Physical Science Kit Sources
STC – Science & Technology for Children
FOSS – Full Option Science Systems
InSights – An Elementary Hands-On Inquiry Science Curriculum

Listed below is a brief synopsis of each science kit used by the UO GK-12 Science Outreach Program. The GK-12 Fellows work in partnership with classroom teachers, serving as content specialists to provide guidance on how the active learning curricula can be used to satisfy the State of Oregon requirements for math, science and writing work samples. They model science as an active, inquiry-driven process.

Our partners, Lane ESD and High Desert ESD, are developing a resource-sharing model with a science kit restocking service. The kits are collected, refurbished and stored between uses by the ESD. This allows each kit to be used several times each year increasing the use of each kit by a factor of at least 3 over a single school based model.

Click on a grade to view information for used kits at that level:

Kindergarten – 1st Grade – 2nd Grade – 3rd Grade – 4th Grade
5th Grade – Middle School

Kindergarten

Wood and Paper (FOSS)
Students work with five different samples of wood (basswood particleboard, pine, plywood, and redwood) to observe their properties. They begin with free exploration time, go on a wood hunt to find matches for their samples, drop water on the samples, float them in basins of water, and discover a way to sink them. They test two pieces of wood to find out exactly how many paper clips it takes to sink them, and then organize their results by making a concrete bar graph.

Balls and Ramps (InSights)
The kit includes balls of various materials and boards that can be used to construct ramps of varying heights. Children are given the opportunity to discuss and explore different properties of the balls, such as material, weight, and shape. Through the activities, students develop an understanding of different types of motion the balls can undergo, such as rolling, bouncing and spinning. They will explore and discuss how properties of the balls and ramps affect their motion.

First Grade

Solids and Liquids (STC)
In Solids and Liquids, students get to shake, rattle, and roll (not to mention drip, squish, and stir) an assortment of objects and materials while engaging in science explorations clearly linked to their everyday lives. Through the explorations, students deepen their understanding of the characteristics and behavior of solids and liquids. Through comparing and sorting on the basis of a variety of properties, students enhance their critical thinking skills.

Balance and Motion (FOSS)
In this kit, students experience the phenomenon of why/how some things move from one place to another or some things move around and around in a rotational motion. They learn to modify unstable systems to reach equilibrium, construct toys that spin, describe the motion of rolling spheres.

Second Grade

Changes (STC)
In Changes, students first expand their understanding of solids, liquids, and gases by exploring changes in state. They investigate freezing, melting, evaporation, and condensation of water. Then, through a sequence of lessons, they produce mixtures of two solids and of solids with liquids and they observe the results. They work through several ways of separating mixtures: sieving, filtration, evaporation, and chromatography. The students set up dissolving races with sugar and water, in which they observe the effects of sugar particle size and water temperature on the rate at which the sugar "disappears." Students observe changes that occur immediately and some that occur over time, and they begin to recognize the characteristics of chemical reactions. They investigate rusting, and they observe and collect the gas formed by mixing Alka Seltzer® and water.

Third Grade

Electric Circuits (STC)
Young students are both fascinated and puzzled by electricity. Through the activities in the STC unit Electric Circuits, students answer many of their own questions about the properties and uses of electricity. Lessons in Electric Circuits are organized into three major sections: First, students focus on the basic properties of electricity. Then, they investigate how various materials are affected by electricity, and they identify conductors and insulators. They go on to explore series and parallel circuits, switches, and diodes.

Lifting Heavy Things (InSights)
This kit explores properties and motion of objects, specifically the use of simple machines in moving heavy objects. These objects include a bucket of sand, the teacher’s desk, and a wagon.
Student’s learn the following:
•Using a ruler / yard stick for measuring consistently.
• For each simple machine there is a trade-off in using it to help lift: A lever with a fulcrum closer to the object will lift more weight but not as high. A ramp requires pushing the object over a long distance. Using 2 pulleys makes the load easier to move, but it only moves half the distance for each pull so you have to pull more rope.

Fourth Grade

Motion and Design (STC)
In various experiments, students use washers as weights to quantify the force applied through a string to pull their vehicles, and they use wood blocks to quantify a vehicle's load. In addition to weights, the teams use propellers and rubber bands to propel their vehicles, so they observe the forward reaction caused by forcing air backward. After exploring basic concepts of motion, the teams design vehicles to meet specifications and then they test the vehicles. Students practice developing their designs within the confines of cost and availability of materials. They also get practice in mechanical drafting, through both following and developing two- and three-view drawings of vehicles.

Changes of State (Insights)
This kit clearly applies to the Oregon State benchmarks in Physical Science: Matter, which require an understanding of the different states of matter and how matter can change from one state to another. With an additional emphasis, this kit could also be used to address the Energy benchmark, in that many of the activities have students melting ice cubes with sunlight, and heat could be discussed as a source of energy.

Fifth Grade

Magnets and Motors (STC)
Using a series of hands-on experiments, students investigate the properties of magnets and the magnetic properties of electric currents. As the class progresses through the unit from magnetism to electricity to electromagnetism, students experience the historical development of our understanding of magnets. Through a variety of activities, students increase their understanding of circuits and switches while also enhancing their problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.

Measuring Time (STC)
The sequence of activities in Measuring Time mirrors human progress in the field of timekeeping, so your students actually participate in an important retrospective of science and technology while honing their skills in the design of experiments, problem-solving, and troubleshooting technological devices. The students are challenged to use materials of their choice to construct a device of any type that accurately and consistently measures one minute. The class learns more about both the historical and scientific aspects of timekeeping from the various reading selections included throughout the appropriate sections of the unit.

Middle School

Electrical Energy and Circuit Design (STC–MS)
Students explore the transfer of electrical energy in circuits and the design of circuits to control a variety of devices. In the first lesson, students explore the principles and devices that they will be investigating for their study of energy and circuits.

Energy, Machines, and Motion (STC–MS)
Energy, Machines, and Motion provides students with opportunities to explore both physical science and technological design concepts. Students first complete a pre-assessment activity that introduces them to the themes of the module.

Light (STC–MS)
Most middle school students—like most adults—have little understanding of the nature of light, although they are highly dependent upon its impact. The STC/MS module Light introduces students to the behavior, properties, and uses of light. In the introductory lesson, students investigate some properties of light and their application in optical devices. Throughout the module they engage in a series of carefully sequenced activities to deal with common misconceptions and develop new understandings.

Properties of Matter (STC–MS)
Properties of Matter is introduced through a series of short inquiries. Students observe how matter interacts and how it behaves when heated. They then provide explanations of their observations. The themes of these inquiries are revisited in detail throughout the module, giving students opportunities to re-examine and modify their explanations.