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According to Carl Sagan, the world-renowned astronomer, educator, and author, “Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.” My continued wonder and enthusiasm for science has led me to develop this Science Website during my sabbatical as a way to encourage primary teachers to provide their students with fun science activities by having resources at their fingertips. I've spent the last seven months (summer break plus first semester of SY 2014/2015) researching primary science lessons, activities, and applications for kindergarten, first, and second grade students. I began with getting to know the Next Gen Science Standards and how they related to HCPS III, delved into the process of inquiry, learned from mentors, found amazing on-line resources, created hands-on lessons that I tested on my second graders, and brought it all together in the curation of this website.

I believe that children learn best through hands-on activities that give them the opportunity to explore the world around them. They need to experience different objects, textures, and materials in order to talk, draw, and write about them. They need guidance from their teachers about how to ask the kinds of questions that will lead to investigations about topics that they are curious about.

This website is divided into two sections: Home (which has lessons and supporting materials about different themes in science) and Science Websites: articles, videos, lessons, blogs, which has a collection of websites that are a treasure of information about teaching science in the form of lessons, units, tutorials, videos, articles, and blogs.

Harcourt Science is a link to their on-line site which has an online pictorial glossary. I selected definitions from the first and second grade glossaries and typed them on the home page for quick reference to terms that will be useful in the science themes of Properties of Matter, Science Tools, Solids, Liquids, Gases, The Five Senses, and Understanding Science. The definitions are "kid-friendly" and used in the textbooks that Palisades Elementary has copies of for first and second grade.

Properties of Matter includes a series of links to videos, lessons, and interactive simulations online, as well as photos of anchor charts that will help teachers consolidate their students' learning. I've attached a Power Point that I designed for 2nd grade students to learn from, but it can be tweaked to be used for different grade levels. Lessons about texture are also attached as files. Check out my links to two of my Pinterest Boards: 2nd Grade Science, and Cool Science.

Rubrics includes two rubrics that I designed that can be generally applied to assess most science activities. The first one is the K-2 Science Rubric that covers criteria outlined in HCPS III for the inquiry process in science. The second rubric is a General Science Rubric that has criteria related to understanding of concepts, vocabulary, and science drawings.

Science Tools has a chart of photos, definitions, and ways to use science tools with primary students. There is an attached file that can be printed for teacher reference. I also included two links to "freebies" about science tool centers and a categorizing activity with science tools.

Solids, Liquids, Gases is a collection of a series of links to videos, lessons, and interactive simulations online, as well as photos of poems and songs about these materials, as well as anchor charts that help to categorize them. I also included downloadable files about differentiated lessons that I designed as a culminating activity for the unit.

The Five Senses is a collection of activities designed for kindergarten students. I would also use these activities with first and second grade students because they are hands-on in nature and give opportunities to use science tools and develop descriptive vocabulary.

Understanding Science is a collection of links to websites that help to explain how primary level teachers should introduce science to young learners. There are links to lessons and photos of anchor charts that are helpful in organizing the sequence of science investigations.

Science Websites: articles, videos, lessons, blogs:

Achieve 3000 is a link to the website that we use at Palisades Elementary. I've listed five articles that deal with science basics. Many more can be searched for on the website. Links to three different art videos are also available. I've also attached a lesson plan and KidBiz Bingo worksheet that teaches students how to search for their own articles about specific topics in the program.

Best Science Websites for Teachers is a comprehensive list of links to science websites for teachers that was recommended by

Dr. Lauren Kaupp, an Educational Specialist for Science and STEM with the Hawaii D.O.E.

Brainpop Jr. is a link to the website that has animated educational videos that we have a subscription to at Palisades. I've made links to science inquiry videos, arts-related videos that teach about the properties of matter, and a data analysis video. Each Brainpop Jr. video has accompanying activities, games, quizzes, and a word wall. The word wall definitions are kid friendly.

E is for Explore is a link to a science website for educators.

My STEM Hawaii is a link to STEM related units designed by Hawaii DOE resource teachers.

Next Gen Science Standards is a link to K-2 Next Gen Science Standards.

Read Works is a link to the website that has numerous articles and corresponding questions that can be downloaded for free. I've attached links to science articles at the Kindergarten and First Grade level. The lexiles have quite a range, so second grade teachers could also use these articles for their students, as well as searching for 2nd grade specific articles in the science domains.

Science Buddies is a link to a science website for educators.

Teach Engineering is a link to an Engineering website for educators. I've attached links to lessons that are specific to K-2 students. I've also attached links to two of my Pinterest Boards: STEM, and Engineering for Kids.

Wonders Reading Science Connections is a link to a website that a STEM Resource Teacher (Mark A.) with the DOE created that categorized science themes found in the series and links them to HCPS III standards, Next Gen Science Standards, and STEM units created by Hawaii DOE Resource Teachers.