Science Labs & Student Instruction - Girard

Preschool Exploration

We’re going on a mission, start the countdown 5…4…3…2…1!  Preschoolers will participate in a variety of hands-on activities that will make them curious about science and the world around them. 

Note: Preschool labs will be scheduled for no more than a 2-hour session.  

Basic Needs of Living Things (4 hours)

What are the needs of living things?

In this hands-on lab, students will explore how plants and animals work together to meet each other’s needs to survive. They will investigate using the medium of live plants and animals

• K-LS1-1 | Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans need to survive.
• K-ESS3-1 | Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.

Playground Engineering (2 hours)

What causes an object to move?

Students will investigate how objects move by building and exploring with playground equipment.

• K-PS2-1 | Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions or pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
• K-PS2-2 | Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.
• K-2-ETS1-1 | Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• K-2-ETS1-2 | Develop a simple sketch, drawing or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
• K-2-ETS1-3 | Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Kansas Weather (2 hours)

Why is it important to understand weather patterns?

In this lab, students will learn about patterns of weather over time, the types of weather we see in Kansas, and the sun’s role in producing weather. They will also explore severe weather and how to stay safe during weather events.

K-ESS2-1 | Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

K-PS2-1 | Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object

K-PS2-2 | Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.

K-2-ETS1-1 | Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

K-2-ETS1-2 | Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

K-2-ETS1-3 | Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Diversity is a “Beary” Good Thing

Have you ever wondered why animals look like they do? In this lab, students will explore live animals to learn how heredity plays a part in what animals look like, and why they have special body parts and behaviors that help them survive.

• 1-LS1-1 | Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

  1-LS1-2 | Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.

  1-LS3-1 | Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.

Sound & Light (4 hours)

How do sound and light travel?

Students will explore the role of vibrations in the creation of sound. What causes different sounds? What do these “sounds” look like? They will also explore the concepts of light and illumination

• 1-PS4-1 | Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.
• 1-PS4 -2 | Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects can be seen only when illuminated.
• 1-PS4-3 | Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.

Space Exploration (4 hours)

What patterns are in the sky?

The NASA Artemis program will land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. They will use innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. What challenges would astronauts face living on the moon? In this lab students will learn about patterns we see in the sky, and why we experience different seasons and amounts of daylight. Students will also explore how astronauts are able to survive in space.

• 1-ESS1-1 | Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
• 1-ESS1-2 | Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
• K-2-ETS1-1 | Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• K-2-ETS1-2 | Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

What’s the Matter? (4 hours)

How can materials be alike and different? What changes do heating and cooling cause?

Through various exploration and experiments, students will learn how to distinguish properties of various objects. Students will also explore how heating and cooling affect various forms of matter.

2-PS1-1 | Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

2-PS1-2 | Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

2-PS1-3 | Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.

2-PS1-4 | Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

Plants and Animals (4 hours)

In this lab students will have the opportunity to compare the diversity of living things in various habitats. They will also investigate the structures of plants and animals closely to help them deduce how they work together. Finally, they will have the chance to explore their creativity by completing an engineering activity addressing pollination and seed dispersal

2-LS2-2 | Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

2-LS4-1 | Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

K-2-ETS1-2 | Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem

The Great Shake Up (4 hours)

Can’t be 1/2 day

What shapes our Earth? Earth’s landscapes can change quickly or over a long period of time. Students will investigate these changes and complete an activity using the Engineering Design Process.

K-2-ETS1-1 | Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool

K-2-ETS1-2 | Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem

K-2-ETS1-3 | Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs

2-ESS1-1 | Use information from several sources to provide evidence that earth events can occur quickly or slowly

Genetics/Natural Selection (4 hours – Spring Semester Only)

Essential Question: How are traits passed from parents to offspring?

Essential Question: What is survival of the fittest?

Students will learn the meaning of genetics by using Punnett Squares to learn how traits are passed from parents to offspring. They will also explore survival of the fittest through games and activities that demonstrate adaptations to specific habitats.

3-LS3-1 | Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.

3-LS3-2 | Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

3-LS4-2 | Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.

3-LS4-2 | Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.

3-LS4-3 | Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Parachute Engineering Challenge (4 hours)

What design features make a parachute successful?

In this engineering design challenge, students will work in cooperative groups to purchase supplies to build a parachute. Teams will learn how to use the engineering design process to plan, create, test, & perfect a parachute that can safely carry cargo when dropped from the top of the PSU/Greenbush Astrophysical Observatory.

3-5-ETS1-1 | Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specific criteria for success & constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-2 | Generate & compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria & constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-3 | Plan & carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled & failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Weather and Its Impacts (4 hours)

How is weather different around the world?

Storm struck? Why do we have tornadoes, but other areas of the world have hurricanes? How can it be snowing in Kansas, & 90 degrees in Mexico on the same day? Students will investigate & compare several different climates & weather conditions across the world & use their critical thinking to complete an engineering project.

• 3-ESS2-1 | Represent data in tables & graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

3-ESS2-2 | Obtain & combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

3-ESS3-1 | Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

3-5-ETS1-1 | Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success & constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-2 | Generate & compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria & constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-3 | Plan & carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled & failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Motion and Stability (4 hours)

How do equal and unequal forces on an object affect it?

Get physical with physics! Students will have the opportunity to learn about balanced & unbalanced forces through a variety of interactive experiments. Using the engineering design process, students will design & create a rocket that must land within a designated area.

