Idea Sheets

Planet Beads

Students select beads to represent the planets and place them at the appropriate spacing on a string to represent the distances between the planets.
Subjects: Earth/Space Science, Math

Planet Orbit Locations to Scale

Create a pocket sized foldable strip with a scaled down solar system that shows the relative distances between the planets' orbits and the Sun.
Subjects: Earth/Space Science, Math

Plant Cells

Gain a deeper understanding of the structures and functions found in plant cells by creating a model from repurposed materials.
Subjects: Life Science

Playing with the Rock Cycle

Given enough time, everything changes: mountains are built up and torn down, continents move and change shape, even rocks get worn down and reform. Imagining these changes that take millions of years is often easier for students if they model the processes in class using familiar materials. In this activity, students model the changes in rocks over time using crayons.
Subjects: Physical Science, Earth/Space Science

Plumbing the Depths

Model the taking, recording, and interpreting of "ocean" depth measurements using a opaque foam container, a hidden ocean "floor", and a simple tool.
Subjects: Physical Science, Math

Polarizing Filter Illusion

Create a mystifying illusion based on polarized light that will fool the eye and engage students' curiosity and interest!
Subjects: Physical Science, Life Science

  Polygon Pursuit

This fun hands-on game reinforces recognition of several geometrical attributes such as polygonal shape, angular measurement, & symmetry.
Subjects: Math

Polynomial Pancakes!

Flip over a stack of mathematical "pancakes" made of equivalent versions of first, second, and third degree polynomials!
Subjects: Math

Pop Rockets

The challenge: design a rocket that will consistently land in a target box from 2 different distances.
Subjects: Physical Science, Earth/Space Science

Pop goes the Mountain

Develop students' topographic map reading skills while making models showing the powerful effect of a volcanic eruption!
Subjects: Earth/Space Science

Popping Film Canisters

Engage your students' interest with one of the amazing properties of dry ice!
Subjects: Physical Science

Postcards from Space

In this interdisciplinary activity, students choose an object in the Solar System to "visit" then send a postcard to a loved one describing their adventure (via "interplanetary post"). Postcards From Space combines science knowledge (astronomy), art, and writing skills.
Subjects: Earth/Space Science, Language Arts

Pour It Out

If everything in a house were 1/20th normal size why would you need lots of straws?
Subjects: Physical Science

Kits Available: Redwood City 25

Preform Racks

Run a variety of classroom experiments that teach matter and chemistry using this RAFTy rack to hold preforms or test tubes.
Subjects: Physical Science, Math

Preform sound tubes

This activity gives pre-school age children an opportunity to explore sounds by hearing the different sounds made by small objects. All people learn in different ways. This activity appeals to both auditory and tactile learners. It helps develop gross motor skills and encourages attention to detail.
Subjects: Physical Science, Life Science

Preserving the Petals

Press and dry flowers in a couple of minutes with this microwave plant press.
Subjects: Life Science

  Price a Piece of Pizza!

Once the price of a whole pizza is known, find the price of a fractional slice of the same pizza. Add extra toppings for an additional fee!
Subjects: Math

Kits Available: San Jose 35, Redwood City 27

Prism Heddle Loom

This simple loom encodes patterns into a prism-shaped piece of cardstock.
Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Produce Stand

This game allows students to practice the mathematical skills involved in making simple purchases.
Subjects: Math

Puff Rocket

Hypothesize, experiment, collect data and analyze forces and motion with a straw "rocket" and an easily made launcher. The stronger the force, the farther and higher the rocket flies!
Subjects: Physical Science, Earth/Space Science

Kits Available: San Jose 75, Redwood City 14

Puffed Up Polymers

This amazing demonstration shows students just how much air there is in Styrofoam, and also reinforces the concept of a solvent in a memorable way.
Subjects: Physical Science

Pumping Iron

Sure, that fortified cereal sounds great! Our bodies need iron to grow, but no one would eat a bolt or other big chunk of iron to stay healthy... or would they? Iron is iron, and magnets attract iron. Finding iron in iron-rich food is easy (and amazing!)!
Subjects: Physical Science, Life Science

Put and Take

This classic dice game is a fun way to reinforce probability, randomness, and chance.
Subjects: Math

Puzzle Boxes

These extremely simple puzzle boxes can be put together in about a minute by either the teacher or by the student. Students can use the basic design or create their own variations or puzzles and games.
Subjects: Physical Science

Puzzling Directions

Students create and solve mazes based on following simple directional instructions.
Subjects: Physical Science, Math

Puzzling Frames

Students will enjoy creating a frame for a photograph or for their own artwork. These frames can be created in a variety of sizes and shapes, and the ease of using craft sticks and puzzle pieces makes this project appeal to students of varying ages and abilities.
Subjects: Math, Art

