will draw heat from your body center out to the body’s extremities such as your nose, ears, hands and feet.  Vigorous exercise will also do this, if you don’t like cayenne pepper!  B3 is Niacin, though if used, only in minute amounts, especially at first, as it can cause the heart to palpitate….though, this vitamin can also, like cayenne pepper, draw heat into areas of the body where the blood has been stagnant or muscles have been dense and there is “stuck” energy or chi. http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/lifestyles/food_property_food_tcm.html.

Black Teas – In general, even though Green teas have caffeine, they are “cooling” when it comes to body elements, and not warming.  Black teas, especially Aged Fermented Black Teas like “Purh” Tea have warming effects to the body.  And if you strain with hot water a few times before drinking, much caffeine can be removed. http://www.davidstea.com/our-teas/pu-erh-tea. Here is a list of more “warming” foods: http://www.raw-foods-diet-center.com/warming-foods.html

Slowcooking – Slowcooking stews, soups, and casseroles, with covered oven dishes or pots, (we usuallyslowcook 4-12 hrs at 220 degrees – 24 hrs for chili) – with a Tblspoon of lemon juice or vinegar in the beginning, will draw out essential minerals such as blood-warming iron, from the Bones (if not vegetarian).  Otherwise, you are eating some minerals, but not all of them or the best and most essential of them).  The best for meats and fish are organic fresh wild game as they are devoid of pesticides and growth hormones (that are in general, strength, mineral and marrow stealers).  Always add grated or chopped ginger! http://slowcookertipsandrecipes.com/category/healthy-slow-cooker-recipes/

Several Types of Warming Wool! Thank you The Blessed Lambs and Sheep – Read The Labels! – We are amazed at the numbers of people who buy “winter” clothes and wonder why they are not still not warm.  LOOK and READ the tags on your clothing – both the ones you own and wear now, and the ones you buy in the future.  If any of the tags say “acrylic” or “polyester”, or other “non-natural material, in general, put them all into storage until spring or summer, as in the winter months, they are close to useless when it comes to staying warm. Instead, only wear clothes made of 100% Wool (Cashmere and Merino Wool are the is softest against the skin).  If the wool is not soft, you can soak the wool in baking soda and water and dry wrapped in towels.  The baking soda/water solution will soften the wool so it is not itchy against the skin.  If wool is too itchy for you, or if you have allergy to them, then find vests and other pieces that are wool inside of the padding. http://www.mymerino.com.  There is another reason to better use natural materials rather than non-naturals and it is because they are very much slower to burn, if there was ever a flame around to have to deal with.  This is especially important for night/sleep clothing, but all clothing in general.

First Layer and Thermal Underwear: Layers, Layers, Layers – When dressing for winter, the FIRST LAYER is MOST  IMPORTANT as it traps a layer of air to the body, which is thermalized as you add other layers, and remains warm through the day.  If you have a loose sweater on as your first layer, the air simply will not be “trapped” and the cold air somehow still finds its way in.  Thus, undershirt and pants are a must.  The first layer should be wool, or even silk as silk draws moisture away.  But cotton is a cool fabric and it will trap cool air.  This is okay, though  in general, this is what you do not want.  There are thermal / merino or silk undershirts you find these days.  The more Layers of Clothing, the more layers of air you have trapped for staying warm – but the first one MUST be snug to the skin! Flannel-Lined  Jeans and Pants – can be found at Eddie Bauer’s Clothing, LLBean, and other outdoor outfitter stores. http://www.llbean.com/llb/search?freeText=flannel+jeans&qs=3033060_pmd_googleca  Or, you can wear thermal underwear.  The best thermal underwear is made of soft Merino Wool (made to protect from –33 degree weather) and can be found at Capitol Iron or other outdoor outfitter stores. http://www.capitaliron.net/clothing.html  Make sure the material is wool and NOT acrylic or polyester.

