Leaf Chromatography

1) LESSON PLAN BY BETTERLESSON

2) DOLLAR TREE ACTIVITY

3) PLAYDOUGH TO PLATO ACTIVITY

4) TED-ED LESSON

ESTIMATED COST:

$0.14

PER STUDENT

Photo cred: Pexels

Required materials:

several leaves from different trees, small glass containers, rubbing alcohol, paper coffee filters, shallow aluminum pan, hot tap water, aluminum foil, scissors, tape, marker, sticky notes, plastic spoons

TED-Ed Description:

It's true that the cooler weather is a good indication that the seasons are changing, but there's no sign like the color of the leaves. In this lesson, you'll learn why leaves change color in the fall, and you'll learn how to do paper chromatography to separate the pigments found in a leaf.

NGSS alignment:

1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) 3. Planning and carrying out investigations 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering) 7. Engaging in argument from evidence 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Electrifying STEM: Circuits and Batteries

1) LESSON PLAN BY TRYENGINEERING.ORG

2) LESSON BY PBS LEARNINGMEDIA

3) TED-ED LESSON

ESTIMATED COST:

$0.07

PER STUDENT

Photo cred: TED-Ed

Required materials:

"switches," wire strippers, insulated wire, flashlight, lightbulbs, batteries, electrical tape

Description:

TED-Ed calls batteries a "triumph of science." They allow electronics to operate "without anchoring us to an infernal tangle of power cables." The activities above take learners from simple circuits to an electrifying design challenge.

Tips:

Scissors may be used instead of wire strippers, but may take extra practice to strip the wire. Select a flashlight that can be easily disassembled so that the lightbulb can be removed. Also, replacing flashlights with lightbulbs may be more cost effective.

NGSS alignment:

1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)  2. Developing and using models 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering) 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

BubbleSci

1) ScienceBuddies.org Lesson

2) Lesson by University of Wisconsin

3) KidsDiscover.com Ideas

4) BabbleDabbleDo.com Lesson

5) TED-Ed Lesson

ESTIMATED COST: 

$0.27

PER STUDENT

Photo cred: BabbleDabbleDo.com

Recommended materials:

different types of soap (dish soap, hand soap, bubble bath, etc.), glycerin or corn syrup, items to make bubble wands (pipe cleaners, straws, etc.), measuring tools (cups, spoons, droppers, etc.), stopwatch (or smartphone app), distilled water, containers like cups or empty bubble solution bottles for students to test and keep their solutions.

Description:

Blowing bubbles may seem like a simple or childish pastime. However, blowing a bubble is packed with STEM concepts from physics to geometry to art (with that STEM becomes STEAM!). The lessons provided above allow teachers to take this activity in many directions to suit their instructional needs. For an engineering route, set up design challenges for the bubble wand and the solution. For a math route, study shapes, ratios or volume calculations. For a physics or chemistry route, experiment with air speed, solutions, surface tension and more.

Tips:

If glycerin is difficult to find, corn syrup can be used instead.  Also, your local dollar store may carry small bubble containers with wands as party or wedding favors, which make great containers to store students' final solutions.

NGSS alignment:

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