• 3-PS2-1 | Plan & conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced & unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

3-PS2-2 | Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

3-5-ETS1-1 | Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success & constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-2 | Generate & compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria & constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-3 | Plan & carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled & failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model of prototype that can be improved.

Mission Sphero – Brain Break (4 hours)

How does coding impact our lives?

We’re going on a mission, start the countdown, 5…4…3…2…1! Students will learn the importance of coding & how it is used in everyday life. During Mission Sphero, students will learn Sphero basics by “driving” the Sphero, changing its colors & speed, & participating in activities that demonstrate how coding is used in the real world. After mastering the basics, they will have the opportunity to create their own codes to accomplish certain tasks & create a Brain Break.

• CSS 1B-CS-01 | Describe how internal & external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

CSS 1B-CS-02 | Model how computer hardware & software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.

CSS 1B-AP-10 | Create programs that include sequences, events, loops, & conditionals.

3.OA.9 | Identify arithmetic patterns (including patterns in the addition table or multiplication table), & explain them using properties of operations.

Plants and Animals: Structures and Functions (4 hours)

How do plants and animal structures help them survive?

Plants & animals have a variety of internal & external structures. In this lab, students will attempt to uncover the functions of both plant & animal structures through dissection & explore how those structures help living things survive.

• 4-LS1-1 |Construct an argument that plants & animals have internal & external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, & reproduction.

4-LS1-2 | Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, & respond to the information in different ways.

Sound and Light (4 hours)

How does energy travel?

Using light & sound energy, students will learn how energy travels. What do these waves of energy look like? How can we change the shapes & sizes of the waves? Students will examine sound waves & pitches & also investigate reflectivity using a variety of hands-on experiments.

• 4-PS3-2 | Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, & electric currents.

4-PS4-1 | Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude & wavelength & that waves can cause objects to move.

4-PS4-2 | Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects & entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

Mission Sphero – Secret Message (4 hours)

How does coding impact our lives?

We’re going on a mission, start the countdown, 5…4…3…2…1! Students will learn the importance of coding & how it is used in everyday life. During Mission Sphero, students will learn Sphero basics by “driving” the Sphero, changing its colors & speed, & participating in activities that demonstrate how coding is used in the real world. After mastering the basics, they will have the opportunity to create their own codes to accomplish certain tasks.

• CSS 1B-CS-01 | Describe how internal & external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

CSS 1B-CS-02 | Model how computer hardware & software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.

CSS 1B-AP-10 | Create programs that include sequences, events, loops & conditionals.

4-PS3-1 | Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

4-PS3-2 | Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, & electric currents.

4-PS3-3 | Ask questions & predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

4-PS3-4 | Apply scientific ideas to design, test, & refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

Erosion (4 hours)

Only offered in February—can’t be 1/2 day

How can we prevent the unwanted movement of soil?

To examine the role of water, ice, wind, animals & vegetation on landscape, students will design & test an erosion experiment. How is erosion amplified? What can be done to prevent it? Finally, students will investigate various intervention techniques to counteract the unwanted movement of soil.

• 4-ESS1-1 | Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations & fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.

4-ESS2-1 | Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.

3-5-ETS1-2 | Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem

Light and Stars (4 hours)

What determines the strength of light?

Students will have the opportunity to explore with light sensors, solar panels, & telescopes to answer questions such as: Why does our sun appear so bright? What happens to light over a distance? Why can you only see Orion in the winter? Students will find answers to these questions & more as they learn about our sun & how Earth’s daily rotation as well as its orbit around the sun might affect the length & direction of shadows. Students will also investigate what affects the apparent brightness of stars.

• 5-ESS1-1 | Support an argument that the apparent brightness of the sun & stars is due to their relative distances from Earth.

5-ESS1-2 | Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length & direction of shadows, day & night, & the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.

Waters of the Earth (4 hours)

Not recommended January-March

How does water tie the Earth’s systems together? 

To investigate the role of water on Earth, students will explore the connections between the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, & atmosphere. How much water is available on Earth & where is it located? How can pollution affect Earth’s water? What else affects Earth’s waters? What causes tides? Students will also analyze water to discover what “healthy” water looks like.

• 5-ESS2-1 | Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.

5-ESS2-2 | Describe & graph the amounts & percentages of water & fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

5-ESS3-1 | Obtain & combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources & environment.

Matter and Its Interactions (4 hours)

How does matter respond to the things around it?

Scientists unite! In this lab students will have the opportunity to complete many experiments to determine chemical or physical changes. They will also conduct an investigation to explore conservation of mass.

• 5-PS1-1 | Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

5-PS1-2 | Measure & graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.

5-PS1-3 | Make observations & measurements to identify materials based on their properties.

5-PS1-4 | Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

Mission Sphero – The Road Home (4 hours)

How does coding impact our lives?

We’re going on a mission, start the countdown, 5…4…3…2…1! Students will learn the importance of coding & how it is used in everyday life. During Mission Sphero, students will learn Sphero basics by “driving” the Sphero, changing its colors & speed, & participating in activities that demonstrate how coding is used in the real world. After mastering the basics, they will have the opportunity to create their own codes to accomplish certain tasks.

• CSS 1B-CS-01 | Describe how internal & external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

CSS 1B-CS-02 | Model how computer hardware & software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.

CSS 1B-AP-10 | Create programs that include sequences, events, loops & conditionals.

• 3-5-ETS1-1 | Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or want that includes specified criteria for success & constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-2 | Generate & compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria & constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-3 | Plan & carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled & failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.