Mittens and Gloves – should be lined with wool and best if also water proof.  Mittens generally keep fingers and hands warmer than gloves because they keep the fingers huddled together, but if you need finger access for dexterity, then make sure the lining is wool.  Acrylic will freeze your little phalanges (fingers). Hats – the same – wool or down is best and the snugger the better as the snugness traps warm air to your head like thermal undershirts.  This is particularly important as an exposed head can lose a lot of valuable body heat.  And it is important to especially have ears covered from wind as wind there drops one’s immune system to be susceptible then to catching colds. Creepers – are great for preventing iceslips, especially for the elderly.  These are metal braids that are easily stretched over the bottom of boots.  They give boots treads if your boots do not already have treads.  Outfitter stores often have these. http://winterwalking.com/html/icegrips.html

Lambskins are a Blessing! (If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you can always say Gratitude Prayers to Mother Earth for the life of the animal for helping you stay warm as She Loves All Creatures of the Earth – even us.  Lambskins  – sleeping on them, sitting on them or keeping them under your feet will greatly assist you in retaining your heat, especially those healing from injury or the elderly.  It is important NOT to wash them.  If you do, you must use very gentle soap.  It is better to just brush them with a wire brush and rub essential oils into them.  The Lanolin in the lambskin, or any animal for that matter,  is a key element to the retaining of heat of the body, and if you wash them with harsh soaps or too often, the lanolin will be stripped and they will not be as strong for retaining heat.  You can also rub beeswax into the underside to stop water from coming in.  This can especially be helpful if you are camping or living outdoors. http://www.lanolin.com/home.html   As much as some people do not want animals to be used for clothing, in the North, it has been essential for a very long time.  http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/first_nations_inuit/clothing.cfm

Animal Fur around the collars of Hoods, especially the long kind, is the only hood lining that will 100% protect the face from winter winds that cause frostbite.  We tested it!  Don’t chance frostbite in experimenting with this!  But be sure and Give Great Gratitude and Grace to Mother Earth and Her animals for the Blessing of protection from the elements.  We have tried many “non-fur” alternatives, and none of them protected us from frostbite like that the animal fur.  Thank you God and Mother Earth and these animals for Protecting us.  Down Feathers are another big positive for staying warm, but it must be kept dry or weather proofed, as when they are wet, they no  longer keep you warm, and will be very difficult to make it dry again. So make sure if your coat or vest is down feathered, or sleeping bag if outdoors, have a water protective coating.  Flannel Sheets for bed and/or Flannel Jammies are great!  And so are hot-water bottles at the feet under the sheets especially, before you go to bed.  Go to bed already warm! Warm up by taking jumping around, doing some jumping jacks, or dancing. If you wrap a frozen salmon in a sleeping bag, will it stay frozen? Yes, because your sleeping bag will insulate cold or heat, just like a Thermos.  Thus, you must be warm BEFORE you get into your bed.  In your emergency travel kit, especially if you have a car, you should have: Warm Buddies, Weather Proof Matches, and Warm Wool BlanketsWarm Buddies – are plastic hand-size packs you can reuse, with boiling water, and put them into your boots and mitts.  Canadian Tire and Home Hardware carries them. http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Outdoor-Living/Sporting-Goods/All-Season/Hunting/Accessories/WARMERS-HAND-10PR-PK/_/N-2pqfZ67l/Ne-67n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I6579047?Ntt=hand+warmers  They are also good to keep in your emergency car kit, in case you are stuck in winter snow somewhere. The other kind of Warm Buddy is a close friend or a pet.  When people huddle together, they stay warmer!  Body warmth, increased by the number of people, increases exponentially.  Ever go into a cold room at an event, and as the numbers of people enter, the temperature goes up and up?  It is the collective warm blooded people huddled together that drives the temperature up. Plastic on Windows and Door Weather Stripping – With a hair dryer and plastic and tape, you can dramatically reduce heat loss and drafts from your home.  Best to do BEFORE winter comes, but never too late.  Large rolls of this can be bought at the Home Depot or Hardware store.  Much less costly than the packages you can buy.  Also, weather stripping in crevices of doorways and leaky windows also greatly reduces loss of heat. Not only do these tips keep you warm, but they also save you lots of heat, electricity and money – especially over the long run. http://www.homedepot.ca/catalog/weatherstripping/172015

Have a Great Winter – Stay Warm! Then, you can have Fun!  If you want to stay in on a cold winter day, you may want to play one of our Fun Learning Science Games! http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/brain.html

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/birds.html

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Create a Weather Chart for Your Elementary Classroom http://www.science-lessons.ca/create-a-weather-chart-for-your-elementary-classroom/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/create-a-weather-chart-for-your-elementary-classroom/#respond Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:13:39 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/?p=1062 Your grade school / elementary age children have a natural curiosity about the weather, so why not spend some time teaching them about it?  It’s especially helpful if you create an activity that is heavy in visual excitement.  One idea that fits the description:  Having the kids create their own weather chart.

