Are you teaching summer school, summer camp, or still in the classroom? Then you’ll want to grab these FREE summer science activities to practice Next Generation State Standards ( NGSS ) and keep your students’ engagement high by using low prep activities.
Celebrate Summer Science
National Gummy Worm Day - July 15
Teachers, do you need instant engagement? Bring out a bag of gummy worms!
This summer science activity will have students work collaboratively to save Sam, the gummy worm, from an untimely death when he gets thrown overboard on his boat trip.
To complete this activity, you’ll need:
- Paper clips
- Gummy worm
- Plastic cup
- Gummy Lifesaver
Not only is this activity great for summer school or summer camp, but I use it each year as a back to school team building activity on the first days of school. I love seeing students work together to build relationships right at the beginning of the year.
National Ice Cream Day - July 18
Summer = ice cream and there are so many connections to science!
This fun summer science activity will have your students make their own ice cream!
This hands on activity can be connected to:
To easily make ice cream with your science students, you’ll need:
- Half and half,
- kosher or rock salt,
- vanilla, and
- ice
Have students work in pairs and share the ice cream to stay budget friendly.
Students will follow the directions to create their ice cream while reviewing states of matter and how the change in temperature, lowered by the rock salt, helps make the delicious mixture.
National Moon Day - July 20
Who isn’t enamored with the moon?
Students love learning about science they can easily see. So, celebrate all things lunar by having students read about the moon landing in 1969.
Students will learn about the Space Race, the Moon Walk, and the important event in our nation’s history.
Connect the moon to your summer science class by having students recreate their birthday moon.
This project will have students
- research the phase of their moon on the date they were born
- create a sun, earth, and moon model that will align to NGSS
- identify important events that happened on their birthdate
Summer Science Life Cycles
Students are familiar with the cycle of life, but this life cycle of an octopus activity will also connect to NGSS.
Students will learn about the life cycle of an octopus. After reading about its life, they will create a life cycle and describe how the octopus grows, develops, and survives.
Grab the Free Summer Science activities Below!
