Science is Elementary Request Form
Book an experience for your elementary students!
Science is Elementary
Science is Elementary (SIE) provides 3rd–5th grade teachers with hands-on science kits that bring real-world learning into the classroom. Activities are designed to engage students in meaningful scientific and engineering practices and are fully aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Program Details
How it Works
Interested in borrowing a Science is Elementary kit? Start by choosing a kit from our list of kits and submitting a reservation request. We’ll ship the kit to you free of charge. You and your students can use it in your classroom for 14 days. When you're done, simply return the kit using the pre-paid FedEx shipping label included in the box.
Eligibility
No training required.
What’s in Your Kit?
Each kit contains all the materials and resources necessary to engage your students in the hands-on, learner-centered activities that are part of Science is Elementary. Select the lab name in the table below for more detailed information on what is included in each lesson.
Reserve Your Kit
Complete the Science is Elementary Request form (see sidebar). Kits are on-loan for 14 days. Kits are intended for use only by the teacher who requested them and should not be shared with others.
Unpack Your Kit
You received your kit, now what? Use the checklist provided to make sure you have received all of the materials. The checklist will also indicate if any materials need require other special handling. Notify us immediately at mdll AT_TOWSON if there are any problems with your kit.
Return Your Kit
Time to return your kit? Clean and dry all equipment, then repack items neatly as received. Complete the return checklist and note any missing or broken items. Tape the box shut and attach both shipping labels (return address and FedEx tracking) as directed. Return shipping is free—schedule a FedEx pick-up using the provided instructions or drop off the kit at any FedEx location.
Science is Elementary Kits
Below is a description of each of SIE kits, including links to teacher's lessons.
| LAB NAME | GRADE LEVEL | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| Insect Investigations | 3-4 | Are mealworms afraid of the dark? Do darkling beetles prefer wet or dry areas? Students will conduct ‘fair tests’ with live insects to answer these questions and learn how changes to ecosystems affect the critters who live there. |
| Oyster Encounter | 3–5 | Why are oysters so important to the Chesapeake Bay? Students will look at an oyster up close through a microscope and learn how they filter water and provide habitat to other Chesapeake Bay organisms. |
| Rain Gardens | 3–5 | This lab gives students a chance to explore how rain gardens can help reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. We’ll make a model rain garden in the lab and test it out with some polluted water! |
| Where the Wind Blows | 3–5 | Students become meteorologists in the activity that focuses on wind speed and direction. After building an anemometer and weathervane, students collect and analyze data on weather patterns. |
| Wonders of the Water Cycle | 3–4 | What is the water cycle? And how does it work? Students will learn about weather and climate by exploring different types of clouds and investigating their role in the water cycle. |
| Electric Adventure |
3-5 | This lab is designed to give students the opportunity to create their own circuits using Snap Circuits materials. Students will be able to observe the transfer of energy to light, motion, and sound through electric currents. |
Cancel Your Kit
Please let us know in advance if you need to cancel your reserved kit by emailing us at mdll AT_TOWSON. Early cancellation will help us give other teachers the opportunity to book a kit.
Questions?
Email us at mdll AT_TOWSON.