To do this, you’ll collect materials that are found in the classroom or around most homes. For the background, use a regular sized piece of paper.  Although construction paper is usable, as is also something with a border, even plain white printer paper will be fine.  What will truly create the visual excitement will be the elements that you’ll put on it:  things such as small suns, snowflakes or raindrops, clouds, etc.  On each of the following steps, have the kids add the creative items.

To create the sun, on a separate piece of paper, draw a sun.  You should either use yellow construction paper for this, or if you only have the white, then make sure you color in your sun brightly with yellow marker or crayon.  Adding a smiley face inside is a cute extra touch.  Beneath the picture, write “sunny.”

On a piece of blue paper, draw (or have the kids draw) a fluffy cloud.  If you’re using plain white paper, then again, just color it blue with a marker or crayon.  Beneath it, write “cloudy.”  You could add a smiley face or maybe a straight mouth, neither happy nor sad, for him.

On another piece of paper, you and your kids should draw a second fluffy crowd, but draw a few raindrops below it.  Write out “rainy” below the cloud, and this time, add a frowny face.

For a thunderstorm, draw yet a third cloud, this time coloring it gray.  Below it should go lightning bolts.  The face on the cloud should look angry.

For winter weather, on a white piece of paper, draw a snowman.  Keep it simple: three tiny circles for eyes and mouth and a triangle for the nose.  Put stick arms on it and a square hat.  Beneath it, write “snowy.”

Now have someone, on a separate sheet of paper, draw a picture of your school.  Take responsibility for getting letters to spell out “Our Weather.”  The letters and picture should be stapled on a small bulletin board. This will be your permanent weather chart.  All of the weather pieces should go in an envelope, placed near the chart, at the children’s level.  After you’ve taught your lesson on weather, each day have one child change the weather chart for that day’s expected weather. Who knows? You just might inspire a future meteorologist!

For our Fun Weather Games, you can visit these pages:

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/weather8.htm

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/weatherbingo4.html

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Interactive Weather and Water Cycle Resources http://www.science-lessons.ca/interactive-weather-and-water-cycle-resources/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/interactive-weather-and-water-cycle-resources/#respond Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:55:15 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/?p=146 Interactive Weather: http://www.scholastic.com/kids/ weather / – Excellent for understanding how temperature and humidity effect the weather . http://www.edheads.org/activities/ weather / – Excellent for teaching weather simulation. …

Continued here:
Interactive Weather and Water Cycle Resources

Weather Island – Exploring Weather Adventure

Weather Quiz Master (Grades 3 – 5)
Weather Bingo (Grades 4 – 5)
Weather Quiz Master (Grades 6 – 8)

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Tips for teaching Elementary Science http://www.science-lessons.ca/tips-for-teaching-elementary-science-2/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/tips-for-teaching-elementary-science-2/#comments Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:37:05 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/2008/03/16/tips-for-teaching-elementary-science-2/ Tips for teaching Elementary Science

  1. Everyone knows that teaching clouds is not difficult, just boring.However, you can make it interesting by showing your students how clouds are formed.What you will need is a jar, a match, tape, black paper, a flash light, and a small bag of ice.What you will do is fill the jar 1/3 of the way full with warm water.Then you will light the match, hold it in the jar for a couple of seconds, and then drop the match into the water.Next, quickly cover the jar with the small bag of ice.Now you just shine the flash light into the jar and watch the clouds form.Of course, the black paper will be taped on the jar so you all can see the formation.You can explain at anytime how clouds are formed during this experiment.Combine teaching weather with a story — see Exploring Science Adventures – Weather Island

  1. You can incorporate weather into your science class by assigning two kids a week to be meteorologists. What you will do is have those two students report the weather for the week, make suggestions on what clothing may be appropriate, and the weather conditions.This can include wind conditions (good time to introduce the Beaufort scale), cloud cover, precipitation, temperature, etc…..

  1. Another great tip for teaching weather to elementary science students is to help your students create weather measuring devises.For instance, you can make a rain gauge for rainy days and an anemometer for windy days.

