Here are our Lesson Plans For Science

These lessons were made to go along with ‘On The Banks Of Plum Creek‘ written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We are planning to go through the whole series and I am keeping track of the different topics we are learning about here on my blog. We hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

On weeks where there are several activities listed just choose a couple that interest you the most to work on.

Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.

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Week 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

• Willow Trees

• Morning Glories

• Growing plants

• Butterflies

• Lichens

• Badgers

• Learn a bit more about badgers at the San Diego Zoo website.

• Heat Transfer

• Discuss what you learned.
• Choose an activity:
  • Monarch Butterfly … Life Cycle … Photographs … SCIENCE FREEBIE
  • Butterfly Life Cycle activity
• Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
• Do an activity from the Growing Things Theme Box
• Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Seasons

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapters 30, 31 & 61
• Discuss what you learned.

4. Extra Activities:

• Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Bugnoculars
• Insect Lore Deluxe Butterfly Garden with 2 Live Cups of Caterpillars & Feeding Kit
• Lakeshore Life Cycles Science Viewer
• Bugs & Insects Instant Learning Center
• Flowers: a Golden Nature Guide
• Mystery Science

5. Bonus

Look at a sample of pond water under a microscope and compare it to a sample of tap water. Watch this video if you don’t have access to pond water or a microscope.

• Discuss what you learned.
• What surprised you the most about this activity?

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Week 2: Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

• Animal Groups

• Insects

• Bees

• Response to Fear

• Discuss what you learned.
• Animal Classification Worksheet
• Research other social insects:
  • Social Insects: Bees, Wasps, Ants and Termites – CDN
  • Social Insects Lesson for Kids: Types, Definition & Examples | Study.com
• Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
• Do an activity from the Growing Things Theme Box
• Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Spring

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapters 3 & 7
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Nature Up Close! Light Table Slides
• Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Bugnoculars
• Animal Bingo
• Life Cycle Sequencing Kit
• Bugs & Insects Instant Learning Center
• Mystery Science

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Week 3: Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

• Crabs

• Leeches

• Creek animals

• Discuss what you learned.
• Write a report about leeches. Your report will be due next week. Be sure to include:
  • medical uses
  • classification
  • removal methods
• Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Floods

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapters 41 & 55
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Animal Bingo
• Life Cycle Sequencing Kit
• Bugs & Insects Instant Learning Center
• Life Cycles Instant Learning Center
• Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish
• Mystery Science

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Week 4: Chapters 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

• Fish

• Blue herons

• Snipes

• Waterbirds

• Discuss what you learned.
• Read Bizarre Birds
• Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
• Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Seasons

• Droughts

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapters 45 & 53
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Nature Up Close! Light Table Slides
• Bird Bingo
• Lakeshore Life Cycles Science Viewer
• Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish
• Mystery Science

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Week 5: Chapters 24, 25, 26, 27 & 28

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

• Grasshoppers

• Food Chains

• Discuss what you learned.
• Read Bugs A to Z
• Choose an activity:
  • Food Webs and Food Chains Worksheet
  • Food Chain/Web
• Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
• Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Water Table

• Dust Devils

• Heat Waves

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapter 33 & 36
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Nature Up Close! Light Table Slides
• Bugs & Insects Instant Learning Center
• Mystery Science

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Week 6: Chapters 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 & 34

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

• Birds

• Grasshopper Migration

• Discuss what you learned.
• Read Bird-acious (Science with Stuff) and do the activity.
• Do an activity from the Growing Things Theme Box
• Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Fall

• Lightning

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapter 14, 15 & 16
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Bird Bingo
• Mystery Science

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Week 7: Chapters 35, 36, 37 & 38

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

• Beavers

• Winter Coats

• Discuss what you learned.
• Write a report about beavers. Your report will be due next week. Be sure to include:
  • diet
  • habitat
  • communities
• Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
• Do an activity from the Growing Things Theme Box
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Winter

• Blizzards

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapters 40 & 42
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Animal Bingo
• Mystery Science

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Week 8: Chapters 39, 40 & 41

1. Go back and review previous topics you may have skipped or want to learn more about.

Watch this video:

• Discuss what you learned.
• Grouping animals – Classification – Hamilton Zoo
• Do an activity from the Growing Things Theme Box
• Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Clouds

 

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature Chapter 63 & 67
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Nature Up Close! Light Table Slides
• Bird Bingo
• Animal Bingo
• Life Cycle Sequencing Kit
• Life Cycles Instant Learning Center
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box
• Weather & Seasons Instant Learning Center
• Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish
• Flowers: a Golden Nature Guide
• Mystery Science

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Week 9: Finishing Up

1. Tests

Make sure to print out the results from online quizzes.

• Choose one of these:
  • Plant And Animal Life Cycles Quiz
  • Animal Life Cycles Test
• And Choose one of these:
  • Food Chains/webs Quiz
  • Food Chains Test

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

• Watch the Rock ‘N Learn Earth Science DVD

• Learn about hurricanes as we have a lot of them here.

• Discuss what you learned.
• Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
• Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities
• Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research anything else you are interested in.

3. Read:

• Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature Free Choice
• Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

• Nature Up Close! Light Table Slides
• Bird Bingo
• Animal Bingo
• Mystery Science

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