Let's Learn Science Together: Ongoing Science Class
In this ongoing course, students will learn background knowledge for a topic and be given a new experiment or design challenge to work on in class together. This is designed for upper elementary and middle school.
Brooke Langford, MAT
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(156)
What's included
2 live meetings
1 hrs 40 mins in-class hours per weekClass Experience
Meetings are arranged in a weekly fashion. The first day of the week students will be given direct instruction to learn a science concept. The second day of the week we will apply that concept in the science or engineering activity for the week. Students are able to join at any point as weeks do not build on one another. Direct instruction day: Students will follow along with a slideshow and be given opportunities to discuss what they are learning and make connections with prior knowledge. Activity day: Students will work together to determine how to accomplish our task. They will be given opportunities to share what they've created with the rest of the group as well as share what they've learned. Students will need to ensure they have the proper supplies for class prior to it starting. After the direct instruction day, we will discuss which activities will happen the following class. Each Sunday at 1am PST, I will post in the classroom which activity we are doing for the week and the specific materials needed for the lesson (they follow the order listed below). Please ensure the student has the materials ready when class starts. (If you need more notice, please send me a message in the classroom. Posting on Sunday ensures that new students for the week can access the information). Activities: Week of 5/22 - Scientific Method vs. Engineering Design Process - Design your own experiment(s) Week of 5/29 - Forces and Motion - Marble run Week of 6/5 - Planets and the Sun, Moon, Earth System - Scale model of the solar system Week of 6/12 - Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions - Elephant Toothpaste and Volcanic Explosion Week of 6/26 - Muscular System - Robot Arm Week of 7/3 - Geology and water runoff - Make a watershed Week of 7/10 - Human Body Systems - Play-dough human body systems model Week of 7/17 - Measuring Density - Drinkable Density Week of 7/24 - Properties of Water (and water tension) - Lincoln Experiment Week of 7/31 - Chemical Reactions - Green Pennies Week of 8/7 - Scientific Method vs. Engineering Design Process - Design your own experiment(s) Week of 8/14 - Forces and Motion - Marble run Week of 8/21 - Planets and the Sun, Moon, Earth System - Scale model of the solar system Week of 8/28 - Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions - Elephant Toothpaste and Volcanic Explosion
Learning Goals
Students will improve their ability to follow the scientific method (make observations, ask questions, perform an experiment, report findings, and share with others).
Students will practice creative problem-solving skills.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Parent help may be needed with classes that include scissors (week 10 requires an x-acto knife and hammer). Students may periodically need an additional set of hands as well.
While we will learn about the body systems, we will not learn about the endocrine or reproductive body systems.
Supply List
Materials will vary each week depending on the activity chosen and many items can be substituted (please email me if you need a substitution): Meetings are arranged in a weekly fashion. The first day of the week students will be given direct instruction to learn a science concept. The second day of the week we will apply that concept in the science or engineering activity for the week. Direct instruction day: Students will follow along with a slideshow and be given opportunities to discuss what they are learning and make connections with prior knowledge. Activity day: Students will work together to determine how to accomplish our task. They will be given opportunities to share what they've created with the rest of the group as well as share what they've learned. Students will need to ensure they have the proper supplies for class prior to it starting. After the direct instruction day, we will discuss which activities will happen the following class. Each Sunday at 1am PST, I will post in the classroom which activity we are doing for the week and the specific materials needed for the lesson (they follow the order listed below). Please ensure the student has the materials ready when class starts. (If you need more notice, please send me a message in the classroom. Posting on Sunday ensures that new students for the week can access the information). Activities: Week 1: Design your own experiment(s) - Students will design their own experiments on day 1 and can use whatever items they would like such as water, food coloring, cardboard, recyclables, humans, etc. Week 2: Marble run - Recyclables