  1. Although elementary science consists of younger kids, it is a great time to introduce chemistry and biology.For this tip/project, you will need balloons, a thin/narrow funnel, one tablespoon of active dry yeast, one teaspoon of sugar, measuring spoons and cups, warm water, and a ruler.You will prove to your students that you can, indeed, blow up a balloon without putting your mouth to it.Place the funnel into the balloon and either help your students or supervise them as you all place the sugar and yeast into the balloon.Next, fill the measuring cup with warm water and tie the balloon closed.Measure the balloon and then sit back and wait.Your students will be awe struck as the balloon expands.You can explain how the sugar and water make the yeast grow, which releases bubbles full of carbon dioxide; hence the balloon expands and you have just taught science.
  1. You can use a basket ball, your own head, a black marker, and a lamp in a dark room to teach about the different phases of the moon.What you will do first is mark a point on the basket ball because one side of the moon always faces the earth and this will let you know which side that is.Next, you will turn on the lamp and turn off all other lights in the room.Now, stand a few feet away from the lamp, because this is the sun, your head is the earth, and the ball is the moon.Hold the ball up so that it creates a shadow on your head.This would be a solar eclipse.If you hold the ball slightly to the left of your head, there would be a crescent of light on the ball.This would be the new crescent.Turn around so that your head creates a shadow on the ball to create a lunar eclipse and let the ball be fully lighted for a full moon.
  1. Probably the most important thing you can remember is that science at this level needs to be basic; your kids are not ready to learn rocket science.
  1. For teaching about life science, take your students on a nature scavenger hunt.You can hunt for things like bugs, birds, other small animals and collect things like bird nests, feathers, acorns, plants, even berries or sea shells depending on where your school is located.Place the items in baggies and have hand sanitizer available.
  1. If you have a successful scavenger hunt, you can then create a display board or have your students start a nature book (to record the things they saw and heard in nature). On a display board, label the items you have found.
  1. Go on an ant hunt.Once you have found some ants, allow your students to study them under a magnifying glass. Ask your students how many legs, feelers, and body sections they see.Talk about what the different parts of the ants are called.
  1. Another animal/insect science tip is to study what ants eat.Find an ant hill outside and then place different types of foods in paper cups around it.See which foods the ants like best or if the ants left the cup and returned with more ants.

]]> http://www.science-lessons.ca/tips-for-teaching-elementary-science-2/feed/ 1 Ideas for Teaching Weather http://www.science-lessons.ca/ideas-for-teaching-weather/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/ideas-for-teaching-weather/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:47:48 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/2007/10/26/ideas-for-teaching-weather/ Despite its relevance to everyone’s life, weather is not an easy topic for many people to study. Students at the elementary school age, in particular, tend to think weather is simply what they see around them when they are outdoors. An easy way to ensure that students get the most out of weather lessons is to teach them in a way that keeps them interested and involved.

Comprehensive Lesson

Using a comprehensive lesson to teach weather is an excellent way of keeping students actively involved in the lessons by incorporating several subjects into the lesson.

Science and Mathematics: Track local weather. Take students outside each day for a week and measure as many of the following as possible: temperature, precipitation, wind direction and wind speed.

Science: Building a weather station is another activity for keeping students involved in weather lessons, and it is an excellent tool for tracking the local weather. Record weather observations in a tracking log.

Research skills: Look up weather data and forecasts for the day and record those with the students’ observations.

Mathematics: At the end of the week, students can find average precipitation and temperature. They can make graphs of the wind speed and direction. They can compare their results to the official data through discussion or graphs.

Writing: Students can write about their observations. Students can also write a paragraph making suggestions for clothing that is appropriate for the weather each day. Students can write about the weather, and teachers can add variation to this by giving them a list of adjectives that students are required to include in their writing.

Art: Students can draw pictures for the weather each day. Students can make a weather collage with assorted weather pictures or to show the weather for the week. Students can make their own weather vanes or windsocks.

Other Activities

The following are some activities that can be included with the comprehensive lesson or completed separately:

If possible, let students search the internet for weather information for other parts of the world. This could be somewhere a friend or relative lives, a place they have been on vacation, or somewhere they want to go. Have them compare the weather to their local weather. This also helps teach differences in seasons for different parts of the world.

