Take your students on a trip outside. Your kids will enjoy time away from the classroom while learning about their environment. Walk around the school yard to find opportunities to teach your students about science. Look in the bushes to find a ladybug. Point out trees and locate birds' nests. Use magnifying glasses to examine ants on the trees. Teach your students about the different environments animals live in and why. Show your kids the different ways animals look and why. For example, a snake has smooth skin while a bear has fur. Show your students different types of plants and what regions they reside in and why. This activity gets your elementary kids outside and teaches them about how science is all around them.
Show your students how different elements interact with one another. Elementary students learn cause and effect when they handle various elements. Give your kids clear plastic cups. Pour water into the cups. Also pour oil into the water, and then stir the solution. Wait about a minute and have your students tell you what happens to the mixture. They will notice the water and oil did not mix together. Explain to them that water molecules are strongly attracted to water while oil molecules are strongly attracted to oil.
Teach your students about the water cycle. Your elementary students will learn about the many uses and forms of water. Have your kids draw all the different forms in which water exists in the environment. Help them by hinting to clouds, rivers and rain. Show your kids an illustration of the water cycle. Ask them to tell you the path water takes. For example, water comes from clouds in the form of rain. It hits the ground and fills the ocean. Water vapor comes from the ocean and goes back in the clouds. Your elementary students will learn about vapor, evaporation and ground water in this science activity.
Help your students make a comet using dry ice, ammonia, dirt and ice cream sticks. Your elementary students will learn about what is in the solar system. Use a bright light in the center of your room to simulate the sun. Move your comet around the sun and watch it melt. As it melts, the comet will let out gas. Your students will observe how a comet reacts as it goes through the solar system.