such as cardboard, water bottles, toilet paper rolls, paper - Tape - Marble - Scissors (optional) Week 3: Plant maze - Recyclables such as cardboard (ideally a large cardboard box), water bottles, toilet paper rolls, paper - Tape - Small bean sprout - Sunny window - Scissors (optional) Week 4: Scale model of the solar system - Box of cheerios (or fruit loops or another small type of snack) - Paper/cardboard (something to put the cheerios on) - Glue (Elmer's liquid glue is best) - Markers or pens to label Week 5: Elephant Toothpaste and Volcanic Explosion - Eye protection - Plastic bottle (or Erlenmeyer flask) - Dry yeast (1 Tbsp) - Warm water (3 Tbsp) - Liquid dish soap (not foaming) (1 Tbsp) - Hydrogen peroxide (1/2 cup) - Baking soda (1/4 cup) - Vinegar (1/2 cup) - Measuring cups (1/4 and 1/2 cup) - Measuring spoons (1 Tbsp) - Small bowl or cup - Tray to catch the spills - Container for (or a created) volcano - Food coloring (optional) Week 6: Robot Arm - Cardboard - Glue (hot glue if allowed, or Elmer's liquid glue) - Straws (at least 3) - String - Scissors - Things to decorate (markers, colored paper, etc.) Week 7: Make a watershed - Large pan or tray - Newspaper (at least 5 pages) - Masking tape - Spray bottle with water - Paper towels - Permanent markers (2) - Something to create a ramp (such as wood or books) - Blue food coloring (optional) Week 8: Play-dough human body systems model - Various colors of playdough - You can also make your own large batch of playdough using the following -- 1 cup plain flour (all purpose) -- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (baby oil and coconut oil work too) -- 1/4 cup salt -- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar -- ½ to 1 cup boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right) -- food coloring (optional) -- few drops glycerin (optional for stretch) Week 9: Drinkable Density - Narrow glass - Pomegranate juice - Orange juice - White grape juice Week 10: Eco-column [Parent help needed to hammer holes in parts of the bottle using a nail. We will also need an exacto knife] - 3 clear 2 liter bottles and caps - Exacto knife - 1 medium nail - Hammer - Rubber bands - Permanent marker - Measuring tape - About 3 cups of small rocks (aquarium gravel works well) - 5-6 cups of soil (organic) - Dead organic matter (leaves, small sticks, tree bark) - 1 small aquatic plant (ludwigia, moneywort, cabomba, hornwort, myrio, etc. - pet stores have these!) - Seeds of non-aquatic plants (grass, radish, basil, arugula, etc. - these grow fast so they're great) - Distilled water - Optional: aquatic animals such as a beta fish, freshwater snails, etc. - Optional: terrestrial animals such as snails, worms, small insects Week 11: Lincoln Experiment - 5 pennies - Water - Soap (liquid or foaming) - Small dropper - Small cup or bowl - Paper towels Week 12: Green Pennies *We will need all materials on the first day of class this week - 5 pennies - White vinegar - Bowl - Paper towel - Dish or bowl
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined June, 2020
4.9
156reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
*I am currently not teaching on Outschool, but I do check messages.*
I teach all domains of science classes including Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science. I enjoy incorporating engineering and STEM projects as I can in addition to valuable life skills such as discussion strategies, organizational tools, and identifying and managing emotions. I have over a decade of experience working with kids between 4 weeks and 17 years old. While my passion is science, I also offer math, social clubs, and circle time classes.
I am certified to teach middle school science and health/fitness courses. I have a Masters degree for teaching middle level science as well as a Bachelors degree for teaching secondary science. My Master’s Thesis was about how “Middle Schoolers Should Be S.T.R.E.A.M.ing” in which I studied the effectiveness of integrating Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Art, and Math in middle school classrooms.
My goal is to get every student I meet excited about learning science - No matter their age! STEM fields are taking over our world and science teaches us the skills necessary to thrive in these fields such as analyzing, interpreting, and applying information. I strive to increase students’ curiosity and passion for STEM/STREAM through my own fascination of the field.
Some fun things about me are:
- I am learning the science behind making my very own teas
- I am obsessed with Yellowstone National Park
- I have 2 cats: Azlan (3 legged cat who knows tricks) and Kevin (4 legged kitty who thinks he’s a dog)
Please message me if you have questions, suggestions, or requests. I look forward to seeing you in class!
- Ms. BrookeReviews
Live Group Class
$25
weekly ($13 per class)2x per week
50 min
Completed by 13 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-12
1-6 learners per class
