Resources for Science Learning at Home:

Mystery Science - from the same people that brought us Mystery Doug. The all-digital "mini-lessons" are previous Mystery Doug videos, which are great for learning and engagement but are not "hands-on". The full lessons are more involved STEM activities which work best with access to a printer (for student recording sheets and instructions) and access to other supplies like a stapler, scissors, glue sticks, tape, and/or paperclips. They also have a video that guides students and parents through the activity.

PBS DragonflyTV - DragonflyTV presents real-life science investigations featuring everyday kids exploring their own science and engineering questions. 

Pacific Science Center - Curiosity At Home - The Pacific Science Center in Seattle has a number of at-home activities organized by grade band and science topic as well as online videos to pick and choose from.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): 

Science & Engineering Practices - Describe how scientists build theories and models about the way our world, and systems within it, works. 
1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Crosscutting Concepts - Have application across all domains of science. As such, they are a way of linking the different domains of science.
Patterns, similarity, and diversity
Cause and effect
Scale, proportion and quantity
Systems and system models
Energy and matter
Structure and function
Stability and change

 

Our Science Curriulum:

Fall Unit: Structures of Life

As students grow seeds in a hydroponics garden and observe crayfish and snails, they have the opportunity to learn about environmental and living systems. Students identify structures of plants and animals and make comparisons of the organisms based on observable structures and behaviors. 

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Winter Unit: Sound

Students become more aware of the nature of sound and of the diversity and abundance of sounds around them. They begin by listening to sounds on tape. They then make their own sounds with their bodies, with drums, and with other instruments-exploring vibration, pitch and volume, and the transmission of sounds. Throughout the module, students compare the qualitative characteristics of the sounds they hear.

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Fall Unit: Engineering Kit - Building Bridges

Students learn about different forces as pushes and pulls, and the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces. Students learn about different bridge designs, and create and test their own designs given certain parameters and constraints. They learn about the Engineering Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve) when testing and redesigning their bridges.