science Archives - Teacher's Brain

Why Science Matters in Early Elementary (and How to Make It Fun!)

March 28, 2025 teachersbrain Science

Science is all around us, and our young learners are naturally curious about the world. Introducing this subject early in education helps students develop those important critical thinking skills, curiosity, and a love for learning. But how can you make science engaging for kindergarten and first grade students? Here’s why early this subject matters and some simple ways to make it fun!

Why Science is Essential in Kindergarten and First Grade

At an early age, kids are eager to explore their world, ask questions, and experiment. These lessons provide hands-on experiences that encourage problem-solving and discovery. By incorporating science into your classroom, you’re helping students develop:

Observation Skills – Learning to notice details in the world around them.
Critical Thinking – Making predictions and drawing conclusions.
Curiosity – Encouraging students to ask “why” and “how.”
Language Development – Expanding vocabulary through scientific discussions.
Collaboration – Working with classmates on experiments and investigations.

Building a strong foundation at an early age sets students up for success in later grades and helps them see it as an exciting and important subject!

How to Make Science Fun for Young Learners

If you want to bring science to life in your classroom, try these simple and engaging strategies:

Hands-On Experiments – Our little learners learn best by doing. Simple experiments like growing plants, mixing colors, or testing which objects sink or float keep students engaged and make learning memorable.
Storytelling– I love to connect science topics to books and stories. Reading about weather, animals, or space sparks curiosity and leads to deeper discussions. Plus we get to explore new books!
Exploration Centers – Set up simple and fun discovery stations where your students can investigate materials like magnets, rocks, or water. These centers encourage independent learning and creativity.
Outdoor Fun – Take your lesson outside! Observing nature, collecting leaves, or watching the weather helps students connect these concepts to real-life experiences.
A Yearlong Science Curriculum – Having a structured plan ensures that this subject stays a consistent part of your teaching routine and that you meet all standards seamlessly. My Kindergarten & 1st Grade Science Curriculum Yearlong Bundle makes it easy to teach it all year long with engaging, age-appropriate lessons that cover key topics like weather, life cycles, and physical science.

Check out the Science Curriculum Yearlong Bundle here!

science curriculum for kindergarten and first grade

I absolutely love teaching this subject because it’s so much more than just a subject—it’s a way of thinking, exploring, and understanding the world. By making your lessons interactive and fun, you can help young learners develop a lifelong passion for this subject. Want a simple way to bring more hands on scientific exploration into your classroom? Grab the Science Curriculum Yearlong Bundle and get ready for a year of exciting, hands-on learning!

If you want more science activity ideas for early elementary, check out my post here!

Science Activities for Kids: Tips for Teaching the Scientific Method in Kindergarten

July 20, 2024 teachersbrain Science

Looking for science activities for kindergarten or first grade? Wondering what do kindergarteners do for science? I have you covered! Introducing the scientific method to young learners can seem challenging, but breaking it down into simple, fun activities makes it both engaging and educational.

Here are easy science activities for kindergarten or first grade that you can do to introduce the scientific method

1. Ask a Question

The first step of the scientific method is asking a question. This is where curiosity kicks in, and we know our little learners are naturally curious! Encourage them to ask questions about the world around them.

Take your class on a nature walk around the schoolyard. Ask them to look around and think of questions. Examples include:

– “Why do leaves change color?”

– “What do ants eat?”

– “How do birds build nests?”

Write down their questions on a large piece of paper when you return to the classroom.

2. Do Background Research

For young students, background research can be simplified to gathering information through observation or asking an expert, like their teacher or parents.

After the nature walk, pick a few questions and discuss them in class. You can share a picture book, show a short educational video from YouTube, or explain the concepts in simple terms. For instance, if the question is about ants, you could read a book about ants and discuss their behavior.

3. Make a Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess. Teach your students to make predictions based on what they know.

Bring in a few small plants and ask your students to predict what will happen if one plant gets no water, one gets water and sunlight, and one gets only water but no sunlight. Write down their predictions on the board.

4. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment

This step is all about hands-on learning, which is perfect for young students.

Use the plants from the hypothesis activity. Over the next few weeks, have students observe the plants and record what happens:

– Plant A: No water

– Plant B: Water and sunlight

– Plant C: Water but no sunlight

Have students draw pictures or use simple charts to track the plants’ growth and changes.

5. Analyze the Data and Draw a Conclusion

Help your students understand what the results of the experiment mean.

After a few weeks, review the observations with your class. Discuss which plants grew the best and why. Ask questions like:

– “What did we learn about plants and sunlight?”

– “Were our predictions correct?”

Encourage your students to explain their thoughts and draw simple conclusions about the importance of water and sunlight for plant growth.

6. Share Your Results

Sharing what they’ve learned helps reinforce the lesson and builds communication skills!

Have your students present their findings to the class or to another class. They can create simple posters with drawings and sentences explaining what happened to the plants. You can also help them make a short presentation using pictures you took during the experiment.

Teaching the scientific method to kindergarten and first-grade students doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be really fun!

If you’re looking for ready-made kindergarten science worksheets or science activities for the classroom, you’re going to love my year-long science curriculum for kindergarten and first grade!

This comprehensive and engaging science curriculum is designed for whole-group or easily followed in a homeschool setting for the entire year! This includes 12 units with inquiry lessons, STEM activities, data notebooks, rubrics, print-and-go worksheets, home projects, and so much more!

Check them all out with the links below. These units hit both Kindergarten and First Grade Benchmarks.

What’s Inside This Download?

