Ring in the holidays using these fun December science activities in your classroom. Engage students before holiday break as they learn about reindeer, peppermints, gumdrops, and the winter solstive as you integrate these December holidays into your science curriculum:
- Christmas
- Snow
- Winter Solstice
These seasonal topics will allow you to cover Next Generation Science Standards such as:
- Life cycles
- Ecosystems
- Seasons
- Energy roles (producer, consumer, and decomposer)
- Predators and prey
- STEM design and engineering
Check out these ways to include December science experiments into your curriculum today!
December Science Experiments
Winter Solstice
December 21 is the shortest day of the year as it is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Teach students about the earth’s revolution and why we have seasons by acknowledging the winter solstice in your classroom.
Teach students:
- What happens yearly on December 21
- Earth’s revolution and tilt around the sun
- Differences between the two hemispheres
- Traditions and holidays based on the winter solstice
Engage students further by having them make their snowflake ornaments to celebrate the winter solstice.
The snowflake ornaments are super simple to make, and a great take home activity for the holidays!
Are you busy this holiday season and need ready-made materials?
This Winter Solstice science activity includes:
- Sneak Peek into My Classroom
- Digital Google Slide options
- Winter Solstice article with comprehension questions
- Snowflake activity
- Answer key
Extend this activity with this picture book idea!
Winter Mammals
Bring Christmas into your classroom by having students learn about reindeer.
Let students learn all about reindeer as they study:
- mammals
- what reindeer look like
- diet and habitat
- animal adaptations
- predators
- fun facts
Learning about reindeer is a fun December science activity that ties in the holidays and NGSS!
This Christmas reindeer lesson includes:
- Sneak Peek into My Classroom
- Digital links
- Article on mammals
- Reindeer article, comprehension questions, and graphic organizer
- Answer key
Winter STEM Activities
Nothing keeps students occupied and on task like December STEM activities! Use these activities before your holiday break, on a fun Friday, or in your science STEM class to teach students the skills of design and engineering practices.
Using simple materials, students will:
- Work collaboratively to create a peppermint bridge and a gumdrop tower
- Create, design, and engineer a prototype using given materials
- Answer inquiry questions
- Reflect on their design and participation in the NGSS STEM activity
Materials needed are simple and include:
- Peppermints
- Gumdrops
- Toothpicks
- Pipe cleaners
- String
- Cotton balls
Need a ready-made lesson? This December science activity includes:
- Science text on peppermints
- Science text on gumdrops
- Group expectations sheet
- Student materials sheet
- STEM activity for students to create their gumdrop tower or peppermint bridge
- Rubric
Scientist of the Month: Ada Lovelace
Bringing Scientists into the Science Classrooms
The wonders of science are all around us, from the tiny molecules that make up your DNA to spaceflight. And yet many people don’t know much about them or where their favorite scientist fits into our world-shaping history! This month I want you scientists out there (and anyone else interested) welcomed with open arms as part of this lesson on famous scientists and inventors who changed society forever by changing how we live everyday–including me 🙂
Ways to encourage this:
- A bulletin board to teaching students about scientists and includes famous quotes.
- 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.
Grab the December science activities, and students will learn about the famous female scientist Ada Lovelace through a short reading passage that includes two comprehension questions.
Looking for print and go (or digital) materials to use in your classroom?
Check it out here!
I did this with my students for Saturday School and they were so engaged. Because of the demands of our district we are not able to teach science the way we would like to and how often we would like to, so when they get to do science they are so excited.
Darlene6th grade teacher
A great blend of content area reading and hands on activities perfect for December. It is so hard to find meaningful activities for older students that are still fun for the holidays! Thanks!
Karen6th, 7th, 8th grade teacher
My kids loved these activities!! They were very engaged and did a good job of working together!! Thank you!!
Amanda5th grade teacher
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