Spring into Science

When the birds start chirping, the flowers start opening up their delicate faces towards the sun, and the snow begins to melt, you know spring is coming. Another sign of spring is science activities! Science does not always have to be a somber, excruciating experience. Instead, use spring as a springboard for activities and lessons:

Choose any springtime topic and see how you can integrate science ideas, lessons, or activities with the topic. Some science topics to study include:

• Plants.
• Birds.
• Butterflies. Take Alpha Omega Publications’ Live Butterfly Garden elective to supplement a fun butterfly study.
• Fossils and records in rocks.
• Weather patterns.
• Global warming.
• Animal life cycles. Bring science to life with the Grow-a-Frog homeschool resource. Learners will observe a tadpole grow into a frog and study the science behind it.
• Erosion.
• Photosynthesis.

Use your own backyard or community park for a science lesson. Make your pond the classroom for the next couple of weeks as winter loses its tenacious hold on us. Identify what kind of creatures call the pond home and do a separate study on them. Examine the fresh, new animal tracks in the mud and learn how to classify the paw prints. Even though spring’s return also means the appearance of many creepy-crawly insects, they can provide a science lesson for your homeschool day once you are aware of the prime bug projects that are at your fingertips.

Take the topics that students are learning in their weekly academics and create a separate activity or study of them. Topics like earth science and climate change from Alpha Omega Publications’ 7th grade Monarch General Science 1 can mesh well with coordinated outdoor activities.

What spring science studies will you do this spring? What science topics would you add?