Let students observe the water cycle. Give students small paper cups and a sandwich bag. If the sandwich bag is not the zipper seal kind, then they will need tape to close it. Put a small amount of water in the cup, and then put the cup in the sandwich bag. Taking care not to spill the water, seal the bag and place it in a window where the sun shines. The water will evaporate from the cup, condense on the sandwich bag, and run down the sides to the bottom.

These are only a few of the many creative methods teachers can use to keep students interested in lessons about weather. Even activities like watching clouds and making paper snowflakes can be incorporated into weather units. By providing hands-on activities and making the lessons fun, teachers can help students want to learn more about the weather.

Weather Lesson Plans >>>

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Teaching Weather http://www.science-lessons.ca/teaching-weather-2/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/teaching-weather-2/#respond Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:27:59 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/2007/10/22/teaching-weather-2/ As teachers, you know weather refers to the state of the atmosphere. Atmosphere is a mixture of invisible gas molecules and dust, and has three layers. The layer closest to earth is the troposphere. The conditions we experience as weather take place mostly in the troposphere.

A region’s weather is not the same as climate. Every day weather changes according to such things as air temperature, wind and clouds. The climate, however, depends on its average year-round weather conditions.

Weather affects human conditions. On a warm sunny day, people wear lightweight clothing. When there is a storm or there are winds, people tend to seek shelter inside. Weather can affect what they eat and drink, too. During summer time, ice-cold drinks are more refreshing than coffee or hot chocolate.

Some basic facts about the weather: 1. Causes of Weather. The energy that causes weather changes comes from the sun. The sun warms the earth’s surface. In turn, the surface heats the air close to it. The amount of sunlight the surface receives affects the temperature, which defines the hotness and coldness of the air.  More about Clouds.

2. Why does weather not the same in all parts of the world? The earth is round, so the sun warms the earth unevenly and the sun’s rays hit the earth’s surface at different angles. Different parts of the world receive different amounts of energy.

3. The tilt of the Earth also adds to the uneven heating of its surface. The result of the tilt is the number of daylight hours varying throughout the year. This variation causes seasonal changes in temperature. When it is summer up north, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Use visual presentations to explain this when necessary.

4. Differences in the Earth’s surface also affect the air temperature. Land absorbs and loses heat more quickly than water. In summer, the air near an ocean or any water body is usually cooler than the air over land. In winter, it is colder inland than in areas near water.

More information about Weather

Tips and tools for teaching weather:

1. Devise a weather vocabulary. Sometimes students find it difficult to understand a whole new concept when there are new terms or definitions they can’t identify with. Start by listing down “big” words like air temperature, forecast, humidity, hurricane, barometer, thermometer, thunderstorm, and tornado, and then explain each of them one by one.

2. Formulate ways to explain water cycle. The water cycle is easy to understand when it is described using simple words. If you need to draw or illustrate the process, do it. Children are always excited to experience different approaches of teaching. In this case, a slideshow presentation can be used.

3. Familiarize your students with weather maps. Weather maps tell about weather across the globe. They show temperatures, give us a view on areas where it is raining or snowing, and show the weather systems. These maps also show wind direction and speed, dew point, cloud types and other data. But for children, please make sure you don’t make it complicated so they can absorb all the information you are providing them. Giving your students an assignment of observing daily weather will help increase their understanding on this subject.

Weather can be easily taught to students by not making it complicated. Put in mind that you are dealing with young elementary kids who may have limited understanding on this topic. The key is to convey it through simple terms and illustrations.

Weather 

Weather Island — Exploring Science Adventure Story

Quiz Master style games for Studying or Reviewing the Weather

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Teaching Electricity http://www.science-lessons.ca/teaching-electricity/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/teaching-electricity/#comments Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:06:08 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/2007/10/11/teaching-electricity/ Electricity is a form of energy, a result of the existence of electrical charge. Its theory and inseparable effect is probably the most accurate and complete of all scientific theories. Because of it, invention of motors, generators, telephones, radio and television, medical gadgets, computers and nuclear-energy systems have taken place.  More about Electricity here

However, the many terms and definitions of electricity make it quite hard to pick up by students. So here’s an outline that can be used by anyone who might have a hard time lecturing about it.

1. What do a TV picture and lightning have in common? They are caused by tiny electrically charged particle called electrons. This flow or movement of electrons is what we call as electricity. Electrical charges cause television sets to work and telephones to ring.

