Teach children use clouds to predict the weather.
Earth science is the study of the earth, including geology, geography, physics, astronomy and geomorphology, and its physical structure and properties. Using games to teach children about the different aspects of earth science will both educate and engage a child, both at home and in the classroom.
Find the Rock
Hand the child a large dish or jar and instruct him to walk through the neighborhood or local park and look for certain types of rocks. The child can either be given a lesson about the various types of rocks, which are igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic, or the whole family can sift through the rocks at home and identify them after the walk. The child will then be instructed to divide all of the rocks into the three different types of rocks as quickly as possible. He receives one point for each type of rock that successfully identified and placed into the correct pile.
Locate the Country
Place a map of the world onto a wall in the home or classroom. Write several of the well-known countries of the world, such as the United States, Canada, France and China, onto small pieces of paper. Line up all of the students and place the pieces of paper into a bowl or paper bag and instruct the child to pick out one of the paper. The child then has 15 seconds to locate the country on the map. If he does not successfully locate the country in time, the child must sit down and the person that is next in line is given the opportunity to find the country. The game continues until there are two children remaining. A more difficult to locate country is then called out and the child that locates it on the map first wins.
Forecast the Weather
Teach children about forecasting the weather without the help of television, the Internet or technology. Give the child a piece of paper and instruct him about all the different ways the weather can be predicted by using the tools found in nature. For instance, flies will more readily bite when there is rain on the way, bees and birds will not visit flower beds they regularly frequent when there is rain coming and dark, low clouds are a sign of rain. The child will then use all of these tools to make a weather prediction.
Falling Objects
Use different objects that the child is accustomed to, such as pencils, paper and crayons, to teach her about gravity and physics. Instruct the child to hold a piece of paper and a crayon at the same height and drop them. Ask the child to predict which one will hit the ground first. If the child guesses the correct answer, which is the crayon, she receives a point. Then tightly wad up the paper and instruct the child to once again answer the question. If the child guesses correctly, which is they will reach the ground at about the same time, she receives a point. Explain to the child that the flat piece of paper is met with air resistance that is lost when it is made into a wad. The game can be made more messy (and fun) by using objects such as eggs and water balloons.
Tags: locate country, paper instruct, piece paper, receives point, types rocks, about different
