Science was never a strong subject for me.  Now that I am an adult I find some science topics quite amazing, but when I think about teaching any type of science to my children, it scares me!  Science for me as a child was so different than it is today.  Children today have the challenge of our increasingly technological society and need much more advanced science preparation than any past generations of students.  Not only do children need to learn the basic science concepts that students of the past learned, but today they need to learn about science and technology just to carry on with everyday activities. 

The key steps to learning science are about observation- learning to observe the things around us.  There are lots of things you can do with your child that incorporate observations in science. These are great things to incorporate into your science unit studies.   For example:

1. Bake a cake.
2. Look for constellations in the night sky.
3. Track the phases of the moon.
4. Watch an ice cube melt.
5. Go for a walk and observe the plants or animals you see.
6. Go for a walk in a city and determine what materials the buildings are made of.
7. Take apart an old appliance and see what the pieces are like.

The most important thing to remember is that you cannot make your child like science, but you can encourage him or her to.  Who says all science lessons have to be about dissecting frogs or memorizing the periodical table?  There are several steps you can take to encourage your child to learn more about science and make it a positive experience for you both! 

1. Encourage your child to ask questions. 
2. Ask your child questions. 
3. Incorporate hands-on activities.
4. Introduce 1-2 topics at one time, any more than that can overwhelm your child.
5. Find the right activity for your child.  Encourage activities that relate to the topics that interest him or her. 
6. Find seasonal activities that relate to seasons or holidays (see experiment below).

Want to show your kids how to make an egg bounce without breaking it?  You just need 1 raw egg (in the shell) and a drinking glass, and some vinegar.

1. Set the egg carefully in the bottom of the drinking glass.
2. Fill the glass with vinegar and leave it for at least 15 hours.
3. Remove the egg, and drop it.  I recommend you drop it in the sink or tub…. just in case!

The shell of the egg should feel rubbery.  I will not break because the acid in the vinegar breaks down the calcium carbonate.  Calcium carbonate is what makes eggshells hard!

Whether you and your students are completing a unit study on science or another topic, it’s easy to incorporate quick and fun experiments and science projects.  Put some easy, fun, and AMAZING Science into your next unit study!

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