BONUS – Butterfly Life Cycle Flip Book & A Standards Checklist for K-1 Science

Check it out now!

Looking for more science fun? Check out these 5 engaging science activities for kids!

The Top 3 Benefits of STEM Activities in Elementary

November 3, 2023 teachersbrain Science, STEM, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

Wondering about the benefits of STEM activities in elementary? You’re in the right place! If you know me, you know I love STEM activities and it’s so fun to see our young students light up when they are wrapped up and fully engaged in STEM learning.

What is STEM and why is it important?

STEM is essentially an integrated approach to learning that incorporates four key disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These subjects are at the heart of many of the world’s most pressing challenges and exciting opportunities, so it’s important that we get our kiddos comfortable with it from an early age.

Here are some of the top benefits of STEM activities:

STEM Activities Foster Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

STEM challenges are like brain-boosting exercises for our young learners. They help our students flex their thinking muscles by encouraging them to ask questions, explore solutions, and adapt their strategies when faced with hurdles. It’s all about honing those essential problem-solving skills that will serve them well in school and beyond.

Tip: To make this even more exciting, encourage your students to team up and work together. When they brainstorm and chat about their ideas, it can take their critical thinking skills to a whole new level!

Promotes a Love for Learning

Let’s make learning an adventure! STEM challenges turn the classroom into a place where students can have a blast while they learn. Children are naturally curious, and these activities tap into that curiosity. When kids are having fun, they’re more likely to remember what they’ve learned and develop a deep love for STEM subjects.

Tip: Choose challenges that match your students’ interests. Whether it’s building, experimenting, or exploring, let their passions lead the way. And don’t forget to weave in some fun stories and real-world examples to keep them engaged.

Builds Confidence and Resilience

Completing STEM challenges is a wonderful confidence booster! When students conquer obstacles and see their ideas come to life, they walk a little taller and believe in themselves, and what teacher wouldn’t love that?! Plus, they learn that mistakes are just stepping stones to success. That kind of resilience is a life skill that will stay with them long after they leave your classroom.

Tip: Celebrate every little success with your students. Emphasize the value of hard work and not giving up, even when things get tough. Encourage them to look back on their mistakes as opportunities to grow and do even better in the next challenge.

Looking for the perfect STEM challenge? Here are some super fun and engaging STEM challenges to try with your students:

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie STEM Challenge | Build a Mouse House

Be the teacher they remember with these engaging STEM Activities! Kids will have a blast learning about blueprints, floor plans, area, design, and writing while doing these activities! Use the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff as a HOOK with this STEM activity! Check it out!

Apollo Lunar Module STEM Challenge

Are you looking for an engaging STEM Challenge to enhance your space unit or to teach how the first man landed on the moon? This is a great challenge for students to use materials to create a Lunar Lander module to test for a soft landing with their “shock absorbers.”

Building 2D & 3D Shapes Toothpick Cards, Activities and Challenges

Are you looking for some fun STEM ideas to incorporate into building math geometry skills with 2D and 3D Shapes? I have you covered with these Build A Shape Mats! Print and laminate. Students build it with toothpicks and molding dough (you can use marshmallows or gumdrops instead), count the toothpicks, sides, vertices, and trace the words!

I hope you love these activities and that your students have lots of fun with them! Looking for more tips for STEM learning? Check out my post here!

3 Effective Ways to Hold Students Accountable During Science

August 24, 2023 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

Science education plays a crucial role in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in young minds. Kindergarten science lessons are the perfect opportunity to ignite this curiosity and lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. However, keeping kindergarten students engaged and accountable can be a challenge. We will explore three effective ways to hold students accountable during kindergarten science lessons, ensuring they actively participate and grasp the fundamental concepts.

1. Hands-On Experiments with Individual Responsibility

Kindergarten students learn best when they can interact with their environment. Incorporating hands-on experiments into science lessons not only captures their attention. To ensure accountability, assign each student a specific task within the experiment. For example, if the class is exploring the concept of sinking and floating, one student can be responsible for placing objects in water, while another observes and records the results.

By giving students individual responsibilities, they become accountable for their role in the experiment’s success. This approach promotes teamwork, builds a sense of ownership, and encourages active participation.

2. Interactive Group Discussions and Show-and-Tell

Kindergarten students love to share their thoughts and experiences. Leveraging this natural inclination, incorporate interactive group discussions into your science lessons. After introducing a new concept or conducting an experiment, gather the students and encourage them to express their observations, questions, and ideas.

To enhance accountability, designate a “show-and-tell” session where each student shares one thing they learned or found interesting during the lesson. This practice reinforces their understanding of the topic. It also fosters a sense of responsibility to contribute to the class’s learning environment.

3. Visual Journals, Interactive Notebooks, or Learning Logs

Kindergarten students are often more visually oriented learners. Introduce the concept of visual journals, interactive notebooks or learning logs early. This is where each student can document their scientific discoveries and reflections through drawings, short sentences, or even photographs. Provide prompts related to the lesson, such as “What did you learn today?” or “Draw a picture of the experiment we conducted.”

Regularly reviewing and discussing these journals in class allows you to gauge each student’s level of engagement and comprehension. It also gives them a personal sense of responsibility to document their learning journey and share their insights with their peers.

Grab this free energy download!

Bonus Tip: Celebrate Achievements

Incorporate a reward system to celebrate students’ achievements in understanding and participating during science lessons. This can be as simple as handing out stickers, small prizes, or certificates for active participation, insightful contributions, or successful completion of experiments. These rewards can act as positive reinforcement and motivate students to remain engaged and accountable in future lessons.

Tag: science