3 Ways to Make Elementary Science Fun for Homeschoolers and Classroom Students
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY TERMS OF USE POLICY FOR MORE INFO.
Imagine organizing a full year of science learning for your homeschool or classroom in a way that sparks curiosity, encourages experimentation, and helps students make sense of the world around them—all with minimal prep time.
In this post, we will discuss:
Three ways to maximize students’ engagement in learning science
How to seamlessly integrate science with other core subjects
How to effortlessly teach elementary life science for a full year
As a beginner science teacher, I struggled. Sometimes my lessons succeeded in engaging students, but other times they fell flat. Over the years, I have learned effective ways to foster a love for learning in science, and I want to share some of them with you here!
From Bored to Bright Eyed
I was an enthusiastic student teacher, at least initially…
As I began to teach, I noticed a blank despondency begin to shadow over my students’ eyes. Then their behavior deteriorated.
My mentor teacher advised, “If you ever have a problem with classroom behavior, then take a hard look at your teaching.” He was absolutely right!
I read everything I could find about fostering an atmosphere of learning. Here are three not-so-secret secrets that I learned and want to share with you. This list is not exhaustive, but it gave me a good start, and it can help you too.
Not-So-Secret Secret #1: It is Important Not to Underestimate Your Students
Set challenging but achievable goals for your students—they are bright and capable. Allow them to actively engage in the learning process.
Avoid the temptation to directly give them all the information, as I did when I was a student teacher. Instead, encourage them to explore and ask questions—lots of questions. When they land on a question that can potentially be explained using science, encourage further exploration.
This approach helps them learn to problem-solve and think critically.
Suggested Reading:
Simple Science Teaching: Begin with a Phenomenon and a Question
Not-So-Secret Secret #2: Activity Improves Learning
As we all know, children have energy… lots of it!
They are bursting with energy—so why not capitalize on it for learning? Engaging students with active instruction is key. They thrive.
Give them hands-on learning assignments, collaborative tasks, and, if possible, learning opportunities in different settings. Outdoor environments are great for sparking curiosity and deepening understanding in science.
Active Instruction
If you want to effortlessly teach or homeschool elementary life science, take your students outside to explore nature. I have found an outdoor science resource that I can wholeheartedly endorse and recommend to you.
Its approach rings true for me and reflects what I have learned over the years. The authors state that “knowledge begins with wonder… We feel the best way to impart a love of science and nature to children is by following their innate desire to discover.” Absolutely!
"Be A Naturalist" is a yearlong set of lesson plans that guide a journey through the seasons. The lessons are designed as quests. Students explore while on focused nature walks in neighborhood parks, nature preserves, or even in their own backyard. Sounds fun, right?
For me, once I started to implement more active teaching and learning strategies, my self-confidence as a teacher strengthened, and my students’ achievements improved greatly. I want this for you and your students too.
Not-So-Secret #3: It is Important Not to Underestimate Yourself as an Educator
You might be wondering as a homeschool parent: How do I teach science when I haven’t been in a science class in years? How do I teach life science along with other important subjects? What if we can’t go outside? Then what?
The answer is simple—Good Resources!
Explore nature with subjects like writing, art, reading, and science.
The "Be A Naturalist" curriculum integrates writing, reading, and art with nature explorations. The curriculum includes hands-on experiments, engaging activities, great books, seasonal poetry, making art in nature, and interesting videos.
They also offer a seasonal supplemental curriculum too. It is called "A Year of Discovery" curriculum. It offers monthly science lessons, adding more layers to the experience, and allows you to begin at any point during the year—it doesn’t have to be January to start.
It pairs perfectly with the “Be a Naturalist” curriculum.
Among other things, your students will investigate the science of ice, meet Orion the mighty hunter, prowl for owls, and dissect a rotting log!
One of my favorite opportunities is the “Through the Year” section that helps children track seasonal changes, like times of sunset and sunrise, changes in deciduous trees, etc., and then learn the science behind the patterns they discover.
Bring science to life for your students. Go beyond everyday learning to develop a love of science and an appreciation of the natural world. I have a discount to offer. You can get 15% off by using the code: DISCOVERY4902 when you sign up.
Sign up here for the “Be A Naturalist” curriculum
Sign up here for “A Year of Discovery” (Use code DISCOVERY 4902)