Optional Homework
(The fun kind!)
MODULE 1
Lesson 1: Look for pennies at home that show evidence of color change, just like the Statue of Liberty!
Lesson 3: Challenge a family member at home to guess a material based on a description of its properties.
Lesson 4: Prepare 3 different liquids or solids for the student or a family member to identify while blindfolded.
Lesson 9: Have students explain how water changes form to a family member while preparing a dish that requires boiling water. Students may use models to help explain this concept to younger family members.
Lesson 11: Record examples from home where heating or cooling caused a substance to change state or caused a new substance to form.
Lesson 13: With an adult, create a mixture of 3 spoonfuls of oil, 3 spoonfuls of water, and 1 spoonful of salt. Thirty seconds after mixing, draw or describe what you see!
MODULE 2
Lesson 1: Observe trees in the community. Record different uses for the trees and the types of organisms seen interacting with the trees.
Lesson 7: Have students breath on a mirror to investigate substances that animals exhale. Ask students to use what they know about gas exchange to explain what they observe.
Lesson 12: Research naturally preserved mummies and look for patterns in the type of environments mummies are found.
Lesson 20: Research invasive species in Louisiana and share how they affect our ecosystems with a family member.
MODULE 3
Lesson 3: Have students examine the label of a bottle of filtered or spring water and record its source. Then use a map or mapping service to locate the source!
Lesson 5: Students research a marine ecosystem that was not discussed in the lesson. Where it is typically found on Earth? What organisms that live in it? etc.
Lesson 19: Students determine their water footprint. Challenge students to find ways to conserve water in their daily lives and keep a record of their water conservation efforts.
Lesson 23: Students write a letter to a local government official describing the world water crisis and proposing a solution that addresses one aspect of the crisis: pollution, sanitation, usage, or access.
MODULE 4
Lesson 1: Students have conversations with family members about times they or their relatives found their way by using landmarks.
Lesson 4: Students research how gravity affects objects on the Moon or on other planets in the solar system besides Earth.
Lesson 6: Students use the Sun to determine north, south, east, and west at home and then confirm the correct directions by using a GPS system, compass, or map.
Lesson 21: Students locate Polaris in the night sky from their home. If possible, students may also use various apps available on mobile devices to help locate and identify stars.
Lesson 22: Students use an online star map generator and enter their birthdate and birthplace to determine how the night sky looked on the day they were born.
Lesson 26: Students research another planet in the Solar System and write a story from the perspective of a human living on the planet. Students include the lengths of a day and year and the apparent views of the Sun, Earth, and stars.
