Engage your science students on the first days of school with these fun activities that will integrate September holidays into your back to school science curriculum. Students will start the first days of school learning about:
- Different careers in science
- Archaeologist
- Astronomer
- Biochemist
- Botanist
- Climatologist
- Ecologist
- Forensic Scientist
- Geologist
- Marine Biologist
- Neurologist
- Oceanographer
- Pharmacist
- Speleologist
- Human impact on our oceans
- How earth revolves around the sun
- How the change of seasons impact the environment
- The scientific method
These back to school science activities and lessons will help you start your science curriculum while engaging students in topical learning of the world around them.
Back to School Science Activities
Labor Day - Careers in Science
How often have students asked, “When will we have to know this?”
This careers in science activity eliminates that question. Students will read to learn about different science careers. They will make real world connections and find out how many different careers require a background in science.
After reading about the different careers, students can make a poster detailing important information about the science career.
This real life science connection to Labor Day will teach students
- about different careers in science
It includes:
- Vocabulary sheet
- Scientist Careers Bulletin Board Posters
- Four-page printable science reading on different science careers
- Student template to create a “Help Wanted” poster project
- Specific templates for each of the listed careers
- Blank template
- Digital Google Slides version of the above work
- Rubric to assess student work
National Clean Up Day - September 18
Ocean pollution is a genuine concern throughout the world. Plastics and garbage plaguing our waterways have impacted beaches, ocean life, and humans.
Bring attention to this problem and have students collaborate to brainstorm and design a solution with this fun activity that can be used on September 18, National Clean Up Day.
This activity starts with a teacher presentation that introduces the topic to students.
After gaining the background information, students can work together to design and engineer a solution to our ocean pollution problem.
This back to school science activity includes:
- Teacher Google Slide Ocean Pollution presentation: Use this to have a whole-class discussion with your students about humans’ impact on our oceans.
- Four printable worksheets – Students can demonstrate their knowledge of ocean pollution and design a solution to solve one of the human impact problems contributing to creating patches of garbage in the ocean.
- Student Google Slide presentation: Students can use this to follow a class discussion or in small groups to work collaboratively to design a solution for ocean pollution.
- Answer key for comprehension questions
Not only does this activity help get students interested in science, but it is also aligned with NGSS!
One of your first science units is likely the scientific method, so liven up your back to school science activity by including this fun M&M experiment.
Students will use their knowledge of the
- scientific method
- skills of observations and inferences
- record and analyze results
as they predict the amount of M&Ms in one bag.
This is a great activity to use in the beginning of the school year, before a fall break, or as a fun Friday activity. Students are engaged as they are reinforcing their knowledge of the scientific method.
This activity includes:
- Classroom posters to create a bulletin board.
- Print and Digital activity using M&Ms to acclimate students to the scientific method
- Answer key
Autumnal Equinox Activity - September 22
The beginning of the school year brings the autumnal equinox for many of us.
A great back to school science activity will teach students about the seasons and how leaves change in the fall.
This earth science activity quickly introduces students to earth’s revolution around the sun and what that means as we live in different parts of the world.
Scientist of the Month: Isaac Newton
Each school year, I like to take a small amount of time out of my curriculum to teach students about famous scientists.
A bulletin board in my classroom is dedicated to teaching students about scientists and includes famous quotes.
In doing so, students can learn more about the scientific discoveries that were made and how they relate to the world around us.
You can create a list of scientists at the beginning of the school year and highlight one each month by showing students a picture of the scientist and explaining their scientific contribution to our world.