FUN SCIENCE with Science in a Van!

This collection was created to support Science in a Van with a Hive Mind session about fun things to do in the classroom.

​

The activities in this collection all have supporting resources to help educators have fun and ensure the science concepts don't get lost in the process!

​

​

The Science in a Van folks always have fun stuff on hand. Check out a few of these. . .

• Is it science ... it is magic? Watch as Alan from Science in a Van talks you through how to make a Cartesian Diver. 
• Food is always fun! Science in a Van do science as they eat biscuits and talk about what happens to a biscuit when you dunk it into a drink. It's all to do with what materials are made up of, how they join together, separate and move!
• Newton's Beads is a classic and fun physics demonstration. Have you tried this one yourself? Talk to your students about what they can see in action ....... gravity, friction, potential energy, kinetic energy ... ? Science in a Van love this experiment and always manage to find a willing volunteer to get all the beads back in the jar hahahahaha!
• Science in a Van demo this fun physics trick at the beginning of their 'Move It' science show. It demonstrates lots of different forces and always wows a crowd. Super fun!

​

Food chemistry

​

Sandy Jackson from Kings School makes pancakes as part of a fabulous and fun science classroom activity.

​

Check out her slides for the instructions, theory and top tips for making this an engaging and memorable classroom activity!

The Hub's Pinterest boards are one-stop shops of fun:

• Kitchen Science
• School holiday fun

PLD webinars

​

Get the most of hands-on science with tips from these webinars:

• Having fun with the science capabilities
• Kitchen science
• Exploring magnetism
• Primary Science Week 2022
• Chemistry in the primary classroom

The following resources feature fun activities.

​

There's a note prior each group with links to articles explaining the science concepts that underpin each of the fun experiences, cos - ya know - learning by stealth works!.

Volcanoes and earthquakes

​

Earthquakes and volcanoes explains that an earthquake is a release of energy, and volcanoes are openings in the Earth’s crust.

Under the Earth’s surface is an introduction to the layers of the Earth and tectonic plates.

The moving Earth explores tectonic plates and the different ways they meet and move.

New Zealand volcanoes highlights the different types of volcanoes found in New Zealand and includes an interactive volcano map with images and geographic locations.

Surface tension and water

​

Observing bubbles – explores surface tension – the curious force that holds individual liquid molecules together.

Floating and sinking

​

Water play is both fun and great for learning about material world and physical world concepts.

​

The article Building Science Concepts: Floating and sinking has useful background information for educators.

​

Will this float or sink? uses an interactive or paper-based graphic organiser to consider whether an object floats or sinks. Use it prior to a unit on floating and sinking to gauge students’ thinking and again during and after the unit as formative assessment.

Sound

​

Explore physical world concepts and have lots of physical fun while making sounds.

​

Check out the concepts with Building Science Concepts: Exploring sound.

Light and shadows

​

The articles Light and shadow and Light basics provide useful background information.

​

Building Science Concepts: Shadows explores the concepts that underpin shadows.

Fire

​

Few things in life are more captivating than fire.

​

Fire, as a context for learning, covers key science concepts in chemistry. The article What is fire? explores the fire triangle. What is smoke? explains incomplete combustion and the dangers that smoke presents. Heat energy looks at heat transfer – convection, conduction and radiation. Fire behaviour explores the variables that influence fire.

States of matter

​

Messy science and edible science go hand in hand with the material world's states of matter.