Quick Stitched Books

This book design makes good use of continuous feed paper leftover from dot-matrix printer days. The books are quick to make, can have any number of pages, and feature a front cover that opens completely so that the book lays flat.
Subjects: Language Arts, Art

Quickie Kaleidoscope

This quickie kaleidoscope is easy to build and beautiful to look through!
Subjects: Physical Science, Math, Art

RAFTy REPOUSSE

Use this simplified technique to create artifacts for social studies units as well as greeting cards, picture frames, bookmarks, and other decorative projects.
Subjects: Physical Science, Social Studies, Art

RAFTy Rainsticks

Several different cultures use rainsticks in traditional ceremonies intended to, not surprisingly, make it rain. Authentic rainsticks made from different types of cactus plants or bamboo can be purchased, but you can also have your students make one with easily found materials.
Subjects: Life Science, Earth/Space Science, Social Studies, Art

Rabbit Rhymes

Rabbits are a common spring theme in pre-school and primary classrooms. In this game, played like Concentration, students turn over rabbit cut outs to display rhyming word pairs (pictures or words).
Subjects: Language Arts

Race Around the Sun

Which inner planet has the shortest year? Learn the answer and more by building a model to show how Mars, Earth, Venus, and Mercury move around the Sun.
Subjects: Earth/Space Science, Math

Race to the Top

Your students will enjoy seeing which game piece reaches the top of the row first as they play this folder game that reinforces counting, 1:1 correspondence, co-operative play, and following rules to play a game.
Subjects: Math

Racing Cups

The Cup Racer is a modern version of a classic toy that turns potential energy, stored in a twisted rubber band, into kinetic energy - the motion of the Cup Racer.
Subjects: Physical Science

Reading with Your Fingers

Practice writing and reading words with this Braille "chalkboard".
Subjects: Language Arts

Reason for the Seasons

Use a flashlight to simulate the angle of the sun at different times of the year. Observe how the light disperses differently depending on the season.
Subjects: Physical Science, Earth/Space Science

Rebutton Up

Get new life out of unwanted or out-of-date advertising buttons with this quick and simple activity!
Subjects: Social Studies, Art

Red Blood looks "Blue"?

Seeing can be deceiving! Model how a person's blood can look bluish in the wrist veins and address the misconceptions that have been created to explain this paradox.
Subjects: Life Science

Register Tape Chinese History

By creating a graphic representation of the dynasties and historical events of the land that is now known as China, students can deepen their understanding of this important country and culture.
Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Renaissance Perspectives

Creating realistic works became easier with the use of this perspective aid: the Draftsmen's Net, developed in the Renaissance and used as an artistic tool ever since.
Subjects: Math, Social Studies, Art

Repousse Ornaments

Create attractive ornaments in your classroom using common household products and/or recycled materials.
Subjects: Art

Resonant Pendulums

This magical set-up is remarkable to watch in action and reveals resonance, a fundamental physical behavior of vibrating systems.
Subjects: Physical Science

Retractor Car

With a little creativity, the potential energy stored in a common badge retractor can run a fun little vehicle. Take this idea and run with it!
Subjects: Physical Science

Kits Available: San Jose 30, Redwood City 6

Revealing Radiative Heating

Explore how a material's color affects the amount of radiant energy that it absorbs in this liquid crystal activity.
Subjects: Physical Science

Roll Over and Over

Children learning how to add will enjoy this simple game that reinforces color knowledge and basic addition, plus teaches gaming skills (i.e.- taking turns).
Subjects: Math

Rollback Can

A rolling can returns to its starting point on its own!? The Rollback Can provides an interesting example of energy transfer and storage.
Subjects: Physical Science

Kits Available: San Jose 64, Redwood City 20

  Roller Coaster Math!

What does math have to do with thrilling roller coaster rides? How high does a coaster need to be to successfully navigate through a loop and on to the end of the track? How is the speed of the coaster related to the height of the coaster's starting position?
Subjects: Physical Science, Math

Kits Available: San Jose 46, Redwood City 6

Roller Racer

Enjoy the hands-on experience of building and using the Roller Racer, a modern variation of an old favorite. Explore the application of simple machines and energy conversion and investigate how changes in stored energy can affect performance.
Subjects: Physical Science

Kits Available: San Jose 64, Redwood City 20

Rolling Around the Solar System

Shrink our Solar System down to size with a fun game that creates a physical sense of the relative distances between the orbits of the 8 planets and the Sun.
Subjects: Physical Science, Earth/Space Science, Math

Rolling Explorations

Students can explore the science of motion and more with this simple cart!
Subjects: Physical Science