2. What is static electricity? All matter is made of atoms and tiny particles held together by electric forces. Inside each atom are positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. They are attracted to each other. A buildup of positive or negative charges is known as static electricity.
Example: When you brush your hair on a dry day, you may see sparks or hear a breaking sound. This happens because when you brush, many free electrons gather in your hair. Your brush does not have as many negative charges, so the charges from your hair get transferred to the brush.

3. What are conductors? They are what carry electric charges. Most conductors have many free electrons. A metal doorknob is an example of a conductor. Objects that generally do not conduct charges are called insulators.

During a thunderstorm in 1752, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite that had a metal tip connected to a silk string that acted as a conductor. A key was then attached to the string at a point near the ground. When Franklin touched the key it sparked and he could feel the electricity. Note that the next two who tried this extremely dangerous experiment were killed.
There is also a massive buildup of electrons in a cloud. You see lightning when the electrons are finally discharged or released to the ground.

4. Where does electrical energy come from? When you plug in an electric fan, you are not really using electricity. Instead you are using electric power. The source of this power is a generator. Large generators supply huge quantities of electric power to your community.

When teaching, your goals must be straight cut. Create an outline if you have to. It gives you a general flow of what you want to teach and allows you to check loopholes along the way. To prevent misunderstandings between you and your students, ask questions as well. As teachers, your role is to ensure you are effectively feeding the right information to your students.

See also – What is Science all About

 

 

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Teaching Clouds http://www.science-lessons.ca/teaching-clouds/ http://www.science-lessons.ca/teaching-clouds/#comments Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:30:19 +0000 http://www.science-lessons.ca/blog/2007/10/11/teaching-clouds/ While clouds are not a difficult concept to teach or learn, they often present a challenge in keeping the lesson interesting. The explanation of cloud formation, for example, can quickly become boring at any grade level. An understanding of clouds and cloud formation, however, is important to studies of weather and the water cycle, so students need to fully understand the lesson. As a result, teachers need creative, interesting ways of teaching about clouds.

Comprehensive Lesson

Teaching a unit on clouds can easily present activities for more subjects than just science. For example:

Science. Perform an experiment that shows students how clouds form. Tape a black piece of paper on one side of an empty jar, then fill the jar one-third full of warm water. Light a match and hold it in the jar for a few seconds. Drop the match into the water and quickly cover the jar with a small bag of ice. Shine a flashlight on the jar and let students watch the cloud form. You can explain the cloud formation process before, during or after the experiment. You can also ask students to explain what they observed.

Art. Have students fold a sheet of blue paper into fourths, creating four boxes. Label each box with a type of cloud, and have students create the cloud using cotton balls. Students could also draw the cloud formation process.

Math. Students can create a table or chart for recording how many times they see each type of cloud each day. At the end of the week, they can create a graph to show total views of each type or total views per day for each type.

Writing. Ask students to write in a science journal about the cloud formation process. Better yet, have students write stories and/or poems about clouds or from a cloud’s point of view.

More Ideas

Some other ideas for teaching clouds include:

Use a storyboard to illustrate cloud formation.

  • Use color photographs to show the different types of clouds.
  • Students can create cloud collages using a cloud type and the weather commonly associated with that cloud.
  • Use pictures of clouds with their names written on them to create Cloud Concentration for students to play. Alternatively, pictures of the clouds with cards that have the cloud names can be used to play Cloud Matching, where students match the cloud to its name.
  • Make a class book about clouds. The book can include all of the creative activities the students do while learning about clouds. An alternate version would be to create a book for each student using their work. Even charts and graphs from the mat activities could be included in their books. The book serves to let parents know what their children are studying, as a last-day reminder of the information for the student, and as a point of pride for the student on a job well done.
  • Cloud formation, types of clouds, and the weather associated with the different types of clouds are all easy information for students to learn and remember, provided the information is presented in a way that holds their attention. By using creative techniques and incorporating the clouds lesson into other subjects, teachers can keep their students captivated throughout the lesson.

Weather Island — Exploring Science Adventure Story

Quiz Master style games for Studying or Reviewing the Weather 

Creating a Weather Chart for your Classroom.

More about clouds from Wikipedia  and more about Weather and What is Weather all about

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