Kide Science

Teachers can use Kide Science to find fun and creative ideas for STEAM-based exploration. All lesson plans include a hands-on component, often incorporating household items or crafting supplies, so teachers will need to prep and gather the materials. Thankfully, the plans are laid out exceptionally well and are highly visual, including pictures of materials and intriguingly wordless videos of the experiments.

Teachers will want to look at the bottom of the lessons and see adjustments for different ages and abilities. Teachers will also want to make sure they read the scientific explanation so that they're clear on what students should take away from the activity. There are multiple standards- matching maps for teachers looking to align their lessons to national or state standards. There are also excellent printable rubrics for assessing key thinking skill development.

A brief printable story (with cute characters and visuals) introduces each lesson to get students thinking about the underlying investigative question. Teachers could easily use these storylines as a way to launch into other classroom topics. For instance, after completing an experiment, students could write their own ending to the story by using their imagination and incorporating what they learned in the lesson.

Teachers may also want to check out the blog, podcast, professional development (PD) opportunities, and other teacher resources available on the Kide Science website. The training videos in particular are standouts, featuring discussions of how to teach key scientific thinking skills and including video of students engaging with experiments.